Discover which Young Sailors are Leading after an Exciting First Day at the 2025 World Championships

The horizon of Vilamoura, Portugal was awash with seafaring competitiveness as the 2025 Youth Sailing World Championships got off to a roaring start. The reigning Nations Trophy winners from Italy quickly showed their prowess, leading three of five events that took to the waters on this inaugural day of spirited competition. Sailors Alessandro Cirinei, Marina Murri, Giuseppe Montesano, and Enrico Coslevich showcased the Italian talent, each outracing their competitors in their respective ILCA 6 and male/mixed 29er races. Their command in these competitions offers an early sign of who to keep an eye on in these thrilling championship races.

The Nacra 15 sailed into a particularly dramatic start. A course misjudgement by four pairs, including reigning Youth World and Nacra 15 world champions Lorenzo Sirena and Alice Dessy, resulted in an unfortunate ‘NSC’ (not sailed course) marking despite crossing the line first. However, they displayed remarkable resilience, bouncing back with a victory in the second race. The top of the Nacra 15 leaderboard, nevertheless, belongs to the impressive French duo Praud and Mansouri, who produced a sterling display in sailing.

Not to be outstage, the male/mixed 29er race also saw fierce competition. Italy’s Montesano and Coslevich fought their way to the top from a 20th position at halfway through the opening race. Their determined efforts led them to take a slender one-point lead. Germany’s Tizian Lembeck and Julian Lembeck, and Australia’s Jacob Marks and 13-year-old Sebastian Cheng are also ones to watch as they closely follow the Italians.

At halfway point of the championships, these young sailors have already made waves. As we edge closer to the finish line, it’s still anyone’s game, and we can’t wait to see how this seafaring saga pans out.