EurILCA Master Series 2026 in Gargnano - Days 1 & 2
by Elena Giolai 4 Oct 11:14 BST
2-4 October 2026
Five races have been completed over the first two days of the 2026 EurILCA Master Series grand finale. The event is organised by Circolo Vela Gargnano under the authority of the Italian Sailing Federation, with the support of Regione Lombardia and with Alpe Adria del Garda as event partner.
A total of 84 sailors are competing, 52 in the ILCA 6 and 32 in the ILCA 7, representing 11 nations. On Friday, after an opening race had to be abandoned as the wind faded, the Race Committee moved the course further north, where a southerly breeze of around 8-9 knots allowed two races to be completed.
Saturday brought a very different scenario, with racing starting at around 9 am in a northerly wind of approximately 15 knots, gradually decreasing during the third race. Three races were completed, bringing the total to five and allowing the discard to come into effect.
In the ILCA 6, the standout sailor of the day was Edoardo Tomasella of Compagnia della Vela Venezia. After finishing fourth and ninth on Friday, he scored two wins and a third place on Saturday to move into the overall lead. Alessio Marinelli of Club Vela Portocivitanova is second on equal points, while Elisa Boschin of Società Nautica Pietas Julia, ILCA 6 Women's Master World Champion, is third just one point behind the leading pair after winning the final race on Saturday, and is naturally also the leading woman.
In the ILCA 7, Austria's Claus Dapeci remains firmly in the lead. After two race wins on Friday, he added a fifth place, later discarded, and two more victories on Saturday. Stefano Meciani of Lega Navale Italiana Follonica is second, 10 points behind, while Austria's Christoph Marsano, European Grand Master Champion, is third, 12 points off the lead after a strong comeback built on a third place and two second places in Saturday's three races. Germany's Roger Schulz is fourth, followed by Andrea Nevierov in fifth.
Among the Circolo Vela Gargnano sailors, Roberto Bini is 12th overall in the ILCA 7 and first Great Grand Master, followed by fellow club member Giuseppe Cavalli in 13th overall. Carlo Maria Scoccimarro is also racing in the ILCA 7. In the ILCA 6, Alberto De Paoli Ambrosi is representing the host club.
The first two days have shown two very different and characteristic faces of Lake Garda off Gargnano, from light winds to stronger conditions, always accompanied by sunshine and mild temperatures of around 19-20°C even in the morning.
On Saturday evening, the focus turns to the social side of the event with a dinner for the participants featuring traditional Brescian spiedo, offering the international sailors the chance to discover one of the area's local culinary traditions.
Sunday will be the final day of racing, with the start once again scheduled for the morning in search of the most favourable wind conditions and to bring the EurILCA Master Series grand finale to a close.