The Invincibles Stumble

The men’s competition has moved into its decisive phase, with the top 22 riders now forming a gold fleet. After Saturday’s racing, only the top ten will qualify for the medal series and today, the pressure began to show, even on the frontrunners.

© IKA media/Robert Hajduk: Mediterranean blue

Such has been the dominance of Max Maeder and Riccardo Pianosi all week that it turned heads when each managed to win only a single race from the four sailed today.

Racing took place in light 7-knot winds, making conditions physically demanding. Riders were working hard to maintain speed in the heat. Dutch rider Duuk Van Hees described the day as “exhausting,” adding, “Everyone’s missing laylines and having to put in extra tacks or pumping to the mark.”
He slipped two places in the standings and now sits just outside the medal series cut in 11th overall .


© IKA media/Robert Hajduk: No margin for errors

For Pianosi, misfortune played a significant role. In Race 1, he was unable to finish after getting entangled in floating plastic. A similar incident occurred in Race 3 during a tight duel with Maeder, but this time he managed to recover and finish sixth. Maeder took the win.
After racing, Pianosi acknowledged the growing threat from the fleet behind: “We’re all very close, so a small error and they’re all over you. There’s no room for mistakes.”


© IKA media/Robert Hajduk: Gian Stragiotti [SUI] ends the day sitting in 3rd

That pressure came early in the day from Brazil’s Lucas Fonseca, who cruised to victory in Race 1. His closest challenger was Czech rider Vojtěch Koska, who was pleased with his day’s work: “Today was pretty nice, even in the lightest conditions of the week. I’m not generally strong in light winds, but today I performed well, so I’m happy.”


© IWSA media/Robert Hajduk: Voitech Koska [CZE] leading Max Maeder [SGP]

Swiss rider Gian Stragiotti also impressed, grabbing a race win and two more finishes inside the top four. With only ten medal series spots available, a tight battle is unfolding mid-fleet where consistency is often key. Karl Maeder proved that, posting three top-seven results to climb into seventh overall. Britain’s Mattia Maini and Poland’s Piotr Szymiec are also hovering near the cut-off.


© IKA media/Robert Hajduk: Ella Geiger [GBR] is a new face in the front of the fleet

In the women’s fleet, there were no surprises at the top. Turkey’s Darin Atakan and Argentina’s Catalina Turienzo split the day’s victories, maintaining their grip on the leaderboard.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Ella Geiger continues to shine, finishing in the top three in all races and consolidating her third-place overall. A semi-final berth on Sunday now looks well within reach, though Geiger remains cautious: “I just try to push the whole time and see what happens,” she said with a smile.


© IKA media/Robert Hajduk: Tight battles in the women's fleet

Further down the women’s standings, the fight for the final medal series spot is heating up. Just five points separate seventh from tenth, with Britain’s Emma Rennie and 15-year-old French rider Tylia Louber tied on points in ninth and tenth.


© IKA media/Robert Hajduk: Calabria Straordinaria

Saturday’s racing will be the last chance for athletes to book their place in the medal series and every point will count. On Sunday, 6 July, the thrilling Golden Ticket Race opens the day—offering one final chance for competitors outside the top 9 to earn their place in the medal series, taking place later that day. The event will conclude with a dazzling prize-giving ceremony, celebrating the youth stars of tomorrow.

Experience the excitement as it unfolds with live race updates, results, and behind-the-scenes features on IKA’s social media channels. Daily media content will also be made available.

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