The first day of racing at the iQFOiL Asian Championships and iQFOiL International Games faced challenging conditions, with only the Senior Men’s fleet managing to complete a race. A typhoon lingering just off the coast of Shenzhen made for extremely tricky weather, with the wind proving to be inconsistent throughout the day.

The day began with promising conditions for course racing, but as the hours passed, the wind dropped, leaving just enough breeze to complete a Slalom race for the Senior Men. Despite the challenges, Kun BI (CHN 1), Zhen HUANG (CHN 577), and Ching Yin CHENG (HKG 21) emerged victorious in their respective heats, demonstrating their good skills and adaptability.

“It was a real challenge out there today”, commented Kun BI, “we were lucky, as senior men, to conclude all three heats of the first race, we all did our best, Race Committee included, and we’ll keep on doing it until the very last day, getting ready for the Medal Series”.

Unfortunately, no races were possible for the other fleets due to the light and unstable winds. The organizers remain optimistic for tomorrow, although the forecast predicts similarly light conditions.

“We’re navigating some unique challenges with the typhoon influencing conditions,” commented Ewa Jodlowska, the regatta Principal Race Officer. “While today was a waiting game, we’re hopeful that the winds will cooperate, and we’ll see more racing across all fleets soon.”

The iQFOiL Asian Championships and International Games bring together 148 competitors from across Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Korea. The event features a variety of disciplines, including Course Racing, Sprint Slalom, and Marathon, designed to test the versatility and endurance of the athletes.

The competition continues tomorrow, with the first race scheduled for 12:30 PM. Stay tuned for updates as we follow the action from Shenzhen.