Three Israeli Sailors Finish in Top Ten at ILCA6 Youth World Championship

The Israeli sailing team achieved a notable success at the ILCA6 Youth World Championship held in Aarhus, Denmark, concluding on August 20, 2026. Three Israeli sailors finished within the top ten, highlighting the country's strong presence in the competition. In the girls' category, Gaia Datiashvili from Hapoel Zevulun Akko secured sixth place, while Rivka Mantel of Hapoel Sdot Yam finished seventh among 122 competitors from 35 countries. In the boys' category, Noam Lehat from Hapoel Sdot Yam placed ninth out of 307 sailors representing 43 nations.

The championship spanned six days with varying wind conditions, ranging from light and unstable winds early on to stronger gusts reaching 23 knots midweek. The girls' team was coached by Eran Sela, and the boys' team by Yogev Elkaly. Datiashvili showed consistent improvement throughout the event, moving from 22nd place on the first day to sixth overall. Mantel reached a personal best early in the competition, climbing to third place on the second day. Lehat also improved steadily, starting at 29th and finishing ninth after the final races.

Other Israeli boys who qualified for the gold fleet included Yahav Geva (13th), Gal Einav (14th), and Noam Chen (63rd). Coach Eran Sela noted that the team arrived motivated after a recent European championship in Greece where they felt they underperformed. Despite not securing medals in the final races, Sela emphasized the team's strong potential for future achievements in the Olympic ILCA class.