IFCA Foiling European Championships 2026 in St. Peter-Ording - Day 5
by IFCA 20 Jul 10:19 BST
IFCA Foiling European Championships in St. Peter-Ording - Day 5 © IFCA
After five action-packed days of competition, the California Windsurf Cup St. Peter-Ording came to a close today. A total of 65 athletes from 16 nations competed on the North Sea for the IFCA Foiling European Championship titles, €40.000 in prize money, and valuable points towards the PWA World Ranking.
Amado Vrieswijk (NB-20) from the Caribbean island of Bonaire dominated both the Foiling European Championship and the Fin Slalom competition, crowning himself the undisputed champion of St. Peter-Ording. In the women's competition, Lina Erzen (SLO-51) was equally impressive, claiming the European title in commanding fashion.
Foiling takes Centre Stage
The main focus of the event was the IFCA Foiling European Championship. A total of 45 men and 9 women competed for the titles. In near-perfect conditions, seven complete eliminations were completed for the men, while the women sailed 17 races.
Amado Vrieswijk made a slow start to the championship after finishing seventh in the opening elimination following a crash and a disqualification. However, he quickly found his rhythm. After finishing second in the third race, he went on to win every remaining race. Once seven eliminations had been completed, three discard results came into effect, allowing competitors to drop their worst scores. As a result, Vrieswijk counted four race victories towards his final score, giving him the perfect total of 2.80 points and making the Bonaire rider the new 2026 IFCA Foiling European Champion.
Germany's Fabi Wolf (GER-404) spent much of the championship on course for the European title. He recorded one race victory and three second-place finishes and was so remarkably consistent that he was even able to discard a third and a fourth place. With 6.70 points, Wolf secured the silver medal on home waters in St. Peter-Ording.
Greece's John Soukos (GRE-198) won the opening race but struggled with a number of inconsistent results afterwards, dropping as low as fifth overall. A third-place finish in the final race turned the championship back in his favour and secured him the bronze medal.
The battle for the remaining top-five positions was exceptionally close. In the end, only one point separated three riders. A tie-break between France's Alexis Mathis (FRA-997) and the Netherlands' Bob van de Burgt (NED-757) went in favour of Mathis, who claimed fourth place. Van de Burgt completed the top five ahead of Denmark's Noah Vinther (DEN-7777).
Lina Erzen brings the title to Slovenia
In the women's fleet, Lina Erzen delivered a dominant performance throughout the championship. The Slovenian won 14 of the 17 races and claimed the title with the perfect score of 9.80 points. Although every race featured exciting battles with Norway's Tuva Oppedal (NOR-29) and Helle Oppedal (NOR-39), Erzen ultimately came out on top almost every time. By the end of the event, the margin to her rivals was decisive, making her a deserving 2026 IFCA Foiling European Champion.
Norway's Tuva Oppedal won one race and added 13 second-place finishes to her scorecard. She finished with 26.70 points to secure the silver medal. Her sister Helle Oppedal took third overall after winning two races. Apart from two second-place finishes, she crossed the line in third place in almost every race, ending the championship on 35.40 points. Denmark's Christina Larsen (DEN-57) and the USA's Kate Tonge (USA-290) completed the women's top five.
Fin Slalom completes the programme
Alongside the IFCA Foiling European Championship, the California Windsurf Cup St. Peter-Ording also featured Fin Slalom competition. The discipline was contested on Saturday when winds of up to seven Beaufort and waves exceeding two metres made Foiling impossible. A third and final race was completed on Sunday.
A total of 36 men competed in the Fin Slalom event. Once again, Amado Vrieswijk proved to be the rider to beat. He won both eliminations on Saturday and had already secured overall victory before the final race. With the title already wrapped up, he took a more measured approach in the concluding race but still finished a strong third.
Multiple German, European and World Champion Vincent Langer (GER-1) made the most of his opportunity. Having travelled to St. Peter-Ording exclusively to compete in the Fin Slalom discipline, he recovered impressively from a disappointing seventh place in the opening elimination. A second-place finish moved him onto the podium before he capped off the weekend with victory in the final race, securing second place overall.
Young Bonaire rider Tycho Smits (NB-1111) delivered a series of consistently strong performances, finishing fifth, third and second across the three races. Those results earned him third place overall.
The Netherlands' Thijs Hanemaaijer (NED-107) and France's Alexis Mathis (FRA-997) completed the top five in the Fin Slalom standings.
Successful event despite challenging weather
The 2026 California Windsurf Cup St. Peter-Ording proved to be a successful event overall. Racing was possible on four of the five competition days, and media interest was high throughout the week.
However, poor weather affected the final three days, meaning visitor numbers fell short of expectations. At one stage, there was even a risk that the beach would have to be closed due to the threat of flooding. Fortunately, this was ultimately avoided, allowing the event to conclude successfully.