Wingfoil racing is the latest Foil-board based sailing sport gathering pace with eyes on a place at the LA 2028 Olympics.
Wingfoil with its pared-back rig – a hand-held wing sail – is rapidly moving from a holiday beach pastime to a serious sailing discipline, and recently replaced the Kitefoil for the ANOC World Beach Games Bali 2023.
The latest major event for the class, the SabFoil 2022 WingFoil Racing World Cup & Open Europeans, will come to a close on Lake Garda Saturday (22 Oct).
Saturday is the final day of competition when the men’s fleet split into gold, silver and bronze fleets while the women continue to race together in their own group.
Currently Mathis Ghio (FRA) holds the lead in the men’s competition, while Paula Novotná (CZE) leads the women. Second in the women is Britian’s Ellie Aldridge who was third in the Formula Kite World Championships in Sardinia last week.
Interestingly the World Sailing Council rejected the commendations of the Events Committee for 2028 with regard to possible equipment changes for the next two Olympiads – Paris 2024 and Los Angelas 2028.
But Council did recognise the potential of Wingfoiling for inclusion in future Olympic programmes and the 2023 Bali event will no doubt raise its profile with the Olympic Committee, always on the look-out for youth focussed, media crowd-pleasers!
Related Post:
World Sailing Council – Wingfoiling highlighted for future Olympics
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