What is an iQFOiL in Olympic sailing?

Meet iQFOiL: the windsurfing class at the Olympics.

The new equipment will make its debut at Paris 2024, bringing with it higher speeds and an innovative finals format.

Here’s a guide for what to expect from the iQFOiL racing at Marseille Marina.

What is iQFOiL?

A combination of sailing and surfing, windsurfing has been part of the Olympics since 1984 for men and 1992 for women.

Different equipment has been used over the years, including Windglider, Lechner, Mistral and RS:X.

iQFOiL is replacing RS:X as the Olympic windsurfing equipment for Paris 2024.

How does iQFOiL work?

Instead of floating, the iQFOiL appears to fly due to the use of similar physics to an aeroplane. The RS:X daggerboard is replaced by hydrofoils attached to the bottom of the board that lift it out of the water.

The iQFOiL is a lot quicker than the RS:X, reaching starting speeds of 25km/h compared to the previous 5km/h. The board is also wider and shorter, meaning racers can take a more direct route to the mark.

Who are the previous Olympic medallists?

Women

Tokyo 2020, RS:X women: Gold – Lu Yunxiu (China), Silver – Charline Picon (France), Bronze – Emma Wilson (Great Britain)

Rio 2016, RS:X women: Gold – Charline Picon (France), Silver – Chen Peina (China), Bronze – Stefania Elfutina (Russia)

London 2012, RS:X women: Gold – Marina Alabau (Spain), Silver – Tuuli Petaja (Finland), Bronze – Zofia Klepacka (Poland)

Men

Tokyo 2020, RS:X men: Gold – Kiran Badloe (Netherlands), Silver – Thomas Goyard (France), Bronze – Bi Kun (China)

Rio 2016, RS:X men: Gold – Dorian van Rijsselberghe (Netherlands), Silver – Nick Dempsey (Great Britain), Bronze – Pierre Le Coq (France)

London 2012, RS:X men: Gold – Dorian van Rijsselberghe (Netherlands), Silver – Nick Dempsey (Great Britain), Bronze – Przemysław Miarczyński (Poland)

 

Who are the top athletes in iQFOiL?

At February’s World Championships in Lanzarote, Italy’s Nicolo Renna won gold in the men’s event and Sharon Kantor of Israel claimed victory in the women’s event.

This came after Luuc van Opzeeland (Netherlands) and Shahar Tibi (Israel) won the titles at the 2023 Allianz Sailing World Championships.

When is the iQFOiL event at Paris 2024?

iQFOiL racing begins on Sunday 28 July and concludes on Friday 2 August.