iQFOiL YOUTH & JUNIOR EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: LIGHT WINDS AND LATE RACING MARK THE OPENING DAY IN VARKIZA
Almost 300 young sailors gather in Greece as the U19 Men and U17 Boys complete two Slalom races before sunset
Varkiza, Greece – October 25, 2026 – The 2026 iQFOiL Youth & Junior European Championships officially got underway today in Varkiza, Greece, where almost 300 young sailors from 31 nations have gathered for a week of international competition hosted by the Nautical Club of Vari-Varkiza.
The opening day required patience, with light winds delaying the start of racing on the waters off the Greek coast. However, as the breeze finally filled in during the afternoon, the Race Committee was able to send the U19 Men and U17 Boys out onto the racecourse, giving the championship its first taste of competition.
Both fleets completed two Slalom races, making the most of the available wind before sunset brought proceedings to a close. With racing taking place in separate heats, the opening results produced multiple sailors sharing the lead in their respective fleets, leaving the standings wide open after the first day.
Among the early protagonists was Leon Jankowski (POL), who claimed victory in the very first race of the championship and ended the day sharing the overall lead. The Polish sailor, already a familiar name on the international youth iQFOiL circuit, made a strong start to his European Championship campaign, although with only two races completed, there is still everything to play for.
In the U19 Men’s fleet, three sailors share the lead after the opening two Slalom races, with Kfir Nov (ISR), Leon Jankowski (POL) and Artun Şenol (TUR) all enjoying a perfect start to their championship, each claiming two victories in their respective heats. Ulysse David (FRA) follows in fourth overall, having also secured a race win, while Peyton Dits (NED) completes the provisional top five. With three nations tied at the top and only two races completed, the fight for the U19 European title remains wide open.
In the U17 Boys’ fleet, the opening day produced a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard, with František Burda (CZE), Enric Patiño Riutord (ESP) and Patryk Miarczyński (POL) all sharing first place after identical results of a first and a first in their respective heats. Just behind them, Swann Manhaval (FRA) sits in fourth overall, level on points with Luca Pacchiotti (ITA) in fifth. With only two Slalom races completed and the leading sailors separated by the narrowest of margins, the battle for the U17 European title is already shaping up to be a closely contested one.
While the boys managed to get their championship underway, the U19 Women and U17 Girls remained ashore throughout the day, waiting for conditions that never materialized in time for their fleets to race.
They will have priority on the water tomorrow, when racing resumes in Varkiza, with the aim of getting all four fleets into action as the championship begins to take shape.
With almost 300 competitors, a new generation of European windsurfing talent and several days of racing still ahead, the 2026 iQFOiL Youth & Junior European Championships are only just getting started.
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