Please select your home edition
Edition
Henri-Lloyd Dynamic Range

British and French Waszp sailors announce 'Foil for Life Challenge'

by Mark Jardine 19 Jul 2020 08:00 PDT
Hattie Rogers out in her WASZP © Charles Whiteman / www.sleek.pictures

The European summer of 2020 is providing plenty of days with superb sailing conditions, but a distinct lack of events in which to share the camaraderie and experience of being on the water. Lockdown has though brough disparate groups of sailors together online, discussing ideas and formulating plans.

The Waszp class has been renowned for its community spirit since its inception in 2016, and a group of enterprising British and French sailors, filled with a spirit of adventure, put together the 'Foil for Life Challenge', with the aim of crossing the English Channel between Lymington and Le Havre, raising money for the UK's National Health Service (NHS) and the French Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP).

Six sailors will be taking part in the challenge are Hattie Rogers, Edward Higson & William Heathcote from the UK and Pierre Leboucher, Mael Garnier, Corentin Horeau from France.

In this time safety is paramount and the team will have three support RIBs in attendance throughout the crossing. A huge amount of work is going into ensuring that the challenge can be completed responsibly and in a Covid-secure manner. Choosing a day with suitable weather will be key, with a 10-15 knot South Westerly wind being optimal. A window of 12th - 20th August for the challenge historically should provide a day of these conditions. If suitable conditions aren't forthcoming, then further windows will be found, but compromising on weather criteria will not be considered.

The team are looking for a sponsor, either corporate or an individual benefactor, to cover costs ensuring that all money raised can go directly to the charities. All the support crews are volunteering their time and RIBs for the challenge to keep costs to an absolute minimum. If you are interested in supporting costs for the challenge the please contact Hattie Rogers via

Founder of the challenge Hattie Rogers said:

"This challenge was able to be planned due to not having any international events this summer because of COVID-19. One of the best things about the Waszp class is the community feel. It is such a great opportunity to bring the British and French Waszp communities together and do something for charity.

"COVID-19 has highlighted the amazing work both the NHS and Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP) does and how lucky we are to have them. We want to raise as much money as possible. The reason we have chosen these charities is to deepen the meaning behind this challenge in showing the French and British sailing community relationship, despite Brexit and any political arrangements.

"The challenge route will be between Lymington and Le Havre which is 103 miles so around 10 hours of foiling! It is going to be tough, but I am so excited! We really want to show how amazing foiling is and the capabilities of the Waszp, as well as making a difference to lives with the money that has been raised."

Marc Ablett of WASZP HQ is a keen supporter of the challenge:

"One of the core values of the WASZP is culture, that culture is to go out and test yourself on and off the water as well as enjoy yourself. Seeing some of our younger sailors take on a mission for a cause takes a lot of guts and determination. The world has copped a beating over the last six months and with the WASZP in a very strong position globally, these young sailors have come up with an idea to raise some much needed funds for NHS to do their part in the fight against Covid-19. Everyone is behind you guys, send it!"

The team have set up dedicated fundraising pages for the NHS and APHP via the www.foilforlife.com website homepage.

Find out more:

Related Articles

Jazz Turner Video Interview
How she Faced Everything And Rose during Project FEAR I travelled to Brighton Marina to catch up with Jazz, talking about her own sailing, the challenges she faced during the circumnavigation, how the money raised will be used, and a glimpse of her future projects! Posted on 10 Jul
The Ocean Race Europe Video Preview
We speak to Phil Lawrence, Peter Rusch & Pip Hare to find out more The Ocean Race Europe will take place between 10 August & 21 September, following a debut event in the summer of 2021. The racing is in IMOCA yachts, the same as the Vendée Globe, but this time with 4 crew and an OBR who will document the action on board. Posted on 8 Jul
Foiling Frenzy at Fraglia Vela Malcesine
The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! Regardless of where sailors are in their careers, or the reputation they have, everyone wants to be there and have a tilt at the title. Posted on 7 Jul
The oldest video footage of Moth sailing
A look back into our video archive, to when the name of this class first settled down We delve into our video archive to find the oldest possible videos that show Moth racing. Are these International Moths, British Moths... or was the name still Olive, Inverloch 11ft, National Moth or Brent One-Design?! Posted on 6 Jul
The power of tech
What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? Posted on 2 Jul
Some thoughts on provisioning for distance sailing
A new perspective on provisioning and time spent at sea One of the great joys of distance racing unfurls the moment that the dock lines are untied. Suddenly, the myriad packing lists that inevitably define most trip-planning efforts become about as relevant as a tax return from eight years ago. Posted on 1 Jul
Bill Guilfoyle on the 2025 Transpacific Yacht Race
Bill Guilfoyle discusses the 2025 Transpacific Yacht Race When it comes to offshore sailing in the United States, the biennial Transpacific Yacht Race reigns supreme for its distance and promise of off-the-breeze sailing angles. Posted on 1 Jul
Jazz Turner completes Project FEAR
Drama right to the end in her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles Jazz Turner has completed Project FEAR, her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles in her Albin 27 yacht. A flotilla of supporters met her in Seaford Bay, which grew and grew the closer they came to Brighton Marina. Posted on 1 Jul
One thing. One big, very fast boat
One thing that opened the door, another made us enquire some more - 50 knots! Yes. It was one thing that opened the door, as it were. One thing that piqued the curiosity enough to go, ‘I'll take a look at that!' One thing that when you're trying to crack in excess of 50 knots... Posted on 30 Jun
A brief history of marine instrument networks
Hugh Agnew has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge One man who has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge, is Hugh Agnew, the Cambridge-educated mathematician who is one of the founders of A+T Instruments in Lymington, so I spoke to him to find out more... Posted on 25 Jun
Mackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMPredictWind - GPS 728x90 BOTTOMDoyle_SailWorld_728X90px_SY BOTTOM