2018 World Cup Series Final: Foiling future for young Italians

Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei (ITA) - Nacra 17 - 2018 World Cup Series Final © Sailing Energy / World Sailing

Excitement for the 2018 World Cup Series Final in Marseille, France is building with a buzz in the boat park at the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition venue.

Amongst the numerous Olympic medallists, World Champions and World Cup Series stars competing in the Final, is a young and upcoming Italian Nacra 17 team made up of Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei.

The Italian Nacra 17 squad have proven themselves to be leaders in the Nacra 17 since it went foiling, as witnessed in Hyères when Ruggero Tita and Caterina Marianna Banti (ITA) dominated the competition.

But the line of talent in the Nacra 17 doesn't stop there. Italy is producing young fearless sailors, especially Ugolini and Giubilei. The students are currently ranked 24th in the world and have competed in many major events, such as previous World Cup Series events, the Trofeo Princesa Sofia, Nacra 17 European Championship and the Auckland 2016 Aon Youth Sailing World Championships.

The blossoming sailors have battled against the best and will be competing against Ben Saxton and Nicola Boniface (GBR), current #1 world ranked sailors, and not to forget Santiago Lange and Cecilia Carranza Saroli (ARG), over the next week. As well as fellow Italian Nacra 17 sailors, Tita and Banti.

"We are extremely lucky to sail with the best in the Nacra 17 class and it's an amazing opportunity to learn from them," said Giubilei.

Foiling has become universally popular over recent years and the Nacra 17 embraced foiling in competitions at the start of 2017.

Foiling an Olympic mixed multihull is not easy, and because it's a new feature, the playing field is relatively even as the sailors continue to learn the ropes, giving opportunities for the inexperienced to compete with the experienced.

"The new Nacra 17 is a fast boat, especially downwind," shared Giubilei.

Ugolini added, "We have good starts and bad starts on the race course and I think that is what helps to put you in front during a race. Although everyone is new to foiling and still is adjusting, experience does matter, particularly when deciding how to approach racing in certain conditions.

"Every boat in our fleet is fast and we are comfortable with the speed but since we have been racing with the experienced, we have seen that their starts are perfect and that comes with experience, so we will just need to keep improving day by day."

This event is special to Ugolini and Giubilei because they will be racing in the 2024 Olympic Games sailing venue.

This is their first time in Marseille, "We arrived a few days ago and we are already enjoying it. Of course we've been out on the water. The conditions have been great so far, 12-14 knots, which is ideal for us," expressed Ugolini.

Giubilei added, "It's fun, and we particularly enjoyed sailing downwind. Overall, Marseille is a great place to sail and the venue itself is perfect."

Ugolini and Giubilei are aiming to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games and attending the Final here in Marseille will motivate them further.

The young Italians will head to Gdynia, Poland, after the World Cup Series Final, for the Nacra 17 European Championship. Then to Aarhus, for the much-awaited Hempel Sailing World Championships.

Racing will commence at 11:00 local time on Tuesday 5 June and will conclude with the Medal Races on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 June, which will be streamed across the World Sailing Network.