Please select your home edition
Edition
A+T Instruments 2024 Leaderboard

2024 Wingfoil Racing World Cup Italy - Overall

by WingFoil Racing World Cup 20 Oct 10:49 PDT 16-20 October 2024
Manowiecki and Pianazza, a new generation of wingfoil racers - 2024 Wingfoil Racing World Cup Italy © IWSA media / Robert Hajduk

It took the precision of a surgeon to come out on top of this week's fickle winds at the Wingfoil Racing World Cup Italy. Races were abandoned and hopes of challenging the leaders were dashed when racing was cancelled after only one semifinal race on Sunday. That result gave overall event leaders Manon Pianazza (FRA) the women's event win and Kamil Manowiecki (POL) the men's victory.

High aspect prototype hydrofoils and wings were under the feet and in the hands of the best wingfoil racers in thew world this week. And the open racing has become the test bed for a growing industry and sport.

New foiling generation

Pianazza and Manowiecki are at the tip of the spear in a new discipline and represent a new generation of foilers. The two took different paths to their victory but both shared the elite DNA of Olympic IQ racers.

"The level is higher and higher I'm seeing," said Pianazza who races both IQ and wingfoil. "I do both. I believe they are complimentary but I'm not relaxed on the wingfoil equipment since you make a small mistake you can fall. But my IQ background prepares me for a long week of racing."

Pianazza is missing the next wingfoil world cup event to complete her physical therapy studies, but aims to compete in the full 2025 tour. She added that if more IQ foil girls come it can be a string fleet and a bigger fleet.

Manowiecki, as full time student this year, was also on an IQ Olympic pathway but one year ago took the brave step to leave the comfort of the Polish national team and commit 100 percent to wingfoil racing.

"In Turkey I found out my speed was not there and within one day had to change my mindset and technique, since then I've been improving all the time," said Manowiecki. What changed since Turkey? "The belief. The belief of everyone who believed in me. My sponsors starting from my parents and my mom pushing me."

Going the distance

Dramatic and grueling long distance races kicked off the event and split the men's fleet into multiple groups. On and off breezes and a textured sea defined the week and Pianazza and Julien Rattotti (FRA) were drawing precise lines with their razor thin foils on their way to the top of their fleets early in the week.

Leads changed daily as the men navigated a tight Gold fleet series and the women continued as one fleet through Saturday.

The stage was set Sunday for an exciting elimination medal series where event leader Manowiecki and tour leader Mathis Ghio (FRA) had their spots in the finals. Pianazza was first into the finals and Maddalena Spanu (ITA) scored several bullets to sit in second.

Double semifinals in both men's and women's were filled with riders in overall positions third through ninth. The final spot in this series was filled with the winner of the high stakes Golden Ticket Race, the one massive fleet race for one women's and one men's spot in the medal series.

Lucie Belbeoch (FRA) hammered around the course to take her Golden opportunity and won her ticket to the semis.

The men's finish was the most dramatic of the event. Romain Ghio (FRA) was extending on the final leg of the Golden Ticket distance race, kicked over on the edge of his foil carving away to the finish ahead of Bastien Escofet (FRA) when he exploded in a ball of whitewater 100 meters from the finish. Escofet flew buy, grabbing his spot in the semifinals leaving Ghio to suffer with the agony of defeat.

Fizzling finals

By Sunday, any rider hopes of victory over Manowiecki and Pianazza were crushed when the breeze faded. Only one wild women's Semifinals Race, won by Marta Monge (ITA) was sailed before riders were sent to shore.

Manowiecki's precision and mastery of the light conditions gave him the championship and Pianazza, riding borrowed equipment, showed another level over tour leader Nia Suardiaz (ESP) and the chasing pack.

Second place was enough for Mathis Ghio (FRA) to keep a firm grip on the world title heading into the Jeri WingFoil Racing World Cup in Brazil, while Maddalena Spanu (ITA) showed that she "has arrived," and has room above her head for a future win after her second place here in Cagliari.

That's a wrap for the Wingfoil Racing World Cup Italy here in Sardinia. With slick new wings and foils, and razor thin margins around the course, the world will have to wait until December in Brazil to see what "next level" really looks like.

Results Men

    1. Kamil Manowiecki, POL
    2. Mathis Ghio, FRA
    3. Francesco Cappuzzo, ITA
    4. Alessandro Jose Tomasi, ITA
    5. Julien Rattotti, FRA
    6. Nicolo Spanu, ITA
    7. Mateo Dussarps, FRA
    8. Luca Franchi, ITA
    9. Oscar Leclair, FRA
    10. Bastien Escofet, FRA

Results Women

    1. Manon Pianazza, FRA
    2. Maddalena Spanu, ITA
    3. Nia Suardiaz, ESP
    4. Karolina Kluszcynska, POL
    5. Charlotte Baruzzi, ITA
    6. Marta Monge, ITA
    7. Emilia Kosti, GRE
    8. Iset Segura, ESP
    9. Orane Ceris, FRA
    10. Lucie Belbbeoch, FRA

More information and full results

Related Articles

WingFoil Racing World Cup Brazil concludes
New era of Austrian double trouble in Brazil Austrian twins Tomas and Aleksander Acherer launched themselves onto the world stage with a remarkable one-two on the dramatic closing day of the season finale at the GWA Wingfoil World Cup Brazil in Jericoacoara. Posted on 2 Dec
WingFoil Racing World Cup Brazil Preview
Five days of high speed foiling competition from 3 to 7 December WingFoil Racing World Cup Brazil begins in just under a week's time, with five days of high speed foiling competition. This is the third year that the World Cup season will conclude in Jericoacoara. Posted on 28 Nov
Copa Kitley GWA Wingfoil World Cup preview
Tour season closes with big finish in ericoacoara, Brazil The GWA Wingfoil World Tour is set to land in Brazil for the closing call with the title races in the Freefly-Slalom discipline still on the line after the opening rounds. Posted on 25 Nov
GWA Wingfoil World Cup Ibiraquera 2024 concludes
Spain's Elena Moreno caps stellar season to mark arrival on world stage The GWA Wingfoil World Tour crowned two new world champions in the Wave discipline at the third and final stop of the season after an epic day of action in the left-hand break of Ibiraquera in southern Brazil. Posted on 24 Oct
GWA Wingfoil Wave World Champions crowned
A fleet of 30 competitors from 10 countries battled for the men's and women's world titles In the men's competition, the 2024 GWA Wingfoil Wave World Champion is USA's Cash Berzolla, who has been the standout performer of the season after winning in Morocco earlier this month. Posted on 24 Oct
Bainbridge International acquires Ocean Rodeo
Today completing the acquisition of operating assets Bainbridge International is delighted to announce it has today completed the acquisition of operating assets of Ocean Rodeo from Aluula Composites Inc. Posted on 22 Oct
Champions crowned at Wingfoil World Cup Ibiraquera
GWA Wingfoil World Tour crowns two new world champions in the Wave discipline at 3rd and final stop The US's Cash Berzolla is been the sensation of the season with a victory in Morocco earlier this month. He suffers a shock elimination in the quarter-final in Ibiraquera, but his earlier record secures the title even with the competition yet to finish. Posted on 22 Oct
2024 Wingfoil Racing World Cup Italy day 4
Mixed emotions, fortunes at pointy end of World Cup Italy After some crazy tight crossings, dramatic lead changes and even some crashes on Saturday, most of the medal series fleet has been determined, including the first riders to make the Wingfoil Racing World Cup Italy finals. Posted on 20 Oct
2024 Wingfoil Racing World Cup Italy day 3
Clutch time for men making the Gold Fleet The rain came and the wind went. There was no racing on day three of the Wingfoil Racing World Cup Italy here in Cagliari and the race committee waited as long as they could before they blew the horn in the light drizzle and abandoned racing for the day. Posted on 18 Oct
GWA Wingfoil World Cup Ibiraquera 2024 Preview
Tour returns to Brazil for wave finale The third and final round of GWA Wingfoil World Tour in the pure surfing Wave discipline is set to return to Brazil, where the world champions will be crowned at the conclusion of the event. Posted on 18 Oct
PredictWind - GPS 728x90 BOTTOMC-Tech 2021 SnuffAir 728x90 BOTTOMSOUTHERN-SPARS-AGLAIA-SPARS_728X90 Bottom