Curro Manchón and Jeanne Mailhos claimed the men’s and women’s titles at the 2026 Raceboard World Championships in Blanes, Spain, while Arturo Arauz García and Eloísa Tarancón took the U21 honours. Hosted by Club Vela Blanes from 7–12 September, the championship concluded with seven races completed in each fleet and one discard applied.
The week also included a serious incident on the water. A sudden increase in wind on Wednesday forced racing to be suspended and several competitors required rescue. Luckily there were no serious personal injuries, although equipment had been lost. Thursday brought a pause in competition before racing resumed on Friday. Recognition is due to the emergency services, safety crews and everyone involved in helping competitors return ashore.
Across the completed series, the sailors produced performances worthy of recognition, with close contests for medals and strong results from both established competitors and the next generation.
Spain’s Curro Manchón secured the men’s world title with four race wins and two second places counting towards an eight-point total. After a black-flag disqualification in race two, his results left little room for further error, and he finished the championship with another victory.
France’s Nicolas Huguet provided the strongest challenge, winning three races and never finishing outside the top three. He took silver on 11 points, with Spain’s Alex Rivera completing the podium on 18. Slovakia’s Patrik Pollak finished fourth, ahead of Spain’s Alvaro Rivera Rodriguez.
France’s Jeanne Mailhos delivered an outstanding series to win the women’s title and finish first in the combined U17–U21–Women fleet. Three consecutive victories in the final three races brought her total to 10 points, placing her ahead of Arturo Arauz García on the tie-break in the combined standings.
Spain’s Anto Domínguez took women’s silver with 36 points, followed by Eloísa Tarancón on 39. Tarancón’s result earned her both a place on the overall women’s podium and the U21 women’s title.
In the U21 men’s competition, Spain’s Arturo Arauz García established his challenge with a clean sweep of the opening three races. He maintained that consistency throughout the championship, never finishing outside the top three in the combined fleet, and secured the title on 10 points.
Fellow Spaniard Ignacio Fernández claimed silver on 15 points, with a race victory and three second places among his counting results. Sergio López completed an all-Spanish U21 men’s podium on 56 points, finishing ahead of France’s Lucas Sénéchal Công-Thé on the tie-break.
The U21 women’s title was closely contested. Eloísa Tarancón and Lucía Gantes both finished on 39 points, with Tarancón taking gold on the tie-break. Lucía Selma Cruz earned bronze on 42 points, completing another all-Spanish podium.
Blanes brought together competitors across generations, and the final results reflect both the enduring quality of experienced Raceboard sailors and the ambition of its younger athletes. Congratulations to the champions and medallists, and thanks to the competitors, volunteers, race officials and host club for their contribution to the championship.
