Strong winds characterised the second day of competition at the 2026 MUSTO iQFOiL World Championships in Weymouth and Portland. Following the Opening programme on Monday With upwind sprints and course racing, four course races were on the programme on 8 September – the final day of the Qualification Series.
Noah Lyons put in the strongest performance of the day. The American won two of the four course races, propelling him to the top of the overall standings. He thus edged ahead of Nicolas Goyard, who moved up one place to second. Goyard once again put in a consistent performance, keeping himself in contention for the medals. The Dutch defending champion and reigning European champion, Luuc van Opzeeland, who had led the overall standings after the first day, slipped to third place. Despite this setback, van Opzeeland remains within striking distance of the top as the championship enters its decisive phase.
In the women’s field, Tamar Steinberg retained her lead. The reigning European champion, who had started the first day of competition with four consecutive wins, added another race victory to her run. After eight races, she continues to lead the overall standings. Stella Bilger from Australia defended her second place despite the pressure and once again put in a strong performance. Britain’s Islay Watson climbed to third place on home waters to complete the provisional podium. The local favourite benefited from her knowledge of the conditions off Weymouth and Portland.
Falcioni surprises as a promising young talent
One of the standout performances of the day came from Medea Falcioni. The 15-year-old Italian won a race against a field of top-class competitors and climbed to fifth place overall. Her performance after two days of competition firmly establishes her as one of the leading contenders for a top spot at this World Championship. Theresa Steinlein slipped down two places and is now 13th, whilst Sophia Meyer climbed one place to 41st. Emma Schleicher, in 59th place, completes the German trio. In the men’s event, Lenny Friemel slipped to 68th place, having not even started one race. Max Körner is 84th, whilst Finley Evans is in 100th place.
All the information and results can be found at 2026iqworldsweymouth.sailti.com
