Foiling is No Longer the Future, Foiling is Now
By Phil Muller, Youth Performance Manager, US Sailing
As our sailing community continues to embrace new foiling platforms as legitimate activities to enjoy the wind and water, US Sailing’s Phil Muller has been on the water this winter connecting the dots between traditional sailing to emerging foiling boards and boat classes.
Wing Foil Coach Camp
In February, US Sailing hosted the first Wing Foil Coach Camp, supported by Armstrong Foils, which brought together sailing coaches and program directors from around the country to learn to wing foil and learn to teach wing foiling at the US Sailing Center Martin County. Participants learned to foil while slow towing behind a powerboat, learning new dynamics of pitch control while hovering above the water’s surface, and then put wing in hand to apply those new skills.
This professional development, hands-on retreat allows program heads to explore the opportunity of developing wing foiling into their programming. US Sailing will host another Wing Foil Coach Camp in late March in Florida. Spots are limited, but those interested can still apply by emailing youth@ussailing.org.
Foiling Week Pensacola
Founded on a love for all things foiling, Foiling Week brought their annual European festival to Pensacola Bay and Beach. Throughout the week, athletes flew across the starting lines in 14 different classes: Formula Kite, Moth, Waszp, iFly, A-Class, BirdyFish, WingFoil, and the FoilFlex category. Moth racing featured some of the best sailors in the world, including Olympians Riley Gibbs and Bronze Medalist, Lucas Calabrese, Youth America’s Cup athletes Harry Melges, Ben Rosenberg, and Ripley Shelley, and 2x World Champion Ravi Parent.
An array of board foilers, with wing, e-Foils, pump foils, and SUP also competed in new formats along the waterfront thrilling spectators. US Sailing’s Phil Muller officiated wing foil racing and led a learn to wing race clinic with St. Francis Yacht Club Wing Chairman Geoff Headington. “Bridging the gap between traditional sailboats and foiling is an important priority for US Sailing. We supported Foiling Week to endorse foiling as part of the Olympic movement, and embrace foiling as part of the sailing family,” said Muller.
2024 Youth Worlds Team members Casey Small and Dylan Tomko converted their multihull with a foiling kit that transformed their Nacra 15 to a flying cat. The kit takes the existing Nacra 15 that is raced internationally and at the Youth World Championships, and adds a new Z foil and L-Rudder design as well as a kick-up system to ensure a smooth ride from start to finish.
“We’re thrilled to bring Foiling Week to the city of Pensacola,” said Luca Rizzotti, founder of Foiling Week. “Pensacola has wonderful foiling conditions with flat water, consistent breeze, and a variety of bay and ocean settings. With the addition of a beach venue, we’re able to invite foil boards for surf and swell competitions and add an exciting dynamic to an already epic lineup.”
Sail GP – North American Events
Applications are now open for youth athletes to apply for Sail GP Inspire powered by Armstrong Foils. This exciting event will feature young foilers between 15 and 20 years old, against the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge on March 20-23, at one of the most iconic SailGP venues. This incredible opportunity to take course racing and freestyle winging to the next level. Over a long weekend, selected athletes will be part of an exclusive group given the opportunity to connect with peers, learn about foiling, and inspire future generations through wing foiling.
Inspire is SailGP’s community, education and outreach initiative, powered by the belief that sailing can be a force for good, Powered by Nature, Driven by Purpose. SailGP Inspire aims to serve a leading role in helping to diversify the sport of sailing for youth without race, gender, and socioeconomic status presenting a barrier to entry.
2025 Save The Dates
For the first time, two US Sailing Championships will feature foiling classes in 2025.
The second annual U.S. WingFoil Championship will be held on June 20-22 at St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, CA.
Concurrently, the U.S. Singlehanded Championship will be held in the foiling Waszp, on June 20-22 at Tabor Academy in Marion, MA. This is the first time in the U.S. Singlehanded Championship’s 63 year history that it will be held in a foiling dinghy.
Sailors young and old interested in expanding their skills through foiling can contact PhilMuller@ussailing.org to learn about these and future programs.