Please select your home edition
Edition
Exposure Marine

WASZP European Games at the Ecole Nationale de Voile et des Sports Nautiques - Day 1

by Marc Ablett 18 Jul 2023 23:16 PDT 17-23 July 2023

What a way to start the 2023 WASZP European Games in Quiberon France. One of the most spectacular scenes in sailing, with 150+ WASZPs on the same start line for the Marathon race to begin the overall championship qualifying series.

Along with the Marathon, our European SLALOM champion was crowned in Ettore Botticini from Italy.

The day started with moderate conditions and flat water as the fleet completed the Slalom series. The knockout competition eventually got down to a final 20 who competed for the final in a building breeze. In the end it was Botticini who took a comprehensive victory over Magnus Overbeck from Denmark, in the three race finals series. In third place wa< s Titouan Petard from France and close behind in fourth was Enzio Savoini from Italy. 13 countries were represented in the Slalom final, showing the evenness across the fleet.

By the time the Marathon was due to start, the wind was up to 20 knots and an increasing chop across the racecourse. This is the first time the Marathon format has been included in the overall championship results. It is part of the qualifying races and is able to be discarded, however, it created one of the most spectacular scenes in the world of sailing and foiling, 150+ WASZPs blasting off a reaching start, in 20 knots and gorgeous blue skies.

The marathon turned into a war of attrition as the conditions continued to increase, European Games warm-up event Champion Hippolyte Gruet from France took line-honours, however an overnight protest sees the results as provisional. Either way, what a way to start the WASZP European Games. The results are interesting, with German sailor, Caspar Ilgenstein from Germany sitting ins second place while the ever consistent Enzio Savoini is in third. Ross Banham showed he will be a force to be reckoned with after finishing in 5th place, while European Slalom Champion Ettore Botticini backed up his win, with a 6th place. As we saw in the International WASZP Games last year, anything inside the top 10 could be a keeper score, such is the nature of the tight one-design racing.

Today we see day 2 and the commencement of the windward-leeward championship racing. We hope the glamour conditions continue for the championship racing as we head through the week. It will be an interesting watch as the more traditional windward-leeward racing format will shake things up again. Stay tuned for more unbelievable WASZP action from Quiberon, France!

More information and full results can be found here.

Related Articles

2025 International Classes Regatta preview
The ICR has earned a stellar reputation as an outstanding lead-up regatta for competitors The Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club (RFBYC) is proud to announce that the 2025 International Classes Regatta (ICR)—the Club's premier annual dinghy event—will take place on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November 2025. Posted today at 7:10 am
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
WASZP brings the heat at Foiling Week 2025
Four epic days of classic Ora conditions Malcesine turned it on once again for Foiling Week, with four epic days of classic Ora conditions and a record 131 WASZPs hitting the start line - the biggest WASZP fleet ever at the event! Posted on 26 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
A bold start for Foiling Week 2025
The opening phase of racing has already delivered record-breaking numbers The twelfth edition of Foiling Week has kicked off with a consistent schedule and strong support from the global foiling community. Posted on 24 Jun
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Siracusa overall
Team Verein Seglerhaus Am Wannsee wins in Siracusa The Verein Seglerhaus Am Wannsee team wins the Siracusa leg in the offshore category, after 37 hours of sailing and with only one minute and twenty-one seconds of difference from the Ocean Cruising Club team that came in second. Posted on 23 Jun
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Siracusa day 1
In Siracusa for the fifth leg and the first island stage The Nastro Rosa Tour lands in Sicily, in Syracuse, for the fifth stage, the first island stage, which will be followed by Trapani, Cagliari and La Maddalena. Posted on 21 Jun
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Catanzaro day 2
The Marina Militare Team wins in Catanzaro The Marina Militare team wins the Catanzaro stage in the offshore category. Having left Brindisi, after about 40 hours of navigation, the Navy's Figaro 3 crossed the finish line first, leaving behind the Guardia di Finanza team and the Royal Madras team. Posted on 19 Jun
Performance Academy partners Magenta Foiling Team
To introduce more women to foiling The Performance Academy is excited to be supporting the Magenta Foiling Team by providing a series of foiling clinics. Posted on 19 Jun
Nastro Rosa Tour 2025 Catanzaro Day 1
A day of competitions for the Waszp and Wing classes and an evening of events at the Village The Calabrian city hosts the Nastro Rosa Tour stage again in this edition and the Regatta Village has come to life in the Port Area. Posted on 17 Jun
Henri-Lloyd Dynamic RangeVaikobi 2024 DecemberArmstrong 728x90 - Wing FG Board Range - BOTTOM