No Daylight Between Leaders as Championship Gets Back on Track

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.


© IWSA media/Robert Hajduk: Relaxed and ready to race, Marta Monge [ITA] is still in the lead pack

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.


© IWSA media/ Robert Hajduk: Maddalena Spanu [ITA] rocketed to first in one day

“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.”


© IWSA media/ Robert Hajduk: Clean starts were key in men’s fleet to hit the first of many shifts

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.


© IWSA media/ Robert Hajduk: Bastien Escofet (FRA) sits in a cramped top five leading into the gold fleet

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.”


© IWSA media/ Robert Hajduk: Riders were having fun on e-foils before the wind arrived in Urla

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 Hong Kong’s Rafeek Kikabhoy in 20th. He joins his teammate Chow for the final series.

© IWSA media/ Robert Hajduk: Iset Segura [ESP] is chasing down a dominant lead pack

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

RESULTS MEN