Garda Trentino Foil Days, a first edition already looking to the future
by Elena Giolai 21 Jun 17:27 BST
A successful first edition for the Garda Trentino Foil Days organized by Circolo Surf Torbole. In the RRD One Hour Classic, victory went to Amado Vrieswijk in Windsurf Foil, Luca Franchi in Wingfoil and Matteo Iachino in Windsurf Fin.
Among the Under 20s, wins went to Leonardo Tomasini in foil, Sebastiano Zorzi in wingfoil and Bart Van den Bogaart in fin; first female athletes were Katherine Tonge in foil, Marleen Fritz in wingfoil and Anna Biagiolini in fin. Bruno Martini won the combined fin and foil ranking, Sergio Veneziani took the Windsurfer Class, while Rocco Sotomayor won the Freestyle Wingfoil Show.
A highly positive balance for the first edition of the Garda Trentino Foil Days, the new event promoted by Circolo Surf Torbole and organized thanks to Garda Trentino, in collaboration with AICW, the Italian Windsurf Classes Association, and the Italian Sailing Federation. Over four days, the event brought Torbole back to the centre of the international water and board sports scene, bringing together windsurf fin, windsurf foil and wingfoil alongside the leading brands in the sector. Appreciation was unanimous among athletes, companies and enthusiasts, confirming the strength of a format capable of combining sport, equipment testing, entertainment and destination promotion.
At the heart of the event was the RRD One Hour Classic, Foil and Wingfoil, one of the longest-running regattas in European windsurfing. Founded in 1989 on the waters of Garda Trentino from an idea by Helgo Lass and Peter Mutzlinger, the event has constantly renewed itself by following the evolution of the disciplines. After opening to windsurf foil in 2018, this year it took another step forward by bringing windsurf fin, windsurf foil and wingfoil together in a single event with one shared start. Torbole once again confirmed its role as one of Europe's key reference points for wind sports. Great satisfaction was also expressed by the companies present at the Expo Village, which found an ideal setting to present and test the latest market innovations in front of an international audience.
"We are very satisfied with the feedback we received," commented Circolo Surf Torbole president Armando Bronzetti. "It was a project we had been thinking about for some time and that has finally found its ideal dimension, also thanks to the support of Garda Trentino. The feedback from athletes, companies and the public encourages us to continue in this direction."
The event was not limited to racing. Over the four days there were many opportunities for athletes and enthusiasts to meet, while the freestyle wingfoil contest drew a large crowd to the beach in Torbole. Victory went to Rocco Sotomayor, ahead of Sebastiano Zorzi and Lorenzo Raisa. From a sporting point of view, the RRD One Hour continues to stand out for its unique format: one hour of sailing between the marks at Ponale and Conca d'Oro, testing endurance, speed and concentration. This aspect was also highlighted by Leonardo Tomasini, Circolo Surf Torbole athlete, youth iQFOiL world champion and recently selected for the Mediterranean Games in Taranto. The final day was affected by the consequences of the strong thunderstorm that had hit during the previous night. The persistent northerly wind prevented the Ora from filling in and, at 3:40 pm, the Race Committee cancelled the fourth and final race, confirming the rankings after the three races completed.
In Windsurf Foil, victory went to multiple title winner Amado Vrieswijk, ahead of Bruno Martini of Circolo Surf Torbole and Denmark's Noah Vinther. In Wingfoil, Luca Franchi, Yacht Club Italiano, Genoa, won ahead of Sebastiano Zorzi, Fraglia Vela Malcesine, and Carlo Ciabatti, Società Canottieri Ichnusa Cagliari. In Windsurf Fin, world champion Matteo Iachino, Yacht Club Italiano, took victory ahead of France's Kevin Grosjean and the Netherlands' Bart Van den Bogaart. Iachino also won the Alberto Menegatti Memorial perpetual trophy, reserved for the overall windsurf fin winner. The combined ranking, reserved for athletes competing in both fin and foil, was won by Bruno Martini. In the historic Windsurfer Class, victory went to Sergio Veneziani. The iQFoil class also had its own ranking, won by Alberto Madinelli, Circolo Surf Torbole, first Under 20. The first female athletes were Katherine Tonge in foil, Marleen Fritz in wingfoil and Anna Biagiolini in fin.
The Garda Trentino Foil Days therefore close with solid foundations for the future, confirming Circolo Surf Torbole's ability to innovate while keeping alive a tradition that for decades has made Garda Trentino one of the symbolic locations for wind sports.