What a celebration for RS Aero and Open Skiff in Sardinia! How the team world championships went

Two consecutive weekends, one great sailing spectacle: the Sardinia Team Race World Championships RS Aero & OpenSkiff, hosted at the Su Siccu dock in Cagliari and organized by the Lega Navale del Sulcis together with the Società Canottieri Ichnusa, brought attention back to youth team racing, confirming it as a rapidly growing technical discipline.

The first weekend, November 7-9, was entirely dedicated to the RS Aero Under 25s. Three days of perfect wind despite rather disturbed weather allowed the completion of round robin, semifinals and finals (as well as the King of the Castle to define the positions from fifth onwards), giving a competition of the highest level.

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The title went to the team from the Principality of Monaco, formed by Riccardo Hai Gessa and Chiara Sussarello, who won a flawless final by finishing 3-0 against Italy 1, last year’s winner with Filippo Vincis and Alice Sussarello, who were nevertheless excellent second overall. Precision in covers, great lucidity in crosses and impeccable use of team dynamics allowed the Monegasques (half-Italian with Chiara sarda) to impose themselves on a very competitive parterre. Belgium 2 completed the podium, while Italy 2 finished fourth after a semifinal decided on the wire.

The second part of the event, Nov. 14-16, marked a historic step for the young OpenSKiff class: the first Team Race World Championship of one of the most fun dinghies for kids. The format called for teams of three athletes, with at least one under-13 always racing, an approach that introduces the very young to a more complex tactical dimension than traditional fleet racing. Friday offered ideal conditions, with stable Sirocco and over 25 degrees, allowing the entire first round robin and six matches of the second to be completed. Then the weather forced an abrupt halt: a blanket of mist and near-summer temperatures completely blocked the wind for two consecutive days, making any further trials impossible despite the constant vigilance of the Race Committee, always ready to call the teams back to the water.

The final ranking was then determined by the results of the first round robin. France dominated without hesitation, finishing with one hundred percent victory thanks to the team composed of Charles Ganivet, Clara Zunquin and the very young Come Zunquin, under 13. Behind them Italy’s LNI Sulcis took a brilliant second place, confirming the steady growth of Italian crews in team racing, a discipline in which the Italian Sailing Federation is investing through technical gatherings and specific activities. Third was Poland, also the protagonist of a solid round robin, followed then by Switzerland, Italy Circolo Vela Arco and Hungary.

The 3-on-3 format has proven particularly popular because it forces one to think in team terms: it is not just about winning the test, but adding up the lowest possible score. Typical combinations that guarantee victory, such as 1-2-6, 2-3-4, 1-3-5 require counter maneuvers, tactical slowdowns, and a shared ability to read the field. For many kids, it was their first opportunity to discover a whole new side of sailing, one of collaboration, communication and teamwork.

Despite regrets over the absence of wind on the decisive days, the atmosphere ashore was one of great enthusiasm. The first Team Race OpenSkiff World Championship enters by right into the history of the class and becomes the basis on which to build an international course destined to grow. The 2026 edition of the Sardinia Team Race World Championship RS Aero & OpenSkiff has already been proposed for the last weekend of October and the first of November, an ideal time in Sardinia from a weather point of view.

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The president of the Naval League of Sulcis, Tore Turco, expressed great satisfaction with the work done: “We are very pleased to have brought to Cagliari a new and educational event such as team racing for young people in the RS Aero and OpenSkiff classes. We believe in the growth of the new generation and will continue to work to offer them high-level sporting and human opportunities.” Satisfaction also came from Sergio Virdis, president of the Ichnusa Rowing Society: “2025 was a busy year for our Society. We have organized four events dedicated to the RS Aero and OpenSkiff classes, from the national regatta to the Champions Cup to this Sardinia Team Race World Championship. We are proud to support youth sailing and also play an active role in the development of innovative disciplines such as team racing.”

The year 2026 promises to be an extraordinary year for youth sailing in Sardinia: at Easter Porto Rotondo will host the first leg of the Eurochallenge OpenSkiff, in July Calasetta will host the European Championship of the same class, and from October Cagliari will become the center of reference for youth classes with the Champions Cup and the second edition of the Sardinia Team Race World Championships for OpenSkiff first and RS Aero later. The island is thus confirmed as a strategic hub for international sailing, supported by the Sardinia Region’s Tourism Department, which continues to invest in a sport perfectly in harmony with the identity, climate and sustainability of the territory.

E.G.