JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
In 1979 the 470 Internationale decided to organise an international championship for juniors. The access criteria were set as follows: to be under 20 on 31st December of the championship year and to have not been selected to participate in a European or World Championship in the same year.
This first International Junior Championship evolved over the years with the creation of World and European Championships, which were later split according to the categories of crews. From 1995 the age limit was increased to 21 years on 31st December of the championship year and then to 22 years in 1997.
From 2008 onwards, the Junior World and European Championships all categories were split into men & mixed and women events, with the corresponding medals and titles for each category. The Junior European Championships also became open to all nations. As with the ‘senior’ European Championships, only European nations and those from the Mediterranean basin could compete for the titles. At the close of the championships, two sets of results are established, one general for the event and the other for the Junior European Championship, the latter results being obtained by taking out of the general result those crews not competing for the titles.
In November 2012, the 470 Internationale decided to no longer allow mixed crews to participate in Junior World and European Championships, thus aligning with the rules for ‘seniors’. Following the decision by World sailing in May 2019 to hold a mixed crew 470 event at the 2024 Olympic Games, the 470 Internationale in the same year allowed mixed crews to race in the men’s category. The 470 Internationale also increased the age limit, which had been 22 years since 1997, to 24 years from 2015. This age limit was exceptionally extended to 25 years for 2021, as a result of the cancellation of the 2020 championships, to allow crews at the age limit to compete in their last championships. At the same time, a new category was created for the under 21’s, with the award of medals and titles. This new category was renewed in 2022 and the 24 years old age limit was reinstated.
In 2019 the first three mixed crews in the overall men & mixed of the Junior European Championships ranking received official 470 Internationale medals. The first Junior mixed European Championship title was awarded to the Italians Andreas Totis & Alice Linussi, who were also bronze medallists in the men & mixed championship.
The award of a Junior mixed World Championship title required the approval of World Sailing, which was only obtained in 2020. With the cancellation of the championships in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic, the first Junior mixed World Championship title was awarded in 2021 to the Italians Marco Gradoni & Alessandra Dubbini and the Under 21 Junior mixed World Championship title went to the French pair Matisse Pacaud & Lucie de Gennes, who were also bronze medallists in the Junior mixed World Championship. In the same year, the Under 21 Junior mixed European Championship was won by the Greek pair Melina Pappa & Konstantinos Michalopoulos who, in a similar fashion, obtained bronze medals in the Junior mixed European Championship.
Men and women crews were brought together in an all categories Junior Championship from 2021, as had been the case up to 2007.
The German woman Annika Bochmann with one World title, three European and three other medals, obtained between 2008 and 2012 with two different crews, holds the overall record for medals over all categories since the creation of the Junior Championships. The Frenchmen Sofian Bouvet & Jérémie Mion won four Junior titles in 2009-2010.
Over the 2013-2024 period, three crews have each won three or more titles:
- Benedetta di Salle & Alessandra Dubbini (Italy): two World titles in 2015 and 2018 and a European title in 2016.
- Jordi Xammar & Joan Herp (Spain): two World titles in 2013 and 2014 and a European title as well in 2014.
- Giacomo Ferrari & Giulio Calabro (Italy): a World title in 2019 and two European titles in 2016 and 2017, to which they added a silver medal in 2018 and a bronze medal in 2015 at the World Championships.
- Matisse Pacaud & Lucie De Gennes (France): three World titles (2022, 2023 & 2024) and a bronze in 2021 as well as two European titles in 2022 and 2023.
- Manon Pennaneac'h & Pierre Williot (France): Two bronze medals in 2023 and 2024 World events as well as two silver medals in 2023 and 2024 European Championships
At the same time, three crews won two titles and two other medals:
- Silvia Mas Depares & Paula Barcelo Martin (Spain): two World titles in 2016 and 2017, a silver medal in 2015 and a bronze in 2016 at the European Championships.
- Hippolyte Machetti & Sidoine Dantes (France): two World titles in 2017 and 2018, a silver medal in 2017 and a bronze in 2016 at the European Championships.
- Theres Dahnke & Birte Winkel (Germany): two European titles in 2018 and 2019, a silver medal in 2018 and one in bronze in 2019 at the World Championships.
Finally, the Germans Malte Winkel & Matti Cipra won five medals: a silver in 2015 and a bronze in 2014 at the World Championships, plus three silver between 2014 and 2016 at the European Championships. Previously, Matti Cipra had already won a silver medal during the 2013 World Championships with Julian Autenrieth.