Liepa’s yacht among other Optimist yachts, a red buoy in front

Liepa Jonuškaitė

  • 2022European Championship, Denmark, 81st place
  • 2024European Championship, Italy, 31st place
  • 2025World Championship, Slovenia, 47th among girls

Optimist class champion and World Championship competitor from Klaipėda, Lithuania

Liepa’s journeyLooking for a crew

Ten seasons in the Optimist class, from Lake Plateliai to the World Championship in Slovenia. Liepa learned to win, to lose, and to go after her goal again.

Journey

From the first sail in Klaipėda to the World Championship. Written by us, Liepa’s parents.

Liepa in a yellow cap, holding the tiller extension
2016

First sail

At five, Liepa came to the Klaipėda Region Sailing School “Žiemys”. Life jackets too big, frozen fingers, sandwiches on the water.

First start

The first regatta, on Lake Plateliai.

2017
Little Liepa in an orange cap standing in the yacht
Liepa tying a rope on the quay
2018

Autumn wind

Debut at an international regatta in Kaunas among 137 competitors.

Championship winner

Winner of the Lithuanian Optimist Class Championship, U12.

2020
Liepa in a blue cap and glasses looking at the camera
Liepa in an Optimist with the WINNER mark, hiking out against the wind
2021

Champion

Winner of the Lithuanian U12 Championship and the Latvian Championship (U12 and U16). Invited for the first time to the WINNER team, the Danish yacht builder’s team.

Into the national team

Member of the Lithuanian Optimist national team. 81st at the European Championship in Denmark, the best result among Lithuanian girls.

2022
Sail number 199 and spray
Liepa in an Optimist at a regatta in 2023, spray all around
2023

High places

4th at both the Lithuanian Cup and the Lithuanian Championship, 9th at the Latvian Championship. Invited to the WINNER team for the second time.

European Championship

31st at the European Championship in Italy, in the Silver fleet. 4th at the Garda Meeting regatta, in the Red fleet. At the end of the year she was named the strongest Optimist sailor in Lithuania at the “Vėjo 3” awards.

2024
Liepa’s yacht at the Valencia regatta, Spanish yachts behind
Liepa alone in the waves against dark clouds, Palamós Trophy 2025
2025

World Championship

3rd among U16 girls in the selection cups, and 47th among girls at the World Championship in Portorož, Slovenia.

A new chapter

The Optimist class is over, and ILCA 4 was not the right fit. Liepa tried the role of tactician on X-35 yachts: 2nd in her group on “Nida III” at the Curonian Lagoon regatta, and on “Idefix” at the Midsummer Night regatta. We are looking for a crew member for a two-person yacht.

2026
Curonian Lagoon regatta awards, the podium with the crew

Results

Regattas and awards by year.

2026
  • Curonian Lagoon RegattaCuronian Lagoon, tactician on the X-35 yacht “Nida III”
    2nd placeIn her group, after a tie on points
  • Midsummer Night RegattaTactician on the X-35 yacht “Idefix”
2025
  • Optimist World ChampionshipPortorož, Slovenia
    47th placeAmong girls
  • Lithuanian Sailing Cup (“Vėtrungė” Cup)Lithuania
    3rd placeU16 girls; 4th overall
  • Lithuanian Optimist Class Association Cup (LOJKBA)Lithuania
    3rd placeU16 girls; 8th overall
2024
  • Lithuanian Sailing CupNida, Lithuania
    2nd placeLithuania No. 1
  • Lithuanian Sailing ChampionshipNida, Lithuania
    3rd placeLithuania No. 1
  • Optimist European ChampionshipCarrara, Italy
    31st placeSilver fleet
  • Lake Garda MeetingRiva del Garda, Italy
    4th placeRed fleet (Bronze Red Flight), out of 196 competitors
  • XVII Helsinki Downtown International RegattaHelsinki, Finland
    5th placeLithuania No. 1
  • Baltic Sea TrophyKuiviži, Helsinki, Tallinn
    7th placeLithuania No. 2
  • “Vėjo 3” AwardsLithuania’s best sailors of the year
    StrongestLithuanian Optimist class sailor and national team member
2023
  • Lithuanian Sailing CupNida, Lithuania
    4th place
  • Lithuanian Sailing ChampionshipTrakai, Lithuania
    4th place
  • Nordic Youth Sailing ChampionshipKuiviži, Latvia
    13th place
  • Latvian Sailing ChampionshipKuiviži, Latvia
    9th place
  • XVI Helsinki Downtown International RegattaHelsinki, Finland
    14th place
  • Invitation to WINNER TEAMDanish Optimist yacht builder
    Second time
2022
  • Lithuanian Sailing ChampionshipŠiauliai, Lithuania
    1st placeAmong girls; 2nd overall
  • Lithuanian Sailing CupNida, Lithuania
    2nd placeAmong girls
  • Puchar YKPGdynia, Poland
    2nd placeBronze fleet
  • Optimist European ChampionshipSønderborg, Denmark
    81st placeBest girl in the Lithuanian team
  • Latvian Sailing ChampionshipKuiviži, Latvia
    2nd placeAmong girls; 6th overall
  • Salacgrivas Ostas RegattaSalacgriva, Latvia
    1st placeAmong girls; 4th overall
  • 46th “Spinnaker” RegattaTallinn, Estonia
    38th place
2021
  • Lithuanian Sailing ChampionshipOptimist U12
    1st placeWinner
  • Latvian Sailing ChampionshipOptimist U12 and U16
    1st placeWinner in both groups
  • Invitation to WINNER TEAMDanish Optimist yacht builder
    First time
2020
  • Lithuanian Optimist Class ChampionshipOptimist U12
    1st placeWinner

In the press

Articles about Liepa (in Lithuanian).

Gallery

Frames from regattas and from the early years.

Three Optimist yachts in the waves beneath the mountains on Lake Garda
Little Liepa in an orange cap standing in the yacht
Liepa’s yacht at the Valencia regatta, Spanish yachts behind
Little Liepa in a pink cap biting her first medal
Liepa at the Dreverna regatta, spray flying around her
Liepa in a yellow cap, holding the tiller extension
Liepa against the light among many yachts, glittering water
Liepa in a blue cap and glasses looking at the camera
Liepa alone in the waves against dark clouds, Palamós Trophy 2025
Liepa’s yacht with WINNER TEAM and sponsor marks on Lake Garda
Liepa in a red jacket laughing and holding a sandwich
Liepa and a rival at the Tilgu regatta, spray all around
Liepa tying a rope on the quay
Liepa in a green cap on Lake Garda
Liepa sailing, the Tallinn skyline behind
Close-up of Liepa with spray behind her
Liepa in a blue cap sailing, seen from the support boat
Optimist yacht with Rokiškio sūris, HTCC and WINNER TEAM marks
Liepa in an Optimist with the WINNER mark, hiking out against the wind
Liepa looking at the camera, spray flying around
Sail number 199 and spray
Sail number 199 in the waves of Valencia
WINNER TEAM lettering with Liepa’s name on a life jacket
Optimist yachts at the starting line and a yellow buoy
Liepa looking ahead at the Dreverna regatta
Liepa’s yacht among other Optimist yachts, a red buoy in front

We are looking
for a crew.

2026 is a year without a starting line for Liepa. A two-person yacht needs a second person, a crew member, with whom we can climb up the results rather than just go out on the water.

Mentoring

If Liepa’s journey inspires you and you would like a motivational talk for your team or community, or a mentoring programme for a child or beginner sailor, write to us.

Liepa in a green cap on Lake Garda

Those who said yes

The yacht, the trips, the training, the starts. Behind each of them stood a person who agreed to help.We are not collecting support at the moment. We keep the thanks.

Principal sponsor

AB „Rokiškio sūris“

Dalius Trumpa
Supports financially.
Partner

UAB „Audit & Accounting“

Dovilė Žemgulė
Keeps the accounts and audit.
Partner

Alpha Agency

Artūras Šimanskij
Supports financially.
Partner

HTCC

Tomas Barakauskas
Supports financially.
Partner

SailRacer.net

Ričardas Novišinskas
In training, helps optimise processes and analyse speed and technique using trackers.
Partner

Nidos kempingas

Arūnas Burškas
Supports financially.

Thank you to our coaches

  • Ton ThörnSweden, Tropical VikingsWorld champion
  • Marius NagdasovasLithuania, “Žiemys”
  • Davis AndersonsLatvia, Prestol
  • Ivan VasilevMalta, Atlantis Academy
  • Pieter Van den BosscheBelgium, 8 Days a Week
  • Maurizio BenčičSlovenia, One Sails