Name: WASZP - the one design foiler
Brand: WASZP
Price: 11400.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.4 (5 reviews)

SAILGP INSPIRE - NZ TRIALS A SUCCESS

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“The SailGP Inspire Waszp qualification series took place on Saturday 8th Feb at Wakatare Boating Club, Auckland, venue for the 2021 International Waszp Games. The event was run to select the top 2 boys and girls under 20 years old to represent New Zealand at the Inspire Racing programme to take place in conjunction with the first round of the SailGP F50 in Sydney February 25-27. This was a unique opportunity for young foiling kiwis to grab a coveted spot on this programme and to be part of a grand prix racing experience up close.

The event did not disappoint – 15 sailors from around the country gathered on Narrow Neck beach with the forecast of a punchy SW on the cards. It took an hour or so for the wind to play ball, but the wind kicked in as predicted with a steady 12-15knots, and sailors and spectators were treated to a fantastic display of foiling boat-handling and speed!

The course was a simple downwind slalom that put a premium on hitting the start line at full pelt, picking the perfect spots to carry out those all important foiling gybes and keeping a watch out for competitors all fighting for the same patch of water. Josh Bull, Mattias Coutts and Jack Pye set the standard in the first qualification group, sharing the top three places in each of the four qualification races. Sam Street, fresh from his second place at the Australian Waszp Nationals, dominated the second qualification flight, and he was joined by Sean Herbert and Braedyn Denny, who did their best to keep in Sam’s wake.

The girls went straight through to a final series, with 3 competitors lining up. Amelia Back just squeezed out Stella Bilger for top spot, and demonstrated that the Waszp is the perfect foiling dinghy for both genders, putting on controlled displays in the puffy breeze. The boys final was made up made up of 5 races with no discard, putting pressure on the sailors to push for those top two places, but knowing that one bad result could put them out of the coveted places to get to Australia at the end of the month. Starting tactics varied, with most of the fleet opting to launch themselves from 100m out with timed runs, while some of the younger lighter sailors could afford to position themselves closer to the line with their ability to get on the foil quickly. Mattias Coutts (15 yrs) consistently leveraged this advantage for some great starts, winning the first race to boot, but some sketchy gybes in a couple of races pulled his results down. Sam Street got into the groove after an uncharacteristic 4th place in the first race to then dominate the rest of the series, taking out top spot. The battle was then between Sean Herbert and Josh Bull for that runner up spot, with Sean just squeezing it with a more consistent set of results.

All the sailors were unanimous about the event and format – fun and challenging with short, sharp races. There were smiles all round as sailors blasted around the course. It was also great to see the more experienced sailors helping out with those new to the class, with rigging and sailing tips. High performance youth foiling is in great shape in New Zealand, and events such as the SailGP Waszp Inspire series are helping those young sailors with aspirations to compete at the very highest level to achieve their ambitions.

A big thanks to the Wakatere Boating Club volunteers who put on a flawless event, which bodes well for the International Waszp Games in April 2021 at the same venue.”

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19th Feb 2020