Red Bull Foiling Generation: Youth Sailing Program in Geneva

Participants seen during the Red Bull Foiling Generation in Geneva, Switzerland © Dom Daher / Red Bull Content Pool

Sailing-mad Switzerland found its next stars on 13-15 July, as the country's most promising sailors took part in the Red Bull Foiling Generation regatta at Geneva.

Flying across the lake on foils, Morgan Lauber and Louis Buxtorf captured the national championship and will be among the top favourites to earn the global title at November's World Final in the USA.

When Red Bull Foiling Generation was first introduced by double Olympic champions Roman Hagara and Hans-Peter Steinacher for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, a stop in Switzerland – home of two-time America's Cup winner Alinghi and masses of passionate sailing fans – was a highlight on the calendar.

The 2018 return of the world's largest youth sailing program to Lake Geneva, hosted by Alinghi's home club, the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), was even more exciting, as 32 top Swiss prospects aged 16 to 20, including fresh up-and-comers as well as young members of the national sailing team, seized the opportunity to get hands-on coaching from the Austrian legends and race for glory on cutting-edge catamarans.

"It's incredible for us. I didn't expect to win. Amazing", said Morgan Lauber, who helmed the winnig boat.

Amand Björk-Anastassov, after finishing second: "Well, I guess we didn't give it everything we should have given it. So we could have pushed a little bit more, concentrated a little harder, and maybe won the race – but it is what it is, and we're still happy thanks to a great week of sailing."

Red Bull Foiling Generation is a youth talent search program, seeking the world's most promising young sailors and offering experience that can be a stepping stone to sailing careers. At the previous Red Bull Foiling Generation World Final in 2016, Switzerland captured second place, and team member Sébastien Schneiter has since become a successful pro, not only helming the Swiss boat of Team Tilt to third place in the 2017 Red Bull Youth America's Cup, but recently winning the inaugural GC32 World Championship. Numerous other Red Bull Foiling Generation participants have also gone on to Olympic-class programs for the 2020 Games, as well as the professional Extreme Sailing Series, where Hagara and Steinacher lead a team of young chargers.

"We had tricky but great conditions, and you could see in the eyes of these athletes that this was probably the coolest thing they've done yet in their sailing careers," noted Steinacher. "Our goal is to train sailing talents globally, giving them a platform to show their skills and potential."

Only two national regattas remain – Austria and the United States – before the exciting 2018 World Final in Miami, USA this November, and Swiss hopes are high.

Hagara: "The World Final in Miami this fall will see the best teams from 16 nations racing each other, and as we know from the previous edition, talent scouts and sailing insiders will be on site, looking for the superstars of tomorrow."

Coming next: Red Bull Foiling Generation makes its debut at the breathtaking Tyrolean destination of Achensee to crown Austria's champions in the season's last European stop on August 10-12, 2018.

Final results Geneva, Switzerland:

1. Lauber Morgan / Buxtorf Louis
2. Wallenberg Max / Björk-Anastassov Amanda
3. Peverelli Grégoire / Rolaz Nicolas
4. Baezner Igor / Wohlers Simon