The orange heat warning disrupts the second day of the IQFoil Youth and Junior World Champs

After an action-packed opening day, competitors at the 2026 iQFOiL Youth & Junior World Championships were forced to remain ashore on Sunday as challenging wind conditions prevented any racing from taking place at Club de Vela La Ballena Alegre.

The championship, which has attracted almost 400 athletes from 36 nations, enjoyed another day of brilliant sunshine on the Costa Brava, but the weather presented a different kind of challenge. Air temperatures climbed to 37°C, with even higher values recorded inland, prompting the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) to maintain an Orange Heat Warning for the region.

Throughout the day, athletes, coaches and officials paid particular attention to hydration and heat management, both on and off the water, as the fleet waited for suitable racing conditions.

The wind proved equally difficult to work with. It shifted repeatedly between 045 degrees (north-east) and 120–140 degrees (east-south-east), making it impossible for a stable racecourse to be established. The Race Committee remained on station throughout the day, closely monitoring the evolving conditions and making several adjustments in the hope of launching racing, but the constantly changing direction and unstable pressure ultimately prevented any races from being completed.

While the fleet may have been left waiting, the atmosphere around the venue remained positive, with sailors taking advantage of the down time to recover from the extreme heat, prepare equipment and analyze the opening day's performances.

Thus, after the only race day held on Saturday, July 4th, Jorge Ruiz, from the Club Nàutic s’Arenal, remains in fifth place in the boys’ U19 category.

On the other hand, his clubmate Enric Patiño stood out in the boys’ U17 category, where three Upwind Sprint races were completed. After the heats, the Mallorcan athlete shares the provisional lead with František Burda (CZE), Gonzalo Ruiz Méndez (ESP), Swann Manhaval (FRA), Moritz Schleicher (GER), and Luca Pacchiotti (ITA).

With only one day of racing completed so far, the provisional leaders remain unchanged. The competition remains wide open across all four fleets as the championship heads into its third day.