12* Country Cup is in the name of France: Charles Ganivet wins the opening regatta of the Garda Optimist Meeting

Riva del Garda, April 1, 2026 – The 22nd edition of the Country Cup took place today in the waters of Garda Trentino. This event traditionally opens the Garda Optimist Meeting program and features a single helmsman from each participating nation. This unique and eagerly anticipated format offers a taste of the spectacle that will accompany the world’s largest Optimist regatta in the coming days.

The race course welcomed the young helmsmen with the Peler, the typical northerly wind of the Garda morning, which blew gusty, allowing the Race Committee to complete three hard-fought and technically challenging races.

The winner was France’s Charles Ganivet, who completed a solid day with partial scores of 2-5-2. He was followed by Portugal’s Guillermo Costa (1-9-4), while Finland’s Sisu Sello (4-1-9) took third place. Sixth place went to Italy, represented by Andrea Demurtas.

The Country Cup awards ceremony will be held tomorrow at the Blue Garden Shopping Center.

All attention is now focused on the official start of the 44th Garda Optimist Meeting, which kicks off tomorrow and will see approximately one thousand young sailors from 45 nations on the starting line. This edition once again confirms the global scope of the event organized by Fraglia Vela Riva.

This afternoon, the city of Riva del Garda was enlivened by the traditional parade of nations: a long procession draped in flags from around the world passed through the streets of the city center, greeted by the public and the many enthusiasts who had gathered to welcome the young protagonists of this extraordinary celebration of youth sailing.

Information and rankings for the 44th Garda Optimist Meeting are available at this link.