Reigning Youth Sailing World champions Lorenzo Sirena and Alice Dessy are hoping to end another memorable year by defending their crown in Vilamoura.

The Italian duo earned Nacra 15 gold on home waters in Lake Garda last year in stunning style, winning all three races on the final day to leapfrog France’s Côme Vic-Molinero and Fatima Tia and help the Azzurri retain the Nations Trophy.

They have continued to go from strength to strength in the time since and cemented their status as potential stars of the future by winning the Nacra 15 World Championships in La Rochelle in July.

Again, it was a French pair in second, this time in the form of Emilie Mansouri and Marius Praud, who join them in the field here.

And while competition will be fierce, Sirena and Dessy’s knowhow when it comes to topping the podium could prove crucial.

“It was our first world title last year and we were thrilled to win it,” said Sirena, speaking prior to the pair’s opening practice session on the Algarve.

Lorenzo Sirena and Alice Dessy celebrate victory at the 2024 Youth Sailing World Championships

“It gave us the motivation to keep pushing for our next goals. We won the Open World Championship this year, we have had a good season so far and this is our last regatta of the year, so we are happy to see how it is going to go.

“We are really happy to be here in Vilamoura, it is a great place and we know we will find some great conditions. We can’t wait to be out on the race course.”

Sirena hails from sailing royalty, as the son of two-time America’s Cup winner Max, the Luna Rossa Team Director and Skipper.

Both members of the Italian Nacra 15 crew learned their craft at Cagliari Yacht Club and have thrived since joining forces.

“I started in Cagliari aged nine and we started sailing together three years ago,” Dessy said.

“We are good together, sometimes we have a little problem but it works out OK.

“Events like this are a very good experience for friendship and getting to know new people, so it is exciting.”

The dramatic fashion in which they won last year’s event showcased their resilience and Sirena believes those strengths will come to the fore again.

“One of our points of strength is getting back up when things go wrong and trying to solve problems,” he said.

“We have really trained for this event so we just need to give our best and have fun.”

While Sirena and Dessy have fond memories of this event already, other crews in the Nacra 15 class are experiencing all the Youth Sailing World Championships have to offer for the first time.

Among the debutants are Australian pair Emma Webb and Sam Dalton, who have made the trip from New South Wales and are excited to test themselves against the world’s best.

“It will be really cool to meet new teams,” Dalton said. “There are only two teams in Australia, so we haven’t really raced against many other boats.

“We can’t wait to sail against lots of other boats and sample the atmosphere.”

Both Webb and Dalton started their sailing journeys in the O’pen Skiff before progressing to hobies. Their Nacra 15 partnership is a new one, the childhood friends having been paired six months ago.

“It has been a big learning curve, with a spinnaker and everything, but it has been really fun,” Webb said.

“We met each other in the O’pen skiffs, so we have known each other a long time. When I got the call, I thought ‘why not?!’. It is working well.

“Our families have come over to support and it is amazing to be here.”