2026 470 European Championships Day 1: Tough battle at the top
by International 470 Class Association 9 Mar 18:39 GMT
6-14 March 2026
The first day of the European Championships delivered great racing in the 470 fleet. Three races in varying sailing conditions set up a tight battle at the top of the leaderboard. Italy's Giacomo Ferrari and Alessandra Dubbini are leading the Europeans after an outstanding day.
The day started with light and shifty winds. The Race Committee hoisted the O flag after the first upwind leg. In both fleets, Portuguese crews were leading early in the races. In the white fleet, Beatriz Gago and Rodolfo Pires finished third, while Diogo Costa and Carolina João won the race with a clear advantage.
During the second race, the conditions changed significantly, with the breeze building to over 15 knots. The white fleet completed their races quickly, while the blue fleet had to wait. Before the third start, a large wind shift from the right forced the Race Committee to adjust the race course.
"We started the third race, but after the first upwind, there was a big cloud on the right, and the wind shifted about 40 degrees. The Race Committee decided to abandon the race, which, in my opinion, was a good decision. After that, we had a very exciting third race in strong winds", said Giacomo Ferrari, skipper of the leading team.
Italy's Giacomo Ferrari and Alessandra Dubbini sit in first place after a consistent day, finishing 2nd, 1st, and 3rd. British sailors Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris, silver medallists at the 2025 European Championships, are second after improving race by race, just one point behind the leaders. France's Matisse Pacaud and Lucie De Gennes are third overall, sitting on equal points with the British.
"Today was a very good day for us. We managed the wind shifts well and focused a lot on pressure; it worked out well for us", said Ferrari.
"We tried to focus on our own sailing and our feelings on the water, without paying too much attention to the others, since it was only the first day of the championships," added Dubbini.
Two races are scheduled for Tuesday, with the first warning signal at 12:00. From tomorrow, Live Tracking will be on the water.
More information at 470.org