Hermionie Ghicas and Erik Scheidt crowned 2026 ILCA 6 Youth world champions

Ghicas entered the final day with only a one-point lead over Ireland’s Sienna Wright, but quickly removed any doubt about the outcome. The Greek sailor won all three races in the women’s Gold fleet, completing a dominant final day and securing the world title.

“I felt very comfortable on the boat with this wind and I’m very happy I managed to be strong both mentally, physically and tactically on the water,” said Ghicas.

Wright finished the championship in second place, while New Zealand’s Chloe Turner completed the podium in third.

Ghicas’ victory also completes a Greek double in Aarhus after Eleni Triantou won the ILCA 4 Youth World Championship earlier this month.

In the men’s fleet, Scheidt entered the final day with a comfortable lead and continued his consistent championship with solid results in the opening races, doing enough to secure the world title before the final race.

“I knew I had the lead, so I was comfortable with that, but with three Gold fleet races anything can happen. I had some expectations coming into the championship, but I did not expect to win this week. In the end, I think consistency was the key,” said Scheidt.

For Scheidt, the title was also something to share with the person who has supported him closely throughout his sailing career.

“My father is always by my side and helps me a lot with the psychological side. I already talked to him and of course he congratulated me,” he added.

Behind him, Spain’s Nikko Palou finished strongly to move into second overall, while Italy’s Lorenzo Ghirotti claimed third place.

The final races brought an end to the competition for all 429 young sailors representing 45 nations. Throughout the championships, the sailors were tested by a wide range of conditions on Aarhus Bay, from very light and shifty winds to stronger days that demanded both physical strength and patience.

The changing weather led to periods of waiting, postponed racing and difficult tactical decisions, but also gave the sailors a broad range of conditions to handle throughout the championships.

At 18.00, sailors, coaches, officials and volunteers gathered for the Prize Giving Ceremony, where the new world champions and podium finishers received their medals.

Alongside the overall medals, the best U17 sailors were also recognised. Derin Bartan finished as the top U17 sailor in the women’s championship, while overall silver medallist Nikko Palou took the men’s U17 title.

The ceremony officially brought the 2026 ILCA 6 Youth World Championships to a close and marked the end of two consecutive Youth World Championships hosted in Aarhus this August.

Text and images courtesy of ILCA Sailing.