iQFoil Youth & Junior European Championships at Circolo Surf Torbole - Day 3
by Elena Giolai 5 Jul 2023 07:18 BST
1-8 July 2023
It was another eventful day in Torbole for the iQFoil European Championships organized by Circolo Surf Torbole, with a record-breaking number of entries for a youth windsurfing event. Despite overnight thunderstorms and a northerly wind that persisted until late morning, the classic southerly wind of Garda Trentino made its appearance after lunch, gradually picking up to approximately 14 knots.
The under-19 men's youth fleets were the first to hit the water, competing in slalom races on the two designated courses. Slalom was chosen as the discipline due to the moderate wind conditions. The FIV Race Committee had a busy day with five races for the under-19s, four races for the under-17s, and two races for the women. The wind persisted until the evening, allowing the well-coordinated efforts of Circolo Surf Torbole, iQFoil International Class, FIV Race Committee, and Jury to carry on uninterrupted. The thrilling slalom sprint races, lasting an average of 4 minutes each, continued until 8 pm. After the under-19s, the under-17s and women took to the water, concluding the day's events.
The under-19 men's category witnessed five slalom races on Tuesday. Italy's Federico Alan Pilloni (YCCosta Smeralda - Young Azzurra) and Australia's Harry Hubert Joyner maintained their tie for first place. Pilloni had a flawless performance, securing first place in all the races, while Joyner had to discard a seventh-place finish. Another standout performer was Jacopo Gavioli from Circolo Surf Torbole, who secured an excellent third place, just one point behind the leaders. Gavioli consistently dominated his slalom heats throughout the day.
The girls' divisions, both youth and junior categories, competed in two slalom races. Carola Colasanto (youth under 19 - Tognazzi Marine Village) and Medea Falcioni (junior under 17 and also leading among the under 15s - Stamura Ancora) maintained their top positions. In the under-19 girls' category, Colasanto was closely followed by Norway's Gysler, trailing by just one point, while Israel's Ziv secured the third position. Due to time constraints, the under-17 boys couldn't complete all four races, despite being on the water until 7:40 pm. The updated standings after two course races and three slalom races placed Israel's Tajuan in the lead among the under-17 boys, followed by Turkey's Senol and France's Manhaval. Among the under-15 boys, Mattia Saoncella from Italy is leading the pack.
On Wednesday, the program will divide the fleets into gold and silver, with the top competitors battling it out directly for victory.