RedBull Foiling Generation 2016 @Newport: Quinn Wilson & Riley Gibbs 1st

All images: Red Bull Foiling Generation, Click images for Slideshow & HQ.  Seeing the kids going for it on the FPs was worth the effort for this restricted first series.  At Newport, Quinn Wilson & Riley Gibbs won the US Qualifier days ago and they will represent the locals at the Finals next weekend.  Check official Press release below,  Official  web foilinggeneration.redbull.com/
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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA YOUTH SAILING TEAM EARNS US SPOT IN INTERNATIONAL FOILING COMPETITION LONGTIME TEAMMATES RILEY GIBBS AND QUINN WILSON TAKE FIRST IN RED BULL FOILING GENERATION US QUALIFIER

NEWPORT, RI (October 16, 2016) – There was drama on the water this weekend as the winds of
Newport Harbor were unforgiving in their ebbs and flows for the Red Bull Foiling Generation
US Qualifier. After two days of training and three days of competition on the flying phantoms,
Southern California based Quinn Wilson and Riley Gibbs walked away victorious. Beating out the
top fifteen 17 – 20-year-old youth sailing teams from across the country, Riley and Gibbs proved
themselves worthy of representing the US at the first ever Red Bull Foiling Generation World Final
next weekend also in Newport.

“Winning was a relief after a stressful event”, said the 19-year-old Quinn Wilson. “We’ve been

sailing together for a long time so we already had great communication and just had to focus on
sailing the boat.”

As day three got underway, early decisions were made on competition placement due to heavy
winds wind blowing at 15 knots to a shorter course with a more manageable wind speed in
Newport’s inner harbor. However, Mother Nature was still not forgiving because in the first Heat
(10) of the day, two of the four boats capsized and were subsequently disqualified. Teammates
Romain Screve and Pere Puig advanced along with Jacob Rosenberg and Mimi El-Khazindar. Heat
11 was dominated by the favored team Riley Gibbs and Quinn Wilson, followed by Talia Toland
and Leif Bergstrom. Moving quickly, Heat 12 changed the pace of the competition when two
boats crashed into each other, damaging them enough to make them unusable for the rest of the
competition.

Refiguring the final few races with only three usable boats, the next three heats were match races
with Ian MacDiarmid and Scott Ewing going up against Romain and Pere and with Maximo Nores
and Raul Lopez taking on Quinn Wilson and Riley Gibbs. In two very close and competitive match
races, winners Romain and Pere and Quinn and Riley were neck-and-neck fighting for that third
spot in the final race. Quinn and Riley squeaked by for their place in the three-team final against
undefeated Aiden Doyle and Neil Marcellini and brother duo Luke and Nick Muller.

The Red Bull Foiling Generation US Qualifier final race was exciting from start to finish with
19-year-old California teammates Quinn Wilson and Riley Gibbs taking the lead early on and not
giving it up until they took the win after a long day of Repechage Round racing.
“It makes sense that those going through the Repechage Round would come out on top,” said
Roman Hagara, Red Bull Foiling Generation Founder and Team Coach. “They had more minutes
on the boat and combined with their skills, they have proved themselves to be great sailors with
bright futures.”

FINAL RESULTS
1st – Quinn Wilson and Riley Gibbs
2nd – Aidan Doyle and Neil Marcellini
3rd – Luke Muller and Nicolas Muller

Red Bull Foiling Generation was founded to prepare youth sailors for the rigors of life as a
competitive sailor in the America’s Cup by two-time Olympic Gold Medalists Roman Hagara and
Hans Peter Steinacher. Riley and Quinn will stay in Newport to race against the world’s best next
weekend at the Red Bull Foiling Generation World Final, set to take place October 22 and 23. Top
youth competitors from 14 countries including Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Italy,
Turkey, France, Denmark, Netherlands, Great Britain, New Zealand, Japan and Belgium have been
accumulating over two years for this first ever world-wide competition.

The seaside location of Fort Adams State Park on Newport Harbor is home to many sailing events
and regattas because of its natural amphitheater on Narragansett Bay and legendary sailing
waters. Red Bull Foiling Generation is working in partnership with US Sailing and the non-profit Sail
Newport, New England’s premiere public sailing center, which will host both events.

More information on the US Qualifier, please visit: foilinggeneration.redbull.com and for
images/video, please visit www.redbullsailingnewsroom.com

Also, stay tuned to www.facebook.com/redbullfoilinggeneration for content and updates.
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