Italy celebrate week of dominance on home waters at Youth Sailing World Championships

Rome: Italy retained their Nations Trophy in style as a tremendous week at the Youth Sailing World Championships 2024 was capped off with closing ceremony celebrations in Riva.

The hosts rocketed to claim six world titles on Lake Garda thanks to countless displays of precision and skill across 11 events and six classes.

Sailors, coaches, officials, volunteers and staff gathered outside Case Italia to hail the marvellous achievements of the world’s best up-and-coming talents.

Maria Vittoria Arseni and Antonio Pascali led the way in men’s and women’s ILCA 6, as did Carola Colasanto and Federico Pilloni in iQFOiL for two Italian clean sweeps.

On home waters, Italy managed to match their exploits from last year in Buzios, Brazil, with a young squad led by Alessandra Sensini as Youth Technical Director.

Il Canto degli Italiani rang around Riva as Poland, Argentina, Brazil and Greece also celebrated hard-fought victories with their flags, anthems and prized trophies.

Maria Catalina Turienzo rounded off perfect Paris 2024 preparations with a Formula Kite title and crowned a week of dominance in her fourth and final year at youth level.

In an Olympic year, the Youth Sailing World Championships showed a glimpse of what the future of sailing could look like, with Argentina’s Turienzo and Derin Atakan of Türkiye headed for the Games in Marseille next week.

Canada’s Nikhil Damji was awarded the Bengt Julin Trophy for fostering international understanding and sportsmanship throughout the Championships.

The 17-year-old two-person dinghy sailor helms alongside his identical twin brother Emil who crews in the class.

More than 550 people voted for the award and Damji, from Vancouver, was overwhelmed with the reception he received on stage.

Across the past decade, Olympians Maria Erdi and Eroni Leilua have picked up the accolade at the same Championships and Damji took pride in following in the footsteps of sporting greats.

“It’s very special,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking about winning an award for being me, I like to have friends and I’m very thankful and grateful to have won this.

“It’s my second time at Youth Worlds and my second time at Lake Garda. Youth Worlds is one of the best weeks of my life, it’s so much fun just being around people who love what I love doing.

“The sailing is amazing and it’s the best competition in the world and it’s just been a great week.

“I hope one day I can be an Olympian too, it’s very cool knowing some very special people have won it too.”

Sponsors and partners were once again showcased at the heart of the Championships, including title sponsor Trentino and CONI, who provided the iconic Casa Italia venue to give the event an Olympic village feel.

A total of 418 sailors from 70 countries savoured a week to remember in Northern Italy and many will return again in 2025 for the next edition of the event in Vilamoura, Portugal.