Silver for Italy’s Ugolini and Giubilei, Junior Gold for Belgian Team Borghijs
The 2024 Nacra 17 European Championships wrapped up today at Circolo Velico Sferracavallo in Palermo, crowning Dutch duo Willemijn Offerman and Scipio Houtman as the new European Champions. Italy’s team, Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei, took the silver, while Belgian siblings Kwinten and Lieselotte Borghijs claimed bronze and the Junior European Champion title.
The competition, held from Wednesday through today, adopted a new race format that intensified the challenge. After four days of racing and six opening series races, the top two teams—Netherlands and Italy—faced off in two final match races, where Offerman and Houtman ultimately prevailed.
In the Junior category, Kwinten and Lieselotte Borghijs secured their second major title of 2024, having previously won the Nacra 17 Junior World Championships. They stood atop the Junior podium, followed by fellow Belgians Lucas Claeyssens and Eline Verstraelen in second and Australians Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown in third.
The event experienced a range of weather conditions, with two races on Wednesday, no races on Thursday due to lack of wind, four successful races on Friday, and concluded today with thrilling match races.
Giuseppe Giunchiglia, President of Circolo Velico Sferracavallo, expressed his pride in hosting this prestigious event:
“We are honored to have welcomed the Nacra 17 European Championships to Sferracavallo, bringing together athletes, coaches, and officials from around the world. This marks a significant milestone for our club, further establishing our presence on the European sailing stage. We share the success of this event with the Municipality of Palermo, the Nacra 17 Class Association, the Italian Sailing Federation, our sponsors, and especially with all the volunteers who ensured safe and smooth races. With this championship behind us, we look forward to hosting the Sferracavallo International Optimist Race in early December.”
Organized by Circolo Velico Sferracavallo in collaboration with the Nacra 17 Class Association and Palermo’s Department of Tourism and Sport, the championships attracted 18 boats and 36 sailors from countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States.
Complete results are available here: Race Results
For photos: Photo Gallery
