2026 Citroen Worldcup PWA Grandslam Sylt, Sept 25 - Okt 04

Men’s Freestyle world title on the line, while Men’s Foil Slalom, Wave and Women’s Wave fleets all prepare for battle over next nine days

Between the 25th September and 4th October the biggest windsurfing event of the year will once again take place at the 2026 Citroën Windsurf World Cup. Over the next nine days (first day is just a registration day) the Men’s Freestyle world champion will be decided, while the Men’s Foil Slalom fleet will begin their campaign and the Men’s and Women’s wave fleets line up for their next battle of the season.

When it comes to delivering the widest range of conditions imaginable, Sylt certainly never disappoints as you never quite know what you are going to get on this unique island. In strong onshore winds, a colossal shore break develops - ready to crush the hopes of any unsuspecting competitors - along with powerful waves of up to three or four meters in size, which can provide amazing, but extremely challenging, wave sailing conditions, whilst also posing a stern test for the slalom and freestyle fleets. On the other hand, Sylt can also produce great racing and freestyle conditions, when offshore winds, which are currently forecast, grace the island with their presence, although it can then be bitterly cold.

Sylt's ominous shorebreak last year

Men’s

Freestyle

Reigning event champion Lennart Neubauer (Starboard / Severne Sails) enters Sylt with the world title race lead having won a tightly contested battle in Fuerteventura against Yentel Caers (JP / NeilPryde) in July. Neubauer was superb here last year as he recorded over 40 points in every heat he sailed in to really raise the bar for competition Freestyle. The 22-year-old is extremely composed and said recently that he’s not thinking about winning the world title, but is aiming to break the 40 point barrier in every heat again. If he does just that then he will be incredibly difficult to beat. Neubauer arrived early in Sylt to prepare for the event and has won here in 2023 and 2025, so you wouldn’t bet against him winning here again.

However, current world champion Caers will have something to say about that, and statistically speaking, you’d have to say it will be one of these two sailors lifting the 2026 Freestyle PWA world title given that they have won every event between them since 2023. Caers has had a solid track record in Sylt recently, but it’s still somewhere the Belgian is yet to win, so he might have to change that over the next nine days to earn a fourth world crown.

Lennart Neubauer in the hunt for a second world title

While all eyes will be on the battle for the world title the current top two are still going to be made to work incredibly hard for that opportunity as the Freestyle level continues to go through the roof, so don’t be surprised to see Balz Müller (Severne Windsurfing) pushing for another podium after earning his maiden podium on the World Tour in Fuerte. Meanwhile, Jacopo Testa (GUNSAILS / AL360) is always a major threat wherever he sails and could play a pivotal role in deciding where the title eventually ends up.

Meanwhile, the likes of Japanese shredders Takumi Moriya (Severne Windsurfing) and Takuma Sugi will be pushing for the top five and beyond, while the Belgian duo of Steven Van Broeckhoven (GUNSAILS) and Dieter Van der Eyken (Severne Windsurfing) are never too far from the thick of the action.

Also keep an eye out for Sam Esteve (JP / NeilPryde) who finished sixth in Fuerte and Bonaire’s Youp Schmit (Flikka / HeyYou Sails). As we saw in Fuerte, the level is currently insane throughout the fleet, so don’t be surprised to see someone produce a breakthrough performance.

Dieter Van der Eyken

Foil Slalom

Life on NeilPryde couldn’t have begun much better for Matteo Iachino (Starboard / NeilPryde / Z Foils) with the Italian claiming his fourth PWA world title, and fifth overall, in Fuerteventura. With one world title already in the bag for 2026, the 37-year-old is now set to begin his Foil Slalom world title defence here. Iachino hasn’t finished outside the top three here since 2022, but ideally he’ll be looking to add an event victory to his sole success here from 2016, before heading to Japan for the decider at the end of October.

Pierre Mortefon (FMX Racing / North Sails) will be eager to regain his Foil Slalom world crown from 2024 - especially after relinquishing the Slalom X world title for the first time since its inception earlier this summer. The Frenchman pushed the Slalom X world title race into a decider after really raising his level on the last day, but just missed out in the end. If Mortefon can hit the water running, and not lose early ground like in Fuerteventura, he is very much a contender for the event title like normal.

However, it’s Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / North Sails / Z Foils) who comes into Sylt with the world title race lead having won the IFCA European Championships in St. Peter-Ording in July. Vrieswijk finished the event there with a perfect points score after winning four eliminations in a row. The Bonairean previously won here in 2022 and ’23 and you wouldn’t bet against him making it three as he looks to win his first racing world title.

Elsewhere the usual suspects of Maciek Rutkowski (JP / NeilPryde), who produced an unbelievable come back in Fuerteventura to secure third in Slalom X will be hoping to make things a bit easier on himself this time round, flying Dutchman Jordy Vonk (Duotone Windsurfing), the French quintet of William Huppert (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils) - 5th overall in 2025 - Alexis Mathis - fourth in St. Peter-Ording, Benoit Merceur (Starboard / Severne Sails), Pierre Macquaert (JP / NeilPryde) and Cedric Bordes (Severne Windsurfing) will all be hoping to be in the mix.

Racing last year in Sylt

Home Hopes

The locals in Germany always love to get behind their home sailors and it’s likely their best hopes for victory, in the racing at least, will come from either Nico Prien (JP / NeilPryde), who finished fifth in Slalom X in Fuerte and has already won the Defi Wind this year, and Fabian Wolf (Starboard / Severne Sails), who finished second in St. Peter-Ording.

Nico Prien

Other sailors to keep an eye out for include Greece’s John Soukos (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails / PATRIK Foils), who completed the podium at the IFCA Europeans, Italy’s Bruno Martini (S2Maui / Z Foils), the UK’s Scotty Stallman, the Dutch duo of Sem Stroosma and Bob van de Burgt (FMX Racing / Point-7) and Denmark’s Noah Vinther (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils).

Bob van de Burgt

Wave

Women’s

Lina Erpenstein (Severne Windsurfing) is in pole position heading into her home event having recorded her best result of the season thus far in Tenerife - second. The German revealed recently that she’s feeling back to her best and a fully fit Erpenstein is a serious threat for the top spot here as she’s never one to shy away from hitting Sylt’s heavy shore break.

Lina Erpenstein

The big news just before the start of the event is that reigning world champion Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde) has unfortunately been forced to withdraw from the event after injuring her foot and now faces a race against time to see if she will be fit for both Maui and Chile. Everyone from the PWA wishes SQ all the best with her recovery.

Sol Degrieck (Severne Windsurfing) earned her first victory on the World Tour here last year and the rising star enters this year’s event on the back of earning her second win having just claimed the top spot at the 4-star Wissant Wave Classic, so the 16-year-old will be full of confidence and should very much be in contention again here.

Sol Degrieck looking to defend her event title

Maria Behrens (Duotone Windsurfing) is another big home hope here with the German currently ranked second in the overalls, while she has previously podiumed here.

Meanwhile, Marine Hunter (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing) will be hoping to add to her victory here from 2023. Hunter won in Maui at the start of the year and a second victory of the season would propel her firmly into the world title race conversation.

Elsewhere, keep an eye out for Pauline Katz (Severne Windsurfing) and Justyna Sniady (Flikka / North Sails), both of whom are more than capable of challenging for the podium and beyond.

Justyna Sniady evades Sylt's jaws

Men’s

Marc Paré (Simmer / Simmer Sails / MFC) and Philip Köster’s (Severne Windsurfing) rivalry continues to intensify as the two world title contenders continue to exchange blows. Paré came out on top at the recent Wissant Wave Classic, while Köster had to settle for second place, which is the third consecutive event that they have traded places in the top two. Crucially, Paré’s victory in France gives him a slender advantage heading into Sylt as they were previously tied on points before.

The reigning world champion is also looking to complete a double hat-trick over the next nine days. The Spaniard has won the last two editions in Sylt, while he comes into the event on the back of victories in both Tenerife and Wissant, so another victory here would not only be one for the history books, but would also put him firmly in charge of his world title defence.

Marc Paré will be looking to complete a double hat-trick

For Köster, the German remains right on the heels of Paré, but he’ll be desperate not to lose any more ground to his Spanish rival with every point now being crucial. Köster will be buoyed by the home crowd and will be hoping to record his first win here since 2022.

Philip Köster

Things might not be going quite the way of Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing / MFC) in the opening half of the season, but the Brazilian still enters Sylt third in the overalls and is still very much in the world title race conversation. Browne, who won three Wave world titles in a row between 2022-24, possesses a wealth of experience and is always thoroughly prepared for whatever Sylt may throw at him - so you can expect to see him challenging for top honours again here as he looks to make a push into the business end of the season.

Bernd Roediger (Flikka) is also still in touch for the world title as the World No.4, but isn’t competing in Sylt.

Marcilio Browne

A little further back are the likes of Antoine Martin (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing / MFC), Liam Dunkerbeck (Duotone Windsurfing), Takuma Sugi, Morgan Noireaux (JP / NeilPryde), Arthur Arutkin (Flikka / GUNSAILS) and Victor Fernandez (Duotone Windsurfing), who are currently 5th-10th respectively.

Other major names to keep an eye out for include Miguel Chapuis (Flikka / North Sails), who finished third here in last year’s gnarly conditions, Marino Gil (JP / NeilPryde), Alessio Stillrich (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails), Dieter Van der Eyken (Severne Windsurfing), Moritz Mauch (Simmer / Simmer Sails) and Lennart Neubauer (Starboard / Severne Sails), who will be looking to replicate his form from Tenerife where he finished fourth.

Miguel Chapuis

The opening day of this year’s event will be reserved purely for registration, while the official contest will start from Saturday 26th September. Please note that while live streaming will be available for the event, this will start from Monday, though there will still be live ticker coverage and daily highlight videos if any competition takes place.

You can stay up to date with all the latest developments from Sylt — including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply by clicking HERE and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

Waterspeed - Global Windsurfer Quest

From June until December, every kilometre you log on the Waterspeed app adds to your position on one global leaderboard — the Global Windsurfer Quest has been developed between Waterspeed and the PWA to bring the entire windsurfing community together. Click the button below to register and record one session before the end of the Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam to get your chance to win a lycra signed by the winners.

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With the wind failing to play ball we caught up with the mind behind Hey You, Youp Schmit, to find out more about his new venture

The wind teased the race fleet first thing this morning on the opening day of the 2026 Citroën Windsurf World Cup, but despite several sailors making it out on to the water it soon dropped below the minimum threshold of 6-9 knots and continued to deteriorate from there, so we will have to wait for the first official results of this edition.

Marginal conditions on the opening day early on

With plenty of downtime we managed to catch up with Youp Schmit (Flikka / Hey You), who recently started his own custom-made sail company to find out more about his new venture:

Hey You Head Honcho, Youp Schmit

PWA: Hey Youp, you recently started your own sail brand, Hey You. Can you tell us a little bit about the brand and how you originally got into sailmaking?

YS: “Hey You is a custom-made sail brand based in Bonaire. I’m the sailmaker and sail designer. I’ve always had an eye for R&D and development in windsurfing, and that’s how I eventually grew into starting Hey You sails.”

PWA: In terms of making your own sails, do you have a sail loft and cut everything by hand, or how does it work?

YS: “It all originally started in the repair shop I own on Bonaire, Hey You Surf & Marine Repair Shop. I repair huge catamaran sails and do all kinds of upholstery and sail repairs on boats, as well as windsurfing, kitesurfing and winging equipment. Basically, everything that goes onto the water.

Having the space and the loft gave me the opportunity to start experimenting. I thought, “Let’s try something myself,” together with some of the Bonaire riders such as Kiri [Thode] and Björn Saragoza and all the others. Getting feedback from them is the key of building a great sail.

That’s how I developed my first prototype. I started testing it on Bonaire, and eventually I had the guts to start my own brand and build custom-made sails here in Bonaire.”

PWA: In terms of materials, what are you using for your sails?

YS: “Coming from the sailing world as well, I’ve had the opportunity to work with and test a lot of different materials. I’m also very close to some sail lofts around the world that build high-performance sails for SailGP, the Olympics and other sailing competitions.

By spending time in those lofts, I’ve been able to see what they’re doing, learn from them and experiment with some of the materials they use.

Right now, the bottom panel of my freestyle sails is made from one of the lightest materials I’ve ever worked with, and I combine that with monofilm, which we commonly use in windsurfing sails. The result is an extremely light freestyle sail.”

PWA: Do you know roughly what the weight is?

YS: “It depends on the sail size, of course, but my 4.8 is 2.6kg. I’ve built some even lighter than that, but I’ve also had to make sure the construction is strong enough to last.

That’s the balance I’m trying to find: making the sail light enough to work perfectly in the light winds we have in Bonaire, where you want a very light and early planing sail, while also making it strong enough for conditions like Fuerteventura or Sylt.

I’ve just been trying to find that balance, and it’s been so much fun.”

PWA: And what is the most rewarding part about making your own sails and launching your own brand?

YS: “The most rewarding part is riding on the water and feeling really good with what I have in my hands. I’m very comfortable with what I’ve built.

And when I’m not happy with something, I can bring the sail straight back to my loft, adjust it and tune it to exactly what I want to feel. Being able to change those details myself and keep developing the sail has been the most rewarding part of it all.”

PWA: From start to finish, how long does it take you to make a sail?

YS: “It used to take me a few weeks, but now I can make one in two to three days. It’s still quite a lot of labour because every sail is custom made not only for me, but for each individual rider.

If someone is taller or heavier, for example, I can raise the boom position or adjust other parts of the sail. Some people prefer a taller sail, while others like something more compact. I can really adapt each sail to the individual rider.”

PWA: Do you have an overall goal in mind for Hey You, or are you just taking it as it comes?

YS: “The main thing is to keep having fun with it and not let the business take over too much. My goal is still to be on the water as much as possible and keep enjoying what I’m doing.”

PWA: At the moment you're mainly making freestyle sails?

YS: “At the moment I’m mainly building high-performance freestyle sails, but I also make beginner sails, which are being used by local surf schools such as Bonaire Windsurf Place and Frans Paradise.

I’m also working on a freeride sail, and something is cooking in the wave area too. I’ll be developing some more sails next year, and for the wave range I’m looking at collaborating with another wave rider from the Caribbean. I think together we can build a really cool wave sail.”

PWA: Are your sails available for the general public to buy?

YS: “Yes. You can find me at https://click-1472522.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?…c536351c079e656. Everything is custom-made, so you get in contact with me, tell me what you’re looking for, what colours you like, and we take it from there.

Normally, an order takes around three weeks. Once the sail is ordered, I can build it in Bonaire within about a week, and then shipping takes a couple of weeks. We can ship worldwide.”

PWA: Great, thanks Youp. Is there anything else you would like to mention?

YS: “No, this was really cool, man. I really appreciate the recognition, and I’m proud to do this interview.”

PWA: Perfect. Thanks again, Youp. Good luck in freestyle and with Hey You.

The forecast for Sunday looks more promising 12-18 knots predicted during the morning, which is predicted to increase to 15-25 knots as the day progresses, which means we will either hopefully see the start of the Freestyle - where the Men’s world title is at stake - or the first races of the event completed.

Skippers’ Meeting Times (GMT+2)

Freestyle 10am - first possible start 10:30am.

Foil Slalom 10:30am - first possible start 11:30am.

You can stay up to date with all the latest developments from Sylt — including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply by clicking HERE and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

11 years on from winning the Freestyle world title, Dieter Van der Eyken qualified for his first Winners’ Final since - we caught up with the Belgian to find out more about yesterday

They say Freestyle is a young man’s game, and Dieter Van der Eyken (Severne Windsurfing) is by no means old, but he is still a veteran on the Freestyle World Tour having made his debut in 2010. The 34-year-old, who is now the Chairman of the PWA, has a wise head on his shoulders and drew upon all of his experience to excel in yesterday’s tricky conditions. In such conditions, Van der Eyken is calm, calculated and consistent, which always makes him a major threat.

Dieter Van der Eyken finds top form

Hey Dieter, congrats on making the final, if I'm not wrong that's your first Winners' Final since you won your world title in 2015? How does that feel?

“Yep, this is the first Winners' Final since 2015 for me. To be honest, it feels pretty unreal. I’ve had a few events where I passed the quarterfinals, but then always just missed out on the Winners' Final. It’s been 11 years, and I’ve missed out on a few podiums since then. It felt like a good chance to make a Winners' Final again on a special day, and I just really gave it all in that semifinal. The conditions were tricky, and when it’s tricky, it levels out the playing field a bit. I did face the lightest guy in the event [Takumi Moriya], but I made it work, got around it, and was super happy with my sailing in general.”

How was yesterday on the whole for you?

“I think it was good for me. I was quite motivated to go out and try. I was actually the first guy on the water—not to push or rush to get started, but because the freestylers were given priority over the slalom sailors, and I thought it was fair enough to go out there and test the conditions, as it was very hard to see from the beach. That helped me a lot in knowing where to sail and where not to sail, and understanding how the conditions were. Straight from the warm-up, I felt quite good with my sailing, which is always a nice confidence boost. From then on, I literally took it heat by heat.”

Particularly in the semifinal against Takumi the wind was super light - do you like competing when it gets quite technical in those conditions?

“Yeah, I really liked the tactical side of chasing the gusts. It takes some energy out of you, but for me, it almost gave me energy because it added another dimension to sailing the heat and made it trickier for everyone. When it gets technical — yes, I love it.”

What gear were you on yesterday?

“Gear wise yesterday I was on the same setup the whole time: my Severne Freek 4.8m and the 94L Psycho. I lost some weight since last year, so at 74 kg, it was the right choice. By the end, it was sometimes a bit too light—especially in the last heat—but overall it felt good. I could maximise the gusts; the gusts were more than strong enough, you just needed to be agile, I was very happy with that."

Which heat do you think your best performance was?

“The first heat was probably my best scoring heat because I managed to land a double culo, but overall I was really happy with all my heats. The last heat was still quite special because of what was on the line, and in those conditions, I definitely sailed to the absolute maximum of what was possible. I tried to mix it up every heat and did some tricks I haven’t done in a long time. Every heat was great—none really sticks out above the rest, except maybe nailing some chachoos again in a competition: one against Jacopo [Testa], and one in the last heat right into the sunset, which was pretty nice.”

Van der Eyken mid chachoo

Looking at the forecast - how do you rate the chances of being able to finish the Freestyle?

“I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to finish the freestyle; I'm very positive about it. Just waiting in the final is a nice spot to be in. Whether we finish a double elimination or not, we’ll have to see. I think there’s a chance tomorrow [Tuesday], and if not, on Wednesday. With the drone judging and the forecast we have, we should be able to finish. Let’s see whether I meet 'Crazy Balz' [Balz Müller] or 'Competition Machine 2.0' Lennart Neubauer, and we’ll take it from there.

No matter what, it’s already a podium for me for the first time in 11 years. After everything I’ve been through this year, it feels very, very nice to put together a session and a competition like this—and always remember to fight until the red flag, just like my mum did.”

Thanks, Dieter. Congrats on a great day yesterday, your mum would be incredibly proud of you, and fingers crossed the wind comes through to finish the Freestyle.

The forecast for Tuesday is much better than today with 14-21 knots easterly winds currently predicted. With a bit of luck that will either see the Freestyle completed, or the racing get underway. The Foil Slalom fleet will have their skippers' meeting at 10am (GMT+2) with a first possible start at 11am.

You can stay up to date with all the latest developments from Sylt — including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply by clicking HERE and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

Fabian Wolf enjoys dream start after winning two out of first three opening eliminations to lead home event by 0.6 of a point ahead of Matteo Iachino

The forecast for Day 4 of the 2026 Citroën Windsurf World Cup Sylt always looked promising, and thankfully it delivered, with 10-20 knots on offer for most of the afternoon, which saw the majority of the racers reaching for their medium equipment. Throughout the afternoon there was some great racing and the home crowd really got behind Fabian Wolf (Starboard / Severne Sails / AEON Foil System) with the German winning two out of the opening three eliminations to cap by far his best day on the World Tour thus far.

Fabian Wolf won his first two races on the World Tour

Foil Slalom

Fabian Wolf enjoyed a dream start in Sylt as the German won two out of the first three eliminations—much to the delight of the local German crowd—to lead the event at the close of play. Wolf sounded confident before the start of the event and backed it up with an excellent performance to claim his first bullets on the World Tour. The 28-year-old looked incredibly quick in a straight line while showing the composure needed to take advantage of his speed, holding off reigning world champion Matteo Iachino (Starboard / NeilPryde / Z Foils), who he has been training with, on a couple of occasions.

Fabian Wolf sets the pace on the opening day

Iachino sailed incredibly consistently - recording three second place finishes and is prominently placed to mount an attack over the remainder of the event. The Italian is just 0.6 of a point off of the top after the first three races and doesn’t look like putting a foot wrong right now.

Matteo Iachino was as solid as ever

Pierre Mortefon (FMX Racing / North Sails) slipped under the radar a little bit today, but the Frenchman still completes the top three at the end of the first day of racing after two third places and a sixth.

Pierre Mortefon slipped somewhat under the radar, but is still third after the opening day of racing

Meanwhile, it may feel like a slightly missed opportunity for Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / North Sails / Z Foils) as the Bonairean clearly has the top speed to be fighting it out for the event victory. The Bonairean was leading the first elimination Winners’ Final, but hit something in the water on the entry to the first gybe to eventually finish seventh. Vrieswijk then recovered with a brilliant bullet in the second, before ‘only' managing to finish sixth in the third elimination after the opening attempt was cancelled due to a General Recall when he was battling for the lead into the first buoy. The 30-year-old is still fourth, but would need some more bullets to reel in Wolf and Iachino.

Amado Vrieswijk catapults whilst leading the opening Winners' Final

Meanwhile, it may feel like a slightly missed opportunity for Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / North Sails / Z Foils) as the Bonairean clearly has the top speed to be fighting it out for the event victory. The Bonairean was leading the first elimination Winners’ Final, but hit something in the water on the entry to the first gybe to eventually finish seventh. Vrieswijk then recovered with a brilliant bullet in the second, before ‘only' managing to finish sixth in the third elimination after the opening attempt was cancelled due to a General Recall when he was battling for the lead into the first buoy. The 30-year-old is still fourth, but would need some more bullets to reel in Wolf and Iachino.

Amado Vrieswijk catapults whilst leading the opening Winners' Final

John Soukos (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails / AEON Foil System) enjoyed arguably his best day to date at a 5-star event after finishing fourth, fifth and seventh in the opening three eliminations. The Greek is ranked fifth at the end of the first day of racing and is just four points off of third.

John Soukos in the game after the first three eliminations

John Soukos (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails / AEON Foil System) enjoyed arguably his best day to date at a 5-star event after finishing fourth, fifth and seventh in the opening three eliminations. The Greek is ranked fifth at the end of the first day of racing and is just four points off of third.

John Soukos in the game after the first three eliminations

The top ten is currently completed by debutant - Nacho Baltasar (Severne Windsurfing) - who comes from a iQFOiL background and quickly adapted to life on Tour by finishing fifth in the third Winners’ Final, while he finished 12th in the opening race to be ranked - 8th. Sem Stroosma recorded his best result so far - third in Elimination 2 - but then suffered a quarterfinal exit in the next to drop from sixth to ninth, while Jordy Vonk (Duotone Windsurfing) completes the top tenth.

Noah Vinther (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / AEON Foil System) is just outside the top ten - 11th - after improving in each race - 21st, 12th, 8th - followed by Nico Prien (JP / NeilPryde / Z Foils) - 12th - and Cedric Bordes (Severne Windsurfing), who bounced back brilliantly after a quarterfinal exit in the first by recording a tenth and a fourth.

Nacho Baltasar makes a confident start

Looking Ahead

The forecast for Wednesday predicts the strongest winds for the remainder of the holding period with 15-24 knots on offer throughout the morning. With the Freestyle Single Elimination only having three heats to gain a full result, and with the Men’s Freestyle world title on the line, the top four sailors will meet again at 8am (GMT+2) tomorrow morning for their skippers’ meeting with the action commencing from 08:30 onwards. Depending on the conditions we will then either continue with the Freestyle Double Elimination or switch to racing. The racers will have their skippers’ meeting at 10am with a first possible start at 11am.

It's ON! Freestyle World Title On The Line. Watch live now

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Current Ranking Citroën Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Foil Slalom

*After 3 Eliminations

1st Fabian Wolf (GER | Starboard / Severne Sails / AEON Foil System)

2nd Matteo Iachino (ITA | Starboard / NeilPryde / Z Foils)

3rd Pierre Mortefon (FRA | FMX Racing / North Sails)

4th Amado Vrieswijk (NB | Future Fly / North Sails / Z Foils)

5th John Soukos (GRE | FMX Racing / Challenger Sails / AEON Foil System)

6th William Huppert (FRA | PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / AEON Foil System)

7th Maciek Rutkowski (POL | JP / NeilPryde)

8th Nacho Baltasar (ESP | Severne Windsurfing)

9th Sem Stroosma (NED)

10th Jordy Vonk (NED | Duotone Windsurfing)

Lennart Neubauer in pole position after winning Freestyle Single Elimination, while Matteo Iachino moves into event lead in Men’s Foil Slalom

Day five of the of the 2026 Citroën Windsurf World Cup Sylt saw a mega day of action with the Men’s Freestyle Single Elimination being completed during the morning before switching to Foil Slalom in the afternoon. During the morning Lennart Neubauer (Starboard / Severne Sails) took a huge step towards a second Freestyle world crown after winning the Single Elimination, while Matteo Iachino (Starboard / NeilPryde / Z Foils) assumed control of the lead in the Foil Slalom after a further two eliminations were completed in winds of 10-22 knots.

Freestyle

Lennart Neubauer took another massive step towards a second Freestyle world title today after the Greek/German was able to win the Single Elimination after firstly defeating Balz Müller (Severne Windsurfing) in the second semifinal and then Dieter Van der Eyken (Severne Windsurfing) in the final. The 22-year-old said he wasn’t totally happy with his semifinal performance and seemed to use that as motivation to deliver an almost flawless performance in the final as he posted the highest scoring heat of the event thus far - 38.18 points - as he sailed with his normal power and precision. Victory in the single not only puts Neubauer on the verge of a second world crown, but also a third event triumph in Sylt having previously won here in 2023 and 2025.

Yentel Caers (JP / NeilPryde) is now the only man who can deny Neubauer a second world title, but the reigning world champion would need to come all the way back through the Double Elimination to win the event, which would then see the world title race come down to a winner takes all sail off. That’s certainly not out of the question, but it would require a change in the forecast for the last few days.

All smiles for Lennart Neubauer after securing victory in the Single Elimination

Dieter Van der Eyken was already guaranteed his best result since his world title winning year in 2015 and the Belgian pushed Neubauer all the way in the final, but ultimately it wasn’t quite enough. Van der Eyken will still be delighted with his work in the Single and is assured a place on the event podium no matter what.

Dieter Van der Eyken's secures his best result since 2015

Takumi Moriya (Severne Windsurfing) came out on top of an incredibly close B-Final against Müller. Heading into the last minute there was less than half a point in it, but a slick spock culo from Moriya in the dying seconds secured third place - which puts the 20-year-old within touching distance of a maiden World Tour podium.

Takumi Moriya mid kabikuchi

Müller, meanwhile, just misses out on potentially securing back-to-back podiums after finishing fourth in the Single, but if he’s lucky he might still have a chance to fight for that in the Double. If things were to finish as they currently stand then Müller would earn by far his best overall result on the World Tour as he would be crowned the vice-world champion, which would be quite fitting for someone who truly represents the ethos of Freestyle and continues to be one of the main innovators of the sport.

Balz Müller

Müller, meanwhile, just misses out on potentially securing back-to-back podiums after finishing fourth in the Single, but if he’s lucky he might still have a chance to fight for that in the Double. If things were to finish as they currently stand then Müller would earn by far his best overall result on the World Tour as he would be crowned the vice-world champion, which would be quite fitting for someone who truly represents the ethos of Freestyle and continues to be one of the main innovators of the sport.

Balz Müller

Foil Slalom

Matteo Iachino (Starboard / NeilPryde / Z Foils) continued his amazing form on the second day of racing in Sylt. The Italian opened with three second places yesterday and continued in the same vein of form as he secured second in Elimination 4. With the discard now in play, and four solid results in the bank, Iachino then went for the kill in Elimination 5 as he pushed the start, knowing that Fabian Wolf (Starboard / Severne Sails / AEON Foil System) and Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / North Sails / Z Foils) were major threats for the event win with their bullets (two apiece), and the Italian seized the lead into the first buoy and never looked like relinquishing it from that position as he claimed his first bullet of the event. The reigning world champion now leads the event and looks extremely assured. Being consistent is one thing, being so consistent to not finish outside the top two is a totally different achievement and incredibly impressive.

Matteo Iachino moves into first place

Fabian Wolf drops into second place, but the German is still just 1.7 points off of Iachino. The 28-year-old is yet to finish outside the top four in the opening five eliminations having recorded a third and fourth today, which keeps him firmly on course to earn a maiden podium at a 5-star World Tour event, while also being right in the mix for event title.

Fabian Wolf

Amado Vrieswijk gains one place from the overnight rankings to climb into third at the close of play. The Bonairean produced a bit of racing magic in the Winners’ Final of Elimination 4 to slice his way from fourth or fifth to lead after the opening gybe and went on to secure his second bullet of the event. Having won two out of the opening four eliminations, Vrieswijk was just two points off of the lead at this point and another top result in the next elimination would've brought him firmly into contention for the event title. However, the 30-year-old had to settle for sixth in Elimination 5, which sees him lose ground and is now 6.7 points off of the lead and with Iachino’s extremely consistent results, it’s difficult, but not impossible to see that being overturned.

Amado Vrieswijk

Pierre Mortefon (FMX Racing / North Sails) started the day in third place, but now trails Vrieswijk by 3.6 points. The Frenchman missed out on his first Winners’ Final of the week in Elimination 4, but went on to win the B-Final before finishing fifth in the next race. Mortefon will probably feel slightly aggrieved that the second semifinal of Elimination 6 was cancelled after the third gybe as he was cruising to victory in that heat.

Elsewhere, John Soukos (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails / AEON Foil System) remains in a solid fifth place - just three points behind Mortefon. The Greek discards a twelfth from Elimination 4, while he signed off the day with his best result of the event so far - 4th - and is currently 12 points ahead of William Huppert (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / AEON Foil System) and Maciek Rutkowski (JP / NeilPryde), who are tied in sixth on 32 points.

John Soukos

Noah Vinther (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / AEON Foil System) started the day in eleventh, but breaks into the top ten - 8th - after an eleventh and a seventh today.

Mover of the Day

Bruno Martini (S2Maui / Z Foils) began the day outside of the top 16 - 18th - after a topsy turvy opening day of racing yesterday, but the Italian clicked into gear today by qualifying for both Winners’ Finals where he posted a third and an eighth, which sees Martini gain nine places from the overnight rankings - 18th to ninth.

Bruno Martini

Benoit Merceur (Starboard / Severne Sails) gains four places to currently complete the top ten, while Hugo Sjoberg earned his best result to date on the World Tour after securing a brilliant second place in Elimination 5, while he’s safely into the Winners’ Final of Elimination 6. The Swede started the day in 17th place, but is now within earshot of the top ten - 11th.

Meanwhile, Nacho Baltasar (Severne Windsurfing), Sem Stroosma, Jordy Vonk (Duotone Windsurfing) all slide outside of the top ten having been eighth, ninth and tenth, respectively, yesterday.

Hugo Sjoberg

The forecast for Thursday currently shows the possibility of some moderate winds in the morning, so there is a chance of more racing with a bit of luck, but the wind is expected to die throughout the day with plenty of rain on the forecast. The Foil Slalom skippers’ meeting will be held at 09:30 (GMT+2) with a first possible start at 10:30. Meanwhile the Freestyle fleet will be given an announcement at 10am.

You can stay up to date with all the latest developments from Sylt — including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply by clicking HERE and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

Current Ranking Citroën Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Freestyle

1st Lennart Neubauer (GRE | Starboard / Severne Sails)

2nd Dieter Van der Eyken (BEL | Severne Windsurfing)

3rd Takumi Moriya (JPN | Severne Windsurfing)

4th Balz Müller (SUI | Severne Windsurfing)

5th Jacopo Testa (ITA | GUNSAILS / AL360)

5th Yentel Caers (BEL | JP / NeilPryde)

5th Steven Van Broeckhoven (BEL | GUNSAILS)

5th Takuma Sugi (JPN)

Current Ranking Citroën Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Foil Slalom

*After 5 Eliminations (1 Discard)

1st Matteo Iachino (ITA | Starboard / NeilPryde / Z Foils)

2nd Fabian Wolf (GER | Starboard / Severne Sails / AEON Foil System)

3rd Amado Vrieswijk (NB | Future Fly / North Sails / Z Foils)

4th Pierre Mortefon (FRA | FMX Racing / North Sails)

5th John Soukos (GRE | FMX Racing / Challenger Sails / AEON Foil System)

6th William Huppert (FRA | PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / AEON Foil System)

6th Maciek Rutkowski (POL | JP / NeilPryde)

8th Noah Vinther (DEN | PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / AEON Foil System)

9th Bruno Martini (ITA | S2Maui / Z Foils)

10th Benoit Merceur (FRA | Starboard / Severne Sails)

Fabian Wolf’s third bullet of the event sees German leapfrog Matteo Iachino to regain event lead, but just 0.3 of a point separates them with two days to go

The forecast for Day 6 of the 2026 Citroën Windsurf World Cup Sylt looked marginal on paper, but it still provided enough wind to allow two more Foil Slalom elimination results to be gained in 9-15 knots of breeze, which saw most of the fleet reaching for their big foils and medium sails. The twists and turns at the top of the event rankings continued as Fabian Wolf (Starboard / Severne Sails / AEON Foil System) wrestled back the top spot after claiming his third bullet of the week in Elimination 7.

Fabian Wolf regains the top spot heading into last couple of days

Matteo Iachino (Starboard / NeilPryde / Z Foils) started the day with a 1.7 point lead over Fabian Wolf (Starboard / Severne Sails / AEON Foil System) after winning Elimination 5 at the end of yesterday and the Italian then extended that advantage to three points after claiming a clear cut victory in Elimination 6. At this point Iachino threatened to power away from the pack having not finished outside the top two once.

However, Wolf had different ideas and the home favourite delivered a decisive blow in Elimination 7 by earning his first bullet since Elimination 3, and third overall, after doing brilliantly to hold off Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / North Sails / Z Foils). With the second discard coming into play after the completion of Elimination 7, that allows the German to drop two fourth places, which sees him leapfrog Iachino to regain the event lead by just 0.3 of a point with a couple of days to go.

Fabian Wolf celebrates his third bullet of the event

Meanwhile, Iachino could only record a sixth in Elimination 7, but he would’ve still finished the day on 7.4 points unless he had managed to win the last elimination too. It once again shows the power of a bullet in comparison to a second place and it will now be a direct battle between Iachino and Wolf for the event title.

Matteo Iachino earned back-to-back bullets after the completion of Elimination 6

Besides the top two, Amado Vrieswijk is the only other sailor to boast a 100% qualifying record for the Winners’ Finals as the Bonairean cemented his place in third after another solid day consisting of a fifth and a second.

Amado Vrieswijk

Pierre Mortefon (FMX Racing / North Sails) remains in fourth place, but loses a little bit of ground to Vrieswijk after a ninth and a third today. The Frenchman is now 5.6 points off of third place and will be ruing that yesterday's second semifinal of Elimination 6 was cancelled as he was winning the heat at that point and these differences can have huge impacts overall.

Pierre Mortefon exits a gybe

After a slow start on the opening day of racing, Bruno Martini (S2Maui / Z Foils) continued his brilliant recovery today. After the first day Martini found himself in a lowly 18th, but steadied the ship yesterday to climb into ninth. At the close of play the Italian is currently ranked fifth after claiming fourth in Elimination 6 and seventh in Elimination 7.

Bruno Martini continues to climb the ranks

Elsewhere, John Soukos (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails / AEON Foil System) falls one place to sixth after missing out on both Winners’ Finals today. The Greek discards both results from Day 6, but is still on course for a solid result.

Benoit Merceur (Starboard / Severne Sails / Z Foils) gains three places from the overnight rankings with the Frenchman climbing from tenth into seventh. Merceur recorded his best result of the event thus far in Elimination 6 - third - before winning the B-Final of Elimination 7 to secure ninth place.

Benoit Merceur leading

Meanwhile, fellow countryman, William Huppert (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / AEON Foil System) is just one point and one place behind Merceur in eighth, Maciek Rutkowski (JP / NeilPryde) drops from joint sixth to ninth and Noah Vinther (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / AEON Foil System) completes the top ten.

William Huppert

Nico Prien (JP / NeilPryde) enjoyed his best day on the water so far as the German started the day with a tenth before signing off with a solid fourth place, which sees Prien ranked twelfth.

On the opening day of racing Sem Stroosma earned his best result to date in an elimination on the World Tour - fifth in Elimination 2 - but then endured a torrid run which saw him fail to make the top sixteen in each of the next four races. Today though he set the record straight as he bounced back with a fifth place in Elimination 7.

The forecast for Friday looks very light and realistically it’s likely to end up being a Lay Day for all fleets, but the Foil Slalom fleet will still have a skippers’ meeting at 11am (GMT+2). Then looking slightly further ahead, Saturday could still produce more racing with 11-17 knot south-southwest winds, or even possibly some float and ride wave sailing with a new bump of swell also expected to arrive with it.

The forecast for the last couple of days of the competition

You can stay up to date with all the latest developments from Sylt — including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply by clicking HERE and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

Current Ranking Citroën Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Foil Slalom

*After 7 Eliminations (2 Discards)

1st Fabian Wolf (GER | Starboard / Severne Sails / AEON Foil System)

2nd Matteo Iachino (ITA | Starboard / NeilPryde / Z Foils)

3rd Amado Vrieswijk (NB | Future Fly / North Sails / Z Foils)

4th Pierre Mortefon (FRA | FMX Racing / North Sails)

5th Bruno Martini (ITA | S2Maui / Z Foils)

6th John Soukos (GRE | FMX Racing / Challenger Sails / AEON Foil System)

7th Benoit Merceur (FRA | Starboard / Severne Sails / Z Foils)

8th William Huppert (FRA | PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / AEON Foil System)

9th Maciek Rutkowski (POL | JP / NeilPryde)

10th Noah Vinther (DEN | PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / AEON Foil System)

Current Ranking Citroën Windsurf World Cup Sylt - Men’s Freestyle

1st Lennart Neubauer (GRE | Starboard / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins)

2nd Dieter Van der Eyken (BEL | Severne Windsurfing)

3rd Takumi Moriya (JPN | Severne Windsurfing)

4th Balz Müller (SUI | Severne Windsurfing)

5th Jacopo Testa (ITA | GUNSAILS / AL360)

5th Yentel Caers (BEL | JP / NeilPryde)

5th Steven Van Broeckhoven (BEL | GUNSAILS)

5th Takuma Sugi (JPN)