World Foiling Congress 2025 Concludes
by WeAreFoiling 22 May 14:52 PDT
World Foiling Congress 2025 - (L2R) Julian Jesson - Ropner, Cecilia Cuneo - Regione Liguria, Luca Rizzotti - The Foiling Organization © Martina Orsini / We Are Foiling Media
The second edition of the World Foiling Congress took place this week at Palazzo della Borsa in Genova (Italy), attracting top industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders from across the global Foiling Community.
Organised by The Foiling Organization, this event confirmed its role as the foremost international forum dedicated to the innovation, regulation, and strategic development of the fast-evolving hydrofoiling sector.
The Congress marked a critical moment for the global nautical industry, which is witnessing rapid technological advancements and increased demand for sustainable, high-performance vessels. In partnership with the European Boating Industry (EBI), The Foiling Organization reaffirmed its commitment to fostering collaboration between manufacturers, regulators, researchers, and end-users to drive forward harmonised standards and certification processes for hydrofoils worldwide.
The event began with a welcome address from Cecilia Cuneo, Director of the Sport e Tempo Libero sector of the Regione Liguria and main institutional partner of the World Foiling Congress 2025, who brought the greetings of President Marco Bucci to all participants.
Patrick Hemp, Technical Director of ICOMIA - the International Council of Marine Industry Associations - expressed strong satisfaction for the ongoing collaboration between ICOMIA and The Foiling Organization. He highlighted to the audience ICOMIA's commitment to sustainability and decarbonisation across the marine industry, underlining how innovation in foiling can contribute to these broader environmental goals.
The Councillor for Culture, Museums, Theatres, Legal Affairs and Advocacy of the Municipality of Genova, Lawyer Lorenza Rosso, emphasised the strong significance of events like the World Foiling Congress: "This is exactly what Genova needs, high-profile moments that push the boundaries towards innovative technologies."
Julian Jesson, Lead Marine Consultant at Ropner - Presenting Partner of the Congress - stated: "Ropner is delighted to support the World Foiling Congress and looks forward to building a long-term working relationship with The Foiling Organization. Mainstream insurers are increasingly recognising the global relevance of foiling, and we're keen to further develop our collaboration with Luca Rizzotti and his team."
Luca Rizzotti, President and Founder of The Foiling Organization, opened the Congress by outlining the organisation's upcoming plans and objectives.
Luca Rizzotti, President and Founder of The Foiling Organization, opened the Congress by outlining the organisation's upcoming plans and objectives. TFO will showcase its initiatives at some of the world's leading marine industry events, such as the third edition of the Foiling Technology Zone at Metstrade in Amsterdam, the Foiling World area at boot Düsseldorf - now in its second year - the Annapolis Boat Show, and of course the Genoa Boat Show, home base of The Foiling Organization.
Rizzotti also highlighted TFO's critical collaboration with EBI - European Boating Industry - in the delicate and urgent task of identifying effective certification frameworks for foiling boats, a key step in supporting the sector's growth and regulatory integration at the European level.
He went on to announce the launch of the inaugural Foiling Sport Congress, scheduled to take place from 30 June to 1 July 2025 in Malcesine, on the shores of Lake Garda, Italy.
"This new initiative by The Foiling Organization is receiving tremendous interest and numerous commitments to attend," said Rizzotti. "It will focus specifically on the sporting dimension of foiling, bringing together federations, class associations, event organisers, yacht clubs, athletes and coaches to raise competitive standards and foster sustainable growth in foiling sport worldwide."
The official agenda of the Foiling Sport Congress 2025 is available here
Over the course of the day, five thematic panels addressed the pressing challenges and opportunities facing the hydrofoiling sector, stimulating informed debate and fostering consensus around future actions.
Katja Berkhout, Managing Director - Fliteboard EMEA, kicked off the Congress with a case study presentation introducing Flite's approach to e-foiling.
The opening panel was dedicated to E-foils, Boards, and Personal Watercraft (PWC). Experts discussed the urgent need for safety and performance standards in this fast-growing sector to protect consumers, ensure consistent design, and mitigate risk. The session also explored strategies for standardisation and certification. Moderated by Rowan Gyde (TFO), the panel featured Katja Berkhout, Adam Greene, Oleksandr Muratov, Aakash Dua, Dominic Hoskyns, and Christian Rößler.
The second panel focused on Commercial and High-Speed Craft, examining the adoption of hydrofoil technology in passenger ferries, pilot boats, and utility vessels. Participants discussed the practical and regulatory complexities involved in integrating foils into commercial maritime operations, highlighting the need to adapt the IMO High-Speed Craft Code to reflect the specific safety and performance requirements of hydrofoils. The session was moderated by Laura Marimon Giovannetti. Speakers included Romain Ingouf, Paolo Mazzucchelli, Corrado Musso, Kristoffer Uulas, Oliver Pendleton, and Aakash Dua.
Just after an appreciated Networking Lunch, the third panel, titled Flag and Decrees - Legal Pathway for Hydrofoils, explored the legislative and administrative adaptations required for hydrofoils to gain flag state recognition and compliance under European and national legal frameworks. Chaired by Stefano Pagani Isnardi, the speakers were Ulrich Heinemann, Alberto Carmagnani, and Daniela Dingli.
The fourth panel tackled the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) + The Foiling Organization Certification program. This session addressed the challenges of incorporating hydrofoils within the RCD framework, which governs the design, manufacture, and sale of recreational boats in the European Union. Moderated by Luigi Francesco Minerva, the speakers included Patrick Hemp, Andrew Baglin, Laura Marimon Giovannetti, Stefano Pagani Isnardi, Ulrich Heinemann, Alberto Carmagnani, Godert van Hardenbroeck and Adam Greene.
The final thematic panel examined Manned and Unmanned Search and Rescue and Naval Operations Vessels, focusing on cutting-edge applications of hydrofoil technology in security, defense, and emergency response sectors. Under the moderation of Magnus Wikander, the expert speakers were Eloy Rodriguez, Richard Forest, Laura Marimon Giovannetti, Oleksandr Muratov, and Jorge Lopez Alonso.
Also attending in Genoa as a Congress Partner was Luca Devoti - Olympic silver medallist in the Finn class at Atlanta and now owner of the shipyard bearing his name - who shared with participants his first-hand experience as a foiling boat builder.
The 2025 World Foiling Congress successfully united a broad spectrum of industry voices and technical experts, fostering an atmosphere of collaboration and shared vision. The outcomes of the discussions set a clear agenda for future regulatory alignment, certification standardisation, and cross-sector cooperation, supporting the sustainable growth of the hydrofoiling industry at a global scale.