World champion Marta Cardona aims to retain the 470 Mixed European title in Vilamoura

The Portuguese town of Vilamoura will host the 470 Class European Championship from Friday, March 6th, to Saturday, March 14th, one of the most important events on the international sailing calendar, with the participation of 55 crews.

Among the competing teams is sailor Marta Cardona from Club Nàutic s’Arenal, who will race alongside Jordi Xammar. The young Balearic sailor arrives at the event as one of the class’s rising stars after an outstanding 2025 season, during which she was crowned 470 Mixed World Champion together with Xammar, establishing herself as one of the names to watch on the international stage.

Also competing in Vilamoura will be Silvia Mas, another sailor from Club Nàutic s’Arenal, who will team up with Alejandro de Maqua.

The championship will be structured in two main phases: the Opening Series and the Medal Series. The Opening Series will be divided into a qualifying stage and a final stage. In the qualifying series, five races are scheduled, with the crews split into two fleets of similar size.

After this initial phase, teams will be divided into the final fleets according to their ranking. The top 25 crews will compete in the Gold Fleet, while the rest will race in the Silver Fleet. Seven races are scheduled in this final series.

The ten best crews from the Opening Series will advance to the Medal Series, provided that at least one Gold Fleet race has been completed during the final phase. This final stage will include two decisive races that will determine the championship podium.

The program will begin on March 6th and 7th with registration and equipment inspections, while the opening ceremony will take place on the evening of March 7th. The practice race is scheduled for Sunday, March 8th, and the first warning signal for the official start of the competition will be given on Monday.

Throughout the week, the qualifying and final races will take place, with a maximum of three races per day. The championship will conclude on Saturday, March 14th, with the Medal Series and the prize-giving ceremony, where the 2026 European 470 champions will be crowned.

The best European crew in the final standings will be proclaimed the 470 Mixed European Champions. In addition, the overall winners will receive the Kevin Burnham 470 Trophy, awarded by the International 470 Class Association.