Italy's Lisa Vucetti and Vittorio Bonifacio head into tomorrow's Medal Series at the 420 & 470 Junior European Championships as overall leaders, after two races in strong wind confirmed the top 10 finalists.
The Italian duo have been the model of consistency throughout the regatta, and their lead holds firm with the points reset for the final stage. Ukraine's Sviatoslav Madonich and Yelyzaveta Vasylenko climbed from fifth to second on the day, putting themselves firmly in contention for both the overall title and the Under-21 category.
Madonich was buoyant about the pair's form. "We were really happy with our performance. We had a bit more wind from the left today, so we got a little bit more waves, which we're used to, and it made the racing much more enjoyable. The downwinds, the upwinds, the pumping, we were super confident with our speed and our starts." He acknowledged the starts carried real risk: "Our starts were super risky, but in the end they paid off and we had a really amazing performance."
What makes the result more striking is how new the partnership is. "It's actually only our second official event together, so to be this high in the standings is completely unexpected," Madonich said. "We're happy not only to be fighting for the Under-21 medal, but also for the overall medal. We're really looking forward to tomorrow."
Italy's Livia Ciampinelli and Nicola Brunotti sit third despite a tough day that produced 14th- and 15th-place finishes. Their earlier championship form has been good enough to protect their podium spot.
Defending Junior European Champions Lomane Valade and Julien Bunel of France had a harder time of it, losing their spinnaker pole and taking a DNF to slip to fifth, though they remain within striking distance. "It's really hard, but the points are super close for tomorrow, so we need to give everything," Bunel said. "The forecast is for strong wind, and it will be our first Medal Race in around 20 knots." He kept his goals straightforward: a good start, speed on the first upwind, and avoiding crashes, lost equipment, and penalties.
The top 10 also includes crews from Germany, Croatia, Poland, Brazil, and Britain alongside three Italian teams, pointing to the depth of Italy's junior programme. The Italian coach credited sustained preparation, including training in Vilamoura before the Senior Europeans and World Cup events in Palma and Hyères, followed by training camps in Italy.
The Medal Series pitlane and bib ceremony is scheduled for 10:45, with a first possible warning signal at 12:15. Junior European Champions in both the 420 and 470 will be crowned by the end of the day.
