470 and 420 Junior European Championship 2026 at Nida, Lithuania - Day 5
by International 470 Class Association 26 Jul 18:54 BST
22-27 July 2026
After two challenging races in strong wind, the top 10 teams have secured their places in tomorrow's Medal Series at the 420 & 470 Junior European Championships.
With the points adjusted for the final stage of the regatta, Italy's Lisa Vucetti and Vittorio Bonifacio head into the Medal Series as the overall leaders.
The Italian duo continued their remarkably consistent form, delivering another impressive performance to maintain their position at the top of the standings. Moving up to second overall are Ukraine's Sviatoslav Madonich and Yelyzaveta Vasylenko, who climbed from fifth place after an excellent day on the water. Both crews are also competing in the Under-21 category.
"We were really happy with our performance. We had a bit more wind from the left today, so we got a little bit more waves, which we're used to, and it made the racing much more enjoyable. The downwinds, the upwinds, the pumping- we were super confident with our speed and our starts, said Madonich. Our starts were super risky, but in the end they paid off, and we had a really amazing performance."
The Ukrainian duo admitted they did not expect to be in contention for the overall title so soon.
"We're super happy. It's actually only our second official event together, so to be this high in the standings is completely unexpected. We're happy not only to be fighting for the Under-21 medal, but also for the overall medal. We're really looking forward to tomorrow."
Italy's Livia Ciampinelli and Nicola Brunotti remain third overall despite a difficult day, posting 14th- and 15th-place finishes in today's races. Their strong performances earlier in the championship, however, allowed them to hold onto a podium position heading into the Medal Series.
The defending Junior European Champions from France - Lomane Valade and Julien Bunel slipped to fifth overall after suffering equipment damage when they lost their spinnaker pole, which ultimately resulted in a DNF. Despite the setback, they remain well within striking distance of the podium.
"It's really hard, but the points are super close for tomorrow, so we need to give everything. The forecast is for strong wind, and it will be our first Medal Race in around 20 knots. This championship has been difficult. Tomorrow we just need to sail smart, get a good start, have good speed on the first upwind, no crashes, no losing the spinnaker pole, and no penalties. I hope we have two good races. Tomorrow is another day, and I hope it will be better", said Lomane Valade.
The top 10 also includes one German crew, one Croatian crew, one Polish crew, one Brazilian crew and one British crew, alongside three Italian teams, highlighting Italy's impressive depth in the fleet.
The Italian coach Fabio Zeni praised both his sailors and the national programme.
"I'm really happy about this project and very proud to work with these sailors. As a nation, we're very happy, and we're putting a lot of energy into developing more and more competitive crews. We're working hard to build the future of Italian sailing.
Before this Junior European Championship, we've worked a lot. The season started very early. We trained in Vilamoura before the Senior European Championship, then competed at the Senior Europeans, the World Cups in Palma and Hyères, followed by many training camps in Italy."
Tomorrow marks the final day of the 420 & 470 Junior European Championships. After the Medal Series, the new Junior European Champions in both classes will be crowned.
PLAN:
10:45 Pitlane and Bib Ceremony for 470 Medal Series
12:15 First possible warning signal 470 Medal Series