2026 Lanzarote International iQFOiL Games - Day 3
by iQFOiL Communications 9 Feb 09:24 PST
6-11 February 2026
Finn Hawkins regains the Men's lead as Course Racing reshapes the rankings, while Emma Wilson continues to dominate in Lanzarote
After two days of fast-paced Sprint formats and constantly evolving conditions, Day 3 of the iQFOiL International Games in Lanzarote marked a clear shift in intensity, as stronger breeze and classic Course Racing reshaped both strategy and the provisional rankings.
Today the wind increased and veered further to the right, settling more firmly in the North. Conditions ranged between 12 and 16 knots, with peaks close to 18, allowing the fleet to race at full power. With the wind consistently favoring the right side of the course, the strategic options were effectively reduced to a "full right" approach. This compressed the fleet into a narrow corridor, generating intense battles boat-for-boat and leaving little margin for error, especially at the starts and first crossings.
The sea state also evolved compared to the previous days. While the short, steep swell eased, sailors had to contend with long swell trains, particularly challenging on the downwind legs, where careful line choice and foil control proved decisive.
In the Women's fleet, Emma Wilson (GBR) continues her impressive run, retaining the overall lead after three days of racing. Sharon Kantor (ISR) also holds firm in second place, confirming her consistency across a wide range of conditions. The biggest movement comes behind them, with Italy's Marta Maggetti climbing onto the provisional podium in third place. Tamar Steinberg (ISR), who had been second after Day 1 and third after Day 2, slips just off the podium at the end of Day 3.
The Men's leaderboard saw a significant reshuffle with the introduction of Course Racing. Great Britain's Finn Hawkins returns to the top of the provisional standings, showing strong form in conditions that rewarded consistency and tactical discipline. France's Nicolas Goyard, who appeared to be waiting patiently for Course Racing, delivers a solid performance to move into second place overall, now just behind the leader. Another French sailor, Yun Pouliquen, maintains his momentum and holds on to third place. After leading the ranking yesterday, Italy's Federico Pilloni endured a challenging day and slips back to ninth overall.
With stronger breeze, tighter strategies and classic course racing now firmly in play, Day 3 confirmed that the iQFOiL International Games in Lanzarote are far from decided, setting the stage for more decisive battles as the regatta continues.