Please select your home edition
Edition
Excess Catamarans

Ad Ports Group Wingfoil Racing World Cup Abu Dhabi - Day 2

by Andy Rice 18 Mar 2023 05:25 AEDT 15-19 March 2023
Reaching starts are high speed and critical to get right - Ad Ports Group Wingfoil Racing World Cup Abu Dhabi, Day 2 © IWSA / Robert Hajduk

Six short course races in one afternoon, it was a busy second day of competition at the Ad Ports Group Wingfoil Racing World Cup Abu Dhabi.

In the women's fleet, new girl on the block Karolina Kluszczynska (POL) took a couple of races away from the reigning world champion Paula Novotna (CZE). However the Czech queen bounced back with a perfect three from three in the afternoon session to maintain the overall lead.

Torn wing

"The afternoon was windier, which made it easier to go fast," said Novotna. "The earlier races were quite light, so we were pumping, pumping to keep moving. A little more pumping than foiling."

Choosing the right equipment is always the biggest point of stress for the wingfoilers. Smaller foils and smaller wings are really fast in the stronger breeze, but will there be enough wind to keep you flying above the water? That's always the dilemma.

Kluszczynska chose her bigger foil for the early session and it suited her perfectly. "I was going well, and managed to win some races, but in the afternoon I made the wrong choice of foil and I was overpowered and not going to quick. So it was a difficult lesson to learn, but overall I'm pretty happy with my day."

Her toughest moment came just before the start of the last race of the day. "It was about a minute before the start and I was going slowly towards the line when I caught some seaweed on the wing. I capsized and fell, and put my arm through the wing. I still raced the race, finished last, but I wanted to avoid a DNF in my scores."

Magnificent Mathis

The men were split across two qualifying fleets. Reigning world champion Mathis Ghio (FRA) scored six bullets from six races, and no one else came close to that level of consistency. Unlike others who were fretting about their choice of equipment, Ghio stayed with his same gear throughout the day. "I haven't changed anything since the start of the competition," said the Frenchman, who was not so happy with his third place from the long distance race on day one.

"Today I was back at my best and I felt confident with my speed in the slightly stronger wind that we had today," Ghio continued. "It was maybe 14 knots, but the wind here in Abu Dhabi is quite soft, not as much power in the wind as in colder venues like Lake Garda for example."

Split win for Italians

In the other qualifying group, Luca Franchi (ITA) dominated the early session with three from three. But it was another Italian who owned the late session, Alessandro Tomasi (ITA) this time winning three from three in the slightly stronger breeze.

Franchi said he struggled more with the reaching starts of the afternoon session, from which he scored 7,2,2. "For me the upwind start is perfect, I am comfortable with that kind of start. It's much harder to be consistent with the reaching starts. I had a crash in the first race which is why I was seventh. The last race was super close at the finish, maybe I lost by just 1 metre. It was crazy!"

The man he lost to by a single metre was Tomasi who revelled in the stronger breeze of the late afternoon. "My equipment is good for strong wind, and the reach is my best angle so it was good for me getting to the first mark in first place, and then keeping the lead from there."

Ghio has closed the gap to Franchi, with the French and Italian riders now on equal points at the top of the leaderboard. Mateo Dussarps (FRA) sits in third overall.

On Saturday the men's fleet is reorganised into gold and silver fleets for the beginning of the Finals series. A maximum eight races are scheduled, with first start at 1100 hours.

To follow the action, visit here

Results

Men
1. Luca Franchi ITA 6p
2. Mathis Ghio FRA 6p
3. Mateo Dussarps FRA 10p

Women 1. Paula Novotna CZE 6p
2. Karolina Kluszczynska POL 11p
3. Orane Ceris FRA 15p

Related Articles

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 today at 4:08 pm
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 today at 10:35 am
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
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
sMRT AIS Man Overboard Beacons AUS / NZNorth Sails Loft 57 PodcastBoat Books Australia FOOTER