Kiwi sailor finishes third in the Red Bull Foiling Generation in Japan

by Richard Gladwell Sail-World.com NZL on 20 Apr 2015 Sunday’s thrilling finale of Red Bull Foiling Generation saw New Zealand youth sailor, Leonard Takahashi-Fry finish in third place.

17-year-olds Japanese crews Shinichiro Yano and Issei Fujiki took advantage of perfect 12-knot wind conditions to get ahead of rivals Eri Fukazawa and Crew Takayama in a dramatic knock-out finish.

Yano and Fujiki’s prize for victory is a place at the 2016 World Final where they will be joined by six more national winners.

Takahashi and Koizumi scored the top speed for the regatta hitting 29.6kts, but marred their finishing place with a capsize in the Semi-Final stage.

A total of 82 sailors competed in the inaugural event staged in the port city of Wakayama. They sailed over three days in identical Flying Phantom vessels, with coaching and improvement being as vital a part of the regatta as the competition.

The regatta in Japan began the search of Double Olympic champions Roman Hagara and Hans-Peter Steinacher for the sailing stars of the future. Open to prodigious sailors aged 16-20, Red Bull Foiling Generation will also be holding national finals in the UK, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Russia and France before pitting the best against the best at a World Final in late 2016.

The opening contest in Wakayama left Hagara sure that himself and long-time team-mate Steinacher are onto a good thing. “These up-and-coming athletes accepted the challenge and vastly exceeded our expectations,” Hagara said. “The teams flew over the water at speeds that reached 29 knots. It will not be just the winners who will benefit from the experiences of the past days.”

The next stop for the series is in the UK with a knock-out battle between the best young sailors of the British Isles scheduled for June 26-28.

Red Bull Foiling Generation, Wakayama, Japan: Final Results
1. Yano/Fujiki
2. Fukazawa/Takayama?
3. Takahashi/Koizumi?
4. Nakamura/Miyaguchi