Ronstan Junior Foiling Cup™ at Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club
by Nikki Sailing Association of Australia Inc. 16 Sep 2025 22:20 PDT
6-7 September 2025
Ronstan Junior Foiling Cup™ on the Sunshine Coast © David French
The Ronstan Junior Foiling Cup™ recently made its return to Australia, this time held on Queensland's glorious Sunshine Coast on September 6-7th.
Originally scheduled to be hosted by the Mooloolaba Yacht Club, the competition was relocated to the sheltered waters of Lake Cootharaba due to a forecast of large swells and over 25 knot winds. Huge thank you to the hard-working Mooloolaba Yacht Club team, and to the incredibly generous Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club for making the event possible at such short notice.
Over two-days, a diverse group of junior sailors participated, some as young as 9 and weighing as little as 30kgs. They came from various sailing classes, including Open Skiff, Optimists, and ILCA 4's, all of whom were eager to try foiling on the Nikki dinghies. For nearly all of them, this was their very first time experiencing the thrill of a foiling dinghy.
The first day saw strong winds, with gusts up to 26 knots. Despite the challenging conditions, the junior sailors were able to go out and all successfully foil. With the wands adjusted to suit their preferred foiling height, every sailor managed to experience the thrill of foiling, and some even sailed two-up on the boat in the strongest winds, and a few parents couldn't resist getting in on the fun to see what all the excitement of foiling was about.
On the second day, the wind was lighter. Sailors were able to show off their new foiling skills in the morning before the wind died down, leading to displacement sailing conditions with the occasional gust strong enough to get foiling. The races were incredibly close, highlighting the impressive skill level of the sailors in a boat they had never sailed before. With the double-points championship race coming down to only a few boat lengths. A huge congratulations to all competitors!
The event also highlighted the impressive durability of the Nikki foiling dinghies. These boats have now been used for three Junior Foiling Cups, enduring nearly 300 sailor changeovers with inexperienced foilers and spending half of their total sailing days in winds over 20 knots. The boats performed reliably, with only minor, quickly fixed issues like a loose shackle or a slightly bent pushrod.
The success of the cup wouldn't have been possible without an incredible team. A huge shout-out goes to The Yacht Sales Co., Mooloolaba Yacht Club, and the Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club for making this all possible and their incredible hospitality. A very special thank you also goes out to all the volunteers and families whose support was essential to the event's success.
And thank-you to all the sponsors that make these events possible in Australia, it simply cannot happen without Ronstan, Forward WIP, CST Composites, Skeeta Watersports, Doyle Sails, Australian Sailing, Ocean-Racer and Fyreside.
Congratulations to:
1st place Overall - James Dale, ILCA 4 sailor from Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron
2nd place Overall - Joshua Dale, Optimist sailor from Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron
3rd place Overall - Morgan Haines, Open Skiff sailor from Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club
1st Place Female - Bibi Stigter, Optimist sailor from Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club
More Junior Foiling Cup™ events are on the horizon, not just in Australia, but other countries worldwide, so keep an eye out for an event near you!
Interested in hosting a Junior Foiling Cup™? Contact .
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