Four medals for Poland at the World Sailing Youth World Championships

The Polish national youth sailing team concluded the World Sailing Youth World Championships in Vilamoura, Portugal, with an outstanding result: four medals — one gold, two silver and one bronze. This marks one of Poland’s strongest performances in the history of the event, which is regarded as the most important global competition for sailors under the age of 19.

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22 december 2025   |   07:17   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

Hanna Rogowska z Chojnickiego Klubu Żeglarskiego / fot. Media Prow / World Sailing

The championships, held from 12 December, followed an Olympic-style format. In each class, only one sailor or crew per nation was allowed to compete, and racing took place in reduced fleets. Poland was represented by 14 athletes from the Polish Sailing Association’s National Junior Team.

Gold Medal in 29er for Szymon Kolka and Bartosz Żmudziński

The world title in the 29er class was secured by Szymon Kolka and Bartosz Żmudziński (Yacht Klub Polski Gdynia / Chojnicki Klub Żeglarski). The Polish crew started the final day of racing as overall leaders and, despite a temporary loss of the top position, managed to regain the lead in the decisive race.

Due to light and unstable wind conditions, only eight of the thirteen scheduled races were completed during the regatta. The championship was ultimately decided by a single point in the final race, where the Polish crew overtook their French rivals to claim victory. As world champions, they will receive the prestigious Prince Henry the Navigator Trophy.

— These were very demanding regattas, mainly because of the light wind conditions. We were only able to race on three out of five days, but we stayed focused and consistent throughout, said Bartosz Żmudziński.

— After the first race of the final day we dropped to second place, but in the last race we managed to close the gap to the French team and win the championship by one point, added Szymon Kolka.

Silver for Poland in Women’s 29er

Poland also claimed silver in the women’s 29er class thanks to Antonina Puchowska and Alicja Dampc (Yacht Klub Polski Gdynia / Chojnicki Klub Żeglarski). The fight for gold continued until the final race, which the Polish crew needed to win in order to secure the title. They finished second, earning the silver medal, while the gold went to the British crew Lila Edwards and Amelie Hiscocks.

— The regattas were extremely demanding. With a limited number of races, everything happened very quickly and there was constant time pressure, said Alicja Dampc.

— Unfortunately, we did not manage to win our third world championship title this year, but the silver medal is still a very strong result, added Antonina Puchowska.

Earlier in the 2024 season, the Polish crew won the World Championships in Porto and the European Championships on Lake Garda.

— The final day brought a lot of emotions, both for those following the tracking at home and for us on the water. The girls fought very hard, but this time we were just one point or one race short, commented Patryk Kosmalski, coach of the 29er class athletes.

Further medals in ILCA 6 and Formula Kite

Another silver medal for Poland was won by Hanna Rogowska (Chojnicki Klub Żeglarski) in the women’s ILCA 6 class. She started the final day in third place and moved up to second after the only race completed that day. The gold medal was claimed by Spain’s Irene de Tomás.

— The regattas were very challenging, with frequent changes in the overall standings. My strongest point was downwind sailing, where I was able to gain many positions, said Hanna Rogowska, expressing her ambition to fight for gold in the coming season.

The bronze medal in the Formula Kite class was secured by Karolina Jankowska (Sopocki Klub Żeglarski). Racing in this class only began on the third day due to adverse weather conditions. Despite the shortened schedule, the Polish kitesurfer delivered a consistent performance. The gold medal went to China’s Suofeiya Li.

— The conditions were very variable and sometimes extreme, with gusty winds on the final day. I made a few mistakes, but I was able to identify them and avoid repeating them, which I consider a success, said Karolina Jankowska.

Polish fleet performance across Olympic and development classes

In the men’s Formula Kite class, Marcel Stępniewski (Sopocki Klub Żeglarski) narrowly missed the podium, finishing sixth after starting the final day in third place. The world title was won by Switzerland’s Gian Andrea Stragiotti.

In the Nacra 15 class, Nela Dźwigalska and Maciej Cesarz (UKS Navigo / MKS Dwójka Warszawa) finished seventh, improving from eleventh place overall. The gold medals went to Italy’s Lorenzo Sirena and Alice Dessy.

In the men’s ILCA 6 class, Wojciech Wójcik (TS Kuźnia Rybnik) finished in twelfth place. The championship was won by David Coates of the United States.

In the 420 class, Emilia Paszek and January Szczukowski (AZS AWFiS Gdańsk / Chojnicki Klub Żeglarski) placed thirteenth. The Ukrainian crew Sviatoslav Madonich and Dmytro Karabadzhak took the world title.

In the iQFOiL windsurfing class, Maciej Dąbek finished 14th and Ewa Miarczyńska 18th (both Sopocki Klub Żeglarski). The gold medals were won by Peleg Rajuan of Israel and Medea Marisa Falcioni of Italy.

National team perspective and nations trophy ranking

— Overall, these were very successful championships. The athletes competed to the best of their abilities, despite this being a difficult period of the season, with limited training opportunities in Poland due to winter conditions, said Rafał Szukiel, Team Leader of the Polish National Junior Team. — The commitment of both athletes and coaches was extremely high, and their work delivered tangible results.

In addition to individual medals, the championships also featured the Nations Trophy, awarded based on the cumulative performance of national teams. France won the overall ranking, while Poland finished in third place, confirming its strong position in international youth sailing.

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Mistrzostwa Świata Juniorów żeglarstwo medale polskich żeglarzy World Sailing 2025 młodzieżowe regaty żeglarskie

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