A 10th win from 16 races has underlined Aimee Bright’s dominance at the iQFOiL under-23 World Championships, with the Kiwi adding three more bullets overnight to strengthen her grip on the top of the women’s fleet.
Bright was again in a class of her own on the Bay of Puck, winning three of the four Course Races to extend her overall advantage to 17 points with one day of qualifying remaining.
The Manly Sailing Club sailor has now won 10 of the 16 races completed across the opening four days and has finished outside the top 10 just twice, putting together one of the most dominant performances of the championship so far.
Norway’s Maya Gysler remains second overall, while Stella Bilger — Bright’s training partner who now competes for Australia — sits third, 24 points behind her former Kiwi teammate.
Aimee Bright has stretched her lead in the women’s event to 17 points. Photos / iQFOiL Class
The latest performance adds another chapter to what has already been a breakthrough year for Bright. The 20-year-old claimed her first senior international medal with silver at the iQFOiL European Championships in Portugal in May, before backing that up with another silver at the Olympic Classes Regatta in Long Beach in July, held at the venue that will host sailing at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
She also arrives in Puck as the defending under-23 silver medallist, having finished second behind Bilger at last year’s championship in Portimão, where the pair produced a New Zealand one-two.
Bright’s form has been particularly notable given she finished 19th at September’s senior iQFOiL World Championships in Weymouth, where illness affected her preparation. She has responded emphatically in Poland, returning to the under-23 fleet and immediately setting the pace.
The Bay of Puck delivered ideal conditions for a full day of Course Racing on Day 4, with four races completed in both fleets. While Bright collected three bullets, Poland’s Aleksandra Wasiewicz was another standout performer in the women’s fleet, winning a race and adding a second place to climb back into the overall top 10 on home waters.
Attention now turns to the final day of qualifying, with the top 10 sailors in each fleet advancing to the Medal Series.
Latest results and standings here.
Originally published by Yachting New Zealand.
