The Bay of Cádiz bids farewell to the third edition of the Cádiz Foiling Days following two days of international competition, 26 races and the participation of 16 sailors from eleven countries.
Foiling sailing has once again taken centre stage in the Bay of Cádiz. The WASZP All Stars Cádiz brought the third Cádiz Foiling Days to a close on Sunday 11 October, with Italians Francesco Carrieri and Olivia Castaldi crowned winners of the men’s 8.2 and women’s 7.5 divisions, respectively.
The competition brought together 16 athletes from eleven countries and saw 26 races completed over the weekend, against a backdrop of shifting winds and the challenges posed by a format in which participants share boats.
Carrieri and Castaldi triumph in the Bay of Cádiz
The Italian contingent was the big winner at this year’s event, securing victory in both divisions.
In the men’s 8.2 category, Francesco Carrieri claimed the title ahead of Spain’s Antonio Gasperini, who finished second, and France’s Hippolyte Gruet, who completed the podium.
The women’s 7.5 division ended with Olivia Castaldi in first place. Sol López Navarro from Cádiz finished as runner-up, whilst Sweden’s Elsa Aronsson came third.
FINAL STANDINGS
WASZP ALL STARS CÁDIZ 2026
MEN’S DIVISION 8.2
🥇 1st Francesco Carrieri — Italy
🥈 2nd Antonio Gasperini — Spain
🥉 3rd Hippolyte Gruet — France
WOMEN’S DIVISION 7.5
🥇 1st Olivia Castaldi — Italy
🥈 2nd Sol López Navarro — Spain
🥉 3rd Elsa Aronsson — Sweden
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Easterly and westerly winds characterised two days of competition
Weather conditions played a significant role throughout the regatta. The alternating easterly and westerly winds meant the races took place in a variety of conditions, forcing the sailors to adapt to the changing conditions in the bay.
On Saturday 10 October, 15 races were completed, whilst on Sunday the lack of wind in the morning delayed the resumption of racing.
The arrival of wind in the afternoon allowed the competition to continue, bringing the final tally to 26 races completed – 13 for each fleet – out of the 32 originally planned.
Eight boats for 16 participants
One of the distinctive features of the WASZP All Stars is its boat rotation system. The 16 participants used eight boats, shared between the women’s and men’s divisions – an arrangement that requires precise coordination of changes between the various races.
The organisers had to manage this rotation over the two days, with the involvement of the race committee, the jury, the technical teams and the volunteers.
The variety of wind conditions and the number of races completed once again highlighted the potential of the Bay of Cádiz to host foiling sailing competitions.
Cádiz brings its third edition of the Foiling Days to a close
The WASZP All Stars served as the international finale to the 3rd Cádiz Foiling Days, an initiative that combines sporting competition with raising public awareness of foiling.
Pablo Guitian, manager of Foiling Base Cádiz, praised the athletes’ efforts at the end of the regatta and expressed his hope that both the sailing conditions in the bay and the organisation had met the participants’ expectations.
The trophy presentation took place once both fleets had returned to shore, attended by Carlos Lucero, Councillor for Sport at Cádiz City Council.
During the ceremony, Lucero highlighted the value of hosting an international competition in this discipline and the council’s commitment to a format that also allows the general public to experience sailing on foils free of charge, regardless of their previous sporting experience.
A joint commitment to foiling in Cádiz
The WASZP All Stars Cádiz event was organised with the support of the Cádiz City Council’s Municipal Sports Institute and in collaboration with the Regional Government of Andalusia, the Port Authority of the Bay of Cádiz, the WASZP class, the Spain SailGP Team and Foiling Base Cádiz.
With the conclusion of this international event, the Cádiz Foiling Days have completed their third edition, further cementing the Bay of Cádiz’s place on the foiling sailing competition calendar.
Straitmagazine
