Performance Pathway Wing Foiling Camp held in Townsville
by Lisa Darmanin / Australian Sailing Team 31 Jul 17:52 NZST
Coaching in action at Wing Foiling Camp © Australian Sailing Team
With Wing Foiling confirmed as an invited class for the 2027 World Sailing Championships and the international racing circuit continuing to expand, Australian Sailing's High Performance Pathway Program hosted a Wing Foiling Camp in Townsville earlier this month.
The four-day camp brought together 10 wing foilers from Townsville, Yeppoon, Sydney and Brisbane, while three coaches joined the program to not only support the athletes but also develop their expertise in the rapidly evolving discipline.
Hosted at Townsville Sailing Club, the camp was designed to identify emerging talent, strengthen Australia's High Performance Pathway and ensure both athletes and coaches remain at the forefront of one of sailing's fastest-growing classes. It also provided a valuable winter training opportunity, giving athletes outside the major training hubs access to high-performance coaching while helping local coaches build the foundations for future foiling programs within their clubs.
Consistent breeze throughout the camp created ideal training conditions, allowing for one to two on-water sessions each day. Each morning began with classroom sessions covering key high-performance topics, including race rules, racecourse analysis and the development of individual racing strategies.
The focus then shifted to the water, where athletes refined manoeuvres under pressure, sharpened their starting techniques and improved racecourse decision-making through a series of racing scenarios.
Strong performances from athletes returning from recent international competition combined with the rapid development of emerging wing foilers produced close, tactical racing throughout the camp, creating an outstanding learning environment for the entire group.
With Wing Foiling continuing its rapid rise internationally, the future of the class in Australia is equally promising. Australian Sailing's High Performance Pathway Program plans to continue expanding these training opportunities, helping identify the next generation of talent while introducing more sailors and coaches to the discipline.
Australian Sailing is also reviewing its selection guidelines for the 2027 World Sailing Championships to incorporate Wing Foiling, recognising the event as an important opportunity to further develop and assess Australia's emerging talent in the class.