Young Azzura, Maddalena Spanu wins the WingFoil Racing World Cup leg in Switzerland
by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda 21 Jun 04:40 EST
Maddalena Spanu, an athlete in the YCCS Young Azzurra programme, winner of the WingFoil World Cup in Switzerland © IWSA Media / Robert Hajduk
Maddalena Spanu, an athlete from the YCCS Young Azzurra programme, claimed victory yesterday in the WingFoil Racing World Cup event in Switzerland, ahead of the French athlete Vaina Picot and China's Yana Li.
The week of racing in Silvaplana, Switzerland, where the third leg of the WingFoil Racing World Cup took place, unfolded in challenging weather conditions. The opening days saw no racing due to the absence of wind, with light winds then gradually building over the following two days, allowing a total of 15 races to be held, across both long course and short race formats. Maddalena Spanu made consistency the key to her success, finishing with three wins, seven second-place finishes and two thirds - after discarding her worst score - to take second place in the provisional overall standings, which secured her direct entry to the final alongside France's Vaina Picot, who topped the leaderboard.
After a lengthy wait to compete in the Medal Race, the final got under way at around 4.30 p.m. in a very unstable breeze. China's Yana Li led off the starting line, followed by Picot, with Maddalena in third. Approaching the leeward gate, Picot came off her foil, allowing Maddalena to move into second place, hot on the heels of Li. Just before the finish line, Yana Li also fell, allowing the Young Azzurra sailor to seize victory.
"The wait for the Medal Race was long, and required a very high level of concentration. I went out determined, as always, to give my best. Vaina and Yana's falls were unexpected, it was really important to make the most of the shifting breeze. When I crossed the finish line, I couldn't believe it - I was absolutely thrilled." commented Maddalena Spanu.
The YCCS congratulates Maddalena on an outstanding result.