ILCA Master European Championships 2026 at Yacht Club de La Baule - Day 4
by Agustín Argüelles 25 Sep 07:34 BST
21-25 September 2026
Racing began early on Thursday, with sailors rigging their boats on the beach at La Baule as the sun came up. The first warning signal was scheduled for 09:00, though it took a few extra minutes to get away as courses were adjusted. Conditions started strong, with 8-11 knots making for great sailing.
The breeze eased for the second set of races, dropping to 6-7 knots, before dying altogether around 12:15, as a strong current from the incoming tide set in. All fleets managed to complete two races today, with the exception of the ILCA 7 Grand Masters, who raced only one.
Michalis Koulianos GRE, leader of the ILCA 7 Apprentice Master category, described the earliest start of his sailing career: "Today it was the earliest I have ever sailed in my life. We came to the club during the night, watched the sunrise, and then went in. It was windy and cold, so we had two good races, and after that the wind died, so we came out. I'm happy with my result — I think I'm leading, I will check the results." He praised the conditions and the race committee's efforts: "Wonderful place, wonderful conditions, very tough for the race committee to manage the races, because the wind keeps changing direction. But it was fair racing." Asked about his close battle with Lorenzo Cerretelli of Italy, he was warm about his rival: "We are very close, but if you don't have a close fight, it's not going to be fun, that's why we are here — to have close fights with good spirit, always. I appreciate him, he appreciates me, so I hope in the end the best wins." With one day left, he's keeping his options open: "Tomorrow we have two or three more races, we'll see what happens."
Benoit Raphalen FRA, third overall in the ILCA 6 Master category after six races, described the intensity of the competition: "It's very hot conditions, because of the weather and because of the level of the competition. It's a nice week, not that windy, and the wind is very shifty, so we have to be very concentrated and a little bit lucky." Today brought a contrast between his two races: "I won the first race, the wind was quite heavy, it was quite clear in my mind. The second race was a little bit lighter, the wind was shifty, and it wasn't a good race for me."
Alice Grassi ITA, fourth overall in the ILCA 6 Apprentice Master category and leading the women in that category, had a solid day on the water: "It was nice. First race I was okay, and second race I came better, I was in the top six or seven." With one day of racing left, she's aiming to hold her position: "At the moment I am. It's quite tough, because I'm also quite up near the front with the men. I hope I'm going to keep it, with only one day to go." Asked about her plan for the final day, she kept it simple: "I don't know, just keep it, to be in the front."
With just one day of racing to come tomorrow, here are the leaders in all fleets and categories:
ILCA 7 leaders
Apprentice Master:
- Michalis Koulianos GRE 14 pt
- Lorenzo Cerretelli ITA 19 pt
- Andrew Green GBR 50 pt
Master:
- Aristotelis Chatzistamatiou GRE 28 pt
- Roger Craig IRL 31 pt
- Leandro Rosado ESP 41 pt
Grand Master:
- Thomas Mueller GER 21 pt
- Christoph Marsano AUT 22 pt
- Orlando Gledhill GBR 48 pt
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Great Grand Master:
- José Luis Doreste Blanco ESP 11 pt
- Javier Muñoz ESP 32 pt
- Wouter Duetz NED 44 pt
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Legend:
- John Dawson-Edwards CAN 139 pt
- Don Dahl USA 145 pt
- Greg Jackson USA 161 pt
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ILCA 6 leaders
Apprentice Master:
- Isaac Bussin CAN 11 pt
- Alexis Tourneur FRA 19 pt
- Marco Crucitti ITA 30 pt
Apprentice Master Women:
- Alice Grassi ITA 33 pt
- Hanne Jansch GER 35 pt
Master:
- Jon Emmett GBR 15 pt
- Roberto Giacalone ITA 18 pt
- Benoit Raphalen FRA 27.4 pt
Master Women:
- Isabelle Auffret FRA 80 pt
- Vanessa Sasiain Belmonte FRA 86 pt
- Nolwenn Claquin FRA 118 pt
Grand Master:
- Carlos Martinez ESP 11 pt
- Martin Koning NED 23 pt
- Ian Jones GBR 29 pt
Master Women:
- Roberta Hartley GBR 42 pt
- Helene Viazzo FRA 82 pt
- Zilla Fokke NED 96 pt
Great Grand Master:
- Kim Tan NED 19 pt
- Gilles Coadou FRA 22 pt
- José Maria Van der Ploeg ESP 25 pt
Great Grand Master Women:
- Lynne Jewell Shore USA 61 pt
- Isabelle Arnoux FRA 113 pt
- Ann Loren SWE 166 pt
Legend:
- Claude du Calair FRA 19 pt
- Miguel Alvarez ESP 22 pt
- Jacques Kerrest USA 22 pt
Legend Women:
- Christine Rosette FRA 60 pt
It all comes down to tomorrow. Two races are scheduled on the final day of the championship, with the first possible warning signal at 14:30, deciding the champions in every fleet and category. Follow every twist live through the tracking system.
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