2024 iQfoil European Championship: light winds challenge athletes on day 2

Day Two of the 2024 iQFOiL Open European Championship in Cagliari, Sardinia, brought similar conditions to the first day, with light and tricky winds delaying the start. The 120 athletes, competing to claim the prestigious iQFOiL European title—the first senior championship since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Marseille—hit the water just after 2 p.m. as a light breeze filled in from the southeast.

While the Women’s fleet successfully completed four Slalom races, the Men’s fleet only managed to finish two, despite the dedicated efforts of the Race Committee and the volunteers from Windsurfing Club Cagliari. Unstable winds and a series of general recalls made it difficult to get more races underway.

Results

In the Women’s fleet, today belonged to U23 Norwegian sailor Maya Gysler, who achieved a clean sweep by winning all four Slalom races. Her stellar performance allowed her to climb up the rankings after a less-than-ideal start on Day One, moving her into third place overall. Islay Watson (GBR) now leads the provisional standings thanks to a consistent series, despite discarding a 21st and a 47th place, both affected by today’s fickle winds. Daniela Peleg (ISR) holds onto second position, while yesterday's leader Anastasiya Valkevich (POL) dropped to 11th place, jeopardizing her chances of making it to the Medal Series—but with three more days of racing, she still has a chance to recover.

“Winning all of the races today was pretty fun, I just had a good feeling on the start line and it was kind of the first one crossing the start line winning it, so I guess it helps to be the first one. It was a real good day, even though the wind wasn't too strong, but yeah I managed to stay consistent and win races”, commented young Maya Gysler.

The Men’s fleet faced even more challenging conditions on the Alpha Course, which proved tricky due to its proximity to the shore. Only two Slalom races were completed, both won by Italian sailor Luca Di Tomassi, who now sits at the top of the provisional rankings, leading by just one point over Adrien Mestre (FRA), who is tied on points with Matthew Barton (GBR). Yesterday’s leader, Pawel Tarnowsky (POL), dropped to sixth place, but with the Men’s fleet still two races behind the Women’s, there’s plenty of time for a comeback before the Medal Series.

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 8th, the forecast predicts light to very light winds. However, on Wednesday, the Mistral is expected to arrive, potentially opening the door for Course races, adding another layer of excitement to the competition.