A group of eight Australian youth sailors spent two days learning the ins and outs of foiling from some of the best in the world at the recent Foiling Week / Harken Kidz Trials. The event kicked off with Andrew McDougall, designer of the Mach 2 Moth and Waszp, taking the group on an in-depth tour of the Waszp platform, controls, and sailing techniques. Once familiarized with the boat, it was time to hit the water! The first day delivered lighter than ideal winds, but that didn’t stop these intrepid kids from getting out and making the best of it. Better yet, they had to first learn a less appreciated art of sailing foiling boats: low riding. Low riding is when the winds are too light for foiling and one must sail their boat down ON the actual water, not above it. As you can imagine, this requires nimble yet careful balance. Thankfully, day two was blessed by the wind gods and the kids experienced full-on foiling, including some spectacular (note: not perilous) wipe outs!
We had such an awesome time spreading the “foiling bug” to our group of Blockheads youth sailors. Check out highlights from the Harken Kidz Trials below. Massive thanks are due to the coaches, volunteers, and everyone at the Foiling Week for helping make it happen.
Marquee Photo Credit: Martina Orsini Photographer.
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