The 2022 Foiling Week has come to an end. A record week for regattas, guests, and events. 175 registered boats divided into five racing classes (Moth, WASZP, ETF26, ONEFLY, and Wingfoil) and more than two thousand people visiting the Fraglia Vela Malcesine among athletes, coaches and guests. The perfect weather conditions throughout the week allowed spectacular challenges in the waters in front of Fraglia Vela Malcesine and an average of five races per day per class, thus completing the program.
The queen class in terms of entries and level of participants during the 2022 Foiling Week was the Moth class, which saw 77 athletes compete. Important names such as Ruggero Tita, Dylan Fletcher Scott and Paul Goodison were at the start. The podium was composed by Dylan Fletcher Scott (GBR 10), Nicolai Jacobson (NOR 4882) and Mattias Coutts (NZL4774).
The WASZP class, this year in preparation for the Worlds next week right here at the Fraglia, had 66 boats at the start. In a class that is proving to be extremely interesting in terms of the number of entries and new owners being added each year. The podium was composed of: Ettore Bottacini (ITA 3135), Charles Cullen (IRL 2987), and Ezio Savoini (ITA 3203).
With 13 starting boats the podium of the ONEFLY was at the end: Léo Maurin (FRA 37), Louis Chambet (FRA 7), and Gabriel Skoczek (FRA029).
Among the 8 ETF26s on the Lake during these days, the podium went to Teampro – FRA10 (Jean Christophe Mourniac, Benjamin Amiot and Pierre Yves Durand), second the New Zealanders of Live Ocean Racing – NZL 64 (Olivia Mackay, Helena Sanderson and Serena Woodall) and third the French of Youth Foiling Team – FRA 00 (Charles Dorange, Pierre Boulbin and Jean-Baptiste Ducamin).
Among the 18 Wingfoils in race, Francesco Capuzzo (ITA 73) came out on top, followed by Alessandro Josè Tomasi (ITA 70) and Luca Franchi (ITA 76).
The second edition of the SuMoth Challenge saw the four boats from the universities of Milan, Turin, Southampton, and Montreal on the water for the first time. SuMoth Challenge is an international project weaving together the design, and construction of a sustainable Moth. This was also an opportunity for the students to meet Mark Somerville, Managing Director of Persico Marine, who shared with them ideas and impressions on the featured projects. The final ranking of the SuMoth challenge is divided into two points: the first one dedicated to design was won by the Politecnico of Milan and the Politecnico of Turin in a tie, second the University of Southampton, and third the University of Montreal. The second-ranking covered construction, and the end sailing was won by Politecnico di Torino, second Politecnico di Milano and third the University of Montreal. A special prize for reliability and sustainability went to the University of Southampton with their flax fiber boat.
For many enthusiasts and the curious, Foiling Week was an opportunity to try out several foiling boats on the water, starting with two Persico 69Fs and a Candela, the official guest boat. Great interest was also aroused by the Manta5 foil bikes, the BirdyFish, the FD Switch, the Peacoq and the UFO.
During Foiling Week 2022, the first Foiling Film Festival was held, organized by Creative and Artistic Director Beatrice Colombo Serri and won by Australian Andrew Englisch with his “Gone with the Wing”. The Festival was supported by the City of Malcesine and started on June 29th with the presentation of the out-of-competition “premiere” of “FlyingNikka – The making of….”.
Through this connection, for one more week, all the works selected for the final stage of the Foiling Film Festival can be viewed in full.
The program of forums, moderated by sailing journalist and New York Times correspondent Chris Museler, touched on topical issues in the world of sports, sustainability, gender equality and safety, with a major thread of first importance for international sailing: the #backthebid awareness campaign for the reintroduction of sailing to the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics, globally promoted by World Sailing (world sailing federation). Many important guests such as Terry Hutchinson, Julia Mancuso, Clarisse Cremer, Luca Devoti, Armie Armstrong, and many other distinguished names in sports and sailing in particular.
On Friday, July 1, the Foiling Youth World Series, a competition for teams representing the most influential sailing realities on the international scene, was officially presented with the aim of training future professionals in the sport. The official speakers of the announcement were Scott Over, Commercial Director of World Sailing (world sailing federation), Li Li, Managing Director of China Sports & Communications International Co. Ltd., Aaron Young, Commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Bruno Giuntoli, Operations Director of Foiling Week, and Luca Rizzotti, Founder and President of Foiling Week.
The events ashore concluded Saturday evening with a BBQ dinner in collaboration with New Zealand Trade & Enterprise and entertainment by The Passion Rock’n Roll Band attended by Austin Brick, New Zealand Consul General in Italy.
Ruggero Tita, gold medalist in the Nacra 17 class at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics: “I am very happy to be at Foiling Week. The conditions on the water are good, there are a lot of people and a positive atmosphere.“
Dylan Fletcher Scott, gold medalist in the 49er class at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics: “It’s always great to be back at Foiling Week also because I won last time in 2018, so I have fun memories. I love Malcesine, but especially the chance to see so many foiling classes, the environment, the SuMoth Challenge, the back to the bid initiative, the sea trials. The great thing is that there are so many people with a passion for foiling, it is a testament to the quality of the event. The Moth class has 68 entries so this could be the biggest event of the season even if it’s not the World or European Championships.“
Russell Coutts, gold medalist in the Finn class at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and winner of 5 America’s Cups (3 on board and 2 as team manager), at Foiling Week as coach of his son Mattias, who finished third in the Moth class: “I think Foiling Week is a wonderful event! Look at the environment, the number of people who are here, and the boats, it’s fantastic!“
Joan Cardona Méndez, bronze Medalist in the Finn class at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics: “Foiling Week is a great event, I came here two years ago for the first time and I’ve been coming back every year since because there are the best sailors, a great base and great hospitality from the club. The regattas are very close and it’s perfect.”
CJ Perez, Team USA SailGP: “This is my first Foiling Week and I am having a great time with all the foiling classes. We had great weather conditions that allowed me to keep up with other very fast competitors.“
Liv Mackay, Team NZL SailGP: “It was great to come to Foiling Week, it’s a very unique event, there are many interesting innovations in foiling, I’m happy to be part of this world.“
Paul Goodison, gold medalist in the Laser class at the 2008 Beijing Olympics: “Another fantastic week of racing. This place is just magical. I come to Malcesine every year, there are great conditions. I think Foiling Week is a special event, so many foilers, all together, in one place, in one regatta, really priceless.”
Anne-Marie Rindom, bronze medalist in the Laser Radial class at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and gold medalist, in the same class, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics: “It’s incredible! We competed every single day, 16 races in four days. This is my first Foiling Week and I will definitely come back next year. The atmosphere is incredible, everyone is super friendly. What makes Foiling Week so special is the great humanity of the people, all sociable and friendly, a rare opportunity to share knowledge and inspiring innovations also coming from the SuMoth Challenge.“
The Founder and President of Foiling Week, declared at the end of the ninth edition: “From many points of view this was probably one of the most complex Foiling Weeks to tackle but we are sure that it is also the most successful to date. If we are at this level, we owe it to the quality of our partners of Fraglia Vela Malcesine, a Club that has in its DNA the creation of regattas of absolute excellence and where new sailing formulas destined to make the history of the sport have always been experimented with, a bit like Foiling Week in short. I would especially like to thank President Gianni Testa, Director Mattia Lonardi, Giacomo, Alice and all the staff who have always bent over backwards and supported us from our arrival to our departure. A special thanks also to the Municipality of Malcesine that year after year supports us and … puts up with us, with increasing commitment and enthusiasm, to Mayor Giuseppe Lombardi, Deputy Mayor Livio Concini who honored us with his presence at the Foiling Film Festival, Christian Chincarini and Luisa Marangoni with whom it is always a great pleasure to collaborate.“