iQFOiL U23 World Championships at Portimão, Portugal - Day 2
by iQFOiL Communications 9 Sep 10:47 PDT
6-13 September 2025
Yesterday, the opening day of the U23 World Championships set the tone for a high-level competition in Portimão. Strong northwesterly winds of 15-18 knots allowed the Race Committee to launch four Course Racing starts, with young athletes already showing their form and the depth of the international fleet on full display.
Today, attention once again turns to the unique race area in front of the Santa Catarina fortress. Here, the famous northwesterly breeze blows directly onto the beach, creating a field of play that is both tactical and physical. For sailors, this means constantly weighing their options: staying inshore to benefit from flatter water but trickier shifts, or heading further offshore in search of steadier pressure and stronger wind. Local knowledge and the ability to read the patterns of the breeze quickly become decisive factors.
Beyond the wind, athletes must also contend with the Algarve sun and heat, which add another layer of challenge. To properly recover between races, athletes must plan careful hydration, nutrition, and energy management. Physiologically, maintaining focus and recovery under these conditions is as important as speed and tactics on the water—factors that can ultimately decide who reaches the top of the leaderboard.
The second day brought even tougher conditions, with the northwesterly wind building to over 20 knots and gusting up to 25. Once again, Grae Morris (AUS) rose to the challenge, extending his lead at the top. The Olympic silver medallist summed up his performance with trademark simplicity: "I come from a windy spot, I was born with the wind, I have fun where others have difficulty maintaining control." His mastery of the heavy breeze leaves no doubt that he is the man to beat in Portimão.
Behind him, Federico Pilloni (ITA) continues to impress with his steadiness under pressure, showing that composure and concentration remain his strongest assets in a fleet of this level. The big move of the day came from Nacho Baltasar Summers (ESP), Spain's representative at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, who climbed from fifth to third overall thanks to his consistency in the stronger winds. By contrast, Gur Lavi Prag (ISR), less regular today, slipped back to seventh but remains firmly inside the top ten. Duncan Monaghan (GBR) had a consistent series so far, and is in fifth.
"We have just finished racing here in Portimano, it was pretty sick conditions out there, champagne sailing, I had some good results today got two thirds and two fourths which is nice, so I can discard yesterday's worse results. I am happy for the great conditions and for racing with a bunch of really cool guys", commented Duncan Monaghan.
In the U23 Women's category, the balance of power shifted on Day 2. Emma Viktoria Millend (EST) staged a strong comeback after a cautious start to today's races, closing the day with two consecutive race victories that propelled her to the top of the leaderboard. Her ability to stay fast and composed in the stronger breeze highlights both her tactical maturity and her resilience under pressure.
Mina Mobekk (NOR), yesterday's leader, faced a more complicated third race that cost her valuable points, but she still manages to hold on to second place and remains a strong contender. Maya Gysler (NOR), the 2024 U23 World Vice-Champion, stays in podium position in third, underlining the strength of the Norwegian squad.
Aimee Bright (NZL) coming here all the way from New Zealand is fourth at the end of day two.
"We had another really good day of wind today, it was even scary at times, but it was really cool. I managed to have a couple really good races today, I am stoked. I managed to get my first bullet at the event on the last race, so super stoked. It started pretty tricky, but it's so cool getting to practice in and yeah I'm loving and I am ready for tomorrow", said Aimee Bright.
With the qualifying series now complete, the men's fleet will split tomorrow into Gold and Silver groups, with the top 50% advancing to the Gold fleet where every point will count even more heavily. It marks the beginning of a new regatta within the regatta, as the best prepare to go head-to-head. For the women, the battle continues in a single fleet of 48 sailors, where consistency will remain the key to staying in contention for the title.