So, what is the big difference? What is it that makes foiling more and more popular? And where do the smiles come from?

That is the question I asked today. Not the best day to ask a question like that, as we did not get too many races in. In fact, just one for the men, as the second was cancelled and no racing for the ladies at all. [more]
Marina Alabau, the Olympic Champion from London, is here fighting for the top spot in the women’s fleet and enjoying herself whilst at it!  “I love the sensation on the foil, since I’ve tried for the first time have become addicted. It has definitely prolonged my career in windsurfing. It is less physical than the Olympic class. It is technical and you need to have a good feeling of the equipment and the conditions – foiling is really something for me. Most of all it is super fun, even in a day like today, we didn’t have any races, but I managed to fly just a little bit and that made me very happy.”
The oldest guy in the fleet, Pawel Dittrich from Poland, shares Marina’s views. “Foiling is much more pleasant for me than the other windsurfing disciplines that I used to compete in. It is something new and different and, in a way, a new beginning for me. You don’t need as much strength. The sails are not as big as in Formula Windsurfing. You need less wind. I try to keep up to date with equipment and hopefully we’ll go one step further next year.”
Happy faces, despite the lack of wind today, and on the good side, we now have a valid championship for both women and men. Be sure to follow us tomorrow through the event website – https://azoreschallenge.internationalwindsurfing.com 
Much more wind is anticipated for the following days here in Azores.