Please select your home edition
Edition
North Sails Loft 57 Podcast

Ad Ports Group Wingfoil Racing World Cup Abu Dhabi - Day 1

by Andy Rice 17 Mar 2023 07:54 AEDT 15-19 March 2023
Start of the long distance race - Wingfoil Racing World Cup, Day 1 © IWSA / Robert Hajduk

It was a tricky, challenging long distance race that opened the competition at the Ad Ports Group Wingfoil Racing World Cup Abu Dhabi. The whole fleet, men and women, lined up on one start line for an upwind start.

A year ago, upwind racing was still too difficult in this fledgling, rapidly developing board sport, but the quality of the equipment and the riders' techniques have come on leaps and bounds since then. The wings are becoming more aerodynamic and the riders are getting fitter.

While the winner's time in the long distance race was just 30 minutes, others in the fleet took a lot longer. And if you don't think 30 minutes sounds very long, try holding your arms above your head for that length of time!

Reigning Men's World Champion Mathis Ghio (FRA) found himself struggling to maintain pace on the upwind leg with some of his rivals. "I'm not used to using the harness yet," he said, "so my arms were taking the strain all the way around the course. It's not so efficient, not compared with guys like Luca [Franchi, ITA] or Mateo [Dussarps, FRA]. So I was losing a lot of distance on them during the upwind."

The downwind was a different story. "Fortunately the harness doesn't help you at all on the downwind and I managed to get into the lead," Ghio explained. His lead was a double-edged sword, however, as the riders struggled to locate mark No.3 at the bottom of the downwind leg. "I went past the mark and by the time I realised my error and turned around in the right direction, the others had gone past me."

Ghio recovered to third place by the finish, but the race win went to Luca Franchi with Mateo Dussarps in second. Franchi was pleased with his opening victory in Abu Dhabi. "I've been training hard in my home town [Genoa, Italy], but it's cold there and the water and the wind here is really warm," said the teenager. "That was a hard race, especially the downwind when the wind went light and you had to keep pumping the board to keep foiling. There was quite a lot of weed too, so I was jumping to miss the weed."

Kylie Belloeuvre (FRA) took a big lead ahead of the other women on the first upwind leg but the French rider struggled to keep her board flying through the lighter patches of breeze.

"My gear is too small for lighter winds, my board is small so it sinks easily if I stop foiling. So when I came off the foil it took me more than a minute to get up again. I was sitting there, waiting for a gust, watching the other riders go past. At least when I did get foiling again I was going fast and overtaking again, but I am hoping for more wind tomorrow otherwise I will have a similar problem."

Karolina Kluszczynska (POL) also had her moments leading the women's fleet but like Ghio, she struggled to spot the next mark. This let reigning women's World Champion Paula Novotná (CZE) through for the race win, but the Polish rider still held on for second across the line. Not at all bad for her first ever wingfoil race at this level, although she is a very experienced Olympic windsurfing campaigner, and brings immense fitness and commitment to her new wingfoiling challenge. "I'm a little disappointed not to win after leading, but really I can be very happy with my race. And it's just so nice being here, warm wind and warm water!"

On Friday the short course racing begins, with target finish time for the leader around 6 to 7 minutes per race.

Men

  1. Luca Franchi ITA - 1p
  2. Mateo Dussarps FRA - 2p
  3. Mathis Ghio FRA - 3p

Women

  1. Paula Novotna CZE - 1p
  2. Karolina Kluszczynska POL - 2p
  3. Orane Ceris FRA - 3p
To follow the action, go to wingfoilracing.com/2023worldcupabudhabi

Related Articles

Nastro Rosa Tour La Maddalena day 4
Team Aeronautica Militare wins in La Maddalena, now on to the grand finale in Genoa The team of the Aeronautica Militare, after Cagliari, also wins in La Maddalena, preceding the team of the Guardia di Finanza and the team of the Marina Miliatre who came in third. Posted on 8 Jul
Nastro Rosa Tour La Maddalena day 3
Perfect weather conditions for a spectacular and exciting inshore race The perfect marine weather conditions offered the public of La Maddalena a spectacular and exciting inshore race. Posted on 7 Jul
GWA Youth Wingfoil World Championship overall
The Surf-Freestyle and FreeFly-Slalom action rwaps up in Costa Brava The Surf-Freestyle and FreeFly-Slalom action at the the GWA 2025 Youth Worlds wrapped up after a week of intense action at San Pere Pescador, Spain, with the teenage champions chosen in the U14, U16 and U19 age groups. Posted on 7 Jul
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour LaMaddalena day 2
A fantastic second day in La Maddalena. The perfect wind conditions allowed Waszp and Wing to carry out their regatta program, thrilling with their spectacular evolutions in a breathtaking setting among the islands of the archipelago. Posted on 6 Jul
Red Bull Sailing Academy Opens
A new hub for current and future superstars to reach the top of their sport Marina Monfalcone, North Italy, made waves yesterday, as sports superstars gathered to open the Red Bull Sailing Academy, marking the beginning of a new era in the sport. Posted on 6 Jul
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour LaMaddalena day 1
The fleet left Cagliari yesterday to face the 165 miles to La Maddalena The fleet of Figaro3 of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour left Cagliari yesterday to face the 165 miles that will take them to La Maddalena. Posted on 5 Jul
North launches new Wingfoil Race Collection
Pinch even higher and reach even deeper at pace Pinch even higher and reach even deeper at pace. Engineered with a VMG-optimised partial double skin for improved aerodynamic efficiency, lower drag and precise manoeuvres at higher speeds. Posted on 5 Jul
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Cagliari overall
Team Aeronautica Militare wins The Aeronautica Militare team wins the Cagliari stage, ahead of the Verein Seglerhaus Am Wannsee team and the Circolo Nautico Sanbenedettese team, which came in third. Posted on 4 Jul
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
Pantaenius Sail 2025 AUS FooterAllen Dynamic 40 FooterMaritimo M600