Aurora Milanese and Roza Kowalik lead the girls’ rankings
Calasetta, 1 August 2026 – Ukraine’s Sviatoslav Yasnolobov and Hungary’s Barnabas Karolyi-Tertak are the 2026 OpenSkiff World Champions, winning the overall Under 17 and Under 13 standings respectively.
In addition to the overall World Champion in each age division, the championships recognised the top three girls and top three boys in both U17 and U13.
After four days during which the wind allowed three races to be completed each day, the final session required patience and adaptability. The breeze proved unstable in both direction and intensity, making the Race Committee’s task more demanding and testing the concentration of the sailors involved in the decisive podium battles.
The first race of the U17 Gold Fleet was abandoned following a significant drop in wind strength and restarted when more consistent conditions returned. Before the second and final race, the entire course was moved in search of an area with greater pressure.
Careful management of the day made it possible to complete two further races, bringing the championship total to fourteen, with two discards. The medal contenders remained focused despite the waiting periods, intense heat and uncertainty surrounding both the conditions and their rivals’ results.
UNDER 17: YASNOLOBOV CROWNED WORLD CHAMPION
Sviatoslav Yasnolobov secured the U17 World Championship after leading the event from the opening races. The Ukrainian sailor won twelve of the fourteen races and finished with 13 points after two discards.
Having arrived in Italy following the outbreak of the conflict in his country, Yasnolobov developed as an OpenSkiff sailor in Italy and confirmed his place among the leading international competitors in the class.
Italy’s Aurora Milanese finished second overall on 51 points and was the highest-placed girl. Already an U13 winner from Rimini three years ago, Milanese demonstrated excellent speed and consistency throughout the championship.
Fabio Serra finished third overall, tied with Milanese on 51 points, and took second place in the U17 boys’ category. The local sailor represented the host club, Lega Navale Italiana Sezione Sulcis, and achieved the result on his home waters.
France’s Clara Zunquin placed fourth overall and was the second U17 girl. Italy’s Gianluca Pilia finished fifth overall and completed the boys’ podium in third place.
The U17 category podiums were:
Girls
- Aurora Milanese, Italy – 2nd overall
- Clara Zunquin, France – 4th overall
- Paulina Szczepa, Poland – 7th overall
Boys
- Sviatoslav Yasnolobov, Ukraine – U17 World Champion
- Fabio Serra, Italy – 3rd overall
- Gianluca Pilia, Italy – 5th overall
The U17 overall top ten reflected the international standard of the event, featuring four Italian sailors, two French competitors, two Polish sailors, one Ukrainian and one representative of the United States. Three girls finished inside the top seven overall.
UNDER 13: KAROLYI-TERTAK TAKES THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Hungary’s Barnabas Karolyi-Tertak secured the U13 World Championship with 37 points after two discards. Having developed as a sailor in Italy, Karolyi-Tertak took control of the standings during the opening days and successfully defended his lead through the final races.
Fellow Hungarian Zsigmond Endre Tosoky finished second overall, while Italy’s Gianmaria Iannuzzi placed third. Iannuzzi produced an impressive progression during the championship, recording a race victory and four consecutive top-three finishes in the closing stages.
Poland’s Roza Kowalik was the leading U13 girl, finishing ninth overall. Italy’s Anna Ruggiero was the second girl and placed eleventh overall, while Japan’s Haru Kuwata completed the girls’ podium in third place and finished thirteenth overall.
The U13 category podiums were:
Girls
- Roza Kowalik, Poland – 9th overall
- Anna Ruggiero, Italy – 11th overall
- Haru Kuwata, Japan – 13th overall
Boys
- Barnabas Karolyi-Tertak, Hungary – U13 World Champion
- Zsigmond Endre Tosoky, Hungary – 2nd overall
- Gianmaria Iannuzzi, Italy – 3rd overall
The U13 overall top ten featured three Hungarian sailors, two Italians, two Polish competitors, one French sailor, one Australian and one representative of India. Kowalik was the only girl inside the overall top ten, with Ruggiero immediately behind in eleventh.
A WEEK OF RACING AND INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE
The smiles and enthusiasm that accompanied the opening parade and ceremony returned during the final social dinner and prize-giving ceremony on Friday, 31 July.
Sailors and teams shared further moments together, exchanging lycras, T-shirts and souvenirs from their respective countries. The Japanese delegation was particularly active in these exchanges with the other teams.
The 2026 OpenSkiff World Championships brought together 166 sailors representing 13 nations. The event was organised by Lega Navale Italiana Sezione Sulcis under the authority of the Italian Sailing Federation, in cooperation with the Italian OpenSkiff Class and the International Open Skiff Class Association.
The championship was held with the support of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia and the Municipality of Calasetta. Further support was provided by Marina di Calasetta, Pro Loco di Calasetta, Market Lungomare, Tabaccheria Granara, Panificio Aste, Gelateria Il Pinguino, Medianet and Edilcasa di Marco Casula.
Event website:
