Poland's Piotr Cichocki is within reach of two gold medals at the 2026 World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Portimão, Portugal, after taking the lead in both the one-person and two-person keelboat events ahead of Saturday's, October 10th, final races.
The experienced Paralympian, competing alongside his wife Joanna in the two-person Hansa 303, has won seven of their ten races, giving them a 20-point lead over their nearest challengers.
In the one-person competition, Cichocki overtook Germany's Jens Kroker on Friday and carries a two-point lead into the final day, with Portugal's João Pinto in third.
Cichocki Relishes the Competition
Cichocki, who represented Poland at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, previously competed in offshore sailing before developing a medical condition that led to joint replacements in both legs. He later established himself in para sailing, winning multiple world titles, including gold at last year's inaugural World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Oman.
This time, he is racing with his wife Joanna. "My wife is fantastic, both at home and on the boat!" he said.
Double Act — Poland's Piotr Cichocki and wife Joanna compete in the Hansa 303 at the World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Portimão, where they hold a 20-point lead ahead of the final day. Photo: Gonçalo Melo
Friday's racing presented difficult conditions, with shifting winds and strong currents. "The sailing itself wasn't easy," Cichocki said. "We had very changeable wind directions and, on top of that, very strong currents in both events."
"Of course I'm happy. I haven't been this happy for a long time."
Despite his long career, the competitive element remains his greatest motivation.
"What I love most about sailing is the competition, feeling my opponent breathing down my neck," he said. "I like the fight."
Coxon Extends Multihull Lead
Britain's James Coxon won all three races on Friday in the Para Inclusive One Person Multihull division, extending his advantage over fellow British sailors Val Millward and Bex Foulsham. Afloat has previously covered Coxon's earlier progress in the multihull standings during the championships in Portimão.
In the Para Inclusive Two Person Keelboat competition, Sweden's Fia Fjelddahl and Patric Rosenberg secured two more race victories, extending their lead to ten points over Spain's Pau Toni Homar and Ramón Gutiérrez.
Norway's Stian Kristiansen and Elliot Finnestrand remain third overall.
Finland continues to lead the Para Inclusive One Person Technical Keelboat (2.4mR), with Marko Dahlberg ahead of Rikard Bjurström. Otto Dahlberg moved into third place, overtaking Niko Salomaa.
Final Medals to Be Decided in Portimão
In the Vision Impairment RS21 event, Britain's Lucy Hodges, Jamie Tylecote, Liam Cattermole and Steve Tylecote lead ahead of Spain's Dani Anglada Pich, Carmen Lopez Garcia, Jordi Sánchez Pérez and Monica Azon Canalda.
Final Stretch — RS Venture Connect keelboats race off Portimão, where Sweden's Fia Fjelddahl and Patric Rosenberg lead the Para Inclusive Two Person Keelboat standings by ten points. Photo: Gonçalo Melo
The American crew of Duane Farrar, Barbara Bielinski, Denis Bell and Solomon Marini moved into third place on Friday.
In the Inclusive Wingfoil competition, Vietnam's Truc Diep and Britain's Charlie Wolf each won a race. Wolf leads overall, with fellow Briton Jazz Turner moving into second.
The ILCA 6 standings remain unchanged in the Para Intellectual Impairment and Inclusive Cognitive Impairment divisions. Hong Kong China's Tsz Hin Cheung leads the former, while Portugal's José Campos heads the latter.
The championships conclude on Saturday, October 10, with Cichocki seeking to add two more titles to his record.
