St. Francis Yacht Club to host Spring Wingding & Pacific Coast Wingfoil Championships

Spring Wingding & Pacific Coast Wingfoil Championships © St. Francis Yacht Club

St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, California, is pleased to announce the 2023 Spring Wingding Regatta, to be held April 14-16, 2023, and open to all wingfoil competitors. The Notice of Race is posted and registration is open. Wingfoiling is the latest iteration of wind-powered water sports, combining the small, fast, hydrofoil boards popularized by kitesurfing, with handheld wing-shaped sails. The event will also serve as the inaugural Pacific Coast Championships for this burgeoning sport.

Race organizers are planning three days of short course racing on the San Francisco Cityfront in the shadow of Golden Gate Bridge, with up to five races per afternoon. In addition, on Saturday, a distance race, known as the San Francisco Bay Challenge, will take place. This race includes a long windward-leeward bay tour course that will take competitors from Crissy Field to Berkeley and back. Windsurfers and kitesurfers are also invited to compete in the San Francisco Bay Challenge.

"Wingfoiling has exploded in popularity in the world of watersports enthusiasts, and the simplicity of the gear is drawing new people to this kind of on-the-water activity. St. Francis Yacht Club has always been at the forefront of wind-driven board sports like windsurfing, kitesurfing and kitefoiling, fostering world champions such as Daniela Moroz and Johnny Heineken. Now, we're committed to growing the sport of wingfoiling and we look forward to seeing the next generation of champions emerge in this thrilling new sport," said Beau Vrolyk, 2023 Commodore of St. Francis Yacht Club.

Situated on San Francisco Bay adjacent to Crissy Field with views of Golden Gate Bridge, St. Francis Yacht Club is fortunate to have consistently ideal wingfoil conditions directly outside the clubhouse windows. Steady afternoon breeze in the 15-20-knot range, combined with challenging currents and fetch that can kick up surfable waves, surrounded by sublime Northern California scenery, makes Spring Wingding a bucket list regatta for eager competitors.

"Building on the success of our No Strings Attached regatta in 2022, which was the first major wingfoil event held on the West Coast, we've created a dynamic three-day regatta featuring a combination of course slalom racing, distance racing and freestyle competition," said Regatta Chair Geoff Headington. "San Francisco Bay will provide epic conditions for wingfoilers from around the world and we're looking forward to bringing this community together for some fun, fast competition and camaraderie with post-racing parties each night."

The Notice of Race is posted and registration is open. Register by March 31, 2023, to receive a discounted entry fee.

Notice of race & registration can be found here.