The Nacra Cup València burst into action on the opening day as Argentina’s Mateo Majdalani and Eugenia Bosco surged to the front of the fleet with a commanding performance across three races in the Gulf of València. Sailing in winds of 10 to 12 knots from a direction between 220° and 240°, the 24-boat fleet enjoyed excellent conditions at RCN de Valencia.
The forecast had called for a westerly wind, and conditions delivered as expected. Anticipating favourable breezes, the race committee brought the start time forward by one hour, sending the fleet off at 11:00. All three scheduled races were completed without delay.
On the water, the Argentine pair were the standout performers. Majdalani and Bosco claimed two race wins and added a second place in the remaining race to take the overall lead. The Paris silver medallists showed their class from the outset, establishing a clear margin at the top of the standings.
The battle behind the leaders proved equally absorbing. Sweden’s Emil Järudd and Hanna Jonsson hold second place on nine points, tied with New Zealand’s Micah Wilkinson and Kate Stewart in third. The Swedish crew posted a scoreline of 3-1-5, their victory in the second race earning them the edge on the tie-break. Wilkinson and Stewart delivered a consistent 2-3-4 series to keep themselves firmly in contention near the top.
Spanish siblings Daniel and Nora García de la Casa, representing CN El Masnou, also impressed on the opening day. They sit seventh overall on 21 points after recording a 5-5-11 series, just five points behind fourth-placed Swedes Ida Svensson and Marcus Dackhammar, who accumulated 16 points with an 8-6-2 scoreline.
The top ten is rounded out by a tightly bunched group. Austria’s Lukas Haberl and Clara Stamminger, Finland’s Akseli Keskinen and Katariina Roihu, and Türkiye’s Sinem Kurtbay and Alican Kaynar are all tied on 24 points. The United States’ Stephan Baker and Sophia Fisher sit ninth on 25 points, while Austria’s Laura Farese and Matthäus Zöchling complete the top ten on 28 points.
Looking ahead to day two, the race committee has pushed the first warning signal back to 13:00. The forecast suggests wind conditions may be less favourable around midday, and the later start is designed to give the fleet the best possible opportunity to race once suitable breeze develops.
