Israeli Youth Sailing Duo Roy Levi and Ariel Gal Win Silver at 470 World Championship in Poland

Roy Levi and Ariel Gal, reigning youth world champions in the 470 sailing class, secured a silver medal at the Youth World Championship held in Gdynia, Poland. The competition featured 55 teams from 18 countries and concluded on July 17, 2026. The gold medal was decided in a tie-breaker against the Italian team, with the Italians winning by less than a boat length in the final race.

Throughout the event, Levi and Gal consistently led the fleet, placing fourth on the first day, second on the second day, and taking the lead on the third day with strong performances despite unstable wind conditions. However, on the fourth day, they were disqualified at the start of the ninth race, which dropped them from first to third place, tied with the Italians and behind France.

Entering the final day and medal races, the Israeli duo won the first medal race and started the decisive race ahead of Italy. To claim gold, they needed to finish within four boats of the Italians. In the last race, the Italians surged ahead, and Levi and Gal finished seventh, just half a boat length behind sixth place, which would have secured them the gold. The tie in points was broken by the last race result, awarding gold to Italy.

Ariel Gal reflected on the challenging week, noting the disruptions and high competition level but expressed pride in their consistency. Roy Levi emphasized their positive mindset and long-term progress. Team coach Yam Amir acknowledged the strong competition and expressed satisfaction with the results, highlighting upcoming goals including the senior World Championship in Japan and the European Youth Championship in Lithuania.

Israel was also represented by two other teams: Tehila Sidis and Amitai Levkovich won bronze in the U21 category, finishing 15th overall, while Maayan Shemesh and Ben Goldenberg placed 17th. Levi and Gal’s silver adds to their impressive youth career, which includes a bronze in 2021, silver medals in 2022 and 2023, and European golds in 2024 and 2025. They continue to compete at the senior level and will participate in the upcoming World Championship in Japan.