Enoshima carries a particular weight in 470 history. Olympic medals were decided on this water at Tokyo 2020, and from 12 August it hosts the 2026 World Championship, drawing 74 teams from 28 nations across five continents.
The fleet is as broad as it gets. Angola, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan and India are among the nations represented, alongside the established European powerhouses who have dominated the class through the Olympic cycle.
All eyes will be on Jordi Xammar.
The Spaniard arrives in Japan aiming to defend the world title for the third consecutive year, having first won in Palma in 2024 and successfully defended it in Gdynia alongside Marta Cardona in 2025. Doing it again, against what both he and Cardona acknowledge is one of the toughest fleets ever assembled, is a different proposition.
Cardona has been measured about their preparation. "The World Championship is the main goal of our season. It's been a long preparation: we started in March with the Europeans in Vilamoura, followed by Sofía in Palma and then Hyères," she said. A break from racing after Hyères allowed them to focus on technical refinement, and the pair also spent time in Los Angeles scouting the venue for the next Olympic Games.
One advantage stands out heading into Enoshima. "We're lucky that Jordi competed at the Tokyo Olympics on this racecourse, where he won the bronze medal, so he has a lot of experience here and plenty of data from that time," Cardona noted. That knowledge of Sagami Bay's thermal winds, tidal shifts and constantly evolving conditions could prove decisive.
Britain's Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris arrive as the form team of 2026. The pair won the European Championship in Vilamoura, took World Cup gold in both Palma and Hyères, then topped the podium at the Los Angeles pre-Olympic regatta in San Pedro. The bay apparently still draws enormous local participation — dozens of 470s were visible on the water during the early practice days, something Wrigley picked up on. "It's really nice to be back in Japan, it feels a bit like the home of the 470 with so many Japanese boats out on the water everyday," he said.
Germany's Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort, silver medallists at last year's Worlds, are firmly in contention after a strong Los Angeles showing. Sweden's Anton Dahlberg and Lovisa Karlsson returned from a post-Paris 2024 break with their sharpness intact, finishing third in San Pedro on their comeback.
Worth noting: Dahlberg's Tokyo silver was won on this very racecourse, as was the silver of Poland's Agnieszka Skrzypulec-Szota, who raced then alongside Jolanta Ogar-Hill, now her coach.
Racing opens on 12 August following registration and measurement across 10 and 11 August. Five qualifying races precede a Gold and Silver fleet split, with the final series running from 14 to 16 August. The Medal Race on 17 August settles who leaves Enoshima as world champion. Live broadcast coverage begins from 15 August.
