Windsurf Olympic Trials @Torbole, images by Jesús Renedo

All images courtesy of Jesús Renedo / Sailing Energy & Daniel Smith / World Sailing. Click images for sildeshow & orig size. More at Sailing Energy fb – 2024 Windsurfing Olympic Trials are being held at Torbole right now. Jesús Renedo, a windsurfer himself (and WS foiler too) is taking official shots for World Sailing.

Find below official release by World Sailing with sailors testing the different equipment presented. Today first test race, 1 & 2 for Formula Windsurf Foil setup.

Check below also list of equipment which include :

• Current RSX
• Formula Foil Windsurf: Starboard & Patrick Diethelm boards including Exploder Foils & one Z foil board option.
• WF1 is a One Design board by Starboard & Phantom, with Starboard & Phantom Foils
• Glide: A similar RSX proposal
• I-Foil complete package from Starboard

Above also with foils from Neilpryde and AFS. Sails from Severne, Phantom , M8 (1D Factory/Marton Balazs) and many others.

Complete list equipment for every option available in each proposal Doc:

– RS:X, Neil Pryde – Non foiling one design
– Glide, Glide Class – Non foiling one design
– iFoil, Starboard – Foiling (convertible) one design
– Formula Foil Limited, International Formula Windsurfing Class – Open Registered Series Production scheme – foiling
– Windfoil 1, Founding industry partners: Starboard, Severne, Phantom International – One design for the board – Open Registered Series Production scheme rest of equipment – foiling

I think on performance alone there is no chance for the RSX & the Glide , on the several alternatives for foiling WSailing will surely go for a OD setup, but will be interesting to see performance and reports from the sailors sent by the MNAs to officially test each alternative.

Some racing is scheduled as noted above, but its not definitory as experience has shown for trials , including the last Multihull one where the Tornado was mostly dominant.

Our preferences would be OD Sail & Board (Multibrand) and multi brand Foil, or to select the actual best foil along. To not depend on one only manufacturer a la Nacra or Neilpryde for RSX and the usual complains on monopoly, high prices, and poor customer service.

Think OD a la Tornado, where many brand could built it, then mostly ended racing Marstrom, but at least you have the chance and alternatives to compare and start sailing with other brands creating price and quality competition all using the same shape/design.

Once Foil is selected (If) maybe a second trial can define that aspect in a better way.

by World Sailing

Twenty internationally renowned windsurfers will participate in the Paris 2024 Men’s and Women’s Windsurfer sea trials from 29 September to 3 October 2019 held out of Circolo Surf Torbole on Lake Garda, Italy.

Ten male and ten female windsurfers representing 18 nations are confirmed to participate in the sea trials. Twelve representatives are currently racing at the RS:X World Championships with the eight remaining windsurfers holding extensive Olympic sailing / coaching experience and foiling expertise.

World Sailing received seven applications from class associations and manufacturers wishing to participate in the sea trials. The Paris 2024 Windsurfer Evaluation Working Party analysed the supplied information against the criteria outlined in the invitation to tender and shortlisted the RS:X, Glide, iFoil, Formula Foil and Windfoil 1.

The windsurfers selected to test the Equipment are:

Female
Izzy Adcock (GBR)
Zofia Klepacka (POL)
Lilian De Geus (NED)
Noga Geller (ISR)
Marta Maggetti (ITA)
Bryony Shaw (GBR)
Farrah Hall (USA)
Anna Sagulenko (UKR)
Maja Dziarnowska (POL)
Helene Noesmoen (FRA)

Male
Luka Mratovic (CRO)
Christian Justesen (DEN)
Marcos Fernandez (ESP)
Vincent Langer (GER)
Vyron Kokalanis (GRE)
Kensei Ikeda (JPN)
Endre Funnemark (NOR)
João Rodrigues (POR)
Maksim Ombreko (RUS)
Elia Colombo (SUI)

In addition, tenderers have been invited to present a male and female windsurfer to ensure the required knowledge to use the equipment at its full potential is present. Chang Hao (TPE), Kiran Badloe (NED), Marina Alabau (ESP) and Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (ARG) will be advising the selected windsurfers and assisting the Paris 2024 Windsurfer Evaluation Working Party in evaluating the equipment.

The female age range is from 17 to 37 year’s old with varying heights from 158cm to 178cm. The weight range of the female windsurfers is from 53kg to 68kg. In the male division, the age range of the sailors is from 20 to 47 years with height varying from 173cm to 191cm with a weight range between 70kg to 92kg.

The variety in age, height, weight and experience will enable the Paris 2024 Windsurfer Evaluation Working Party to receive a variety of feedback to make an informed recommendation to World Sailing’s Equipment Committee ahead of the 2019 Annual Conference.

Shortlisted tender documents are available to review below:

– RS:X, Neil Pryde – Non foiling one design
– Glide, Glide Class – Non foiling one design
– iFoil, Starboard – Foiling (convertible) one design
– Formula Foil Limited, International Formula Windsurfing Class – Open Registered Series Production scheme – foiling
– Windfoil 1, Founding industry partners: Starboard, Severne, Phantom International – One design for the board – Open Registered Series Production scheme rest of equipment – foiling