470 European championship concludes in Vilamoura. New format tested, successful weekend for Polish sailors

The 2026 European Championship in the Olympic 470 class concluded in Vilamoura, Portugal. As the first senior championship of the season, it kicked off the main events in Olympic sailing this year and served as a testing ground for a new racing format introduced by World Sailing.

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18 march 2026   |   00:31   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

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Polish crews in Vilamoura

Two crews represented Poland at the European Championship. Agnieszka Skrzypulec-Szota and Szymon Wierzbicki (YKP Szczecin / AZS Poznań) finished 14th, while Zofia Korsak and Mikołaj Bazyli (MKS Dwójka / Klub Sportów Wodnych Baltic) placed 22nd.

PZŻ head coach Piotr Myszka highlighted the uniqueness of the event:

- The new format proposed by World Sailing is being tested here at the European Championship in the 470 class, and later also at the World Cup events and probably in other classes. This is still a trial phase, so it’s difficult to assess how it will work. If successful, it may become the standard format for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The changes affected all stages of the regatta, from qualifiers to the medal series. Results from the initial series were carried over as starting points to subsequent rounds. The final series was divided into Gold and Silver fleets, with the top ten crews advancing to a shortened medal series of two approximately 15-minute races. Results could not be discarded, and the scoring system was adjusted to give crews outside the top ranks a fighting chance. Point gaps between the top three were capped at nine points, and the gap between 3rd and 10th place reduced to a maximum of 18 points, ensuring all finalists remained in medal contention until the last race.

Dynamic medal races

The medal races in Vilamoura were short and intense. British crew Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris took the European title with a first and fourth place in the two races, securing their overall lead. The final race was won by the Spanish crew, who finished fifth overall, illustrating the challenge of balancing consistency over several days with exciting, spectator-friendly finales.

Coach Myszka pointed out areas for improvement for the Polish team:

- We expected a significantly better result. During the races, it was evident that one of the crew’s biggest challenges is downwind legs. Despite strong starts and solid upwind performance, they often lost positions later in the race. As a result, they fell outside the top ten and finished 14th. The sailors are aware of this and will focus on improving this aspect in the coming months.

The early timing of the European Championship in March is unusual for this latitude, requiring preparation since last autumn. Upcoming events include the World Cup in Mallorca (March) and Hyères, France (April), with the bulk of world and European championships scheduled for May.

Successful weekend for Polish sailors worldwide

While the 470 crews did not reach the medal series, Polish sailors achieved strong results elsewhere.

From 12–15 March, the Mallorca Sailing Center Training Regatta served as preparation for the Trofeo Princesa Sofia (starting 27 March). Dominik Buksak and Mateusz Gwóźdź (Centrum Żeglarskie Szczecin / KS AZS AWFiS Gdańsk) finished 3rd in the 49er class in their regatta debut after just weeks of joint training.

On the other side of the world, Kamil Manowiecki (Sopocki Klub Żeglarski) won the New Zealand Championship in Wingfoil, capping over a month of intensive training on the island.

The EurILCA Cup kicked off in Portimão with strong performances from Polish sailors. In ILCA 7, Mikołaj Madejak (AZS Uniwersytet Warszawski) finished 2nd overall and won the U19 category, followed closely by Borys Łabędzki. In ILCA 6, Wiktor Raszka (MKS Dwójka) placed 3rd overall and 2nd in U19, while Wit Dmuchowski (SSW MOS Iława) was 4th in U19.

Polish female sailors also excelled: Zofia Pospieszna (OŚ AZS Poznań) finished 4th overall, Kinga Szlachetka (LOK Klub Wodny Garland) 2nd in U19, and Hanna Rogowska (Chojnicki Klub Żeglarski) 3rd in U19.

The next major test for Olympic classes will be the prestigious Trofeo Princesa Sofia in Mallorca.

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Mistrzostwa europy 470 żeglarstwo olimpijskie polscy żeglarze Vilamoura regaty 2026 sukcesy polskich sportowców

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