Italy triumphs at the U21 European Championships: an all-Italian podium for the ILCA 6 women's team

A historic result for Italian sailing comes from Split (Croatia), where the 2025 ILCA Under 21 European Championships & Open European Trophy just concluded, an event that brought together 242 athletes from all over Europe and numerous countries around the world.

 In the women's ILCA 6 category, Italy made history with an all-Italian podium: Ginevra Caracciolo won the gold medal and the European title, Maria Vittoria Arseni climbed to the second step of the podium with a brilliant silver, and Emma Mattivi completed the triumph with a splendid bronze medal.

 An intense week, starting with light winds and no practice on the first day, then characterized by increasingly challenging conditions and a very high technical level. The young athletes adapted to every change, demonstrating maturity, clarity, and extraordinary teamwork.

 "Today's result is a source of great satisfaction, but not a surprise. It is the fruit of a growth journey that began a long time ago, built with method, vision, and continuity. This all-Italian podium represents the value of the teamwork carried out on and with our athletes. This is a historic achievement, part of a continuing streak of successes that confirms that the Italian team is on the right path towards new successes and towards building a technical and organizational level adequate for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,"
said Michele Marchesini, Technical Director of the FIV Olympic Teams.

 "Once again, the result repays the sacrifice and hard work. The team demonstrated solidity, determination, and team spirit, deservedly securing the top three positions. This result confirms the growth and strength of the Federation's work in recent years,"
commented Chicco Caricato, ILCA 6 FIV coach.

 The Italian team's success confirms the excellent growth path of youth sailing and the effectiveness of the work carried out, which continues to develop international-level athletes capable of competing with the best in the world.

 Ginevra Caracciolo:
"It's a truly indescribable feeling: there's no single word that can capture all the emotions I'm feeling right now. I'd already shared a podium with Maria Vittoria last year and with Emma in 2023, but all three of us had never stood on the podium together. I think it's one of the most beautiful days of our lives: sharing such intense moments makes the bond that unites us even stronger.

 I came into this championship without too many expectations. I simply wanted to bounce back from the World Championships in Ireland, where I finished fourth for the third time. I continued to train consistently, and today I can say I've proven to myself that hard work always pays off.

 Maria Vittoria Arseni:
"It was a truly wonderful week of racing, with very different conditions and techniques that put us to the test and allowed us to compete at our best. I think what rewarded me most, and what allowed both me and Ginevra to secure a medal with one race to spare, was the consistency we maintained throughout the week.

 Winning silver and standing on the podium is one of the best feelings. Sure, there's always a bit of rivalry between us, but as we often say, it all stays in the water: above the surface, we're very good friends. Finding out we were first, second, and third made it all even more special.

 I'm really satisfied: I know there are always aspects to work on, but this is a great confirmation, for me and for the whole team."

 Emma Mattivi:
"It was a really challenging championship in terms of the water conditions. I'd like to say I understood something, but I just couldn't stand out in these conditions. I was always rounding the buoys behind and was always recovering for the rest of the race. I never gave up, I tried to recover as much as possible, as you can see from the photos I took in the water.

 I came into this championship with a bad flu. I went straight into the competition without training, so I wasn't 100% energized. But I always fought and believed in it until the end.

 A medal is always a medal. I couldn't be happier to see my two teammates in front of me. We've dreamed of reaching this podium every year, and now it's here, right in my last U21 championship. They deserve it so much, and all three of us deserve to stand on that podium and sing the anthem together."