Chloe Turner wrapped up the 2026 ILCA 6 Youth European Championships in Thessaloniki with a statement performance, winning the final race by more than a minute to claim bronze and her first under-19 medal in the class.
The 17-year-old Murrays Bay Sailing Club sailor finished third overall behind Greece's reigning youth world champion Hermione Ghicas and Italy's Sofia Bertoletti. It was her second race win of the regatta and confirmed her as the highest-placed non-European in the fleet.
Turner had been among the leading contenders throughout the week, leaving no question of late drama on the final day. "I loved racing against the world's best this week and to top it off with my first under-19 medal made it even more special," she said.
The final day started with a delay as light winds kept the fleet ashore. The breeze built steadily from around 4-5 knots to 14 knots through the afternoon, allowing organisers to complete both scheduled races and bring the championship to a total of 12 races.
The result is another marker of Turner's rapid rise through the international ranks. Last August she was crowned ILCA 6 under-17 world champion at the Youth World Championships in Los Angeles, finishing 13th overall in the girls' fleet and comfortably ahead of her nearest age-group rival.
Her bronze came in one of the strongest youth fleets assembled this year. Ghicas arrived in Thessaloniki as the reigning ILCA 6 Youth World Champion and used the advantage of home waters to add the European title to her growing list of achievements.
Turner heads to the British Open National Championships next week before turning her attention to the ILCA 6 Youth World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, next month.
Her podium caps a strong fortnight for New Zealand sailing. A week before Turner's medal, Bella Jenkins and Jess Handley were crowned female under-19 world champions as New Zealand won the Nations Cup at the 29er World Championships in Germany. Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush then successfully defended their 49er European title on Monday, just two months after becoming the youngest 49er world champions in history, and Sean Herbert claimed the first WingFoil Racing World Cup medal of his career with silver in Italy later the same day. On Friday, windfoiler Aimee Bright added silver at the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta, held at the venue that will host sailing at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
