The WingFoil Racing World Cup Turkiye opened Wednesday, although a lack of wind prevented the first race from going ahead.
Instead the riders put their competitive instincts into an evening competition on Audi e-foilers, electric-powered foiling boards that fly above the surface at up to 30 knots.
A few riders used sheer hard work and high levels of cardiovascular fitness to pump their way up on to the foil in Wednesday’s marginal conditions, including Polish rider and former Olympic windsurfing campaigner Karolina Kluszczyńska.
“If you’re not dying, you’re not trying,” she laughed. “There’s no doubt that the fitter you are, the smaller the wing you can get away with and the faster you go – provided you don’t stop foiling and sink into the water.”
Meanwhile developments with wings continue at speed. Julien Rattotti used his double-surface Gong wing to great effect at the end of 2023, and the rest of the circuit sat up and took notice.
In the wingfoiling event there are 56 competitors registered from 16 countries and the event should have opened with the double-score Marathon race – now postponed to Thursday morning.
From the results of the marathon race the men will be seeded and organised into three equally weighted qualifying groups while the women will race as one group.
The Marathon race has a target finish time of 30 minutes for the winner, and a high-speed rabbit start behind a powerboat planing at close to 30 knots, the riders begin with a reach across the wind before venturing on a square course for a cardiovascular workout on the aquamarine waters of Urla.
With the support and sponsorship of Audi Cars in Turkiye, this event and this new venue is harnessing the wave of interest and excitement in the fast-growing sport of wingfoiling.
