March 14, 2026 – Vilamoura, Portugal – The British team of Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris claimed the 2026 European Championship after outstanding medal races. The silver medalists are Giacomo Ferrari and Alessandra Dubbini, and the bronze medalists are Jordi Xammar and Marta Cardona.
“Well, I mean, it’s just an incredible start to the year. I’m so happy that we put together the week. We sailed the best we could, and then to finish it off today – it’s just incredible,” said Bettine Harris.
“It was quite a long week. After yesterday, when we pulled it back and finally got into first, we were so happy. Today it was just nice to finish it off and start the year strong,” added Martin Wrigley.
Saturday’s racing started with an extraordinary win for the British duo. Wrigley and Harris crossed the finish line first in the opening medal race and extended their lead over the Italians and the Spanish. With a 7-point gap to the second boat and fourteen points to the third, the British had the win in the bag.
“It was very safe. We were glad to get a few more points after the first race. But we were really pumped, ready for the fight in the last race,” said Harris.
“Well, we knew we just had to stay close to the Italians and make sure we didn’t do anything stupid. And then in the end, we ended up doing something stupid and had a bad start. The conditions out there were really hard, so changeable. For a moment, it could have been bad,” added Wrigley.
While the British crew was mostly safe for the win, with a 7-point advantage over the Italians, the battle for the silver medal was still on. Giacomo Ferrari and Alessandra Dubbini were defending second place, while Jordi Xammar and Marta Cardona were in a difficult situation, with the Portuguese crew of Beatriz Gago and Rodolfo Pires close behind and putting pressure on both teams.
“It was stressful, but we managed to do the first race quite well. The bronze medal was 100% secured, so the second race was tough because we were 7 points ahead of Jordi and Marta, and he was sailing second in the race. So we tried to find the last energy, push a lot, and pass the two boats that allowed us to get the silver,” commented Dubbini.
“Until the last cross, until the last gate, everything was open. We just tried to stay focused. Until the last meter, it could have been silver or bronze,” she added.
“Happy for the day, happy for the week. We had a very good week, and now let’s think about the season,” said the silver medalist.
Jordi Xammar and Marta Cardona did not defend their 2025 title, but the bronze medal is still a huge success. The Spanish team did everything they could today.
“Obviously, winning a medal at a major event is always super important. Today we were not in an easy position because we had boats from behind quite close. But we performed very well today. Let’s say it was the moment to perform,” said Xammar.
“We pushed hard all week. We were not very comfortable with our boat speed, mainly, so we had to fight more than usual. But it’s also part of the game. It’s important to show that even if it’s not our best event, we never give up and we keep fighting. I think we have to be very happy with this medal because it’s important,” added Xammar.
The prize-giving ceremony took place at the Vilamoura Boat Park right after the races. The medals were presented by the Portuguese Secretary of State for Sport, Dr. Pedro Dias, and the Top-10 prizes by the Vice President of the Portuguese Sailing Federation, Pedro Pontes. The Kevin Burnham Trophy was presented by Romain Bonnaud, the 2006 470 Men/Mixed European Champion. Congratulations to all the sailors, coaches, and organizers for an outstanding week full of emotions and fair play.
#470EuropeanChampionship #SailingNews #SailingAustralia
Interested in seeing more Racing News? Click here
