European sailors took center stage at the 2026 ILCA 4 Youth World Championships in Aarhus, with Leo Gosling SUI and Eleni Triantou GRE both claiming gold after a demanding week of strong winds and intense racing on Aarhus Bay.
Gosling’s win in the ILCA 4 Boys fleet continues a superb season, following his European title at the 2026 ILCA 4 Youth Europeans in Murcia earlier this year. Now a world champion too, the Swiss sailor described Aarhus as the biggest moment of his sailing career so far.
“I came here believing that I could win. During the week I wasn’t always so sure, but I tried to stay calm, stay focused and be consistent,” said Gosling. “It’s been an incredible week and one I’ll never forget.”
Behind him, Stefanos Samaras GRE added a silver medal in the boys’ fleet, giving Greece a strong showing across both genders in Aarhus.
The girls’ fleet was a European clean sweep, with the entire top 10 made up of European sailors. Triantou backed up her runner-up finish in the U16 category at the Europeans in Murcia with a first World Championship title in Aarhus.
“It has been a tough week with strong winds and challenging conditions, but I managed to stay calm and focused, even when I made some mistakes,” said Triantou. “It’s my first World Championship and my first world title, so it feels amazing.”
Defending World Champion Blanca Ferrando Babe ESP took silver, with Despoina Theodorakopoulou GRE completing an all-European podium in bronze.
A total of 448 sailors from 51 nations competed across the week in Aarhus, with Gosling remaining in Denmark to compete in next week’s 2026 ILCA 6 Youth World Championships.
Report by Agustín Argüelles – EurILCA | Source: Aarhus International Sailing Center.