FJ World Championship

The FJ World Championship returns to Italy, in Rio Marina

From July 25 to 31, 2026, the small village of Rio Marina, part of the municipality of Rio on the eastern coast of the Island of Elba (Province of Livorno, Tuscany), becomes the world capital of double-handed youth sailing. The Centro Velico Elbano is organizing the Flying Junior (FJ) World Championship, an event that has been absent from Italy for seven years and marks the conclusion of the class's 2026 international season.

70 years of Centro Velico Elbano

The 2026 edition holds special significance: it coincides with the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Centro Velico Elbano. The FJ class has been linked to the club since the 1970s and 80s, when many young local athletes took their first competitive steps aboard these small double-handed dinghies. The Flying Junior, a dinghy designed in 1955 by Dutch architect Uilke van Essen, is an educational yet highly competitive boat, perfect for the racecourse in the Gulf of Rio Marina.

An international World Championship

Over 70 crews are expected from all over the world: in addition to Italian teams—including local Elba-based sailors—helmsmen and crews are arriving from Argentina, Belgium, Japan, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United States. The Gulf of Rio Marina, with its steady winds and sheltered racecourse, has been identified as the ideal venue to award the class's world titles.

Rio Marina and the Island of Elba

An ancient mining village overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, Rio Marina retains the charm of its dark, iron-rich beaches, its small harbor, and the narrow streets of the historic center. During the week of the World Championship, the town comes alive: the restored "Grotte" pier will host the awards ceremony, while the main square and central streets will welcome the crews for the social dinner. For those visiting Elba, the Championship is also an opportunity to discover one of the most beautiful islands in the Tuscan Archipelago at the height of summer.

Logistics and hospitality

The Centro Velico Elbano provides a large land area just a few meters from the slipway, with space for over fifty boats, beach showers and facilities, gazebos for equipment storage, and a designated camper area. As this is an outdoor sporting event, public access to watch the races from the coast is free of charge.