In the last major competition of 2026, the World Championships in Dunlaoghaire, Ireland, Pavlos Kontidis will compete, and he says he’s fully prepared to throw himself into the fray in pursuit of a top finish.
“It’s the last race of the year and, I’d say, the most important one. I feel ready. Thank God, I feel good; my preparation went well. Even though I had an injury at the start of the season that kept me out, I still managed to be in top form at the European Championships and in Los Angeles, and I’m in great shape now as well. “The experience I’ve gained over the years on the boat definitely plays a role,” says the Cypriot sailor.
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At the same venue, in late June, Kontidis had won the silver medal in a coach regatta, and he spent a few days there preparing for the upcoming World Championship as well.
A total of 141 sailors from 45 countries will participate in the event. “The competition is extremely fierce, as it is at every World Championship,” says the two-time Olympic silver medalist, adding: “All the main contenders are here; there are quite a few sailors who could finish in the top ten and make it onto the podium. This is evident from the results in recent years, as there are constantly different names at the top. Of course, some are more consistent than others.”
The competition will begin on Tuesday, August 25, and conclude on Sunday, August 30. The qualifying heats will take place during the first few days, followed by the final races. Then the points will be divided by two going into the final day, which will feature two medal races, with the points counting as single scores.
“I want to be in a position to compete for a medal, even for the win. But the most important thing is to sail well, give it my all, minimize mistakes, and get off to good starts—and I believe the result will follow naturally,” notes the two-time World Champion.
At the World Championships, Kontidis has won five medals. Specifically, he won two gold medals in 2017 in Split and in 2018 in Aarhus, Denmark, the same number of silver medals in 2013 in Oman and in 2022 in Mexico, and one bronze medal last year (2025) in Qingdao, China.
Vakaros System
The World Championship in Dunlaoghaire will also be the first major competition in which the Vakaros system will be implemented. “Vakaros was also used at the Grand Slam in Los Angeles, but back then they weren’t strict enough; now they’ll be spot-on. Every centimeter at the start counts,” emphasizes the 2018, 2022, and 2026 European Champion, who goes on to explain: “If you false start, the device will prompt you to return to the line to start over. This will save time compared to the repeated starts we used to have, and the day will wrap up faster.”
