iQFoil windsurfing equipment to launch in January 2020

December 26, 2019 | Windsurfing
iQFoil: the official windsurfing equipment for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games | Photo: Starboard

The official windsurfing equipment for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will start to be delivered in January 2020.

World Sailing, the world governing body for the sport of sailing, announced that the initial 50 orders will be supplied by the end of January.

The equipment production will then increase to 150 boards in February, 200 boards in March, 300 by the end of May, and 400 onwards.

The Paris 2024 windsurfing gear will be distributed equally among all Member National Authorities (MNA).

Nevertheless, MNAs with competitors at the 2019 RS:X World Championships and Olympic qualification events will be given priority.

World Sailing says that it will be overviewing and monitoring the distribution plans during the first semester of 2020.

iQFoil: the Olympic windsurfing class will be managed by the IWA | Photo: Starboard

IQFoil: Rebranded and Managed by IWA

The new Olympic windsurfing class had to be renamed from iFoil to iQFoil because the original trademark request was not accepted in the United States and Germany.

Svein Rasmussen, the founder of Starboard, says that the "i" will stand for innovation and the "Q" for quality.

The International Windsurfing Association (IWA) will be responsible for managing the iQFoil class, alongside Formula Windsurfing, IFCA, Raceboard, RSOne, Techno 293, ID2CA, and ISWC.

World Sailing and IWA have also confirmed that the Techno 293 will remain as the conventional board sailing equipment of choice for making the bridge between junior and top-level, high-performance racing.

The new Techno Wind Foil 130 will serve as an intermediate platform between Techno 293's classic One Design and the new iQFoil.

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