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

Going to publish the 'F' word – Again!

by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor 23 Mar 14:00 PDT
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.

Go here for more information...

Please enjoy your yachting, stay safe, and thanks for tuning into Sail-World.com

John Curnow
Sail-World.com AUS Editor

Related Articles

Getting excited for the Van Isle 360
Quoting a famous line from Pink Floyd's "Time" As I pack for the first half of the 2025 Van Isle 360 International Yacht Race, I find myself thinking about the last time I did this race, a certain Pink Floyd song, and the great adventuring, sailing and time with friends that awaits. Posted on 3 Jun
Robert Burke on HRCS's Dyckman Marina facility
Robert Burke discusses the upcoming closure of HRCS's Dyckman Marina facility Community sailing organizations are a fantastic and affordable way of drawing new sailors into the sport. Unfortunately, the Hudson River Community Sailing is being forced to close one of its two locations in January. Posted on 3 Jun
The call of the mighty
See the words Admiral's Cup and you immediately think approachable, real, hardcore action See the words Admiral's Cup and you immediately think approachable, real, hardcore action, braving the elements, and glory for the victorious. As an Australian, you have King Louie (the late Lou Abrahams), and the late Sir Jim Hardy as the poster boys. Posted on 1 Jun
Where to purchase adaptive sailing equipment
Seats, hoists, etc for sailors with a disability Several organisations have contributed their knowledge regarding where to purchase adaptive sailing equipment such as seats for dinghies and hoists for wheelchair users to get into boats. Posted on 1 Jun
America's Cup Power Plays
And Growing Sailing Through Learning There's always so much speculation and intrigue in-between each edition of the America's Cup. Everyone wants to know what is happening behind closed doors, inside the teams, and when the Challengers meet with the Defender. Posted on 28 May
Hyde Sails Flying Fifteen Video Tuning Guide
Ben McGrane explains how to get the most out of your B1 mainsail with B1 or 2H jibs Hyde Sails release new detailed video guide for tuning the Flying 15 for use with the B1 mainsail with B1 or 2H jibs. Posted on 22 May
Gladwell's Line: - May 22 - A big month
Kiwi's loss is Italy's gain - our thoughts on the hosting debacle. Kiwi's loss is Italy's gain - our thoughts on the hosting debacle. Paul Whiting's tribute - 45yrs on. Surprise winner of biggest ever two-handed nationals. Chalkie Bland remembered. Posted on 22 May
Puget Sound sailing, Etchells, J/70s, Cup news
Seeking Goldilocks conditions on Puget Sound, Etchells NAs, J/70 U.S. Nationals, AC38 news As the saying goes, 'you don't know unless you go'. While I've mostly heard this phrase applied to climbing, skiing, and mountaineering, four late-winter and springtime races on Puget Sound this year exemplified the fact that this line. Posted on 20 May
The appeal of offshore
Is there still appeal? Have we made it too onerous? Why would someone take it up now? I had been pondering. Yes. Marquee events have no issue attracting entrants. Middle Sea, Transpac, Cape to Rio, Fastnet, and Hobart all spring to mind instantly, but what of the ‘lesser' races? Lots of boats in pens (slips) a lot of the time Posted on 18 May
Banger Racing, Back Racing and No Racing
Racing on the cheap, a return to racing for young Aussies, and ILCA struggles We start with racing on the cheap at the Colander Cup, then focus on a return to racing for the Aussies at the Youth Worlds, moving on to a complete lack of racing at the ILCA Worlds, and then looking at how SailGP should be back out on the water. Posted on 14 May
North Sails Loft 57 PodcastArmstrong 728x90 - HA Foil Range - BOTTOMRooster 2025