When Jim Drake invented windsurfing in 1967, there was no talk of fun sports. As with SUP at the turn of the millennium, hardly anyone thought the subsequent boom was possible. Today, wingfoiling is the trend on the water par excellence; a kind of mixture of kitesurfing and windsurfing. The sport is booming because the handling seems much easier than with kitefoiling, which is also an Olympic sport.
At the Kieler Woche, the X-15 class wants to make their sport palatable to the U19 youngsters at a demo and coaching event in the second part (27 to 30 June).
Up to 30 youngsters can learn from top athlete and class manager Fiona Wylde how the six square metre wing sail literally gives them wings on the board and foil. The US-American is considered a multi-talented athlete and has also won titles in windsurfing and stand-up paddling, including world championships. "Kiel Week offers us an ideal spot on the north beach of Schilksee to familiarise the athletes with the equipment and sailing technique," enthuses Wylde.
More about inflatable sails:
Show sailing for the spectators
At the end on Sunday, there will be short up and down races and slaloms for the public to watch in Strander Bucht. The interest in wingfoiling in Kiel is extremely international. "The first 15 entries come from Norway, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Turkey, Great Britain and Germany," reports Lena Erdil, not without pride. The former iQFoil surfer and Kiel Week winner now works for the event and marketing agency of the Kiel Yacht Club, Point of Sailing, and acquired the class at the boot trade fair in Düsseldorf. "As regatta organisers, such forward-looking appearances are important to us, as they show the scene and the expert watersports public that Kieler Woche is always moving with the times," says Head of Organisation Dirk Ramhorst, welcoming the new development.
All those interested bring practical experience in wingfoiling with them to Kiel. They control their altitude safely at all times and have already mastered upwind courses. Now they are to be prepared for competitions. The training programme also includes nutrition and fitness tips as well as regatta elements. Fiona Wylde: "We have further improved the equipment and want to expand the family of athletes worldwide and establish the X-15 class with them."
Olympic status has been announced
In the medium term, international wingfoil fans have their sights set on Olympic status. Starboard is pushing its X-15 boards in competition with various suppliers and expects to be recognised as an international class by the World Sailing Association this year. The latter expressly welcomes the invitation to tender for the "Wingfoil Racing Exhibition" at Kieler Woche, as it has to present its particularly telegenic, currently ten disciplines to the IOC every four years and modernise them if necessary in order to maintain the overall Olympic status of sailing. There is still a long way to go before the Games in Atlanta 2028, and it remains to be seen which sports the IOC will give a chance.
