Sharon Kantor and current world champion Luuc Van Opzeeland win the event, a great warm-up for the World Championship which will be held in January as part of the Lanzarote International Regatta.
The Lanzarote iQFOiL Games finished on a high note in perfect conditions. Winds of between 12 and 15 knots blew for the Medal Series which featured the ten best male and female windsurfers to decide the titles. And the championship honours went to Sharon Kantor and the current world champion of the class, the Dutchman Luuc Van Opzeeland.
The event which is an important regatta on the Olympic windsurfing circuit was organised by Marina Rubicón for the second time this season. Just as the first event in January was a great success, so too was this one, once again highlighting the unique potential as it delivers great conditions and an excellent infrastructure.
The week has seen perfect conditions of wind, sun and waves and the Lanzarote iQFOiL Games has delivered contests across all disciplines – slalom, race course and a demanding marathon in a unique environment between the islands of Lanzarote and Lobos.
Luuc Van Opzeeland, winner of the Lanzarote iQFOiL Games
After the quarter-finals and a semi-final in which the second and third overall placed Frenchman Nicolas Goyard and the Italian Nicolo Renna were eliminated, the Grand Final pitted the leader Luuc Van Opzeeland, Brit Finn Hawkins and the Dane Johan Søe.
The flying Dutchman who has led since the second day of the championship dominated the final showdown. He took the lead at the first buoy and held off his rivals to win ahead of Hawkins, who was second, and Søe who took third place and won the U21 category.
Sharon Kantor wins
There were no surprises in the women’s division of iQFOiL. Of the three sailors who reached the Medal Series Britain’s Emma Wilson was unable to fight for the medals after finishing fourth in the semi-final.
So, leader Sharon Kantor, who went straight through to the Grand Final was up against Tamar Steinberg and Katy Spychakov, who started the day from the quarter-finals and semi-final respectively, battled it out in a thrilling three-way duel.
Kantor once again gave her best and sealed the Canary Islands event with a final partial victory, a result that made her the new winner with a total of nine victories and another three podiums in the 16 events that took place.
Sharon Kantor and Tamar Steinberg also won first and second place in the U21 category.
Podium Women. Lanzarote iQFOiL Games
1. Sharon Kantor
2. Tamar Steinberg
3. Katy Spychakov
… 72 entries
Podium Men. Lanzarote iQFOiL Games
1. Luuc Van Opzeeland
2. Finn Hawkins
3. Johan Søe
… 88 entries
