For years, the Forbes "30 Under 30" ranking has been one of the most coveted titles for young talents worldwide. The European edition covers numerous categories - from Technology and Arts & Culture to Finance and Sports & Games. Nominated and honoured are personalities who have already made exceptional achievements in their respective fields and are regarded as role models for an entire generation. A high-calibre jury made up of industry experts, investors, scientists and cultural professionals reviews thousands of applications and ultimately selects the best of the best.
The Sports & Games 2026 category includes names such as tennis player Jack Draper, rugby superstar Antoine Dupont, professional footballer Eberechi Eze (Arsenal FC), speed skater Jutta Leerdam and cross-country skiing icon Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. Illustrious company - and right in the middle of it all: two female sailors.
A historic moment for the sport of sailing
The fact that two female sailors are represented in such a list, which is dominated by football, tennis and other mass sports, is more than remarkable. It is a statement. A sign that sailing has long since arrived on the big world stage. And there are two very different stories being told here.
Violette Dorange - Alone around the world
At the age of 24, the Frenchwoman Violette Dorange makes history. In February 2025, she became the youngest person ever to finish the Vendée Globe - probably the toughest single-handed race in the world. 90 days alone on a 60-foot IMOCA, non-stop, unassisted, once around the globe. Prize money of 935,000 dollars awaits the winners - but for Dorange it was much more than money that counted.
Her story begins early: growing up in the ultra-competitive French dinghy scene, she crossed the English Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar as a teenager - in an Opti just 2.40 metres long. Chapeau! This was followed by a solo crossing of the Atlantic and three starts in the legendary Solitaire du Figaro. Step by step, further and further, more and more courageous. The Vendée Globe was the logical next step - and the biggest so far.
Forbes honours Dorange not only for her sporting achievements, but for embodying a way of life: out into the unknown, alone against the elements, with nothing but her own skills and an irrepressible determination.
Marta Cardona Alcántara - exceptional athlete from Spain
The story of Spaniard Marta Cardona Alcántara is completely different, but at least as impressive. At just 20 years old, she has had one of the fastest careers in the recent history of Olympic sailing.
It all started in the 420 class, where she won several world and European championship titles. The next big leap came at the end of 2024: a switch to the Olympic mixed 470 class, alongside Olympic medallist Jordi Xammar. What followed was almost unbelievable: In their very first season together, the pair won both the World Championship title and the European Championship title in the mixed 470 class. An almost unprecedented debut double at the highest level.
The award for Youth World Sailor of the Year 2025 by World Sailing completes the picture. Cardona Alcántara is now a key component in Spain's preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles - and is considered one of her country's greatest hopes.
Sailing as a sport of the future
It is no coincidence that Forbes is honouring two female sailors in the Sports & Games category in its 2026 edition of "30 under 30". Both athletes represent a new generation in sailing: young, female, ambitious, courageous - and a role model for young athletes.
Martin Hager
Editor in Chief YACHT
