British windsurfing world champion Andy Brown was left looking for more after the first day of his title defence at the Musto iQFOiL World Championships 2026 in Weymouth & Portland. The Glaswegian ended day one of competition at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy in 36th place, with a race win supported by three 15th-place finishes in four sprint slalom races.
Tricky Conditions on the Water
The men's fleet met tricky conditions, with course officials unable to hold any longer course races, as sailors spent more than four and a half hours on the board. Brown wanted to come out stronger on Tuesday as the preliminary series concludes, deciding who remains in medal contention.
“Tough day, to be honest,” Brown said, “I forgot the elements of getting good results and I couldn’t pull it all together today. So, not the best start, but I didn’t mess it up so much that I can’t come back in the rest of the week. Looking on to tomorrow and hopefully, significantly moving up the ladder.
“I wasn’t quite on it with my positioning, and I left myself a bit too leveraged over one side. I’m going to sail tighter and a bit safer. I found it pretty tricky today and only got one good result out of four, which is not a good ratio after the day. I need to have a full review with the coach tonight and work it out.”
Qualification and Upcoming Races
The top 55 athletes will qualify for the gold fleet in the elimination series, with only competitors in the gold fleet eligible to compete for medals on Saturday 12 September in Weymouth Harbour. One of Brown's 15th place finishes has been discarded after four races, with his worst two races to be discarded by tomorrow evening to decide who has made the cut by overall performance across six results.
Brown raced in four upwind sprint slalom races, taking around 5 minutes to finish, but four longer course races are due for Tuesday. The course races, which last around 15 minutes and are a physical challenge for sailors, were unable to take place during the opening day due to shifting wind direction and speed.
Finale and Fan Zone
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 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 at 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.
