Pereira Sweeps Three European Ocean Racing Titles

Bernardo Pereira left the 2026 European Ocean Racing Championships in Brest with three continental titles. The Portuguese paddler won the SS1 senior and SS1 under-23 crowns. He then added the mixed SS2 with Sara Sotero.

One race, two crowns, decided by a single second

The senior SS1 came down to a five-man sprint to the line. Pereira finished the course in 1:33.44 hours. That put him just one second ahead of Frenchman Pierre Vilella, the reigning world absolute champion.

It was the best SS1 time of the whole event. The same run carried two titles at once. Because he raced in the senior field, the result also made him European under-23 champion.

On the final day, Pereira and Sotero won the mixed SS2 senior title. They paddled about 13 kilometres between Saint-Anne du Portzic and Moulin Blanc beach. The wind favoured downwind paddling, and the pair made the most of it.

From world gold in Durban to a European sweep

The treble follows a steady climb. Pereira races for the Clube Naval da Calheta in Madeira. He took silver at the 2024 World Championship, held on his home island.

He then won the under-23 world title in Durban in October 2025. He clocked 2:06.15 hours there and finished near the front of the absolute race. His Brest week helped Portugal top the medal table with four gold, one silver and one bronze, ahead of Spain and Great Britain.

He is still young enough to race as an under-23. Three European titles in one week mark another firm step forward.