Zhik Nordic Youth Sailing Championship was a great sailing festival!

On Saturday, July 26, the Zhik Nordic Youth Sailing Championships, organized by the Tallinn Yacht Club, concluded at Haven Kakumäe Marina. The event brought together over 300 young sailors and at least as many supporters. Over four days, athletes under the age of 19 from eight countries – Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia – competed in five boat classes: Optimist, ILCA 4, ILCA 6, Zoom8, and 29er.

The arrival of warm summer weather allowed for a wide range of sailing conditions, from light winds to strong, gusty breezes under rainclouds. This provided a real challenge for the sailors and an opportunity to put their skills to the test. Most classes completed a solid 8 races, while the speedy 29ers managed 12 races, which determined the championship titles.

Estonian youth sailors showed a strong level of performance, proudly raising the Estonian flag on the podium multiple times. The Nordic Championship titles in the Optimist class were won by Danish sailors in both the boys’ and girls’ categories. In both ILCA 4 and ILCA 6 boys’ divisions, Finnish sailors took the top spots, while the girls’ podiums in both classes were dominated entirely by Estonian athletes from the Pärnu and Tallinn Yacht Clubs. In the Optimist Team Race boys’ division, Estonian sailors earned silver medals.

Results:
https://www.manage2sail.com/et-EE/event/JNoM2025#!/results?classId=Ilca4

According to TJK Commodore Harri Mikk, the regatta was a historic event:
“This was the largest international youth sailing competition in Estonia in the past decade. Our goal was to provide young athletes with a high-level regatta experience – both on the water and on shore – and the feedback has been exceptionally positive.”

The regatta village set up at Haven Kakumäe made the event memorable for everyone at the marina. There were live broadcasts of the races, as well as opening and closing ceremonies, catering for the athletes, and various entertainment activities. Through social media and on-site screens, the excitement of the regatta reached an even broader audience on shore.

The event’s title sponsor was the internationally renowned sailing brand Zhik, whose apparel is worn by both Olympic sailors and rising youth talents. Company representative Johannes Polgar confirmed that the regatta held in Estonia was exemplary in both standard and organization.

At the closing ceremony, the baton was passed to the next host country – Sweden – where the teams will meet again in 2026.

Tallinn Yacht Club thanks all supporters and partners who contributed to the success of this top-tier regatta:
Tallinn – European Capital of Sport 2025, Estonian Cultural Endowment 100, Haven Kakumäe, Liviko, Websystems, Tallink, Nautical Store, Café Ankur, Boost Juice, TommyLyy Boat Shop, Duco Hotels, Metropol Hotel, Estonian Sailing League, Pärnu Yacht Club, Tilgu Marina Yacht Club, Kalev Yacht Club, Rocca al Mare School, as well as numerous private sponsors and volunteers.

The Zhik Nordic Youth Sailing Championships 2025 reaffirmed that Estonia is fully capable of hosting international sporting events at the highest level – inspiring, uniting, and nurturing future champions.

Photos and videos:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UgvEBn6su2DpX4DTJKAmQXeWimuWWnZs?usp=sharing

Text: Brigita Sepp