Real Club Náutico de Palma's Tim Lubat triumphs at the ILCA 6 European Championship.

Tim Lubat and Gabriela Morell, both sailors from the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP), have been crowned Youth European Champions in the ILCA 6 class.

The competition, held in the waters of Vilamoura (Portugal), brought together 258 participants in the men's category and 102 in the women's. It consisted of twelve races over six days, from April 14 to 19.

Lubat won the overall men’s classification after a superb performance. The RCNP sailor led the standings until day five, when he temporarily ceded the lead to Dutch sailor Alexander Hartsink. However, on the decisive final day, he once again showcased his technical skill and mental strength, winning the eleventh race and securing the title mathematically with one race to spare. His five race wins and the 23-point advantage over the runner-up are clear evidence of the Mallorcan sailor’s outstanding championship.

In the women’s competition, Gabriela Morell was crowned continental champion in the Under-17 category after finishing fourteenth overall. The young Mallorcan sailor, who just a year ago became ILCA 4 European Champion, consistently stayed in the Top 15 throughout the event, outperforming older and more experienced ILCA 6 sailors. A race win also helped her decisively claim the youth title.

Sergio García, representing RCNP, narrowly missed the podium with a commendable fourth place in the men’s classification. Despite winning the final race and claiming another heat victory earlier in the competition, García — who held second place behind Lubat during the first three days — missed out on a bronze medal by just five points. Also part of the RCNP team were Juan Bennàssar (30th) and Maria Rosselló (55th).

The RCNP sailing director, Hugo Ramón, expressed his excitement over the results: “We have an incredible ILCA team and we knew strong results were possible, but this double European gold exceeds our expectations. It’s incredibly rewarding to see young athletes we’ve watched grow at the club now taking center stage at international championships — a sign that our development system and values are working.”

Ramón highlighted the talents of RCNP’s sailors: “Tim Lubat is one of the most gifted youth sailors in Spain with an enviable record. Gabriela was born to sail — winning her second continental gold in a year proves it. Sergio has made great progress, and his fourth-place finish in Vilamoura is a well-deserved reward for his dedication and hard work.”