iQFOiL European Championship: Strong winds bring excitement to Sicily - Steinlein disqualified

After a cautious start on the first day the iQFOiL European Championship in Sferracavallo near Palermo really picked up speed on the second day of the competition. Sunshine and constant wind ensured ideal conditions on the course, allowing five complete races to be completed in each of the fleets. This led to the first significant changes in the overall rankings as the favourites moved into position.

Olympic and world champions at the top

In the men's fleet, Olympic champion Tom Reuveny continued to show impressive consistency across all races and was able to maintain his lead in the overall standings. Close on his heels is Brit Finn Hawkins, who moved up to second place in the provisional rankings with two race wins on the second day. "I won two races today, had two more good runs and one bad one. It was windy out there, changeable and gusty, but it was a lot of fun and the races were close," commented Finn Hawkins on his performance. The conditions demanded maximum concentration and technical skill from all participants, which was reflected in the close race finishes.

The two leaders are followed by two other absolute world-class riders, Frenchman Nicolas Goyard in third place and reigning world champion Andy Brown from Great Britain in fourth. Both are known for their tactical finesse and racing skills, which they also demonstrated in the challenging and changeable conditions in Sicily. The close gaps between the front runners promise exciting battles for position and tactical duels on the water in the coming days of competition.

Wilson dominates the women's event, Steinlein disqualified

In the women's fleet, Olympic bronze medallist and reigning world champion Emma Wilson from Great Britain shone. With three race wins in a single day, she made a clear statement and took the lead in the overall standings after a total of six races. Sara Wennekes also put in a consistently strong performance and is currently in second place overall. "We had a super good day today. I'm happy that we completed five races. I improved throughout the day and tried to cope with this tricky wind. I'm slowly getting a feel for the changeable wind and I'm super happy and ready for more races this week," explained Sara Wennekes after the races.

The day went less well for Theresa Steinlein, who was in second place yesterday. She was disqualified in the first race without being able to take this as a penalty. At the start, Steinlein and another racer got in each other's way on different sides and the competitor crashed. Even though Steinlein immediately turned a penalty 360, the judges later decided to disqualify her. With ninth, tenth and seventh places, she then finished in the top ten several times, but slipped to 16th place in the overall standings. Sophia Meyer is in 39th place and showed her potential with a fifth place. Alica Stuhlemmer is 53rd.

The weather forecast for the coming days promises further good wind conditions, which should further increase the tension in the battle for the European title. All results and races at iqeuropeans2025italy.sailti.com