Karpak noted on his social media account: "This isn't just the result of another regatta – this is a historic achievement."

That marked Estonia's first European Championship medal in the Finn class.

"Finn is no longer an Olympic class, but it remains one of the toughest and most legendary boats ever designed for a single sailor on the planet. Power, endurance, precision – this class demands it all. And to have made the podium here? That means the world to me," he continued.

Karpak scored 50 points over ten races, finishing behind Frenchman Valerian Lebrun (32 points) and local sailor Federico Colaninno (37 points).

He was closely followed by two Italian sailors, Alessandro Marega (58) and Arkadii Kistanov (59).

The sea around Naples brought various challenges, including swirling winds and both cold and heat, he added. "But I stayed in the fight. I was focused and hungry. Now I'm proudly wearing bronze around my neck, with Estonia in my heart."

The single-handed, cat-rigged Finn class debuted at the Olympics in 1952 in Helsinki and remained until the 2020 Tokyo Games, held a year later due to the Covid pandemic.

Karpak competed in the Finn at the 2016 Rio and 2012 London Olympics, earning his best result – 11th place – in London.

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