Mathis Ghio of France won the WingFoil Racing World Cup season opener in Dakhla, Morocco. The women’s competition was claimed by Maddalena Spanu of Italy.
Ghio needed just one race to clinch the final but an uncharacteristic fall in the first race of the Men’s final meant Ghio was taken to a nerve-racking second race.
The Frenchman came top in qualifying but was pushed hard by Poland’s Kamil Manowiecki and Italian Francesco Cappuzzo. Manowiecki ook advantage when Ghio crashed off his foil to take the win and square the score. Undeterred, Ghio returned to shore, changed his foil rake and won the next race and with it the title.
Maddalena Spanu won every race in the women’s competition. Emilia Kosti of Greece recovered from a fall in the early stages of the race to fightback and take second.
Just behind her was Anais Mai Desjardins of France who only recently made the switch from Kites to Wing but her performances improved exponentially through the week.
The next World Cup event is in Silvaplana in Switzerland – no desert wind but plenty of mountain breeze.
WingFoil Men
1st Mathis Ghio FRA
2nd Kamil Manowiecki POL
3rd Nicolo Spanu ITA
WingFoil Women
1st Maddalena Maria Spanu ITA
2nd Emilia Kosti GRE
3rd Anais Mai Desjardins FRA
