470 Junior World Championship 2026 starts in Gdynia
by International 470 Class Association 11 Jul 18:38 BST
11-17 July 2026
470 Junior World Championship 2026 returns to Gdynia © International 470 Class Association
The 2026 470 Junior World Championship will take place in Gdynia, Poland, from 11 to 17 July 2026 as part of Gdynia Sailing Days, the largest sailing festival in the Baltic region and Northern Europe.
Gdynia has become one of the favourite venues for the 470 class. The city hosted the 470 Junior European Championship in 2023, the Senior World Championship last year, and next year the same waters will welcome the world's best sailors competing for qualification to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games at the 2027 Sailing World Championships.
This year, 55 teams from 18 countries will race for the junior world title. The entry list includes crews from Australia, Brazil, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Switzerland, Türkiye and Ukraine. Germany has entered seven crews, Great Britain five, while Poland and Türkiye will each be represented by four teams.
The opening days of the championship, 11-12 July, are dedicated to registration and equipment measurement, followed by the Opening Ceremony on 13 July. Racing begins with the Qualifying Series on 13-14 July, followed by the Final Series on 15-16 July. The championship will conclude on 17 July with the Medal Series and Last Race, which will be broadcasted live.
The defending junior world champions, Roy Levy and Ariel Gal, return to defend their title.
"We feel the pressure, and we actually feel good. There is a very high level this year; we've seen it throughout the season. We feel good, and we're happy to compete in such a strong fleet. For sure, we've had a good start to the season. We've gained some confidence heading into the final part of the year. We love the pressure, we love Gdynia, and we're ready to begin and fight for the victory", said Roy and Ariel.
"It's great to have so many boats, almost as many as in the senior fleet. I think it's great for the class and also for this championship. We're going to have a lot of boats, some great racing, and it's going to be very exciting", added the 2025 Junior World Champions.
On the starting line, we will also see the 2025 silver medallists from France, Lomane Valade and Julien Bunel.
"This year hasn't been an easy one for us, especially with Lomane's injury. But despite everything, we feel ready to fight! After finishing as Junior World Vice Champions two years in a row, this will be our final Junior World Championship, and we want more than anything to bring home the gold medal. The battle is going to be intense, with more than 50 boats on the starting line. The level will be high, but we can't wait to get back on the racecourse and give it everything we've got. Time to enjoy every race, trust the work we've put in, and leave it all on the water. May the best team win", said Lomane and Julien.
And the bronze medallists from Italy, Livia Ciampinelli and Nicola Brunotti, will also compete in Gdynia.
"We've been preparing for this championship since last year, as it's been our main goal of the season. Over the past months we've worked hard to improve the areas where we were less consistent, while continuing to build on our strengths. We arrive feeling confident, motivated, and excited to get back on the racecourse", said Livia.
"It's great to meet the other teams again, especially because the crews who finished first and second last year will also be racing this week. That gives us even more motivation to challenge ourselves and see how much we've improved. We know the competition will be tough, but we're ready to give everything on the water and fight for the best result possible", added Nicola.
Several young sailors have already proved they can compete successfully at the senior level. Among the strongest contenders are the French crew Sarah Jannin and Isaac Benamo, who finished 14th at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía. Norway's Julia Jacobsen and Victor Lööf placed 16th at the Senior European Championship. Italy will also bring strong teams, including Emma Maltese and Marcello Miliardi, who finished 16th at French Olympic Week, and Lisa Vucetti and Vittorio Bonifacio, who placed 17th.
With many of the world's best junior sailors on the starting line and excellent sailing conditions on the Baltic Sea, the 2026 470 Junior World Championship promises a week of exciting racing in one of the class's favourite venues.