iQFOiL U23 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 Portimao

iQFOiL U23 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SET SAIL IN PORTIMAO

Portimão, Portugal – September 8, 2025 - The Algarve region, famous for its golden beaches, rugged coastline, and year-round sunshine, welcomes the future stars of windsurfing to Portimão for the 2025 iQFOiL U23 World Championships. The race area, located just off the Santa Catarina fortress, offers reliable conditions with northwesterly thermal breezes and rolling Atlantic swells—an ideal stage for high-level competition.

From September 6 to 13, Portimão becomes the epicenter of youth windsurfing, hosting 143 competitors representing 30 nations. Over the course of six days of racing, these young athletes will showcase speed, tactics, and stamina in their quest for the World Champion title.

Today, Monday, September 8, marks the first day of racing. A steady northwesterly wind of 15 to 18 knots welcomes the fleet onto the water, providing perfect conditions for high-intensity battles.

The U23 World Championship represents an important step between the Youth series and the Senior category. It offers young sailors the opportunity to extend their development in a highly competitive environment, racing against athletes of their own generation at international level. This stage allows them to gain valuable experience and confidence before moving on to the senior fleet, where they will compete with the established elite of the discipline

The Race Committee selects the Course Racing format, a discipline designed to test traditional tactical sailing skills:

Purpose: Challenges athletes on strategy, speed, and consistency.

Format: Windward-leeward courses with upwind/downwind legs.

Duration: Around 12–20 minutes per race.

Features: Multiple races per day, emphasizing precision, decision-making, and endurance—mirroring the formats used across many elite sailing classes.

In the U23 Men category, Grae Morris (AUS) delivered a flawless performance in the U23 Men’s category, securing victory in all four races of the day. The Australian Olympian, who claimed silver in the iQFOiL event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, proves he remains at the top of his form. This first racing day signals not just his current strength but also his readiness to take on the next Olympic cycle with both style and energy.

In second place is Federico Pilloni (ITA), the 2024 World Sailing Youth World Champion and more recently 18th at the Senior World Championship in Aarhus in July 2025. A promising talent from the Italian squad, Federico trains in Cagliari, Sardinia, and is already demonstrating the skills and consistency needed to compete at the highest level. Completing today’s podium in third is Gur Lavi Prag (ISR) of Israel, another rising athlete who confirms the depth of talent in the U23 fleet.

“It was the first day of racing here in Portimao, it was a really nice day of racing especially for me, I had two bullets and two second places and some solid 15 knot course racing, so yeah it was really nice to sail out here, a lot of different types of tactical choices, a nice fleet, so I am happy and ready for the next days”, said Federico Pilloni (ITA 286).

In the women’s fleet, Mina Mobekk (NOR), the 2023 European Champion, makes a powerful return to the international stage. She ends the day on equal points with Emma Millend (EST), whose strong performance keeps the pressure high at the top of the leaderboard. Close behind, Maya Gysler (NOR), last year’s U23 World Vice-Champion, claims third, setting up what promises to be a fierce battle for the podium in the coming days.

“Today we had four course races and the wind was quite strong and also I had some good and fun battles with my teammate Mina, which made the day even more fun, and I think it's going to be a good week so stay tuned”, commented Maya Gysler (NOR 332).

As competition intensifies, Portimão promises a thrilling week of action, with the world’s best U23 windsurfers delivering both speed and strategy against the stunning Algarve backdrop.

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EVENT AT A GLANCE

Where: Portiamo, Portugal
When: 6-13 September 2025
Who: 150 athletes U23 from 30 nations
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Image credit: Sailing Energy /iQFOiL International Class

iQFOiL U23 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – WINDY DAY 2 IN PORTIMÃO

Portimão, Portugal – September 9, 2025 – Yesterday, the opening day of the U23 World Championships set the tone for a high-level competition in Portimão. Wrong northwesterly winds of 15–18 knots allowed the Race Committee to launch four Course Racing starts, with young athletes already showing their form and the depth of the international fleet on full display.

Today, attention once again turns to the unique race area in front of the Santa Catarina fortress. Here, the famous northwesterly breeze blows directly onto the beach, creating a field of play that is both tactical and physical. For sailors, this means constantly weighing their options: staying inshore to benefit from flatter water but trickier shifts, or heading further offshore in search of steadier pressure and stronger wind. Local knowledge and the ability to read the patterns of the breeze quickly become decisive factors.

Beyond the wind, athletes must also contend with the Algarve sun and heat, which add another layer of challenge. To properly recover between races, athletes must plan careful hydration, nutrition, and energy management. Physiologically, maintaining focus and recovery under these conditions is as important as speed and tactics on the water—factors that can ultimately decide who reaches the top of the leaderboard.

The second day brought even tougher conditions, with the northwesterly wind building to over 20 knots and gusting up to 25. Once again, Grae Morris (AUS) rose to the challenge, extending his lead at the top. The Olympic silver medallist summed up his performance with trademark simplicity: “I come from a windy spot, I was born with the wind, I have fun where others have difficulty maintaining control.” His mastery of the heavy breeze leaves no doubt that he is the man to beat in Portimão.

Behind him, Federico Pilloni (ITA) continues to impress with his steadiness under pressure, showing that composure and concentration remain his strongest assets in a fleet of this level. The big move of the day came from Nacho Baltasar Summers (ESP), Spain’s representative at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, who climbed from fifth to third overall thanks to his consistency in the stronger winds. By contrast, Gur Lavi Prag (ISR), less regular today, slipped back to seventh but remains firmly inside the top ten. Duncan Monaghan (GBR) had a consistent series so far, and is in fifth.

“We have just finished racing here in Portimano, it was pretty sick conditions out there, champagne sailing, I had some good results today got two thirds and two fourths which is nice, so I can discard yesterday's worse results. I am happy for the great conditions and for racing with a bunch of really cool guys”, commented Duncan Monaghan.

In the U23 Women’s category, the balance of power shifted on Day 2. Emma Viktoria Millend (EST) staged a strong comeback after a cautious start to today’s races, closing the day with two consecutive race victories that propelled her to the top of the leaderboard. Her ability to stay fast and composed in the stronger breeze highlights both her tactical maturity and her resilience under pressure.

Mina Mobekk (NOR), yesterday’s leader, faced a more complicated third race that cost her valuable points, but she still manages to hold on to second place and remains a strong contender. Maya Gysler (NOR), the 2024 U23 World Vice-Champion, stays in podium position in third, underlining the strength of the Norwegian squad.

Aimee Bright (NZL) coming here all the way from New Zealand is fourth at the end of day two.

“We had another really good day of wind today, it was even scary at times, but it was really cool. I managed to have a couple really good races today, I am stoked. I managed to get my first bullet at the event on the last race, so super stoked. It started pretty tricky, but it's so cool getting to practice in and yeah I'm loving and I am ready for tomorrow”, said Aimee Bright.

With the qualifying series now complete, the men’s fleet will split tomorrow into Gold and Silver groups, with the top 50% advancing to the Gold fleet where every point will count even more heavily. It marks the beginning of a new regatta within the regatta, as the best prepare to go head-to-head. For the women, the battle continues in a single fleet of 48 sailors, where consistency will remain the key to staying in contention for the title.

iQFOiL U23 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – DAY 3 IN PORTIMÃO

Tactical Twists and Podium Moves: Drama on Day 3 at the

iQFOiL U23 World Championship

Portimão, Portugal – September 10, 2025 – After two days of powerful northwesterlies and full-throttle racing, the men’s qualifying series has wrapped up with plenty of movement on the leaderboard. From today, the intensity rises another notch as the fleet splits into Gold and Silver groups, with the top 50% now battling head-to-head for the title. The women’s fleet of 48 sailors continues as one, where every race remains wide open and fiercely contested.

Day 3 offered the sailors a very different field of play. With the breeze easing to 10–13 knots and shifting offshore, the game shifted from pure speed to tactical sharpness. Where the first two days rewarded those who had locked into the fastest gear, today’s conditions demanded patience and precision. The key was to spot and seize the first usable pressure after the start, setting the tone for the rest of the leg. Unlike yesterday, when both sides of the course offered opportunities, choices were far more restricted: the beach option no longer paid, while the left side of the race area proved more convincing.

The flatter sea state added to the contrast, forcing athletes to rethink their approach. With less emphasis on handling waves and more on reading the shifts, success hinged on anticipation, positioning, and decision-making, a very different strategic puzzle compared to the high-wind duels of the first two days.

In the U23 Men’s fleet, Grae Morris (AUS) retains the overall lead, but his day was far more contrasting than the flawless performances of the opening rounds. With finishes of 12th, 1st, 3rd, and 21st, the Olympic silver medalist showed both flashes of brilliance and the price of a missed call in today’s trickier conditions.

The big mover of the day was Leonardo Tomasini (ITA) bronze medalist at the 2024 U23 World Championship in Silvaplana (SUI). Sixth overall last night, the Italian seized his chances in the lighter offshore breeze to climb into second place, marking the comeback of the day. Just behind him, Duncan Monaghan (GBR) has shown steady progress throughout the championship, moving from 6th on Day 1, to 5th on Day 2, and climbing to 3rd today, putting Great Britain firmly in the medal conversation.

It was a tougher outing for Federico Pilloni (ITA), who slipped from second to eighth. A costly 36th place highlighted how difficult it was to recover from a less informed strategic choice, even with speed to spare. Nacho Baltasar Summers (ESP), third yesterday, also lost ground, sliding to fifth, but remains in striking distance of the podium as the Gold fleet battles begin in earnest.

“Today I had really good races. The last one I won it, and I scored also a second, a third, and a seventh. It was a really tricky day with the wind that was shifting, but I managed to take the right decisions, maybe with a bit of luck. It is an amazing venue, with everyday wind around 15-20 knots, so I look forward in the next races”, commented Leonardo Tomasini.

In the U23 Women’s fleet, the leaderboard was shaken up once again. Nela Sadílkova (CZE) delivered the performance of the day, vaulting from fifth to first overall. A victory in the opening race, followed by two solid third-place finishes, rewarded the Czech sailor’s consistency and boldness.

Behind her, Mina Mobekk (NOR) maintained her trademark steadiness to hold on to second place, keeping the pressure firmly on the leader. Aimee Bright (NZL) also made her mark, climbing onto the podium in third thanks to a race win and a strong series of results.

It was a tougher day for yesterday’s front-runners. Emma Viktoria Millend (EST) slipped from first to fourth, while Maya Gysler (NOR) dropped from third to fifth, leaving the door wide open for further reshuffles as the regatta progresses.

“I'm currently leading and I have a funny story about today. I was carrying my sail to the water before the races and I saw this unknown man, without knowing him at all he told me ‘let's win this’ and I replied ‘okay, I'll try’ and now I'm leading.. I'm really happy about that. And today was so much fun, the racing was great and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow”, said Nella Sadílkova.

Day three in Portimão has shown just how unpredictable and demanding this championship can be. Between shifts in the wind, changing strategies, and a leaderboard that refuses to settle, the U23 World Championship is turning into a true test of adaptability. With talent shining across nations and new names stepping into the spotlight, the coming days promise more drama, more intensity, and plenty of surprises before the titles are claimed.