JOHN CARTER
The PWA race tour kicked off in dramatic style on the windswept beaches of Yokosuka, Japan where the slalom and foil elite would race for the first time on their new equipment for the 2018 season. Slalom was still centre stage on the billing but the momentum for the new foil discipline could not be ignored. New rules were introduced setting the board width limit at 91cm and compulsory wearing of helmets and impact vests for safety purposes. With an upgrade in prize money also from €5000 to €15,000, many racers were taking foiling far more seriously than last season.
With the added advantage that foiling can take place in winds right down to 5-6 knots, most days invariably kicked off with foil racing before the wind kicked in for slalom. The third race of the four completed started in ideal 7-12 knots for the two opening heats, but while the seeding was being calculated for the final the wind cranked in blowing a solid 18-25 knots across the M shaped course. What ensued was a dramatic and thrilling race which showed how foiling can not only fill in the gap in light winds but can also put on a show to match slalom when the wind is much stronger. Many guys were hanging on for their lives down the reaches and several big crashes and close shaves went down, fortunately without any accidents or repercussions.
Personally shooting the racing from the press boat was a whole different thrill and challenge to downwind slalom. First of all, as many racers will mention, it is that weird silence as a foiler passes you by that is kind of eerie! With only the fuselage of the foil slicing through the water, especially in light winds, the racers pass you hovering above the water with a grace and serenity that is quite surreal. The start line is obviously one of the most intense parts of the race as the rider’s bunch up ready for the green flag on the countdown. Then the racers are off heading upwind tactically looking for wind shifts and lay lines utilizing their course racing and Formula skills from days gone by. When the wind cranks in, it was a whole different story with looks on faces turning from smiles to ashen looks of worry and complete concentration. At the marks guys were yelling and screaming to avoid collisions and luckily after four races the whole fleet came out unscathed.
The tech side of foiling has endless appeal to those racers that love fiddling with gimmicks and like tweaking and developing. Throughout the week guys were in their tents, sanding, gluing, measuring and tinkering with wings, angles and any adjustments they could muster. At the end of the week, ex Formula racer Gonzalo Costa Hoevel emerged as the clear winner and he is obviously buzzing on the new discipline, as are many of the other racers who have dedicated time over the winter into foil training.
For the race crew it was a tough act juggling between foil and slalom as there has to be time for switching disciplines when the wind picks up and with only a few days with a decent forecast there was a risk of losing slalom results as a result of starting a foil round. In the end a round of slalom for men and women was completed alongside four foil races which were mostly in the lighter winds.
Right now slalom still holds the fort with the majority of the event organizers, but foil is already making a huge impact and don’t be surprised if next season some events will be demanding foil only races if the PWA allow.