Balearic assault on the Spanish Techno 293 and youth iQFOiL Championship

The Spanish Techno 293 and youth iQFOiL Championship brings together 81 sailors from six autonomous communities on the Canary Island.

Up to eight Spanish windsurfing championship titles, including two team titles, will be at stake this weekend on the Canary Island of La Palma, host of the 2026 Spanish Championship for the Techno 293 and youth iQFOiL classes.

A total of 81 sailors from six autonomous communities are taking part in the regatta, organised by the Royal Canary Sailing Federation on behalf of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation, with the support of the Island Council through its Department of Sports, the Government of the Canary Islands, and sponsorship from Grupo Armas Trasmediterránea.

With the sailors already in La Palma and training for several days in the waters where the event will be held, equipment measurement and participant registration procedures were carried out this Wednesday in the large 40-by-20-metre marquee, open to the Atlantic, which will serve as the event’s operations centre.

Everything is ready, then, for racing on the water to begin today, Thursday 30th of April, with the participation of the best young and junior specialists on the national scene. Among the sailors already on the waters off the island’s capital are the reigning Techno 293 under-15 world champions: Canary Islander Cristina Iglesias and Balearic sailor Joshua Castro.

The largest team is from Andalusia, with 22 sailors. They are followed by the Valencian Community with 20 athletes, the Balearic Islands with 19, Catalonia with 10, the Canary Islands with 8, and Galicia with 2 representatives.

It is worth noting that the 19 Balearic athletes come from the following clubs in the islands: Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita, Club Nàutic s’Arenal, and Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa.

The La Palma regatta completes the classification process, together with the Spanish Cup, held in February in Cádiz, to select the national representatives for the European Championship of the Techno 293 and Techno 293 Plus classes, which will take place in Sopot, Poland, in July.

In addition to six individual titles across the different categories, the Spanish team champions by autonomous community will also be decided this weekend in both the Techno 293 and iQFOiL classes.

Twelve races have been scheduled for the Techno class and 20 for iQFOiL over four days of competition. Two racecourses will be set up off the beach of the island’s capital, allowing spectators to watch the competition from the shore or from one of the city’s viewpoints.

The official opening of the event was held yesterday afternoon, Wednesday 29 April, at Palacio Salazar, a 17th-century mansion that forms part of the history of this Atlantic, volcanic and seafaring island which, thanks to the support of its Island Council, now aims to play a role in modern competitive sailing as well. Accordingly, the 2027 and 2028 Youth Sailing World Championships, as well as the 2027 European Championship for the Olympic Nacra 17, 49er and 49er FX classes, which could serve as a qualifier for the Los Angeles 2028 Games, will take place in La Palma.