iQFOiL International Games at 2025 Kieler Woche - Day 2
by Rachele Vitello 23 Jun 04:42 AEST
21-25 June 2025
After a long wait for wind yesterday, Day 2 at the iQFOiL International Games delivered exciting racing across all categories at the 2025 Kieler Woche, as athletes finally got the chance to stretch their legs, and their foils, on the water with five races for Seniors and U19, and four for the U17.
In the Senior Men's fleet, Poland's Tomasz Romanowski (POL 125) was the man of the moment. With two race wins and rock-solid consistency across the board, he moves into the overall lead heading into Day 3. Hot on his heels is local favorite Fabian Wolf (GER 404), whose home waters advantage continues to show, followed closely by Gunhak Choi (KOR 277) of Korea, who remains firmly in the mix.
"Five races in around 8 knots of wind today, and some seaweed and high temperatures.. I managed to do pretty well, I'm leading at the moment but I'm looking forward to the next races on the upcoming days with strong winds", stated Tomasz Romanowski.
Over in the Senior Women's division, Team France dominated, making a clear statement of strength and depth. Lucie Belbeoch (FRA 18) emerged as the standout performer, claiming the top spot in the rankings. She is joined at the sharp end by teammates Marion Couturier (FRA 11) and Sophia Meyer (GER 3), both of whom delivered strong, confident performances throughout the afternoon.
"Five slalom races in patchy wind, we had a lot of nice fights with the girls, but tomorrow and tuesday it's going to be windy so it's a whole new regatta, can't wait for more!", said Lucie Belbeoch.
Later in the day, it was time for the Youth and Junior fleets to take the stage.
In the U19 Men's division, the leaderboard remains tight, but it is Henrik Løset Eriksen (NOR 47) who holds the overnight lead after a steady and tactical performance across the fleet.
"Today we had a very nice day, it was windy with 30 degrees, we launched at 11:30 and all did five races. Tonight a big storm is forecast, so we need to secure our gear and look forward to a very good day tomorrow", commented Henrik Løset Eriksen.
The U17 fleet, sailing as a combined group of boys and girls, put on a fantastic display of talent and determination. The girls impressed by consistently matching the pace of the boys, none more so than Anna Korevaar (NED 157), who scored a remarkable second place in one of the races. The most consistent sailor among the U17 Girls was Ginevra Giunti (ITA 321), showing poise and speed through the light and shifting conditions.
"Today was such a good day for me, the first three races were good, then in the last one I fell on the last mark, but I'm pretty happy with my starts and the mark roundings. I need to work on the downwinds, that's something I really want to get better at thinking of the World Championship in Brest in a month. I liked racing with the boys and I'm looking forward to more of this tomorrow", said Ginevra Giunti.
In the U17 Boys, one name stood out: David Bleistein (SWE 201), who delivered a perfect scorecard by winning every single race of the day, an impressive feat in a competitive and growing fleet.
With stronger breeze forecast for tomorrow, the tempo is about to shift dramatically. Course racing is on the menu, and conditions look set to challenge even the most experienced foilers in the fleet. The Youth & Junior will be starting at 12.00 while the Seniors plan is for a 14.30 start and will be streamed live www.kielerwoche.tv.
The action will most likely intensify in Kiel, where athletes from 25 nations are flying high in one of the most dynamic Olympic classes.
Updates and results: