EurILCA Europa Cup 2026, program completed in Day 1
Riva del Garda – The 2026 EurILCA Europa Cup gets underway at Fraglia Vela Riva with a record-breaking opening day. Nearly 650 athletes from across Europe converged on Garda Trentino for one of the most important events of the 2026 international season.
The weather conditions allowed all fleets to compete in two races, spread across the two race courses prepared by the organizers. The Ora gardesana arrived on time, providing a spectacular first day and allowing the Race Committee to complete its scheduled program as scheduled.
“I’m pleased with the first day,” commented Principal Race Officer Zlatko Jakelic. “The Ora immediately began to showcase the spectacular scenery of Lake Garda to this beautiful fleet. There’s been great teamwork between the Race Committee and the Fraglia Vela Riva staff, and I hope it was a good start for everyone. We hope to continue with equally favorable conditions to compete in two more races tomorrow and then move on to the final series on Tuesday.”
In the ILCA 7 class, provisional leadership is held by Frenchman Alexandre Kowalski, who has achieved two flawless victories. Behind him is Israeli Omer Vered Vilenchik, who finished the day with a second and fifth place, while the provisional third place is occupied by Ukrainian Oskar Madonich with a 6-2 score. Nicolò Giuseppe Cassitta of the Yacht Club Olbia, currently the best Italian in the fleet, follows him on equal points with the third-place finisher.
In the 62-boat ILCA 6 women’s division, Emma Mattivi is dominating. The Italian sailor has scored two partial victories and leads the overall standings with a perfect score. Second place goes to Frenchwoman Paoline Milleret, who scored 3-5, while Poland’s Zofia Wojcik occupies provisional third place with a 5-4 score.
The ILCA 6 men’s division is very closely matched, the second-largest fleet of the event with 187 competitors. The standings, especially at the top, are extremely tight: the entire top 15 is separated by just nine points. Conor Cronin of Ireland leads the way with two wins, followed by Alexander Hartsink of the Netherlands with a second and a first place. Spaniard Nikki Palou is third, with a first and a second place.
The largest fleet in the event is the ILCA 4, where Italians dominate the top spots. Leading the way are Enrico Morina of Fraglia Vela Riva and Elia Uffreduzzi of Circolo Velico Ravennate, both with perfect scores thanks to two victories in their respective races. Third overall and first among the women is Melissa Falica with scores of 1-3, followed by Leandro Scialpi, who has two consecutive second places. Hungary’s Zsolt Szalay completes the top five with a third and a second place.
Tomorrow’s schedule includes two more races for all fleets, the final stage of the qualifying phase before the start of the final series scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.
To view information and documents for the Riva del Garda leg of the 2026 EurILCA Europa Cup, click here.
