Vilamoura, Portugal – March 12, 2026 – Ideal 470 racing conditions greeted the fleet on Thursday as three races unfolded in 10 to 14 knots of breeze off the Portuguese coast. The day was defined by relentless pumping and sharp tactical choices, and no team capitalized on those demands better than Italy’s Giacomo Ferrari and Alessandra Dubbini, who now hold an impressive eight-point advantage atop the leaderboard.
Ferrari and Dubbini claimed victory in the opening race before posting a pair of second-place finishes in the remaining two contests. Their consistency was striking — the Italian duo controlled the fleet from start to finish throughout the day’s racing, leaving little doubt about their current form.
Britain’s Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris continue to occupy second overall after placing inside the leading group in the first two races. Spain’s Jordi Xammar and Marta Cardona sit in third following results of 8th, 13th, and 5th on the day, though they hold just a slim two-point cushion over the fourth-placed Italian pairing of Elena Berta and Giulio Calabrò.
Another Spanish duo made a significant move up the standings. Silvia Mas and Alejandro De Maqua were among the fastest boats on the course, capturing two race wins to vault into fifth position in the overall classification.
“We had very good starts in both races, but the real key was that Alejandro was working super hard, pumping a lot, and that was really the difference,” Mas explained. “Our mindset was to keep it simple. To do well in the races, you just have to give it everything, stay calm, and keep pushing every race.”
The entire day revolved around physical effort. With wind speeds hovering between 10 and 14 knots, the race committee flew the “O” flag — the signal that pumping is permitted. Crews were tested to their limits.
“It was nice, it was over 10 knots, so we had the O-flag. Quite a tough day for the crews, a lot of pumping out of the start and on the downwind, basically the whole race. A good day, but quite hard,” reflected Norway’s Victor Loof.
Friday marks the final day of the finals series, with two more races scheduled. After those are completed, the top 10 teams will advance to Saturday’s medal series for one last shot at the podium.
“Well, we’re expecting light winds and, I mean, everything can happen, right? There are a lot of teams always pushing. One day one is better; the next day another. So we will try to do our best to keep it simple, stay calm, and fight until the end,” Mas added.
The 470 Europeans are using a new scoring format this year. Following five qualifying races, each team carries forward only the position it held after the qualifying series as non-discardable points. A team that finishes the qualifiers in 10th, for instance, enters the finals with 10 points and is ranked 10th overall. Those qualifying points cannot be dropped.
In the finals series, up to seven races are sailed in the gold and silver fleets. After the third finals race, the worst result from the finals becomes discardable. The leading 10 teams then advance to the medal series, carrying their accumulated points.
The medal series itself comprises two non-discardable races, each lasting approximately 15 minutes. A special points compression system ensures the racing remains dramatic. If the gap among the top three teams is less than nine points, their scores remain unchanged. If the gap exceeds nine points, it is trimmed to nine. From third through tenth place, a separate formula applies, capping the maximum spread at 18 points so every qualifying team retains a realistic chance of reaching the podium.
