2022 Formula Windsurfing Foil World Championships Torbole - Overall
by Elena Giolai 23 Jun 2022 19:14 NZST
17-22 June 2022
The Formula Foil World Championship, an event organised by the Circolo Surf Torbole in collaboration with the International IWA class, the Italian Sailing Federation and the Garda Trentino Vela Consortium, came to an end in Torbole, on Garda Trentino after 19 races.
The first few days were characterised by strong winds, while the finale was characterised by thunderstorms in the area, which first alerted the organisers, reducing the number of races on Tuesday, and then brought back a northerly wind in the morning, albeit of rather light intensity, but enough to conclude at least one race with 13-16 knots of wind on the last day of competition, which then suddenly dropped.
After a Championship that was always run as leader, Frenchman Nicolas Goyard, now the undisputed champion between iQFoil, PWA and Formula Foil, was confirmed as the world champion, having won practically all the most important regattas in the speciality over the last two years. Nicolas, with 11 wins out of 19 regattas, left 6 points behind his brother Thomas, Olympic silver medallist in Tokyo and fast recovering in foil training from his previous RS:X Olympic board. Third step of the senior podium for the Swiss Elia Colombo, who managed to beat the Dutchman Luuc Van Opzeeland in the final. As far as the Youth category is concerned, satisfaction and certainly excellent signals from the two Circolo Surf Torbole athletes Manolo Modena and Jacopo Gavioli, respectively first and second youth (as well as iQFoil overall) and above all sixth and eighth overall, despite racing with a youth board and smaller sail than the seniors. Third in the under-20 category was Slovakian Robin Kubin. Spanish victory in the masters category with Fernando Del Cerro; victory in the grand masters category for Poland's Pawel Dittrich. Sofia Renna won the women's category, taking the Formula Foil world title ahead of Linda Oprandi and Jana Slatvova from the Czech Republic.
With 19 victories out of 19 races, Circolo Surf Torbole athlete Leonardo Tomasini won the Championship in the Junior category (under 17), taking a more than deserved title. Behind him were his two other club mates Mattia Saoncella and Valentino Blewett, who in the last three days found a strong opponent in the Swiss Robin Zeley. The other Circolo Surf Torbole athlete Anna Polettini won among the girls. Prizes were also awarded to the juniors who raced with a youth iQFoil board and sail: in this division victory went to Valentino Blewett (Circolo Surf Torbole), second to Luca Barletta (Adriatico Wind Club Ravenna) and third to Giulio Orlandi (SEF Stamura-Ancona).
The President of Circolo Surf Torbole Armando Bronzetti: "This is the end of a beautiful Championship, which offered strong wind conditions, but also lighter as in the last two days, giving everyone the opportunity to express themselves at their best. Nineteen races is a good result; the organisation was well coordinated with the International Class, the Race Committee and the Jury of the Italian Sailing Federation. I am also very satisfied with the result of the Circolo Surf Torbole team, which in just a few months made an almost unexpected improvement with the foil boards, winning the youth and junior categories, as well as the senior women's. Congratulations to all the staff, who hold high the name of Circolo Surf Torbole!"
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