France have secured both the men’s and women’s titles at the Formula Wing European Championships, sealing a dominant double gold. Rivals Italy came away with two silvers.
France have secured both the men’s and women’s titles at the Formula Wing European Championships, sealing a dominant double gold. Rivals Italy came away with two silvers.
A northeast breeze prevented the usual Neapolitan thermal wind from developing on the final day, forcing competitors to wait a long time for a fleeting breeze. Organizers were forced to gradually cancel races throughout the afternoon before finally confirming the cancellation, thus leaving the rankings unchanged.
Despite the lack of on-water racing, the day was not without its twists and turns. The cancellation of the Golden Ticket Race had initially guaranteed Italians Francesco Cappuzzo and Charlotte Baruzzi, both tenth overall, a spot in the medal round. However, their opportunity vanished when the quarterfinals were also canceled due to persistent calm seas.
With 12 races held in the women’s fleet and 13 in the men’s fleet in the preceding days, the championship results were confirmed, sparking celebrations on the Naples waterfront at the foot of Mount Vesuvius.
France established itself as the leading nation in the regatta, winning both European titles and a total of four medals.
In the women’s competition, sixteen-year-old Vaina Picot delivered a remarkable performance, becoming the youngest European Formula Wing champion. The French-born Guadeloupean pilot dominated the week, winning nine of the twelve races and excelling in the challenging and changeable conditions. Embraced by her proud parents, Picot said: “I’m so happy. The conditions were really challenging all week, but I managed to adapt well, and that gives me great satisfaction.”
Defending champion Maddalena Spanu was forced to chase for much of the race. Although the light winds didn’t suit her style, the Italian pilot showed grit and determination to take the silver medal.
The men’s title went to Julien Rattotti, whose victory was the culmination of a winter of focused preparation. The Frenchman demonstrated exceptional consistency throughout the series, almost always finishing in the top two, despite a brief dip in form on the penultimate day. Adding the Formula Wing European title to his Wave world title, he seemed almost incapable of achieving the feat: “I have to stop for a moment, my brain can’t understand what happened. I’m so happy. I called my dad in Cannes. He told me he had to rush home to tell all our friends!”
The support of the home crowd was rewarded with an excellent performance by seventeen-year-old Ernesto de Amicis, who won the silver medal, giving Italy second place. The event as a whole was also a source of pride for the young sports ambassador for Naples. “It was fantastic that Naples organized such a great event. My father participated in the organization, and the Circolo Velico e di Canaggio della Savoia was an exceptional host.”
The French medal table was further enriched by the bronze medals of Thomas Proust and Kylie Belloeuvre, demonstrating the nation’s strength in both fleets.
The event concluded with an awards ceremony that took place on a mild spring evening on the seafront, as the sun set behind the island of Ischia.
The international wingfoiling circuit will return to Italy in early July with the Wingfoil Racing World Cup in Gizzeria, Calabria. But before then, there will be several other races in countries like Turkey and Switzerland.
