Flying Phantom Series at Foiling Week 2015

Flying Phantoms at Foiling Week 2015 on Lake Garda © Alex Udin / Phantom International

Flying Phantoms at Foiling Week 2015 on Lake Garda © Alex Udin / Phantom International

The Foiling Week held on Lake Garda is one of the key world sailing event for the sailing community to regroup around the same passion for foiling race boats. This year and for the first time, the Flying Phantom Series Foiling Week were organized with the support of Fraglia Vela Malcesine. Five days of intense One Design Racing and Long Distance races produced a fantastic event with close to perfect weather conditions. Gurvan Bontemps and Cantin Roger claimed after 10 races the victory on One Design races, whereas François Gabart and Bryan Mettraux mastered the Long Distance.

Flying Phantom Series One Design Races

Racing for the Flying Phantom fleet came to a close after three days of fast and furious foiling action in stunning hot summer conditions at Lake Garda. Over the three days the regular Southerly 'Ora' breeze kicked in like clockwork, delivering between 12 – 18 knots at lunchtime, to allow the Fraglia Vela race committee to fire off 10 races on flat waters. The regatta climaxed with a thunderstorm on the friday afternoon providing the spectators with some epic foiling displays.

Gurvan Bontemps crewed by Cantin Roger, started the regatta with a 2/3 but then scored 8 wins in a row showing his supremacy in boat handling around the course. Francois Gabart and Bryan Mettraux missed race 1 but put in a consistent set of second places to take second in the 10 race series. The podium was completed by Thomas Normand and Antoine Joubert that were also consistent across the 10 races to consolidate their third place.

Gurvan Bontemps:

"It is very good conditions here for the Flying Phantom foiling boats. Full foiling on the start, upwind and downwind. The lake is very flat and with a breeze of 17 – 18 knots it is really good.

It's not really easy in these conditions, you have a lot of rocking of the boat with me steering and my crew on the trapeze, we have to keep moving our bodies and work hard to get good speed.

Racing was very close, all the boats are very similar in speed, the difference is the control of the boat. Foiling is a new sensation for all of us but its really great.

This is the first time I sail here on Lake Garda and I love this lake! fantastic."

François Gabart:

"It was perfect racing because the conditions here in Lake Garda are amazing for a boat like the Flying Phantom where we have a lot to learn. It's good to have conditions like this. Friday was not so easy because of the thunderstorm but the first two days were perfect.

We are learning how to fly upwind, we tried a lot of new things on the boat each day and we are going faster and faster. These courses are really fast, they say we were close to 20 knots upwind and maybe 26 knots downwind!. When you are rounding the marks you have to be really focused and for the crew it is a lot of work to trim the sails and the kite."

One Design Races Results:

Flying Phantom Series Long Distance Races

The Long Distance Races at Foiling Week 2015 took place over the weekend of 4 – 5 July at Lake Garda. Saturday was hot and steamy all day with very patchy breeze and too light to race long distance but ideal conditions for sailors to test sail the variety of foiling craft on display. All around the boat park at Fraglia Vela sailors, builders and designers were checking out the foilers on display.

Racing on Sunday was rescheduled for an early start to try and take advantage of the morning 'Peler' breeze. Another warm humid morning with just enough breeze to sail a 22 nm course starting from Fraglia Vela taking in mark roundings off Capo Reamol, Malcesine and Campeone with a finish off Fraglia Vela. But the usually reliable 'Peler' only built to around 12 knots before shutting down by mid day.

Two kite boarders from Australia, Torvar Mirsky and Jordan Girdis shot out into an early lead followed by one Moth and then the duo François Gabart – Bryan Mettraux. Eri Fukasawa and Grégoire Courtel finished second of the Flying Phantom fleet just before Gurvan Bontemps and Cantin Roger.

François Gabart:

"It was quite good at the start we raced in 12-14 knots but at the end the breeze died, it was quite difficult because the wind was unstable and when we were in first place its hard to keep control of the others but we managed to keep in some pressure to the end. We managed to keep the kite on the first downwind when the Flying Phantoms behind were with less wind and no kites. We have had a lot of fun, its a great place, perfect conditions for us with flat water and good winds most of the time."

Long Distance Race Results:

Flying Phantoms at Foiling Week 2015 on Lake Garda - photo © Alex Udin / Phantom International

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