148 sailors from 34 nations open the iQFOiL U23 World Championships with four Course Races on the Bay of Puck
Federico Alan Pilloni came to Puck having recently reached the Medal Series at the Senior World Championships, and on the opening day of the 2026 iQFOiL U23 World Championships the Italian went straight to the front. After four Course Races on the Bay of Puck he leads the provisional Men’s standings. Aimee Bright of New Zealand holds the same position in the Women’s fleet.
The championship brings together 148 sailors from 34 nations, among the most promising young iQFOiL athletes in the world. Poland gave the fleet an excellent welcome, with 15 to 18 knots across the racecourse. That let the Race Committee complete the full program of four races for all fleets.
In the Men’s fleet, Pilloni put together a consistent opening series to take the provisional overall lead. In Weymouth he finished tenth in the Qualification Series at the Senior World Championships and advanced to the Medal Series, and he carried that form directly into the U23 fleet. Côme Joly (FRA) won two races and is firmly in contention. Leonardo Tomasini (ITA) completes the provisional top three, giving Italy two sailors on the opening-day podium.
In the Women’s fleet, Bright took control of the leaderboard over the opening four races. The pressure behind her comes from Norway. Maya Gysler (NOR) sits second overall and her compatriot Tuva Oppedal (NOR) is third, so the New Zealander ends Day 1 with a Norwegian pair directly behind her.
With four races on the scoreboard and the first leaders established, the championship is off to a strong start. Racing continues tomorrow as the battle for the U23 World Championship titles develops. The event runs in Puck until 3 October, and full results are available at 2026iqworldsu23.poland.sailti.com. More information is on the class website at iqfoilclassofficial.org and on the iQFOiL Class Instagram account @iqfoilclass.
