What is the iQFOiL?

iQFOiL is the high-speed, high-adrenaline evolution of Olympic windsurfing.

Using hydrofoil technology, iQFOiL boards lift clear of the water – even in lighter wind conditions – dramatically reducing drag and allowing riders to fly across the waves at speeds of up to 35kts (65kph).

Introduced by World Sailing as the new Olympic windsurfing equipment for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games cycle, iQFOiL replaced the long-running RS:X class after Tokyo 2020 to deliver faster, more dynamic and more spectator-friendly racing.

The British Sailing Team has quickly established itself as a force in the class, building on a proud Olympic windsurfing legacy which has seen British athletes winning medals at each of the last six Games, including at the iQFOiL’s Olympic debut at Paris where Emma Wilson won her second bronze.

Emma and Andy Brown will be out to defend their respective 2025 World Championship titles on their home waters this year.

About the racing

Men and women compete with identical boards, foils and a 4.9m mast, but use different sail sizes - 8 sq m for men and 7.3 sq m for women.

It’s a hugely physically demanding class, with athletes taking on a range of race formats – from stamina-busting marathon races, to tactical course racing, to short, intense slalom sprints and as many as six races in a day.

At the end of a five-day opening series, the ten best riders in each of the men’s and women’s events will compete in a knockout Medal Series for their shot at the podium.

Fast, fearless and relentlessly exciting, iQFOiL is writing a thrilling new chapter for Olympic windsurfing.

The 2026 Worlds is the first time the UK has hosted a major championship in the class, and the first World Championship on UK waters in an Olympic windsurfing discipline since 2009.

Get ready as the British Sailing Team prepares to take on the world on home waters!