World's best wingfoilers are ready for Wingfoil Cup Jericoacoara
by Andy Rice 15 Dec 2022 10:59 AEDT
15-18 December 2023
It's the eve of competition for around 60 riders from around the world who have converged on Brazil's watersports capital, Jericoacoara Beach, for the final of the World Cup Series which also serves as Pan-American and Brazilian Wingfoil Championship.
There's a strong contingent of Brazilian riders keen to compare their wingfoil racing skills against some of the best from the rest of the world. Dudu Mazzocato (BRA) said: "I'm second ranked on the Brazilian circuit and it's really exciting to have such great riders come to race with us in Jeri.
"The conditions are going to be amazing, warm weather around 30 degrees and great wind every day. I've lived in many places around the world, I've lived in Maui and it was amazing. But when I discovered Jericoacoara many years ago, I thought to myself, this could be Brazil's Maui."
"My first wave was here..."
One of the strongest overseas competitors and favourite to take the women's title in Jeri is Paula Novotná (CZE). The Czech rider has already been crowned the 2022 world champion in freestyle wingfoiling and despite a lack of racing background used her waterwoman skills to win the Sabfoil Wingfoil Racing World Cup & Open European Championships on Lake Garda in Italy two months ago.
She knows all about the charms of Jericoacoara. "Jeri is an amazing place, the whole town is made from sand, and there's no tarmac road here. It's hard to get to, but people come from all around the world because the wind is strong and steady, and the water is perfect for kiting, windsurfing and now wingfoiling. This is where I did my first jump on a kiteboard, so this is a special place for me."
No shoes required
The men's winner from Lake Garda is also here, Francesco Cappuzzo (ITA) looking to add the world title to the European title he won on the flat water of Garda. The waves of Jeri will present a different challenge but the strong Italian has been putting in the practice time. "I arrived here almost two months ago, and I have forgotten what it is like to wear shoes," he laughed. "We spend the whole time here barefoot. The conditions on the water are going to be challenging and exciting, and the level of competition and performance is going up all the time.
"I don't think people realise how fast we can go on a wingfoiler now, but we are faster than most other types of foiling craft." With riders regularly exceeding 30 knots of speed, and becoming increasingly efficient at upwind sailing, the pace of technical development and improvements in technique progress week by week.
On school break
In contrast to Cappuzzo, 20-year-old French rider Matisse Ghio (FRA) has been studying hard in freezing cold Lyons, where he is working towards an engineering degree. "I have hardly been on the board while all my friends from France have been training here," said Ghio, who missed out to Cappuzzo for the European title by less than a point.
"Missing out in Garda was a painful experience, but I have new equipment that I have developed and I'm feeling good. Let's see if I can beat Francesco and the other riders this time!"
Oasis in the dunes
Mazzocato says the Wingfoil World Cup will be a great opportunity for the racing community to share experiences in this still very young sport. "Jeri is the perfect place to come for this kind of event, even if it's a long way to get here.
"Even for me living in Fortaleza it's more than fours of driving and just when you think you're nearly there, you are in the sand dunes. My kids in the car, they couldn't believe it when they saw all this sand, and they were asking me how much longer! But when you get here, everybody's happy, it's worth the challenge of getting to Jeri."
God's country
Paolo Piatti, co-owner of Vila Kalango, is proud that his luxury resort is hosting the championship. "It is a great honour for us, because Kalango was built 25 years ago by three friends who loved windsurfing and watersports," said Piatti, who emigrated from Italy more than 30 years ago after falling in love with Brazil.
"This is one of many events we want to host at this time of year, when it is cold in Europe. We are blessed by God that for eight months of the year, the wind blows from about 11 o'clock in the morning, every day of the week."
Racing starts at 1200 hours local time on Thursday 15 December, with the competition reaching its climax on Sunday 18 December.
For results and more details about the competition, go to wingfoilracing.com/2022worldcupbrazil