Red Bull Foiling Generation: Sailing talents smash speed record on Lake Achensee

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

The first Red Bull Foiling Generation national championship held in Austria made history on 10-12 August, as the country's own double Olympic Champions coached a fresh generation of sailors to a new speed record (28,6 knots) for the Tyrol's largest lake, the Achensee. A World Final in the US awaits the Austrian winners Keanu Prettner and Niclas Haberl, where they will once again fly on foils – this time against the planet's best.

Favorable mountain winds have long made the Achensee – known as the Fjord of the Alps – a popular inland sailing destination, and the speed record was previously 27.2 knots (about 50 kmh) with a Moth. The regatta's young Austrian chargers shattered the lake's record with a velocity of 28,6 knots – just shy of 55 kmh – as hundreds of spectators cheered from the shore and watercraft.

Conceived by Roman Hagara and Hans-Peter Steinacher, Red Bull Foiling Generation provides hands-on coaching and competition for top talents aged 16 to 20 on Flying Phantom catamarans, the fastest boats of their size.

"We've taken Red Bull Foiling Generation all over the world, and it's been a dream to finally hold a regatta in Austria on these technically advanced boats that are like little rockets," said Hagara, who with Steinacher is the force behind the global talent search program and leads Red Bull Sailing in the professional Extreme Sailing Series. "We developed this series to find the world's best young sailing talent and offer a stepping stone to potential careers at the highest level of the sport, and it was exciting to see the level of interest and talent right here at home."

Keanu Prettner of Strobl (Salzburg), who helmed the winning boat on Sunday, was thrilled with the opportunity to receive coaching from his Austrian heroes on a cutting-edge catamaran, saying, "Its a great success to win this regatta. We are very proud to represent Austria at the World Final in Miami. We learned a lot from Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher and this will bring our performance to another level in future."

The world's largest youth sailing program, Red Bull Foiling Generation was introduced in 2015, and participants have gone on to professional careers and elite Olympic-class programs for the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

"All eyes will be on the World Final in the USA this autumn, where talent scouts and sailing pros will have a chance to spot the superstars of the future among teams from 16 nations," Steinacher pointed out. "But whatever path these young sailors follow, Red Bull Foiling Generation gives them a unique opportunity to learn not only advanced sailing techniques, but also mental and teamwork skills for a lifetime. Working with them, and especially with these great kids here in home waters, is an inspiration."

Up next: The last national championship of the season will mark another premiere, as Red Bull Foiling Generation flies in the colorful city of Miami, Florida, USA for the first time on 3-4 November 2018, followed by the all-out action of the World Final (9-11 November) in the same unpredictable Atlantic waters.