The second edition of the iQFOiL International Games 2026 came to a close in the waters off El Puerto de Santa María near Cádiz. After five days of competition with a total of 16 races across all six fleets, the Medal Series decided the final placings. The format brings the best athletes together in direct duels, in which the participants first have to battle their way through Quarter Finals and Semi Finals before reaching the Grand Final. The conditions on site allowed for a fair competition and ensured clear conditions in the decisive races.
Lamadrid wins in front of home crowd
In the women's event, the Czech sisters Barbara and Katerina Svikova made it through from the Quarter Final to the Semi Final and on to the Grand Final. There they faced their compatriot Nela Sadilkova and the Spanish Olympic sailor Pilar Lamadrid. The local heroine delivered a flawless performance and led the race from start to finish. "It's so nice to win here at home, it means a lot to me because it's my first win in a really long time. I just feel happy. The week was great with fantastic conditions," commented Lamadrid after her triumph. Sadilkova secured second place, while Barbara Svikova completed the podium after her remarkable comeback through the finals.
Isaac controls the men's final
In the men's fleet, Gunhak Choi from Korea and Ethan Westera from Aruba qualified for the semi-final via the quarter final. There they were overtaken by Rytis Jasiunas from Lithuania and Makani Andrews from the USA, who secured their places in the final. In the decisive race, Mateus Isaac and Noah Lyons quickly took control of the field. Isaac proved to be unstoppable and crossed the finish line in first place. "Going out with a win here in Cadiz was great, it was a great event. We were ready for course racing, but in the end we did the downwind slalom, which was really cool. I had a really good start together with Noah and we had a good battle for the first buoy. Then I took the lead and tried to control him a bit and I managed to win the event," explained the Brazilian. Two US-Americans completed the podium with Lyons in second place and Andrews in third.
Dramatic decisions for U19 women
Zofia Zarzecka from Poland and Ruya Ugurlu from Turkey prevailed in the semi-finals and reached the U19 women's Grand Final. Ugurlu made a strong start to the decisive race, but the situation changed fundamentally at the first buoy. Salomé Simon from France opted for a jibe set, a tactical move that turned out to be decisive. The Frenchwoman took the lead and never relinquished it until the finish. "It feels really fantastic because I had a difficult week. I forgot my trackers on the first day, so they took a lot of points away from me. And today, just before the Medal Series, my extension broke and the girl from Hong Kong gave me hers so I could compete in the Grand Final and I won. It just feels great and I'm so grateful for everyone who has supported me this week," said Simon at the award ceremony. Thea Le Borgne Zibetti, who had led all week, had to settle for second place, while Ugurlu finished third.
Peyton Dits triumphs in U19 men's competition
Finn Brüll from the Netherlands won the U19 men's semi-final and qualified for the Grand Final together with Kfir Nov from Israel. In the decisive race, Peyton Dits from the Netherlands set the tone early on and controlled the race from the front. The Dutchman secured overall victory ahead of Jorge Ruiz Lopez from Spain and his compatriot Finn Brüll. "I feel fantastic. It's been a super long week, super nice battles with the whole Dutch team and with Jorge and everyone else. It's super nice and I'm happy about that. I want to thank my sponsors, thank you so much for your help. And I want to thank my parents. And my school for helping me and letting me go to the race all the time," commented an enthusiastic Dits after the race.
Kabasakal prevails in the U17 girls' competition
The U17 girls' Medal Series saw a strong performance from the Polish team. Kalina Szostek qualified via the quarter-finals, while Maria Miarczynska and Martyna Figura won the semi-finals and progressed to the Grand Final. In the first final run, Miarczynska overtook Parla Kabasakal from Turkey on the downwind course and won, forcing a second Grand Final. In the decisive race, Miarczynska crossed the start line too early and had to restart with a delay of five seconds. Her team-mate Martyna Figura initially took the lead after a strong start, but a mistake on the downwind leg allowed Kabasakal to return to the top. The Turkish sailor crossed the finish line first and secured overall victory. "Today was the day of the Middle East and I enjoyed it so much. I came second first, then I came first. It was really scary to start second, but then I pulled myself together and managed to win the event," said Kabasakal. Anna Jannieke Korevaar from the Netherlands finished second, while Miarczynska fought her way back to third place.
Patino Riutord dominates the U17 boys' competition
In the U17 boys' final, the top four sailors lined up in exactly the same order as they had appeared in the rankings. Enric Patino Riutord from Spain and Swann Manhaval from France immediately showed why they had dominated the week and took the lead of the field. Despite a late attempt by Frantisek Burda from the Czech Republic to close the gap, Patino Riutord held the lead to the finish line and secured the U17 title. After five days of competition totalling 16 races across six fleets, the iQFOiL International Games once again demonstrated the strength and depth of the iQFOiL class. From Olympic duels in the senior fleets to breakthrough performances from junior sailors, the regatta brought the global windfoil community together in the waters of El Puerto de Santa María.
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Results:
Ladies
- 1st Pilar Lamadrid Trueba (ESP)
- 2. Nela Sadilkova (CZE)
- 3. Barbora Svikova (CZE)
Gents
- 1st Mateus Isaac (BRA)
- 2. Noah Lyons (USA)
- 3. Makani Andrews (USA)
U19 women:
- 1st Salomé Simon (FRA)
- 2nd Thea Le Borgne Zibetti (FRA)
- 3. Ruya Uğurlu (TUR)
U19 Men:
- 1st Peyton Dits (NED)
- 2. Jorge Ruiz Lopez (ESP)
- 3rd Finn Brüll (NED)
U17 girls:
- 1st Parla Kabasakal (TUR)
- 2nd Anna Jannieke Korevaar (NED)
- 3. Maria Miarczynska (POL)
U17 boys:
- 1st Enric Patiño Riutord (ESP)
- 2. Swann Manhaval (FRA)
- 3rd Frantisek Burda (CZE)
All results at a glance:2026iqgamescadiz.sailti.com
