Please select your home edition
Edition
Allen Dynamic 40 Leaderboard

iQFOiL Youth & Junior International Games in Torbole, Italy - Overall

by iQFOiL Communications 10 May 19:15 BST 6-10 May 2025

The iQFOiL Youth & Junior International Games concluded in Torbole, Lake Garda, with the debut of the eight-rider experimental Medal Series format—featuring only semifinals and finals—after five days of intense and exciting racing, despite consistently unsettled, at times stormy, weather conditions.

Once again, Circolo Surf Torbole—host of the event, together with technical partner iQFOiL Youth & Junior International Class and the Italian Sailing Federation—demonstrated its renowned experience and legacy in organizing youth events. The regatta confirmed the growing momentum of the Olympic iQFOiL class among the U17 and U19 categories, with a strong turnout of 215 athletes from 23 nations.

The new Medal Series format saw the top two from the preliminary series advance directly to the Grand Final, while the 3rd to 8th placed athletes raced head-to-head in knockout semifinals to claim the remaining two spots. The leader of the overall standings entered the Grand Final with one win already on the board and needed just one more to seal victory. In all four categories, the eventual winners secured the championship by clinching that second win at the first opportunity.

U19 Men

A dominant and well-deserved win for Italian-Canadian Valentino Blewett, who was joined on the podium by France's Leopold Brisedou in second and Switzerland's Robin Zeley in third. The semifinal in this fleet was dramatic, with three of six sailors incurring early start penalties.

"It was a good Grand Final for me, I started off leading already from the first mark and I just stayed in control and got the win!", commented Valentino Blewett. "The whole week went very good, but I am particularly happy with this very last day, I was able to make it up into the first position so I'm happy with this event. I am planning to attend the Senior World Championship in Aarhus, maybe, and then Brest for the Youth & Junior Worlds. This was a good start of the season Under 19, I'm really happy with my race and the whole week".

U19 Women

An intense and exciting final among the women saw several lead changes from the outset. Ultimately, Italy's Medea Falcioni prevailed over fellow Italian Francesca Maria Salerno, who had led after a brilliant first upwind. Turkey's Nurhayat Güven rounded out the podium in third.

"My week was definitely great, I managed to win almost every race, so it was really amazing!", said a very excited Medea Flacioni. "We have had different conditions, and I'm really happy with how I performed in all of them, also with my starts. I know I have to work on a few things that I want to improve before the Worlds in Brest in July. So I will definitely work hard this summer, maybe also training here in Torbole. Today the medal race was really tight, there were many lead changes with Francesca but the Turkish girl was also pushing really hard. I'm so happy and I am really looking forward to the iQFOiL Youth & Junior World Championship!".

U17 Men

A Dutch one-two, with Finn Brüll taking the win ahead of Merlijn Boswijk, while the Czech Republic's Frantisek Burda claimed third.

"It was definitely a week with ups and downs, the beginning of the week didn't go so well for me, but further down the week it went better and better and the best was this final race, it was amazing, already leading at the first mark I could make it happen, so I am super happy and couldn't wish for anything more!" Finn Brull declared right after the finish of the Grand Final. "Next goal would be the Worlds, of course, winning twoYouth & Junior International Games is really, really cool, but now I have to make it happen at the Worlds!!"

U17 Women

Turkey topped the fleet, with Rüya Ugurlu and Parla Kabasakal finishing first and second respectively. Israel's Noa Koren took third, and Italy's Ginevra Giunti delivered a strong performance to place fourth, having battled through a closely contested semifinal.

"The week really went well and I enjoyed all of the races, and especially the Medal Race today, it went so well!", commented Rüya Ugurlu. "I took the lead right at the start and I kept it until the finish, I'm so happy and I want to congratulate with everyone who raced, I really enjoyed all week with the girls. Next is the World Championship I want to continue winning and I'm going to work really hard for that race".

Related Articles

2025 iQFOiL Youth & Junior Worlds, day 2
Strong performances, tight racing, and growing excitement The 2025 iQFOiL Youth & Junior World Championships finally got under way on the water today in Brest with an intense second day of racing for the 379 young windsurfers representing 38 nations. Posted on 26 Jul
2025 iQFOiL Youth & Junior Worlds kicks off
Over 20 races scheduled across eight days, with the world's top young windsurfers chasing the title The world's fastest young windsurfers are arriving in Brittany as the 2025 iQFOiL Youth & Junior World Championships get under way in Brest. Posted on 24 Jul
Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta overall
Wrapping up with World-Class podium performances The Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta wrapped up with a full podium and high spirits, marking a thrilling conclusion to a week of elite racing in the iconic waters off Southern California. Posted on 22 Jul
Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta day 7
Conditions soften for the penultimate day of racing More adventures for the Olympic Classes Regatta sailors today in Long Beach. The word for the day was, tricky! Waves, winds and shifts gave the best of the class a chance to test their racing and decision-making in unfamiliar conditions. Posted on 20 Jul
Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta day 6
Staying in pressure on day two for the Skiffs, Boards and Multihulls While yesterday's theme was Super Death Reaching and survival, today was a 10...stay in the pressure! Posted on 20 Jul
Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta day 5
Wind gusting to 18 knots on day one for the Skiffs, Boards and Multihulls At the top of their classes, competitors got Long Beach's finest on Thursday, wind gusting to 18 with waves and sunshine....perfect conditions. The steady offshore breeze and classic Long Beach conditions will deliver tight races between competitors. Posted on 19 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds coming to Weymouth in 2026
First time for UK to host a major championship in the class The world's top Olympic windsurfing talents will showcase high-performance hydrofoil racing on UK waters next year as the RYA has been confirmed as host for the 2026 iQFOiL World Championship. Posted on 14 Jul
Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta 2025 Preview
The fourth stop of the five series Sailing Grand Slam circuit Over 200 elite athletes from 42 nations have converged on Long Beach to test their skills on the same waters that will host sailing events during the LA2028 Olympic Games as they compete in the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta July 12-20 Posted on 12 Jul
Tough conditions test Morris
As iQFOiL World Championships wrap up The iQFOiL World Championships have drawn to a close in Aarhus, Denmark, following a week of light and unpredictable wind that tested both race officials and athletes to the limit. Posted on 11 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds in Aarhus overall
Thrilling Medal Series closes out a spectacular week of high-stakes foiling in Denmark The 2025 iQFOiL World Championship wrapped up in Aarhus with a spectacular Medal Series showdown that saw Emma Wilson (GBR 7) and Andy Brown (GBR 360) rise to the top and secure World Championship titles. Posted on 11 Jul