Please select your home edition
Edition
sMRT AIS Man Overboard Beacons AUS / NZ

GWA Wingfoil Race Class European Championships - Day 3

by Gemma Hamaini 17 Jul 2022 21:56 NZST 14-17 July 2022
GWA Wingfoil Race Class European Championships final day © John Markantonis / Andromedas Sfakianou

It was a slow start for day three of competition in Rhodes, Greece, but the pace picked up very quickly once the trusted winds kicked in at around 3pm, just as the locals had predicted.

We completed one more full elimination for the men and two more for the women.

Women's Eliminations

Elimination 8

Paula Novotna went flying through the course with a great advantage to start this third day of racing. Nia Suardiaz had a more complicated start, and was sitting in third place right until the final moments of the race where she managed to overtake Mathilde Lovadina who had been holding on to the second position.

Elimination 9

Nia made a flying start for elimination 9, and this time she managed to stay ahead of Paula throughout the entire course. Paula had her hopes set on yet another win, but Nia had clicked into top gear and there was no stopping her. She cleared the finish line in first place, followed by Novotna and Mathilde Lovadina in third.

On the women's side, there are now two discards in play. Nia has the lead for now, but it is still a tight race where anything could happen.

Women's current standings after nine eliminations:

    1st: Nia Suardiaz (ESP)
    2nd: Paula Novotna (CZE)
    3rd: Kylie Belloeuvre (FRA)

Men's Eliminations

Elimination 4

It was a disastrous start for Francesco Cappuzzo who went down at the first mark in the final of Elimination 4. Mathis Ghio however maintained an excellent pace and held on to his lead throughout the race, repeating his strong performance from yesterday. He put a safe distance between himself and the rest of the pack, and cruised through in first place. In second was Bastien Escofet followed by Luca Franchi.

With the fourth elimination now complete, the first men's discard came into play. This switched things around in the overall rankings, meaning Mathis Ghio has now boosted himself up into first position.

Men's current standings after four eliminations:

    1st: Mathis Ghio (FRA)
    2nd: Bastien Escofet (FRA)
    3rd: Francesco Cappuzzo (ITA)
    4th: Riccardo Zorzi (ITA)

U16 / U19 / Masters

We also ran one full elimination on Saturday for the U16/U19 and Masters categories. The overall results after four eliminations are:

U16
1st: Xavier Corr (ESP)
2nd: Axel Gerard (FRA)
3rd: Bobo Gallagher (USA)

U19
1st: Riccardo Zorzi (ITA)
2nd: Luca Franchi (ITA)
3rd: Petros Kontarinis (GRC)

Masters
1st: Benjamin Billarant
2nd: Giorgios Tampuris
3rd: Pawel Bielinski

Sunday is the final day of racing here in Rhodes, Greece. Let's see if the wind allows us to complete a few more eliminations and enjoy one last day of racing action.

Sunday's skipper's meeting has been called for noon with the first possible start at 12.30pm. Be sure to stay tuned as the fastest wingfoilers out there fight their way to the top.

Related Articles

Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Cagliari day 2
Today in Cagliari, the awards ceremony for the stage winners At the Regatta Village, preparations are under way for the closing ceremony of the Cagliari stage scheduled for this evening at 9:30 pm, preceded by a concert by the Banda della Brigata Sassari. Posted on 2 Jul
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Cagliari day 1
The Circolo Nautico Sanbenedettese team was the first to arrive in Cagliari The Circolo Nautico Sanbenedettese team was the first to arrive in Cagliari and win the first offshore leg in Sardinia. Posted on 1 Jul
Athena Pathway announces AFP Foiling Festival
All abilities welcomed at Weymouth this August AFP Foiling Festival will cater for different levels of foiling experience, offering tasters for beginners, skills sessions for developing sailors, and structured training for current squad and intermediate-level athletes. Posted on 29 Jun
GWA Wingfoil World Cup Tarifa 2025 overall
Big upsets mark changing of the guard in Tarifa The GWA returned to the iconic location of Tarifa this July for the sixth consecutive year, delivering four days of thrilling Surf-Freestyle action. A total of 17 women and 28 men registered for this second Surf-Freestyle stop of the 2025 season. Posted on 29 Jun
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Trapani day 3
Team Verein Seglerhaus Am Wannsee wins in Trapani, now heading to Sardinia The Verein Seglerhaus Am Wannsee team won the Trapani stage after about 54 hours of navigation in the offshore category, preceding the Aeronautica Militare team and the Royal Madras team who came in third. Posted on 28 Jun
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Trapani day 2
In Trapani, the Royal Madras team was 1st in the offshore race. The Royal Madras team was the first to arrive in Trapani and win the offshore leg, followed by the Verein Seglerhaus Am Wannsee and Aeronautica Militare teams. Posted on 26 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 6
Double gold for France in Olympic classes Perfect sailing conditions marked the final of Kieler Woche in the Olympic skiff, dinghy, and surf classes: On Wednesday, June 25, the waters off Schilksee offered fresh to strong, challenging winds with flat waves. Posted on 25 Jun
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Trapani day 1
Leaving the Ionian Sea behind them, yesterday early evening the boats passed Portopalo A route of about 200 miles that will take the Figaro3 of the Marina Militare Nastro Tour 2025 from Syracuse to Trapani for the sixth stage, the second in Sicily. Posted on 25 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 5
Tuesday served as a warm-up for the hot finale of Kieler Woche Sophie Steinlein and Catherine Bartelheimer from Bavaria in the skiff, as well as Kiel native Fabian Wolf on the foiling windsurf board, will enter Wednesday's (June 25) medal races as leaders. Posted on 24 Jun
GWA Wingfoil World Cup Tarifa 2025 Preview
This event will be held at Bibo Beach House, Valdevaqueros The second stop in the race for Surf-Freestyle crowns is ready to kick off in Tarifa with contests tightening. Posted on 23 Jun
Vetus-Maxwell 2021 v2 FOOTERsMRT AIS Man Overboard Beacons AUS / NZHyde Sails 2024 - One Design