Nikos Pappas Wins European Optimist Sailing Championship in Gdansk

Greek sailor Nikos Pappas captured the 2026 European Optimist title at the open championship in Gdańsk, Poland. Competing against 170 boats from 49 nations, Pappas recorded just 23 penalty points to finish first in both the open and European rankings. He had previously been world champion in 2025 and was named the top junior sailor worldwide that year.

The podium was completed by Italy’s T. Nimbi (second with 39 points) and Spain’s L. Garindo (third with 48 points). Other Greek competitors placed 9th (Ioannis Zavlanos), 12th (Spyridon Dimiatridis) and 40th (Ioannis Ziorgas). In the girls’ Optimist class, Mantlen Maria Gakbant finished seventh out of 122 sailors from 47 countries.

The event highlighted Greece’s strong presence in youth sailing and underscored Pappas as a leading talent on the international stage.