Ginevra Caracciolo ITA and Karol Krupski Teterycz ESP were crowned 2026 ILCA Under-21 European champions in Bodrum today, in the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 respectively, on the sixth and final day of racing. The ILCA 7 Under-19 title went to Kutsal Güneş Kurnaz TUR, who finished seventh overall.
The first races started straight away at 13:15 for the women’s fleet, followed by the men’s Gold and Silver fleets, in around 10 knots of wind. Right after 14:00 the second set of races began, but general recalls, wind shifts and course adjustments slowed their progress. The wind stayed steady at around 10 knots throughout the afternoon, providing great sailing conditions.
The women started their third and last race of the day at around 15:30, after waiting for the men’s Silver fleet to clear the course, in 12 to 15 knots of wind. That completed a 10-race series for the women. The men’s Gold fleet had 20 minutes to start its third race before the time limit at 16:00, but two general recalls ruled out the chance to finish the championship with 10 races, as the women did.
Caracciolo, who arrived in Bodrum as the reigning champion, had said before the start that a medal would be just a bonus, but the title was clearly the goal. “In the interview before the start of the championship I said that if I came back with a medal it would be just a bonus, but I really, really wanted to win. I trained a lot to achieve this goal,” she said. “It was a great battle with my teammate in the last race. I tried to stay clear-headed and not let the emotion overwhelm me. Maria Vittoria Arseni tried to attack me on the last downwind, which I didn’t expect, but I managed to finish the race in front of her.”
She also reflected on what the win means. “Last night I was curious to know if anyone had won two European titles in a row, and I might be the first, so I’m super proud of my performance this week. I couldn’t have achieved this goal without the support of the Italian Sailing Federation, my two coaches Kiko Caricato and Francesco Marrai, and my family. Now it’s time to celebrate and relax.”
Krupski Teterycz was thankful and visibly happy after taking the ILCA 7 title. “I’m feeling great right now. First of all, I want to thank my coach Rui Silveira, who supported me all the time here, and my teammates, because we trained a lot for this, many hours of hard work,” he said. “Also the Spanish Federation for the great work and support, and my parents and all my family, because they believed in me every moment. I’m super happy. It was a super hard race, right to the final moment, but we managed to make our best decisions on the water, and we take the European Championship home.”
He admitted to some nerves at the start of the day. “In the first race I was a little bit nervous, because I knew there were 8 or 9 points between me and the second, and it was a nice battle. We were sailing our best, and I think every moment was perfect.” Next up for him is a training camp in Santander, followed by the World Championship in Australia in January, before a last year in the Under-21 category. “We are going to work so hard with my teammates to be prepared in the best way possible,” he said.
Podium – ILCA 6
- Ginevra Caracciolo ITA 53 pt
- Maria Vittoria Arseni ITA 59 pt
- Linda Dokoupilova CZE 76 pt
Podium – ILCA 7
- Karol Krupski Teterycz ESP 44 pt
- Antonio Pascali ITA 55 pt
- Luka Zabukovec SLO 71 pt
Podium – ILCA 7 Under-19
- Kutsal Gunes Kurnaz TUR 74 pt
- Alessandro Cirinei ITA 81 pt
- Sergio García ESP 86 pt
For further information about the event and how to relive the racing, please visit the official event website.
We would like to thank the B.B. Bodrumspor Club Sailing Department, the Turkish Sailing Federation, the club staff, the volunteers, the Race Committee, Jury, and all the authorities and sponsors who contributed to making the 2026 ILCA Under-21 European Championships & Open European Trophy a successful and memorable event in Turkey. Congratulations to all the participants, and especially to the medallists, for a week of great sailing in Bodrum.
The event was supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, the Governorship of Muğla, the District Governorship of Bodrum, AFAD, Muğla Metropolitan Municipality and Bodrum Municipality. The championship’s sponsors were Istanbul Marin Marine Fuels, Sport Works, Lapina Yachting, Parkım Ayaz Hotel, Bodrum Ada Yachting, Süperpar, Malipa Meşrubat and Galeri Binyıl.
Report by Agustín Argüelles – EurILCA | Photos by Gokay Peksev – Turkish Sailing Federation.