May 16, 2025
2 minutes reading time
Clearing Skies and Fresh Breezes: Racing at the ILCA World Championships finally begins in Qingdao
After four consecutive days of still air and thick fog, the ILCA World Championships in Qingdao finally saw its first official races on Day 5.
The day began with high hopes, as the original schedule planned for a 9:00 AM start. Athletes began arriving as early as 7:00, only to be met once again by a blanket of fog so dense it rendered the harbor invisible. At 7:26, both race courses hoisted the AP flag over the numeral pennant “2,” signaling at least a two-hour postponement.
The wait has been grueling for everyone involved—athletes, coaches, and race committee members. For four days, AP flags and dead air defined the mood on shore.
At 12:00, ILCA 6 Yellow Fleet began their first race of the regatta, followed by ILCA 7 Blue Fleet at 12:10. For the first time this week, the ILCA Worlds were officially underway.
Early Leaders Emerge After Opening Rounds
With favorable winds throughout the afternoon—consistently above 6 knots—and weakening tidal currents due to the lunar calendar, race officers managed to complete several rounds across both fleets.
ILCA 6 completed three races for both Yellow and Blue Fleets.
Poland’s Agata Barwinska leads the overall standings after a consistent 1–3–2 scoreline (6 points). France’s Louise Cervera, who took back-to-back wins in the second and third Blue Fleet races, stands in second. Another Polish sailor, Wiktoria Golebiowska, sits in third overall.
ILCA 7 completed two races today.
Great Britain’s Finley Dickinson tops the standings with a 1–4 score (5 points). Germany’s Ole Schweckendiek also has 5 points and is tied for first. Olympic veteran Pavlos Kontides of Cyprus posted solid results to claim third place heading into the final day.
A Final Day of Fury
According to the latest forecast, a 20-knot northerly is expected to blow through Qingdao on Saturday—the final scheduled day of the regatta. These stronger winds, coupled with the city’s notorious swell and unpredictable shifts, are likely to shake up the leaderboard.
The waiting is over. The challenge is just beginning.
Event Official Notice Board: https://onb.ilca.roms.ar/ilcaoly2025/
LIVE Streaming Final DAY 6: (17 May @1000 Local) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-gpLgcseQ0
LIVE Streaming DAY 5: (16 May REPLAY) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdmPT0zQUSA
LIVE Streaming DAY 4: (15 May REPLAY) https://www.youtube.com/live/8OgeX_X0m80
Text courtesy of Frankie Zheng/ILCA, images courtesy of Kong XiangJing