Francesco Carrieri and Olivia Castaldi captured the men’s 8.2 and women’s 7.5 division titles respectively at the WASZP All-Stars Cádiz, concluding a 26-race weekend across the waters of the Bay of Cádiz, as reported by abc.es. The international competition brought together 16 sailors representing 11 countries for two high-energy days of hydrofoil dinghy racing.
Weather conditions across the weekend shifted between competing easterly levante and westerly poniente winds. The opening day proved exceptionally productive for the race committee, with 15 heats successfully completed. However, a light breeze on Sunday morning forced officials to temporarily hold races until a stronger wind filled in during the afternoon, allowing the fleet to return to the course and finish out the program.
Francesco Carrieri and Olivia Castaldi Claim Fleet Victories
In the men’s 8.2 category, Italy’s Francesco Carrieri navigated the shifting bay winds to secure first place overall. Spain’s Antonio Gasperini finished second, while France’s Hippolyte Gruet rounded out the podium in third. Across the women’s 7.5 division, Italian sailor Olivia Castaldi claimed the top step of the podium. Local Cádiz sailor Sol López Navarro earned a strong second-place finish, with Sweden’s Elsa Aronsson taking third place.
The event marked the conclusion of the broader third annual Cádiz Foiling Days festival, reinforcing the Andalusian bay’s status as a premier European hub for foiling sports. The venue’s consistent thermal patterns and varied wind conditions allow boats fitted with hydrofoils to lift clear of the water and reach high speeds in sheltered coastal waters.
Logistical Precision Behind the WASZP All-Stars Format
Operating the WASZP All-Stars event presented a distinct logistical challenge for the host venue, Foiling Base Cádiz. The competition format relies on a shared pool of just eight standardized boats to accommodate the entire 16-person fleet. This setup requires tight coordination between the technical teams and the race committee to manage rapid boat rotations between the men’s and women’s groups.
Pablo Guitian, director of Foiling Base Cádiz, pointed to the collaborative effort required from volunteers, the jury, and technical personnel to execute the packed schedule. Esperamos que tanto la bahía de Cádiz y sus condiciones para el foiling como la calidad organizativa del evento hayan satisfecho a los deportistas, que han dado todo lo que tenían para luchar por el título de campeón de campeones,
Guitian noted regarding the athletes’ competitive drive.
Municipal Backing and Future International Expansion
The event also drew strong support from local civic leaders, with Cádiz sports councillor Carlos Lucero emphasizing the city's ongoing investment in dinghy foiling.
Looking ahead to the international calendar, the WASZP Class and Foiling Base Cádiz have formalised a three-year agreement to bring the WASZP All-Stars Invitational back to the bay from 8 to 11 October 2026, as detailed by waszp.com. That upcoming edition will feature an invitation-only format for 16 sailors competing for an equal prize purse of €10,000, split evenly with €5,000 guaranteed for the male champion and €5,000 for the female champion.
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