Windsurfer Joshua Castro wins bronze at the Techno 293 European Championship

The sailor from Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, Joshua Castro, has won the bronze medal in the Under-15 category of the Techno293 European Championship, held in the Italian town of Ostia.

A total of 64 athletes representing around ten countries from across the continent participated in the competition.

Castro, a windsurfer from Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa (CMSAP), climbed to the third step of the podium after moving up from fourth place on the final day. The Mallorcan managed to overtake the Greek sailor Foivos Koulalis at the last moment.

The start of the championship was delayed, as no races could be held during the first two days due to strong winds and poor sea conditions. However, the organizers managed to recover the lost ground over the weekend, and participants completed a total of 10 races: five on Saturday and another five on Sunday, with progressively decreasing winds.

Sunday’s session, with lighter conditions, was particularly favorable for Joshua Castro, who won the first race of the day and followed it with two third-place finishes. These results allowed him to secure the bronze medal and push his Greek rival off the podium.

This is Joshua Castro’s first season in the Under-15 category of the Techno class, where he has had to compete against sailors with one more year of experience. The young athlete, considered one of the great promises of national windsurfing, was crowned World and European Under-13 Champion last season, and this year has once again climbed the podium in his first international event in the new category.

Also noteworthy in the continental championship was the performance of another representative from the Can Pastilla club, Biel Martorell, who finished eighth in the Under-15 category.

Both sailors from CMSAP returned to Mallorca from Italy and were welcomed with a small celebration by family, friends, and club teammates at Palma airport. Upon his arrival, Joshua Castro explained that "it was a very tough championship because I had to compete against heavier rivals who were favored by the strong wind. Also, in the first few days, there was a storm, and we couldn’t go out to train or familiarize ourselves with the race area."

Meanwhile, Biel Martorell noted that the European event held in Ostia was "very strange and short, with only two days of racing, very shifty winds, and quite challenging conditions."