2025 Dogus Marine Services Formula Wing European Championships - Day 3
by WingFoil Racing World Cup 22 May 11:33 PDT
20-24 May 2025
Winning smile from Tsz Hei “Hugo” Chow [HKG] - 2025 Dogus Marine Services Formula Wing European Championships, Day 3 © IWSA media / Robert Hajduk
After a day of no racing, the locals made the wind claim early and they were right on the money. Racing started at 2 pm after a one-hour delay, in a 14-knot offshore southerly that was in the sweet spot for wing foil racing.
After eight total races in the Dogus Marine Services Formula Wing Europeans, the men's gold fleet is now decided, leaving a cramped leaderboard and open doors to Saturday's medal series, while the women continued their qualifying series with equally tight racing.
League of their own
Small in stature, big on power, Marta Monge of Italy continued her winning streak on day three to lead the women's fleet until the mid-afternoon break.
Carrying the burden of two DNS in her scoreline, Maddalena Spanu clawed her way to the top, winning the day with a 1,3,1,3,1 scoreline. The Italian has no cushion moving into the last day of the qualifying series, one point ahead of Monge and two points ahead of Greece's Emilia Kosti who sits in third.
The top four are in a league of their own after seven races, eight points ahead of fifth. Only four points separate Poland's Karolina Kluszczynska in fourth and Spanu in first.
"The plan now is to focus on the moment and what I did wrong, and adjust my foil position," said a relieved Spanu who checks in with her coach father on the phone each day. "Also, I need to be more serious to concentrate on doing my best."
In a fleet of 12, the trio had to defend multiple challenges in the shifting winds.
"It was super mixing all the time, I can't even remember who won sometimes. I was quite consistent in my decision where to go," said Kluszczynska. "Each girl has their own thing they like. Some of us go better upwind, some of us downwind, so it's really great racing."
Too close to call
With two fleets, the top male riders took turns in the top five to end this qualifying series only a handful of points apart. The qualifying series is now complete with eight races, and the top 20 will begin the gold fleet racing on Friday.
Kamil Manowiecki of Poland and France's Mathis Ghio could not stay away from each other after the first four races and traded firsts in the blue fleet. After four races and a break, the groups were re-seeded into new fleets.
Ghio had a near perfect day ticking off all firsts save for two second places. He will head into the gold fleet first overall while Manowiecki is a mere 1.5 points behind in second.
The Frenchman was not without his flaws and was passed on the last downwind of the last race by a hard charging Tsz Hei "Hugo" Chow of Hong Kong who went on to capture the first ever European championship win by a Hong Kong wingfoiler.
"I had a bad first race and had to calm myself down," said an excited Chow. "On the downwind I had a header and had to keep pumping very hard so I can finish the leg in one tack. I just got to the bottom mark then finished."
Under 19 rider Ernesto De Amicis of Italy, was leading the championship heading into the day and still maintains a clean scoreline sitting in third overall.
Last into the gold fleet selection was Poland's Szymek Cieslak, an under 19 rider, who joins two other U19 wingfoilers in the gold fleet.
Friday's competition will continue with the men's racing in gold and silver fleets, and the women's qualifying series. The top nine in each fleet will secure a spot in Saturday's medal series, while the remaining women and men will race together in the Golden Ticket long-distance race for a last chance to earn a spot in the medal series.
Results Women
1. ITA, Maddalena Maria Spanu
2. ITA, Marta Monge
3. GRE, Emilia Kosti
4. POL, Karolina Kluszczynska
5. ESP, Iset Segura Santaeularia
6. POL, Katarzyna Trautman
7. ITA, Charlotte Baruzzi
8. CHN, Yana Li [U19][U17]
9. TUR, Dilara Uralp Palombo
10. HKG, Wai Yan Ngai
Results Men
1. FRA, Mathis Ghio
2. POL, Kamil Manowiecki
3. ITA, Ernesto De Amicis [U19]
4. FRA, Bastien Escofet
5. FRA, Oscar Leclair
6. FRA, Julien Rattotti
7. ITA, Francesco Cappuzzo
8. FRA, Mateo Dussarps
9. ITA, Nicolo Spanu
10. FRA, Romain Ghio
More information here