After three days heavily affected by unstable weather, the iQFOiL Youth & Junior International Games in Torbole finally returned to full racing mode on the penultimate day of the event. Organized by Circolo Surf Torbole on Lake Garda Trentino together with the International iQFOiL Youth & Junior Class, on behalf of the Italian Sailing Federation, the regatta saw nearly 200 Under 17 and Under 19 athletes from 21 nations competing in a long and decisive day that brought the Qualifying Series to a close.
Today Lake Garda returned to its most classic pattern, with the morning northerly thermal breeze followed by the southerly afternoon wind, which filled in unusually early at around 10:30 a.m., immediately after the Peler faded.
The Under 17 fleets launched as early as 8:00 a.m., and racing continued almost uninterrupted until 3:30 p.m. In total, the Race Committee and organizing staff managed nearly eight hours of activity on the water, with approximately 60 starting procedures, including 25 for the Under 17 fleets, 25 for the Under 19 fleets, and around ten general recalls. It was an intense but crucial day, allowing the regatta to recover from the previous windless days and bring all fleets to the minimum number of races required to hold the Medal Series, set at eight qualifying races.
All fleets completed five races during the day. Following the Course Races of the opening day, today’s schedule featured Upwind Sprint races, both upwind and downwind, creating a technically varied qualification phase.
Saturday will now be dedicated to the Medal Series, reserved for the top eight sailors in each category. The format sees sailors ranked from 5th to 8th begin in the Quarter Finals. The top two from the Quarter Finals advance to the Semi Finals, joining the 3rd and 4th ranked sailors from the Qualifying Series. The top two from the Semi Finals then move into the Grand Final, where they meet the top two qualifiers, who are already directly qualified and start with one match point each. The overall victory goes to the first sailor to reach two match points. The system keeps the podium battle open for all eight qualified sailors while rewarding the top two of the Qualifying Series with a significant advantage.
In the Under 17 Men’s fleet, after eight races, Germany’s Moritz Schleicher and Czech sailor Frantisek Burda occupy the top two positions and advance directly to the Grand Final with one match point each. Italy’s Marco Capitta of Windsurfing Club Cagliari qualifies for the Medal Series in sixth place and will begin from the Quarter Finals.
1. Moritz SCHLEICHER (GER 747)
2. Frantisek BURDA (CZE 844)
3. Tymon WRZESINSKI (POL 131)
4. Viljams PREISS (LAT 83)
5. Mahe GIVERNAUD (FRA 363)
6. Claudio CAPITTA (ITA 88)
7. Gil SHTUB (ISR 202)
8. David BLEISTEIN (SWE 201)
In the Under 17 Girls, Poland’s Michelle Urzykowski and Dutch sailor Anna Jannieke Korevaar secure the top two qualifying spots.
1. Anna Jannieke KOREVAAR (NED 157)
2. Marta GAJDZINSKA (POL 429)
3. Kalina SZOSTEK (POL 205)
4. Elettra FULGENZI (ITA 45)
5. Elisa BRUNO (ITA 12)
6. Martinique SUCHOCKA (POL 398)
7. Mies DIJKSTERHUIS (NED 582)
8. Sum Yee CHEUNG (HKG 48)
In the Under 19 Men’s fleet, after ten qualifying races, the top two spots are held by Dutch sailor Finn Brüll and Poland’s Gustaw Trybek.
1. Finn BRÜLL (NED 731)
2. Gustaw TRYBEK (POL 2115)
3. Kfir NOV (ISR 345)
4. Titouan DIZET (FRA 98)
5. Louan GOUAULT (FRA 2021)
6. Lorenzo MAROADI (ITA 16)
7. Marius POLO (FRA 908)
8. Idan LICHTENSTEIN (ISR 211)
In the Under 19 Women’s fleet, after nine races, Israel’s Alba Klein and France’s Salomé Simon finish the Qualifying Series in first and second place respectively, securing direct access to the Grand Final with one match point each.
1. Alba KLEIN (ISR 205)
2. Salomé SIMON (FRA 142)
3. Sophie CLARK (GBR 384)
4. Garance CHATELIER-DAISAY (FRA 5)
5. Vittoria MARCONI (ITA 53)
6. Pauline HERMITANT (FRA 1175)
7. Marta VALENTE (ITA 67)
8. Ginevra GIUNTI (ITA 321)
The day required a major effort from the FIV Race Committee, chaired by Claudio Alessandrello, together with the on-water staff and the entire organizational team of Circolo Surf Torbole, all tasked with managing a long sequence of starts and races in finally favorable conditions. Lake Garda Trentino ultimately delivered the decisive day the event needed, allowing the international iQFOiL Youth & Junior fleet to head into the final stage with complete rankings and an open battle for the podiums.
On Saturday, weather permitting, the first possible start for the Medal Series is scheduled for 12:00.