Saly Beach West exceeded many expectations for sailing conditions at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Both Techno293 fleets raced on all five days from 8 to 12 November, completing 14 races each. The wind died on the final day, leaving Race 15 unfinished and the standings after Race 14 to decide the medals.
Racing was exceptionally close in the women’s fleet, with just three points separating the medallists. Italy’s Laura Grasso Castagnetta took gold on a tiebreak after finishing level on 24 points with Spain’s Olivia Sanchez, who took silver. China’s Wu Ziyan, who swept the three opening-day races, won Race 14 to take bronze on 27 points. Greece’s Kyriaki Zerva finished fourth and Great Britain’s Ruby Webb was fifth. Tiebreaks also separated India’s Priyanshi Patil, France’s Lilia Six Alloncle and Poland’s Martinique Suchocka, who all finished on 72 points and placed sixth, seventh and eighth respectively.
The men’s podium brought together Europe, Asia and Africa. Greece’s Evangelos Kyriazakos won nine of the 14 races to take gold on 12 points, ahead of Ng Hoi Tik of Hong Kong, China, on 28. Tunisia’s Rayen Briki secured bronze on 48 points, finishing five clear of Thailand’s Ittipol Yomjinda and putting Africa on the windsurfing podium at the continent’s first Olympic sporting event.
Forty-seven young windsurfers from 38 nations took to the water in Senegal. Drummers and Kumpo dancers welcomed sailors and spectators to Saly Beach West on the opening day.
For several African teams, including Tunisia, the road to Saly included four training camps organised by World Sailing. The programme began in Hammamet, Tunisia, in 2025, continued with two camps in Tangier, Morocco, and concluded in Algeria in September 2026. The International Techno293 Class provided coaches Lucie Pianazza, Patrik Pollak and Maks Wójcik, who worked alongside World Sailing staff and national coaches to help sailors with equipment setup, board handling and race preparation.
A special thank-you to Tahe Outdoors France for providing equipment for the programme, including Techno293 boards that allowed sailors to keep training at home between camps and in the lead-up to the Games.
