Windsurfers open campaigns as gusts swirl in Vilamoura

Sailors battled wind speeds of up to 22 knots on the Algarve, with Israel’s Peleg Rajuan and Italy’s Medea Falcioni coping admirably to lead the respective male and female iQFOiL standings.

Falcioni’s compatriot Alessandro Cirinei remains top of the male ILCA 6 leaderboard, with Germany’s Mirja Dohle moving to the female ILCA 6 summit.

French pairs lead the way in two events. Marius Praud and Emilie Mansouri chalked up another Nacra 15 victory while Emy Combet and Juliette Peyre won the opening two races in the female 420.

The female 29er also got underway, having been postponed yesterday, and Great Britain’s Lila Edwards and Amelie Hiscocks won the sole race which took place.

There were no races in the Formula Kite events, which are yet to begin, while the male/mixed 29er and male/mixed 420 crews also saw their scheduled races postponed.

Rajuan hits the front

Peleg Rajuan, who won U19 silver at the European iQFOiL Championships in the summer, made a great start to his bid to go one better in Vilamoura.

The Israeli finished inside the top three in each of the three races, winning the last of them to sit top on three points.

That puts him two clear of Italy’s Mattia Saoncella, with Slovenia’s Val Erzen rounding out the top three.

Australia’s Rory Meehan, who was among the nominees for Young World Sailor of the Year, recovered from missing a mark on his way to a DNF (did not finish) in the opening race to finish second and seventh in the next two, ending up sixth overall.

Falcioni goes back-to-back

Medea Falcioni arrived on the Algarve as the female iQFOiL U19 World and European champion and laid down an early marker with back-to-back victories.

Both races finished with the same top three in the same order, with Taisia Stopchenko (AIN) and Turkey’s Nurhayat Guven well placed on Falcioni’s tail.

Female 420 gets underway

The female 420 crews were left kicking their heels on the shore on day one but got out on the water on Tuesday.

Emy Combet and Juliette Peyre made up for lost time, winning each of the opening two races on their second visit to the Youth Sailing World Championships.

Great Britain’s Sabine Potter and Merle Nieuwland sit second, on five points, with New Zealand’s Tessa Clinton and Amelia Higson in third.

World champions Neus Fernandez Darder and Martina Gomila Darder retired after finishing in the opener and then finished seventh to sit 12th overall.

British pair lead female 29er

The female 29er pairs also got their competitions underway and just seven of the 22 crews finished in the swirling winds.

First across the line were Great Britain’s Lila Edwards and Amelie Hiscocks, who held off competition from Italy’s Bianca Marchesini and Lucia Finato.

Poland’s Antonina Puchowska and Alicja Dampc, who won this event in Lake Garda last year and are reigning world and European champions, finished third.

Dohle builds on strong start

Germany’s Mirja Dohle added a second place to yesterday’s third to take the lead in the women’s ILCA 6 on five points.

Spain’s Irene De Tomas, who won the first race of the day, sits joint-second alongside Italy’s Marina Murri, while Ukraine’s Alina Shapovalova and New Zealand’s Chloe Turner came home first and second in a dramatic second race, with Dohle back in 13th.

Overnight leader Dohle said: “The first race was OK. In the second race, the wind really increased and most of us really struggled. It was super tough and everyone kept capsizing, it was crazy.

“I am pretty happy with where I am and I am super excited. Hopefully we have a bit less wind for the next few days.”

All to play for in men’s ILCA 6

Just four points separate the top five in the men’s ILCA 6.

Italy’s Alessandro Cirinei remains top, on five points, with Brazil’s Francisco Dal Ri and Czechia’s Jiri Tomes on six and seven respectively.

The individual race winners on day two, Germany’s Levian Buscher and Sweden’s Marius Graudums, round out the top five.

Buscher said: “It was crazy weather, pretty strong winds but very fun.

“In the first race, there was a huge gust on the last downwind. I saw it first, overtook all of them and got away with the win.

“Hopefully I will keep it steady, keep the points low and we will see what happens.”

Tomes added: “It was super windy so I am very happy with my performance. I did not make any mistakes.”

Praud and Mansouri continue good form

Just one race was possible in the Nacra 15 and it was dominated by overnight leaders Marius Praud and Emilie Mansouri, who led for the duration.

They are a point clear of Italy’s Lorenzo Sirena and Alice Dessy, who finished second in a race completed by seven of the 13 boats.