2024 Wingfoil Racing World Cup Italy – Day 3
by WingFoil Racing World Cup, 18 Oct 10:43 PDT
16-20 October 2024
It was a gloomy and stormy day in Cagliari – Day 3 of the 2024 Wingfoil Racing World Cup Italy © IWSA Media / Robert Hajduk
Rain fell while the wind disappeared. No races took place on day three of the Wingfoil Racing World Cup Italy in Cagliari, as the race committee waited as long as possible before the horn sounded amid light drizzle, leading to the day’s racing being called off.
The pressure is now on to finish the opening series for both the women’s and men’s fleets, ensuring the group for Sunday’s final medal series can be established.
Currently, the three groups in the men’s fleet have three races scheduled before the final series, where they will be divided into gold, silver, and bronze fleets to compete in five more races on Saturday. Prior to that, competitors will focus intensely on breaking into the top 20 gold fleet for a chance at qualifying for the medal series.
Three races are also slated for the women on Saturday morning; however, they will race as a single fleet in the afternoon to complete their opening series.
Reaching the cut
By the end of Saturday, competitors in positions one through nine in the women’s fleet and men’s gold fleet will secure a spot in the medal rounds. The remaining entrants will compete first thing Sunday for the Golden Ticket. One race, one final chance for one man and one woman to qualify for the medals series.
The rankings are tightly contested, with just 14 points separating 12 competitors near the gold fleet cutoff. Enrico Tonon from Italy sits in twentieth place and is virtually tied on points with three other competitors. He is racing to remain within the top group, and the others must maximize their foils and wings to maintain their hopes of reaching the medal series.
Focus on foil futures
On Friday, riders had ample opportunity to relax and inspect their gear. Polishing foils and refining all edges was the most common activity of the day, and discussions about new foil designs always dominate conversations at wingfoil racing events.
“At this time, we are using foils developed for kitefoil racing,” stated Florian Gruber from Germany, representing Levitaz foils. “They are extremely small and fast, but wingfoil racing has different requirements and these weren’t specifically designed for this purpose.”
Kitefoil racing has been around for over a decade, while wingfoiling is still relatively new. Kites provide significantly more power and lift than wings, enabling kitefoilers to utilize smaller, thinner foils. Although top competitors like Karolina Kluszczynska and Mathis Ghio utilize these tiny 400 to 500 square centimeter foils, Gruber emphasized that there is still much innovation needed to develop shapes and sizes that work better for wingfoil racing.
With strong winds predicted for Saturday, riders will have numerous chances to secure their place in Sunday’s medal series. Fine-tuning race foils and inspecting wings for leaks on Friday proved to be a productive use of time. Additionally, a first-ever live broadcast for the Wingfoil Racing World Cup this weekend will allow the world to witness the races unfold in real-time.
Men’s Results
1. Julien Rattotti, FRA
2. Mathis Ghio, FRA
3. Kamil Manowiecki, POL
4. Francesco Cappuzzo, ITA
5. Bastien Escofet, FRA
6. Alessandro Jose Tomasi, ITA
7. Nicolo Spanu, ITA
8. Luca Franchi, ITA
9. Mateo Dussarps, FRA
10. Jeremiah McDonald, NZL
Women’s Results
1. Manon Pianazza, FRA
2. Karolina Kluszczynska, POL
3. Nia Suardiaz, ESP
4. Emilia Kosti, GRE
5. Charlotte Baruzzi, ITA
6. Maddalena Maria Spanu, ITA
7. Marta Monge, ITA
8. Orane Ceris, FRA
9. Kristyna Chalupnikova, CZE
10. Monika Mikkola, FIN
For additional information and complete results
