Going to publish the 'F' word – Again!
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor 24 Mar 08:00 AEDT
Ronstan Junior Foiling Cup™ 2025 © Shane Baker
Now we published the first 'F' word back in June last year. It did really well, thank you. Very much appreciated. Clearly, there are lots of young sailors out there looking to add a load of fun to their sailing, and are keen to get into the foiling world. Fantastic. There are your three 'F' words, and we are only in the first paragraph.
So, there's a certain thing called the Junior Foiling Cup that we have been watching closely. There have been two rounds to date. One out of the Bayview Yacht Racing Association in NSW, and then next one at the McCrae Yacht Club in Victoria. One wonderful contagion that 'F' word. I tell you! It is already spreading... Firstly to Queensland, and very soon, overseas, as well. Cue the 5th Dimension; Up, Up and Away.
Spearheading it all has been David French, who commented, "The Junior Foiling Cup is all about showcasing to kids what's possible with their sailing. It stems from the fact that a lot of juniors, including myself back in the day when I was about 14, quit sailing for various reasons. One of these is because they are not excited by the types of boats that are on offer."
"The format aims to inspire junior sailors, 16 years and under, by giving them the opportunity to not only try out foiling dinghies for the first time, but also race them. You take kids that don't have to have any foiling experience whatsoever, offer some training, then set them loose in a racing environment. At least 97% of the participants to date haven't even touched a foiling dinghy, let alone sailed one."
"Yes they can already sail their Optimists, O'Pen Skiffs, Minnows, Cadets and ILCAs etc., and the best part is up to 42% of the participants so far have been female. The average for both sexes is 13 years, our youngest was just nine years old, and the lightest a mere 27 kilos!"
"The oldest was 16 years, and the heaviest was 70 kilos. Every single person that's competed has foiled for the very first time, and on their first day, too."
The events cover two days and only cost AU$120 per person. Show up with your normal sailing gear and away you go. The equipment is supplied, and the instruction and racing are in a Round Robin style format - three groups of six souls. You start in the morning and come off late afternoon. It means that of the weather plays nicely they get a training session and then at least five races. The racing starts on Day One after the training, so its sink or swim... Crack on, eh!
The groups are completely randomised to start with, then on Day Two they change groups to sail against the others, and the top six from all the groups go into a double points final, where the winner becomes the Junior Foiling Cup Champion. It is really important to acknowledge the finalists, because they will go on to compete at a national level, and then even internationally, should it all go the way it is looking like presently.
"To date, we've had anywhere from three to 23 knots of breeze, and it's pretty amazing to see what junior sailors can do. They just love the stronger stuff. We have a varying range of skill levels from someone who was in Green Fleet less than a year ago, and the intermediate fleet now, to the top Opti sailors from around the country. One participant flew from Cairns to Melbourne just to be a part of it. We had 19 sailors at Pittwater, and 15 at McCrae. We had a lot more enquiries than that, it's just that the latter clashed with a few State titles."
"At McCrae it blew in at the end and was gusting 23 knots. The biggest problem we had was convincing them to sail back to shore. The smiles were simply phenomenal. What a great attitude, and it sure has excited them and inspired them to keep going. I've had a few parents and some of the kids say to me that they were actually going to quit sailing, and this has really given them something to hang in there, which is what it is all about," added French.
"By making the Nikki accessible, which is the only foiling dinghy designed specifically for Juniors on the market globally, it opens the door for junior sailors to experience the amazing world of foiling, and the interest is terrific. If other organisations want to provide equipment, like Skeeta Watersports has with the Nikki, then wing, kite, and board foiling are all possible."
Obviously, there are a heap of other volunteers at the clubs at Bayview and McCrae that made it all happen, so a big shout out to all of them. This is great, as it has helped a few places in Australia, and also Europe, to be serious about looking at the event. "It certainly looks like a few of them are definitely going to go ahead this year. Some might be doing it as a smaller event, and this is the beauty of the Junior Foiling Cup, for it doesn't have to be six boats - it can be upscaled or downscaled. What is crucial is the best possible amount of time with the craft, whatever style they may be," added French.
"It's always amazing to see how capable the kids are. They're adrenaline junkies. Being able to provide them with this opportunity is pretty awesome. They pick it up so quickly, too. Most of them are foiling in a straight line inside 20 minutes. We have quite a few that will make foil gybes after about five to seven hours with the tiller, and foil tacks soon after. Many have found a way to get time with the Nikki after the Cup to continue practising and build their time airborne. It is terrific."
"After they get about two, two and a half hours time each over the course of the weekend, you get to see some of the things that they can do, and it's incredible. They're ripping around at 18 plus knots, and they're fine and fully capable. If they capsize, they're having a great time, and all the while there is a huge smile on their face."
"Another great thing was the incredible support from the likes of Glenn Ashby, Laura Harding, and Chris Dey. To have them come and give some inspiration to the kids, conduct a Q&A session, or just having them around, was really invaluable. Consider just how many times do you get to have those sorts of people around, and the icon level they possess."
As it happens, Ashby was quite the regular feature at McCrae, being in attendance for most of the weekend. "He loves every aspect of the sport, and it's so good to have his, Laura's and Chris' support. The kind of feedback they provide, and delivering insights into the professional world, and why they love their sailing and why they love it. It's really what it's all about."
"When the kids are not sailing, they are on the RIBs, cheering and revving up the others. All the kids were so incredibly supportive of each other at both events, and remember they range from nine to 16 years, but they certainly do share that one common goal."
"For the JFC team, it is about making it all possible, and a big part of that includes keeping the fees low. 60 dollars per day, all included is amazing value. By offering Quensland in the Winter, we could just about make the Australian event year-round, which is kind of the idea. We can get it to different clubs, and highlight them as a part of it." Anyway, as I see it, fun, cheap, exciting, and coming to a place near you. What could be better?
It may have all started from the simple premise, what can we do for junior sailing? Fun is key, as this holds excitement. Then they do not want to stop, even when completely exhausted. Yes, it is a great road into the foiling route, but also to any performance sailing, or any yachting for that matter, "...as the skills that you learn from sailing a foiling boat is directly translated to every single other form," as French puts it. "You balance, steering, control, sheeting, everything, and it all happens so quickly. They learn these key skills much quicker.
Go the 'F' word - again, again, and again.
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Please enjoy your yachting, stay safe, and thanks for tuning into Sail-World.com
John Curnow
Sail-World.com AUS Editor