For the first time ever in Denmark, you can watch the lightning-fast Olympic windsurfers, iQ Foilers, compete for the World Championships, when the international iQFOiL class comes to Aarhus International Sailing Center in 2025.
Sailing Aarhus will host top athletes from all over the world. This was recently decided when Denmark won the bid for the iQFOiL Worlds. The championships will be held in Denmark for the first time, and the Director of Sailing Aarhus, Jon Koch Hansen, is delighted:
“Our purpose is, among other things, to attract major international sailing championships to the city of Aarhus. So, we are ecstatic to have won the bid for the iQFOiL Worlds. After the selection process, we were selected as one of two cities that had to clarify our bid material, and it feels great to end up as the winners. We have a super strong iQFOiL environment here in Aarhus, so we are looking forward to hosting it,” says Jon Koch Hansen.
Danish windsurfer Johan Søe is excited about the prospect of competing on home soil:
“To host the Worlds in iQFOiL in 2025 will be huge and is a really great honour. This emphasizes Aarhus’ position as an absolute powerhouse within sailing, not just in Denmark, but also internationally. As a new Olympic class, the iQFOiL discipline has a massive potential, and I am very much looking forward to competing with talents from Aarhus, Denmark, and the rest of the world, and showing the hopefully many spectators why this sport is amazing,” says Johan Søe.
The World Championships is hosted in collaboration with Aarhus Municipality and Sport Event Denmark. The championships will take place during the summer of 2025, where around 250 sailors from more than 30 nations are expected to visit the City of Smiles to compete on the Bay of Aarhus.
Mayor of Sports in Aarhus, Mahad Yussuf, is looking forward to a big event with world-class athletes:
” I’m delighted that we in Aarhus once again offer a world-class sailing experience. Aarhus has earned a well-deserved reputation as a strong organizer of international sailing events. I’m confident that many Aarhus residents will come to Aarhus Ø and contribute to the always fantastic atmosphere,” says Mahad Yussuf.
Long-lasting collaboration with Sport Event Denmark
In connection with the many large, international sailing events, the city of Aarhus has worked closely with Sport Event Denmark. Sport Event Denmark advises in connection with bids and execution of large, international sports events. The close and fruitful collaboration has aimed to bring Denmark up among the world’s leading countries in attracting, hosting, and developing international sports events, including both elite and broad events.
“It is no secret that we at Sport Event Denmark connect Aarhus and sailing after a number of years with large, prominent and international sailing events. Just this summer, The Ocean Race visited Aarhus for a full Stopover, and we have previously hosted countless Olympic sailing classes. So, it is quite satisfying that we can once again welcome to Denmark a World Championship in an Olympic class, this time iQFOiL,” says Lars Lundov, Director, Sport Event Denmark.
Hosting several foiling championships and events
Foiling is an advanced form of windsurfing that involves using a foil, also called a hydrofoil, to lift the windsurfing board and sail above the water. This allows windsurfers to float above the surface of the water and minimize drag, resulting in increased speed and agility on the water. Foiling is available in several classes and is developing rapidly. Windsurfing will be represented at the Olympics in Paris next summer by iQ Foiling, which is a first for foiling.
In recent years, Sailing Aarhus has consistently run several foiling championships and events – especially in the iQFOiL class. This has led to several events such as the Nordic Championships and Aarhus Foiling Days, both of which have been part of Sailing Aarhus Week. Therefore, iQFOiL events are not a new thing for Sailing Aarhus.
Most recently, the iQFOiL Nordic Championship was held in September this year, where sailors from six nations took part.
Facts about the World Championship in iQFOiL 2025:
– Takes place in the summer of 2025
– Sailors will be competing in the Bay of Aarhus, and the event takes place at Aarhus Ø in the area around Aarhus International Sailing Center
– Expected number of participants: 250 sailors from approx. 30 nations
Facts about Aarhus as a sailing event destination:
In recent decades, Aarhus has distinguished itself by hosting many international sailing events. The list is long and includes European Championships and World Championships in Soling, Yngling, 505, Laser/Laser Radial, 470, 49 and 49 FX. In addition, the city can look back on successfully hosting the World Championship for all Olympic boat classes in 2018, the SailGP in 2021, and hosting an Ocean Race Fly-By in 2018 and a full Stopover in 2023.
