Foiling Week. Sailing has taken off.


Foiling Week. Sailing has taken off.

"Foiling was born over 100 years ago, circa 1907, not long after the first flights by the Wright brothers. The idea was Enrico Forlanini's, an aviation pioneer, who wanted to give the pilots of the time a tool they could use for practicing and training that would be safer and slower, a kind of flying that would take place on the water, without the risk of crashing. My passion for foiling comes from experience. Foiling Week is a time for the foiling community, and everyone involved in that world, to get together. It’s important to talk about it because there are still many pages to be written. Foiling is innovation, and sailing took off! "

(Luca Rizzotti)

The first concrete experiments of foiling began in 1936, and were continued by the Navy during the ‘50s and '60s. You begin with modifying the boat, applying appendages similar to those on hydrofoils, and you can make it fly!

The wing-shaped fin mounted under the hull that allows a boat to literally rise out of the water and flies across the surface, is called a hydrofoil. By eliminating the friction between the hull and the water, the boat reaches a speed that can be four times faster than the wind, guaranteeing spectacular performance.
Flying boats

The Moth class is the cornerstone of flying boats: they are small, light dinghies that are particularly good at taking off. In the early days, boats capsized after taking off. In 2004, Rohan Veal, the world and continental champion in this discipline, found the perfect way to sail the Moth, and it became the second cornerstone of foiling.

When the boat and the way to sail it were found, technological progress could begin. Evolution began with the Moths and continued toward the big AC72s. From displacement boats to planing boats between the '70s and ' 90s. Then came the third mode of sailing, flying boats.

The third mode of sailing is the motto of Foiling Week.

Foiling Week is the result of Luca Rizzotti’s and Domenico Boffi’s passion. The idea is to create a meeting of yachtsmen and designers that involves everyone, including builders and manufacturers of special materials. The direct exchange on the subject of foiling with the theories of engineers and technicians leading straight to experimenting by yachtsmen. Sharing is at the basis of the way Foiling Week works. This is why the format includes a forum in the morning and racing in the afternoon.
The competitive spirit is secondary

The success of Foiling Week is due to the ability to engage the audience, being able to see and touch the flying boats.

From year to year, Slam consolidates its relationship with The Foiling Week Global Tour, and is with the champions, boats and performance at four appointments. Three exciting moments for an experience that combines hydrodynamics, avant-garde, talent, and passion: Fraglia Malcesine on Lake Garda, Sidney in Australia, and Miami in Florida.
Foiling Week. Sailing has taken off.