Argentina’s Gonzalo Costa Hoevel delivered a flawless opening day at the first-ever iQFOiL Masters World Championship in Silvaplana, winning all five races to seize immediate command of the fleet.
A clean sweep on the Maloja wind
The legendary thermal breeze returned to Lake Silvaplana on 19 August after a still opening day. Bright sunshine and the reliable Maloja wind provided dynamic foiling conditions at 1,800 metres above sea level. Costa Hoevel read the shifts perfectly and pulled clear of the pack in every heat.
His closest challenger was fellow Argentine Fernando Martínez del Cerro, who chased him across the line in second place in each of the five races. Poland’s Paweł Diettrich held the provisional third spot on the Masters podium when racing concluded for the day.
A veteran’s return to the front
The Masters fleet, for sailors aged 40 and over, raced alongside the Youth and Junior Games. Parents and children, coaches and sailors, shared the same Alpine water on a lake famous for its powerful thermal breezes. The inaugural championship ran from 17 to 21 August.
Costa Hoevel brought a deep reservoir of experience to this new class. A two-time Olympian for Argentina and a Youth Mistral World Champion, he claimed the Formula Windsurfing World Championship title in 2015 and added a PWA Foil World Champion crown in 2018. He now serves as iQFOiL Class Manager.
The opening day belonged entirely to the Argentine. He set a standard no rival could match, a veteran who has simply never stopped chasing the front.
