Inaugural X-15 World Championships draw to a successful close in Ibiza

Leo Zabell wins bronze in the under-19 men’s fleet, with Berta Campos, Ancor Sosa and Maksym Oberemo also finishing in the top ten for Spain in the world championship divisions.

From the 4th to the 8th of November, Ibiza hosted the first World Championships for the X-15, a one-design wingfoil class of interest to the Spanish Royal Sailing Federation. The event brought together 107 riders from 24 countries, with four Spanish riders finishing in the top ten in the world championship divisions. Leo Zabell led the Spanish results with bronze in the under-19 men’s fleet.

Club Mare Nostrum organised the championships from its event base at Port Nàutic de Ibiza. Light winds limited opportunities for racing throughout the event.

The opening races took place off Ibiza Town in around 10 knots of breeze, which gradually eased as the day wore on. A sheltered starting area made it particularly difficult for riders to get off the line. The senior fleets completed two races and the youth fleets one.

The breeze filled in on the afternoon of Sunday the 8th of November, allowing the youth fleets to race again. For the senior fleets, the opening day’s results stood as the final standings.

Spain’s Leo Zabell (CNM Benalmádena) climbed into the medals over the three youth races on the final day. After opening with a ninth place, he finished third, fifth and seventh on Sunday. He was able to discard his opening result and finish on 15 points, one point clear of Poland’s Antoni Lutomski in fourth.

Holland Vierling of the United States won all four races to claim the under-19 men’s title, with France’s Baptiste Loire taking silver.

In the senior fleets, Berta Campos finished fifth in the women’s division. Ancor Sosa, from the Canary Islands, and Maksym Oberemo (RCN de La Línea) finished seventh and eighth respectively in the men’s division.

Alongside the five world titles, the championships also recognised riders in other divisions and brought promising young riders together with experienced competitors to race on the same course and exchange ideas about their equipment. Spain’s Martín Medina (RC El Candado) took third place in the under-17 division after finishing 14th overall in the combined under-19 and under-17 fleet.

The X-15 is a World Sailing-recognised wingfoil class that uses standardised equipment to give riders a level playing field. The class rules allow for equipment updates roughly every two years to keep pace with advances in foiling technology.

Ibiza thus hosted the class’s first world championships, with riders from around the world competing in both the senior and youth fleets.