Young Azzurra's Federico Pilloni crowned iQFOiL Youth World Champion
by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda 20 Jul 2024 04:01 AEST
15-19 July 2024
Federico Pilloni, an athlete in the YCCS' Young Azzurra programme, competing at the Youth Sailing World Championships © Martina Orsini / World Sailing
Federico Pilloni, an athlete in the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda's Young Azzurra project, has claimed victory in the iQFOiL class at the Youth Sailing World Championships, organised by World Sailing.
He earned the title of iQFOiL Youth World Champion ahead of Igor Lewinski in second place, and Makani Andrews in third.
The Youth Sailing World Championships were held on Lake Garda, Italy, and saw 418 athletes from 70 nations competing from 15 July through to today's final races.
Federico Pilloni set the pace in the iQFOiL Class from the very first day, laying claim to the top spot in the provisional ranking with two victories, a third place, and a fifth. He went on to build on his lead over the following days, dominating the fleet and putting a widening gap between himself and his closest competition.
Heading into the final day of racing, Freddy held an impressive 43-point lead over the provisional runner-up. The 18-year-old delivered another flawless performance today, securing victory in the event with three races to spare and notching up 9 wins out of 17 races sailed. Freddy finished in first place, 46 points ahead of Poland's Igor Lewinski in second. Third place went to America's Makani Andrews.
"This was a very challenging World Championship mentally. Since it was held in Italy, dealing with the critical attention on my performance was crucial. I didn't perform at my best in the first few days, probably because of this.
"However, over the following days, everything felt much more natural. I was more relaxed and managed to maintain the lead until the end. I am really happy with my preparation and want to thank the entire Italian team that I trained with, my coach Mauro Covre, and all the technicians and staff who supported me.
"Special thanks must go to the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and the Italian Sailing Federation. As this is my last Youth World Championship, I see this result as a starting point, a launching pad for my future." commented Pilloni.
Federico Pilloni was nominated by the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV) to represent Italy in the iQFOiL Class following his victory in each of the three qualifying legs for the Youth Sailing World Championships.
Following this excellent result, he has been called by the FIV to take part in the iQFOiL Under-23 World Championship in Silvaplana, Switzerland, scheduled to run from 19 to 25 August.
The YCCS congratulates Federico on this excellent result.