iQFoiL Youth & Junior World Championship, the champions are crowned

Mallorca – The iQFoiL Youth & Junior World Championship concluded in Sa Ràpita, Mallorca, crowing its new talented champions among 375 young sailors from 35 nations. These athletes displayed skill and resilience both on and off the water, when the weather conditions put forced stops on their way, earning their places on the 2024 iQFOiL Youth & Junior podiums.

After the week’s final racing on Thursday in strong, competitive conditions, an official weather alert from the Balearic Authorities kept sailors ashore on Friday due to stormy forecast, while Saturday brought sunny skies but no wind. As a result, Thursday’s standings confirmed the 2024 champions:

U19 Women

1. Darcey Shaw (GBR 309)
2. Maya Gysler (NOR 2)
3. Nela Sadílkova (CZE 80)

“I am the Under 19 World Champion, it feels really good!”, was the comment of Darcey Shaw. “I definitely wanted a medal, but I don’t know if I expected it, it is so great to have won the Gold one.. I think I own the win to a really nice first day and I think overall my speed was really good this week”.

U19 Men

1. Federico Pilloni (ITA 186)
2. Igor Lewinski (POL 30)
3. Kylian Manhaval (FRA 1908)

“I can’t believe I am the 2024 Youth World Champion”, said Federico Pilloni when AP flag over A was hoisted. “I’ve had an amazing week, we’ve had two really good days of Course racing which led me to the win here. Unfortunately no more racing yesterday and today, but it was an fantastic event and I would like to thank all my supporters, my family, my club, Young Azzurra, the Italian Sailing Federation and huge congratulations to the Polish Igor, the French Killian and Leonardo, my training partner who had quite a hard, really well done to him!”.

U17 Women

1. Alba Klein (ISR 205)
2. Rüya Uğurlu (TUR 5835)
3. Julia Przybył (POL 977)

“I am so incredibly happy”, commented an emotional Alba Klein. “I want to share this with my friends, family and coach, especially my mom and dad”.

U17 Men

1. Itamar Levi (ISR 203)
2. Leopold Brisedou (FRA 834)
3. David Aleshko (ISR 688)

“Being the new Under 17 World Champion it’s really exciting!!”, said Itamar Levi. “I worked really hard to be here and I must thank my coach and my parents, they helped me to get me here. Being so trained and a bit heavier than my opponents, it’s like a gift in strong winds, I am thankful for that”.

The iQFOiL Youth & Junior World Championship could not have taken place without the support and dedication of many. Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita, the City of Campos, and everyone who contributed their time and effort to make this event possible. Their commitment created a successful championship, showcasing Sa Ràpita as a premier destination in the international sailing community.

“It was a very challenging event. We struggled with a lack of wind nearly every other day, plus the storm alert on the final day of the opening series, which prevented us from completing all scheduled races. Despite this, it was a beautiful venue as always, and it was great to be part of the event!”, commented Principal Race Officer Ewa Jodkowska.

As we celebrate the conclusion of this championship, we look forward to watching these champions and competitors inspire the next generation of windsurfing talent around the globe, with their first international competition for 2025 will be the iQFOiL International Games in Cadiz, in March, while for the next World Championship you will have to wait until July, in Brest, France.

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