Italy made a strong start to the 2025 Youth Sailing World Championships, with the reigning Nations Trophy winners leading three of the five events that were able to get on the water on the first day of competitive racing.
Alessandro Cirinei and Marina Murri won the opening male and female ILCA 6 races respectively, while Giuseppe Montesano and Enrico Coslevich have the early advantage after two races in the male/mixed 29er.
The male/mixed 420 is led by Sviatoslav Madonich and Dmytro Karabadzhak, of Ukraine, after the opening race, while French pair Marius Praud and Emilie Mansouri lead the Nacra 15 standings after two eventful races.
There was no racing in the remaining six events (male and female Formula Kite, male and female iQFOiL, and the female 420 and 29er) due to lack of wind.
Praud and Mansouri lead Nacra 15
Marius Praud and Emilie Mansouri sit top of the fledgling Nacra 15 leaderboard after backing up victory in the opening race with a third-placed finish in the second.
The Nacra 15 got off to a dramatic start as four pairs misjudged the course and went around the wrong top mark, including reigning Youth World and Nacra 15 world champions Lorenzo Sirena and Alice Dessy, who crossed the line first but were later marked with an NSC (not sailed course). The pair showed excellent character to bounce back with victory in the second race and sit on 15 points after day one.
Spain’s Pepe Garcia Grandille and Aina Rivas, Great Britain’s Marcus King and Maddie Jinks, and Poland’s Nela Dzwigalska and Maciej Cesarz suffered the same NSC fate.
There were no such troubles for Praud and Mansouri, who took silver behind Sirena and Dessy at this year’s World Championships and sit on four points, three clear of both Dylan Tomko and Casey Small (USA), and Lotte Meynen and Simon Jacobs, of Belgium.
“They have two marks, one pink and one yellow, and some took the wrong one,” Praud explained.
“The wind was very, very light in the first race and increased a bit in the second, which was good. It is a nice place here and we are enjoying it.”
Mansouri added: “It is a good start and now we need to continue our hard work. We are looking forward to the rest of the week.”
Tight start in 29er
Giuseppe Montesano and Enrico Coslevich have a slender one-point lead in the mixed/male 29er.
The Italians finished seventh in the opening race, battling up the field from 20th at the halfway stage, then clocked a second-placed finish behind Poland’s Szymon Kolka and Bartosz Zmudzinski, who sit third overall.
Germany’s Tizian Lembeck and Julian Lembeck, who won the opener, are just behind the Polish pair while occupying second on the early leaderboard are the Australian duo containing Jacob Marks and 13-year-old Sebastian Cheng.
Ukrainian duo set the 420 pace
Just one race was possible in the male/mixed 420 and it was dominated by Ukraine’s Sviatoslav Madonich and Dmytro Karabadzhak, who led throughout.
France’s Simon Prot and Swan Berier Joyet were second, with Japan’s Mihiro Okada and Haruto Watanabe in third.
Brazil’s reigning world champions Said Royo and Bernardo Oliveira were 15th in race one.
Cirinei sets the tone
Alessandro Cirinei came into the male ILCA 6 event as the sailor to beat and the reigning youth and men’s world champion showed exactly why in the sole race possible.
The Italian led from start to finish to take the lead into day two, with Hong Kong, China’s Charalampos Velianitis in second and Japan’s Genki Kahara in third.
Murri makes her move
Marina Murri completed an excellent start for Italy by winning the only women’s ILCA 6 race held on the opening day.
Australia’s Caterina Meyer and Germany’s Mirja Dohle complete the top three at this early stage.
Dohle said: “It was tough at times, we had to find the gas, but I think I managed to do that quite well. I started on the left side and it took me some time to be able to cross everyone but I found my legs and I am happy with where I am.
“It is really nice to have a solid start. I really liked the conditions, it was good for me.
“I love Vilamoura, we trained here last year for the Under-19 Europeans, which were here in April, and we were here for the Grand Prix a week ago.
“I really like it here and we have been here quite often now.”
2025 Youth Sailing World Championships
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