Israeli Teams Achieve Best Results at 470 World Sailing Championship in Japan

Two Israeli 470 sailing teams completed the World Championship in Japan with their best-ever performances. Roy Levi and Ariel Gal from Hapoel Sdot Yam finished 14th, while Nitai Hasson (Hapoel Sdot Yam) and Noga Tiano (Bnei Herzliya) placed 16th. The event, held between August 17 and 26, is the premier competition for the 470 sailing class.

The championship faced challenging conditions, including a canceled first day due to a storm and unstable light to moderate winds throughout the week, complicating tactical decisions for all competitors. Levi and Gal started strong, ranking third after the first day with finishes of 2nd, 3rd, and 10th in their races. However, they gradually slipped to 7th, then 11th, and finally 14th after the last races, where they won one race but also had lower placements.

Levi and Gal, both 20 years old, are current youth world championship silver medalists and have a history of podium finishes in youth European and world events. Meanwhile, Hasson and Tiano began the qualifiers near the lower half of the second top ten group but steadily improved to 10th place before the final day. They dropped to 16th after a disqualification and lower finishes. Hasson is the more experienced helmsman, having competed in the Paris Olympics, while Tiano joined this year after her previous partner retired.

Both teams have been training and competing closely throughout the season, pushing each other as Israel’s leading 470 crews. The Israeli Sailing Association views their results as a positive sign toward securing an Olympic berth at next year’s World Championship. Coach Yam Amir noted the teams showed good speed and preparation but lacked consistency in unstable conditions, emphasizing ongoing efforts to improve for upcoming key competitions.