OpenSkiff World Championship 2026 in Calasetta, Italy - Day 3
by Elena Giolai 29 Jul 18:07 BST
25-31 July 2026
Three more races in south-westerly winds averaging 7 to 10 knots. With nine races completed, the second discard comes into effect as Ukraine's Yasnolobov and Hungary's Karolyi Tertak strengthen their leads in the boys' divisions.
The 2026 OpenSkiff World Championship continues at full pace in the waters off Calasetta, Sardinia, organised by Lega Navale Italiana Sezione Sulcis. Three more races were completed on the third day, bringing the total to nine and allowing the second discard to come into effect.
After the Mistral winds of the opening two days, the breeze shifted to the south-west and averaged between 7 and 10 knots. The lighter conditions created new opportunities for the lighter sailors and those who perform best in less powerful winds.
The sight of all 166 competitors on the water remained impressive. The final phase began for the Under 17 fleet, which was divided into Gold and Silver groups. Starts, crossings and mark roundings became noticeably tighter in the Gold Fleet, as the leading half of the standings raced directly against one another.
Under 17, Yasnolobov remains unbeaten
Ukraine's Sviatoslav Yasnolobov continued his perfect run, claiming three more victories and remaining unbeaten after nine races. He now holds a 16-point advantage over his nearest rival in the boys' standings. Italian sailor Aurora Milanese remains second overall and leads the girls' classification. However, Milanese has already used both discards for two disqualifications and cannot afford another high score if she is to remain in contention for the title.
It was an excellent day for Italian sailor Fabio Serra, who recorded three consecutive second places. Serra moves up to third in the boys' standings, six points behind fellow Italian Gianluca Pilia and eight ahead of Italian sailor Leonardo Vicari.
Among the girls, Milanese leads France's Clara Zunquin, seventh overall, by 21 points. Italian sailor Elena Teliscaclimbs to third in the girls' standings after following a tenth place with two third-place finishes. Poland's Paulina Szczepais only four points behind, keeping the battle for the podium wide open.
Under 13, Karolyi Tertak pulls clear
In the Under 13 boys' division, Hungary's Barnabas Karolyi Tertak, who recently moved to Italy, increased his tally to five race victories and extended his advantage over the nearest challenger to 29 points. Italian sailor Gabriele Lizzulli remains second, three points ahead of Hungary's Zsigmond Endre Tosoky.
Australia's Owen Harris is another three points behind in fourth after finishing third in the final race of the day.
Italian sailor Anna Ruggiero continues to lead the Under 13 girls' standings despite a difficult day, with scores of 38, 31 and 16. Poland's Roza Kowalik is second, 13 points behind, while Japan's Haru Kuwata moves into third after placing fifth and ninth in the opening two races. Italian sailor Cecilia Parise drops to fourth but remains only six points away from the podium.
With nine races completed and two discards now applied, the World Championship enters its final two decisive days. The range of conditions encountered so far has confirmed the versatility of the Calasetta racecourse, allowing sailors with different physical and technical strengths to perform at their best.
The 2026 OpenSkiff World Championship is organised by Lega Navale Italiana Sezione Sulcis, under the authority of the Italian Sailing Federation, in cooperation with the Italian OpenSkiff Class and the International Open Skiff Class Association, with the support of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia and the Municipality of Calasetta.