iQFOiL U23 World Championships at Portimão, Portugal - Day 5
by iQFOiL Communications 12 Sep 14:56 PDT
6-13 September 2025
After four days of intense and varied conditions in Portimão, the iQFOiL U23 World Championship has already tested the sailors on every front: from strong northwesterlies and flat-out racing in the opening heats, to lighter, unstable breezes that shifted the balance toward strategy and patience. With the leaderboard tightening in both the men's and women's fleets, Day 5 promised yet another new challenge.
This new chapter opened with an early program for the U23 Men's Gold fleet and the U23 Women: a 9.00am skippers' meeting and the first race at 10.03. That meant less sleep, and for many, the added challenge of winding down after the adrenaline of late racing. Switching into "early-start mode" also required a break in routine: waking up earlier, compressing recovery, and finding ways to be physically ready and mentally sharp despite the shorter turnaround. At this level, the ability to rest, reset, and reactivate quickly can be just as decisive as what happens on the water.
Adding to the challenge, the wind introduced a fresh twist: 12-14 knots from 025-045, a more northeasterly direction than in previous days. In front of the Santa Catarina fortress, this shift meant a completely different racecourse dynamic. The breeze funneled down the river mouth and across the harbor entrance, creating sharper angles and more tactical pressure points. With less influence from the open ocean, the sea state stayed flatter, but the shifts and oscillations kept the sailors constantly on alert, rewarding sharp decision-making and positioning over sheer speed. Racing was also particularly demanding physically: pumping, a technique where sailors drive their boards forward by rhythmically working the sail to accelerate and optimize their VMG, has become an integral part of iQFOiL performance, especially in light to medium winds. In Portimão's testing conditions, it often proved the decisive factor.
After three Course Racing races in gradually weakening winds, where the ability to execute foiling tacks became a decisive advantage, the Race Committee made the call to switch to the Sprint Slalom format. The goal was to preserve the program and keep the action alive as conditions softened. But with the morning synoptic breeze colliding with the first signs of a building thermal, the racecourse turned erratic and unmanageable, forcing sailors back to shore to wait for clarity.
When racing finally resumed at 16:30, it felt like the beginning of a whole new day. A thermal breeze of 8-13 knots had fully taken over, different in texture and direction from the morning wind. Sailors had to completely rethink their approach, adjusting tactics and settings to match the new rhythm. The Race Committee rolled out a Upwind Sprint program, perfectly suited to these conditions, promising fast, technical heats to close out an already demanding day.
In the stop-and-go rhythm of a day split between waiting and racing, Australia's Grae Morris (AUS), silver medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, remains firmly at the top of the leaderboard heading into tomorrow's Medal Series. Close on his heels are Italy's Leonardo Tomasini (ITA), U23 World Vice-Champion in 2024, and Britain's Duncan Monaghan (GBR), both keeping the pressure high. The standout move of the day came from the Netherlands' Hidde van der Meer (NED), who vaulted from 13th overnight into the Top 8, a leap that secures him a place in the Medal Series quarter-finals.
"We just finished the last day before the Medal Series. We started the day off with three course races, which I took all of them away with all wins, so I was pretty happy about that. And then we came back out this afternoon in the afternoon wind and did two upwind slaloms where I got a first and a second. So I'm pretty happy moving on to the medal race tomorrow where I'll be going in first place. And, yeah, it's going to be a bit of a battle, but it's always fun, so looking forward to it", commented Grae Morris.
In the women's fleet, Norway continues to shine. At the top sits Mina Mobekk (NOR), 2023 European Champion, holding her ground as the one to beat on the eve of the Medal Series. Just behind, New Zealand's Aimee Bright (NZL) keeps the pressure alive, while Norway secures another podium spot for now with Maya Gysler (NOR) in third. The day's breakthrough came from yet another Norwegian, Tuva Oppedal (NOR), who climbed from 11th to break into the Top 8—earning herself a ticket to the quarter-finals and adding even more Nordic firepower to tomorrow's showdown.
"I had a good day today. I managed to keep my second place, which is amazing. I've never done a Medal Series before, so I'm so excited to give it a go and fight as hard as I can and give it my all. Hopefully we get some wind tomorrow, I haven't looked at the forecast, but hopefully it's good. Today was so beautiful. It was a bit long. We had to go out in the morning and then go back in because there was no wind. Then we got a beautiful afternoon breeze and managed to get three good sprint races done. I'm super stoked and looking forward to tomorrow", said Aimee Bright.
For more information visit www.iqfoilclassofficial.org/all-info-portimao-25