Fiona Wylde Wins US iQFoil National Championships
Rising West Coast iQFoil competitor Fiona Wylde has won the three-day iQFoil National Championships in Clearwater, Florida. Michelle Slade profiled her rise from SUP champion to competitive board foiling in our July issue.
Wylde, from Hood River, OR, recognized how great it was to have all the 8Ms [women and youth division] sailing together. “The fleet was very fast and strategic. My two race wins demonstrated how I am advancing in the class.”
Wylde is no rookie to competition. Originally a standup paddleboarder, she’s a two-time ICF Standup Paddle Board World Champion, won the 2021 European Championship tour, and a week ago won the 2021 Wingfoil Racing World Cup. Having jumped into the iQ class just a year ago, Fiona notes, “This event was the first time I felt really comfortable sailing the iQFoil gear and managing the racecourse.”
US Sailing reports, racing was tight throughout the event for both the men’s and women’s disciplines. It was a battle on the start line and provided a spectacular show for spectators, coaches, event organizers and race officials. Of the competitors racing in Clearwater, a majority were under 20 years old, an inspiring look toward the future of the new Olympic discipline, windsurfing, and foiling in the US.
Wylde is training hard to win a berth representing the US in the iQFoil class in the 2024 Olympics in France. You can see complete results here.