As the countdown to the 2025 ILCA 4 Youth European Championships in Puck begins, we’ve gathered words of wisdom from those who’ve been in your shoes. Former Polish sailors—now champions, coaches, and lifelong sea lovers—share their best advice with the young athletes preparing to take on the challenge. From mindset tips to race-day strategies, this five-part series is your personal guide from those who know what it takes.
Karol Jabłoński on Goals, Grit, and the Joy of Sailing
Most of you have certainly come to these championships with specific goals and tasks to accomplish. For some, it will be a fight for medals, for others, improving your “weaker elements”, e.g. downwind sailing techniques. I would like to share with you my methods for achieving them, which I have developed over the course of my many years of sailing career.
Goals should be realistic to achieve, corresponding to your level of training and results achieved so far. Remember that it is rare for the most important championship regattas to be won by someone who has not previously placed in the top places.
Speaking of goals – I have always been careful in specifying them. I was and am an advocate of measuring “strength for intentions”. Goals should be realistic to achieve, corresponding to your level of training and results achieved so far. Remember that it is rare for the most important championship regattas to be won by someone who has not previously placed in the top places. Failure to achieve overly ambitious goals leads to frustration and hinders progress on the way to becoming a better athlete, or even to giving up practicing a given sport.
How do I approach each regatta?
Throughout my career I have raced and still race on yachts of various sizes, from small 5-6 meters to huge 50 or even 80 meters, and in winter I have been sailing on ice for almost 50 years, on a DN class iceboat.
Despite such great diversity, my main key to achieving goals is joy – the joy of sailing. Please do not confuse it with pleasure – fun, because sometimes it hurt 🙂 The opportunity to meet many interesting people from different parts of the world – making friends and competing with them was very important and motivating for me.
In regattas I am not focused on the result, but on doing everything as best as I can, i.e. I give the so-called max, touching the limits of my skills and physical capabilities. In championship regattas I do not experiment, it is not the time and place. Here I stick to the principle of using what I have learned, what I know that works.
In championship regattas I do not experiment, it is not the time and place. Here I stick to the principle of using what I have learned, what I know that works.
Of course, I don’t always succeed, because mistakes happen, which are an essential part of regatta sailing. The winner is the one who makes the fewest! So keep your head up! If they happen to you, you have to take them “on the chest”, even though they caused you to lose valuable places. A good analysis of such situations, discussing them with your coach, and visualizing them properly will have a positive impact on improving your skills.
After so many years of racing, I am still learning, gathering experience. Every day is a new day, every race is a new challenge. This creates constant development, which is the most beautiful thing about this sport.
I wish you a lot of joy not only from competing on the water, but from every moment during these European Championships.
For more expert tips and insights from Poland’s top local sailors, visit the News section on the official event website at https://2025-ilca4youth.eurilca-europeans.org/. Stay informed and prepare to make the most of your experience at the 2025 ILCA 4 Youth European Championship & Open European Trophy in Puck!
Report by Agustín Argüelles – EurILCA | Source: ILCA Team Poland | Cover photo: Nico Martinez.
