Wimbledon windsurfer Will Ziegler 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.
Ziegler ended the opening day of racing in 44th place in the ladder with a fifth-place result supported by finishes in 13th place and 19th place, his final race, ending up in 35th place, likely to be discarded as one of his two worst races by the end of the preliminary series.
The men’s fleet raced four upwind slalom sprint races in Weymouth Bay in shifty conditions, with officials ruling out any opportunity of longer course races, which will now take place on Tuesday 8 September.
Ziegler has set himself well to make the gold fleet ahead of the final day of the preliminary series, with the top 55 sailors making the top group which will have the opportunity to qualify for the medal finals.
With competitors due to face rain showers on the second day of the preliminary series, Ziegler wants to cut out mistakes and keep the momentum going at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy.
“The first two races were nice, and then I think I got a bit tired, my second two races weren’t the best, but it was a good day,” Ziegler said.
“It wasn’t that the conditions were difficult, it was hard to know what you would get and what your best strategy was – it was varied.
“There’d be some starts where the left side would come out stronger when we were racing. The conditions were nice for sailing, but it was sometimes hard to know what best to do.
“I was putting in good work rate, so it would be good to do that again. I was sometimes slacking out and making a few silly decisions, so I’m trying to cut those out.”
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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