The 2024 iQFOiL Open European Championship kicked off in the stunning Gulf of Poetto, Cagliari, Sardinia, today, with 120 athletes ready to compete under a clear blue sky. The fleet was greeted by the natural beauty of the Mediterranean: the vibrant blue waters, the lush green Mediterranean maquis, and the white cliffs and sand. A short wait onshore passed quickly, and by 2 pm, a 8 knot, soon to pick up to 10-12, knot southerly breeze had filled in, sending the sailors onto the water for the first day of racing.

Both the Men’s and Women’s fleets completed four Slalom races each, with the women split into two heats and the men into three. Slalom racing is fast-paced, thrilling, and unforgiving of mistakes. With a fleet of up to 24 sailors per heat, the racers sprinted downwind from the start, rounding three marks on the way to the finish—all in under 10 minutes.

Results

In the Women’s fleet, Poland’s Anastasia Valkevich led the day with three straight wins before a disappointing result in the last race, which she can discard. She is finally allowed to race again after forced to a halt for the war in Ukraine, through which she continued to train relentlessly and today proves it. She is followed closely by two British sailors, Alice Read and Islay Watson, who are tied on points.
"I had some really good starts and won the last two races, which is really exciting as it was my first senior race win, so I'll take that," said an enthusiastic Alice Read.

In the Men’s fleet, another Polish sailor, Pawel Tarnowsky, took the lead with two wins, a fifth-place finish, and a 15th, putting him level on points with Joost Vink (NED) in second, and Adrien Mestre (FRA) in third.
"I had a bit of a bad start in the first race, but the other three went really well, so it was a good start to the event. I’m ready for more," remarked Joost Vink after the day’s racing.

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow, Monday, October 7th, more races are on the schedule, with a forecast for similar conditions and the wind expected to blow from the southeast at a similar intensity.