Foiling Week, the general states of the flying sail are coming

Foiling sailing is taking centre stage in the world of sailing and sports, even though it still has to dispel the myth that it is a difficult, young and therefore still for few disciplines, considering that outside of competitive sailing, it is mostly practiced by enthusiasts who are no longer teenagers.

To understand more and understand what we will see not in the future, but tomorrow, the right place is the Foiling Weeg, one could say the general states of flying sailing, which is held every year on Lake Garda, in Malcenise this year from 22 to 29 June, promoted by the Foiling Organization and led as always by its founder, Luca Rizzotti.

The Flying World on the Lake

The Foiling Week will first of all see regattas. Five: Moth (the World Championship will be held in Malcenise on July 7), WASZP, Switch One Design, BirdyFish and ETF26, which, together with the boards and other initiatives, will see a total of over 400 participants. Names such as Arnaud Psarofaghis, Diego Botin, Dylan Fletcher, Enzo Balanger, Quentin Delapierre, Giles Scott, Magnus Overbeck, Alessandra Dubbini, Marie Butler Wang, Hattie Rogers, Jann Schuepbach, Kevin Peponnet, Lucas Calabrese, Nicolai Jacobsen, Paul Goodison, Sam Street, Simone Salvà, Tom Slingsby are expected… There will be boards, grouped into the E-Foil and Pump Foil categories; there will be the “Downwind Race”.

The water tests

Under the supervision of expert instructors, the public will have the opportunity to carry out tests in the water on both versions of the BirdyFish, both double and single “S”. Also available to all enthusiasts are Ketos, Foil.One and the “opti foiling” Nikki and IODA intended for the very young, in addition to “D”, the first foil from Devoti Sailing. Also on display are the latest FoilDrive and Onix. Two main clinics were held during the week. The first, reserved for Youth, and carried out in collaboration with the XIV Zone of the Italian Sailing Federation. The second is designed for the sailors of The Magenta Project.

The Foiling Sport Congress

On June 30th and July 1st, The Foiling Organization will also hold the first Foiling Sport Congress in Malcesine. “The goal,” says Rizzotti, “is to involve federations, classes, event organizers, yacht clubs, coaches, athletes and industry leaders to promote an in-depth discussion on the future of sports foiling.

The Foiling Awards

The eighth edition of the Foiling Awards was recently held in Genoa, a sort of Oscar ceremony for the best foiling athletes, products, projects and events of the last twelve months, assigned by the preferences expressed online by the global foiling community.

The winner of the winners, who received the Forlanini prize, was Frenchman Erwan Jauffroy, who completed the 247-kilometre “downwind” crossing from Toulon to Calvi on a foiling board in 12 hours and 19 minutes .

Here are the other winners: SPECIAL PRIZE - Simone Salvà, coach of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Youth and Women Team and Spain SailGP Team. WOMEN'S SAILOR – Marta Maggetti, iQFO Olympic champion MEN'S SAILOR – Erwan Jauffroy TEAM – Spain SailGP Team TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION – WASZP - New Rudder Foil SUSTAINABILITY – POLIMI Sailing Team PROJECT: Gitana Team / G. Verdier - Gitana 18 EVENT – Vendée Globe 2024-2025 TRAINING COURSE – Foiling Base Cadiz powered by SailGP Inspire MOTOR BOAT – Foilone - PEGASUS COMMERCIAL PROJECT – Artemis - EF-24 CTVI COMMERCIAL BOAT – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli - HSV SAIL OR MOTOR ONE-OFF – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli - AC75 SERIES SAILING BOAT – BirdyFish - STAVOLE AND WATER-TOYS – aerofoils - AIRFLY