iQFOiL Youth & Junior European Championships - Overall
by iQFOiL Communications 25 Oct 2025 21:21 BST
18-25 October 2025
Double Italian triumph as Mattia Saoncella and Medea Falcioni win
Light and unstable winds only allowed U19 Men and Women Medal Series, Finn Brull (NED) and Thea Le Borgne Zibetti (FRA) are confirmed winners in the U17 Men and Women
The final day of the iQFOiL Youth & Junior European Championship at Club Nautico Arzachena concluded with a dramatic twist and double Italian glory, as Mattia Saoncella and Medea Falcioni surged from behind to claim the U19 European titles in the Medal Series.
With unstable wind conditions and periods of waiting both ashore and on the water, race officials were forced to make quick adjustments. The U19 Men and Women were initially called to the more offshore race area in hopes of stronger, steadier breeze. However, after another delay afloat, the race committee moved the Medal Series closer to shore near the Club, where a usable breeze eventually allowed for fair racing to unfold.
In the U19 Men, Valentino Brewett (CAN) is the one who went the longest way, starting from the Quarter Final all the way up to the Grand Final, winning both the Quarters and the Semis, as only one athlete moves from one stage to the next. In the Grand Final, despite starting in third place, Mattia Saoncella (ITA) delivered a flawless performance, crossing the line first and securing the European title. He was followed by Peleg Rajuan (ISR) in second, who had led the overall standings going into the day. Artun Senol (TUR), consistent throughout the week, completed the podium in third.
In the U19 Women's fleet, Alba Klein (ISR) won the Quarter Final and accessed the Semis, but her teammate Yaheli Leen (ISR) won the Semi Finals to access the Grand Final with the best three athletes of the Opening Series. Here, Medea Falcioni (ITA), second overall, made her move right when it mattered most, winning the Grand Final, Yaheli Leen finished second, but thanks to this format, that aims to protect the performance of the whole week by giving points to the top three sailors, it is Emma Johanna Schleicher (GER), overnight leader, who claims silver medal. Nurhayat Güven (TUR) rounded out the podium in third place.
The final results in the U19 Medal Series:
U19 Men - Podium
1. Mattia Saoncella (ITA)
2. Peleg Rajuan (ISR)
3. Artun Senol (TUR)
"What a final. This was absolutely epic. Thanks to Valentino, to Artun, and to Peleg to have taken the level very high. This race was absolutely fantastic. I am very happy for the way I raced. I am also happy because all the sacrifices and the hard work that I did this year had paid off. So I am very happy to have reached this goal. And now it's time to party!!", commented Mattia Saoncella.
U19 Women - Podium
1. Medea Falcioni (ITA)
2. Emma Johanna Schleicher (GER)
3. Nurhayat Güven (TUR)
"It was an awesome race. Really tight. We had a crush on the last mark with the Turkish girl, but we were pushing so much, so I think that's just something that can happen. It was totally epic. I didn't necessarily have the best week ever but I had some good fights with Emma, the German girl that was so, so, so good the entire week. I want to congratulate with her and with all the other girls. Thanks to my Federation, my coaches, and I hope to see everybody at the next event", said Medea Falcioni.
The U17 Medal Series got under way and the Quarter Finals for both Men and Women were finished with Oscar Florin (FRA) advancing to the Semis in the Men and Parla Kabasakal (TUR) in the Women. The wind than eventually dropped for the day, and no further races were sailed. As a result, the podiums remained unchanged.
U17 Men - Podium
1. Finn Brüll (NED)
2. Merlijn Boswijk (NED)
3. František Burda (CZE)
U17 Women - Podium
1. Théa Le Borgne Zibetti (FRA)
2. Naama Palatnik (ISR)
3. Ruya Ugurlu (TUR)
The 2025 iQFOiL Youth & Junior European Championship has come to a close after a week of intense racing, light and heavy winds, and spirited competition among the best young foilers in Europe. The event showcased not only athletic excellence, but also camaraderie, fair play, and the exciting future of Olympic windsurfing.
The next stop for many of these rising stars will be the World Championships and continental events leading into the 2026 season. Until then, Arzachena has crowned its champions.