September 13, 2021 - Croatian Ian Anić is the European champion in windsurfing in the U15 iQ foil Olympic class, ahead of Israeli Gefen and Latvian Busmanis at the European Junior Windsurfing Championship in Bol. 

In the U17 group, Frenchman Eliot Ponce-Baranski won among men and Israeli Tamar Stainberg among women. In the U19 competition, the best among the men was Frenchman Gaspard Carfantan, and among women, Israeli Mika Kafri. Slovenian Lina Eržen, who finished second, was also excellent.

The Open European Championship in the iQ foil class was held last week at Zlatni Rat, organized by the Sailing Club Labud from Split and the windsurfing club Zoo station Bol, with the support of the Bol Tourist Board and the municipality. Over 118 competitors from 17 countries competed in three disciplines - course, slalom, and marathon in ideal conditions, which once again put Bol on the list of destinations that should be counted on in world windsurfing.

This is the second important competition held this season in Bol on Brač - in July; the popular Zlatni Rat beach hosted the World Windsurfing Championships before hosting the young hopes of world windsurfing - among which may be the future Olympic winners. Namely, the iQ foil class was approved in November 2019 by the World Sailing Council as windsurfing equipment at the 2024 Olympic Games in France. Thus, the IQ foil replaced the RS: X, which has been the Olympic equipment of choice since Beijing 2008.

"I am delighted with the results and conditions that did not disappoint - we had wind every day, ranging from 12 to 25 knots, which is not often the case even in destinations more famous than ours. All guests are delighted with Zlatni Rat, Bol and Croatia, and the Israelis, Poles, and British are returning for preparations, which will bring Bol an additional significant number of nights in the pre-season and post-season," says Toni Bulić, one of the two organizers of the competition.

Competitors collected points to enter the medal race throughout the five days of the competition. A total of 84 races were raced in three disciplines. The 12 final races included the competitors who collected the most points in their category through the competition - 12 of them per category. The results in all disciplines were added up for the medal race for which a special field was agreed today.

"I am very pleased with the progress of our competitors, juniors who performed at this week's open European Junior Championships, but also seniors. They only got the equipment a couple of months ago and progressed very quickly, and these are phenomenal results. We have never had better surfers at that age, not only in Croatia but also in the Adriatic," said Marin Siriščević from JK Labud, coach of all Croatian competitors in Olympic windsurfing, to whom experts attribute the main credit for the great success of Croatian competitors.

In the Olympic windsurfing class, the European Championships in Marseille for seniors, which starts at the end of October, is significant. Palma Čargo (21) and Luka Mratović (34) from Split will go with coach Siriščević to collect points that could lead them to the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. What is especially gratifying is that the generations gaining experience in Bol today are of great Croatian hope for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Photos: Roni Marinković / Snimke: Trio Stories

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September 8, 2021 - Organized by the Sailing Club Labud from Split and the Bol windsurfing club Zoo Station Bol, the Open European Junior Windsurfing Championship in the new Olympic class iQ Foil began on Zlatni Rat.

118 competitors from 17 countries are taking part in the regatta, including the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Spain, France, Latvia, Poland, Israel, Slovenia, and others, and Maroje Škoro and Ian Anić are competing for Croatia.

Following the successful organization of the World Windsurfing Championships in July this year, Bol is once again showing its attractive sporting side and will host the young hopes of the World Windsurfing Championships until Sunday September 12 - among whom may be future Olympic winners. Namely, this is one of a series of regattas in which competitors are also preparing to perform at the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.

The iQ foil class was approved in November 2019 by the World Sailing Council as windsurfing equipment at the 2024 Olympic Games in France. So the IQ foil replaced RS: X, which had been the Olympic equipment of choice since Beijing in 2008. It was a big win for Starboard and North sailboard manufacturers, who have been working on innovations for many years and developing equipment that will be equally exciting and suitable for Olympic windsurfing, but also the average recreational surfer.

"Apart from the fact that it's nice to have a competition of this rank in Bol, which has already proven to be a real mecca for windsurfing, and iQFoil could become the only class that unites all surfers - the Olympic community, PWA, and weekend surfers - I'm thrilled to be in this class. We have our young, talented competitors to whom I wish good luck and good wind," says Toni Bulić, one of the two organizers of the competition.

iQFOiL is the result of many years of development of surfing equipment that allows windsurfing from 6 to 35 knots regardless of sea conditions. It is also characteristic of the class that it is standardized - that is, all competitors in the men's and women's competition ride identical equipment. There are three iQFOiL class formats - course, slalom, and marathon - which will all be run in Bol as well, while the competition always ends with a medal race in which the 12 best competitors in each race enter.

On Sunday, September 12, we will watch three separate medal races - in each of the three competition formats - and the final will include four overall best competitors. After the first day, Ian Anić is an excellent fifth in the under-17 category.

Photos: Clive Bevan/Roni Marinković

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