2026 German Championships, Sylt: Fabi Wolf wins the German title in foiling

The International German Windsurfing Championships took place over six days as part of the California Surf Cup Sylt. Despite a wide variety of conditions, a total of 14 races in the foiling discipline were held on the North Sea off Westerland. Fabi Wolf (GER-404) from Kiel was the undisputed dominant force at this season’s highlight. He won twelve of the races and thus finished at the top of the standings with the maximum score of 7.0 points. He even had two first places and one second place to discard. Wolf thus deservedly secured the title of 2026 German Windsurfing Champion in the foiling discipline.

“I’m absolutely proud of my German Championship title. It was a long, tough week leading up to Sylt. We faced a wide variety of conditions, which didn’t make things easy. But we made the best of it, and 14 races is certainly a strong result. For me, months of training and fine-tuning have really paid off. Now I’m looking forward to a bit of recovery.", says Fabi Wolf happily at the prize-giving ceremony.

The runner-up was the Dutchman Sem Stroosma (NED-450). He was the only other rider, apart from Wolf, to win races. With two race wins and eight second places, Stroosma finished with 17.4 points in the standings, putting him in second place.

Third place on the podium goes to Vincent Langer (GER-1). For the multiple German, European and world champion, the North Sea off Brandenburger Strand is a second home. The Kiel-based sailor has already competed in dozens of regattas in this area. This time, he had to let two other sailors take the lead. However, with 28.0 points, he put in a strong performance.

Meno Büchler (GER-91), who hails from Heidkate near Schönberg, had focused entirely on the IDM at the California Surf Cup Sylt due to his studies. Although he narrowly missed out on the podium with 38.0 points, fourth place was an excellent result in such a strong field.

No fewer than three surfers were locked in a thrilling three-way battle for fifth place. After a disastrous start to the regatta, with three scrapped results, Lars Poggemann (GER-730) gradually found his form. As a result, on the final day he managed to break into the top five of the California Surf Cup Sylt with 48.0 points. In doing so, he pushed Jesse Richter (GER-180) from Hanover down to sixth place, who was also the top-placed Youth U21 competitor.

Paul Regber (GER-17) came out on top in the highly competitive Youth U19 field. The 18-year-old squad athlete from the Schleswig-Holstein Sailing Association secured a place in the top 10 at the International German Championships with 71 points and 9th place. He was one of the few competitors to race using the pre-Olympic iQFOiL Youth Equipment. His training partner, Noah Schmäh (GER-855), finished one place behind him. Mario Boekstegers (GER-711), hailing from the Caribbean island of Bonaire, completed the podium in the Youth U19 category.

The best U17 junior was Mika Henning (GER-64), who finished 13th in the overall field. iQ Youth Foiler Lena Schmäh (GER-857) was the only woman to finish in an excellent 17th place in the overall field. Thieß Paustian (GER-49) from Kiel triumphed as the best Grandmaster in the over-50s category.

Overall, the International German Windsurfing Championships, held as part of the California Windsurf Cup, were a great success. Numerous races on the water, thrilling battles for position, an enthusiastic crowd and a top-class programme on the promenade ensured there were smiles all round among everyone involved. The only downside was that no results could be recorded in the second discipline, fin slalom.

The windsurfers competing in the California Windsurf Cup now have a short break before the season finale in Pelzerhaken/Neustadt from 27 to 30 August, where the decisive points for the 2026 annual rankings will once again be up for grabs. On Sylt, however, the action continues seamlessly. From Tuesday, the wingfoilers will take over the event at Brandenburger Strand. Until Sunday 9 August, the Open German Championships in wave riding and wingfoil slalom will take place there, along with additional freestyle competitions.