YOUTH FOILING GOLD CUP IN MIAMI

An usual very light wind week in Miami, Florida, for the first event of the 2023 Youth Foiling Gold Cup, the 69F series reserved for the Under25 sailors. The eight teams attending, representing six nations, were only able to enjoy the 69F at its best on Wednesday, when they had marginal foiling conditions. Biscayne Bay didn’t deliver more than 5 knots the remaining days of the event that ended yesterday, Saturday, January 21st, with the Finals.

Six teams claimed access to the Final stage after four days of qualifications, it was Antigua and Barbuda, NYYC American Magic 2 (USA), NYYC American Magic 1 (USA), Voltaire (CAN), Alps Racing (SUI) and Enzedder Racing (NZL), while We CAN Foil (CAN) and Tres Estrellas (ARG) had finished their sailing on Friday. The ranking got turned upside down after three very tactical and dislocating races, the Swiss showed once again to be excellent in light winds and got away with a win in the last double-point race. The Kiwis of Enzedder are second and in third there’s Rocco Falcone and his Team Antigua and Barbuda. The first two classified hold in their hands the ticket to go to the 2023 YFGC Grand Final in Barcelona in November.

“It is absolutely great, we didn’t expect it at all” says Jann Shoulbch, Alps Raxing. “We had everything to play in the last two-point race, we gave it our best and we managed to win it. Huge shout-out to my team, it was our first race together, it was the first time for them on the 69F, and even though we didn’t get much foiling this week, it was still great, such great racing, very tight, so we are very, very happy!”

69F race can be fun also when dislocating, but their best performance is undoubtedly foiling, for it is the only one-design, crew, foiling monohull existing, for which has been chosen by some America’s Cup teams as training platform for the Youth and Women teams, like the American Challenger to the America’s Cup, American Magic.

The Youth Foiling Gold Cup will now move to France, at La Grande Motte, from May 8 to the 14th, then back to the States in June, in the cradle of US sailing, Newport, RI; to finish on Lake Garda, in Torbole, from the 21st to the 27th of August, before the Grand Final in Barcelona, venue of the 37th America’s Cup in the summer of 2024.

The YFGC is the 69F Circuit reserved for the Under 25 sailors, but 69F has another series in US, the Select Series, and one in Europe, the 69F Cup. In USA the first regatta will take place at the end of the month, in Miami, at the Bacardi Invitational. While in Europe, it will be Valencia to host the 69F fleet from April 26th to 30th, in Valencia Mar.