Suffolk windsurfer Matt Barton believes he is in the mix to make the top fleet after a strong first day at the Musto iQFOiL World Championships 2026 in Weymouth & Portland.
The Ipswich-local concluded the opening day of racing in 26th place with two top 10 finishes in seventh and fifth, with his 11th place performance the last result that has counted before the start of day two.
The men’s fleet raced four upwind slalom sprint races in Weymouth Bay in shifty conditions, with course officials ruling out any opportunity of longer course races, which will now take place on Tuesday 8 September.
With competitors due to face rain showers on the second day of the preliminary series, Barton is looking forward to the challenge with confidence in his sail.
Barton has set himself well to make the gold fleet ahead of the final day of the preliminary series.
Barton is fighting to make the top 55 sailors in the top group who will have the opportunity to qualify for the medal finals.
“Quite a long day in the end,” Barton said, “with it being split fleets, just trying to keep the points as consistent as possible.
“I feel like I have put myself in a position to have every opportunity to be in and around the medal race positions.
“Every day is going to pose different challenges and it’s all about managing the risk and trying to put together the best series.
“It was a solid day with three reasonably good results and a discard, so I’m fully in the mix. I saw the forecast and it looked like it was going to be windy, but it was quite cloud driven.
“The wind didn’t come through as we expected but the race committee did a good job getting all the races in.
"It was super hard to stay switched on at the right moment. We’ve got some great support from the British Sailing Team helping us out with our nutrition."
All the action is building towards the finale on Saturday, with a Fan Zone at Weymouth Pavilion bringing windsurfing to locals, who will be able to watch the medal races for free.
The elimination series groups will be decided by Tuesday evening, with gold fleet sailors eligible to qualify for the medal finals on Saturday through Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
The Musto iQFOiL World Championships 2026 are taking place from 7-12 September. Get closer to the action on the final day by visiting the Fan Zone on Weymouth Pavilion to enjoy a full day of live racing, big-screen coverage, music, family activities, food and opportunities to get out on the water. Find out more at rya.org.uk
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