Foiling Awards IX: Genoa hosts a night of stars

The gala gathered more than 200 guests, including delegates attending the World Foiling Congress currently taking place in the Ligurian capital, athletes, journalists and representatives of the marine industry. This record attendance reflects the growing attention the world’s leading nautical players are dedicating to Genoa, increasingly positioned as the “Foiling Capital” of what is arguably the most dynamic sector in waterborne mobility.

The evening was hosted on stage, in the heart of Genoa’s Porto Antico, were We Are Foiling Head of Science Greta Eline Poclen and Eurosport commentator and Olympic reporter Zoran Filicic.

The President of the Liguria Region, Marco Bucci, welcomed the guests, stating that “The sea for us is not a barrier but a way of communication. For the future, the blue economy is gonna give opportunitie, jobs and way of living. Thanks for being here, thanks fior being in Liguria.”

Also speaking were Emilio Robotti, Councillor of the Municipality of Genoa, who conveyed the greetings of the city administration, and by Mauro Ferrando, President of Porto Antico di Genova.

In his speech, Luca Rizzotti, President of The Foiling Organization, outlined the main development directions of the We Are Foiling ecosystem, starting from the success of the third edition of the World Foiling Congress. Rizzotti highlighted the central role of Foiling Week, scheduled in Malcesine from 27 June to 5 July 2026, which represents the heart of the international foiling community and a key moment within the We Are Foiling ecosystem.

“In recent years, foiling has grown rapidly and is now becoming a true global system. Foiling Week represents the heart of our community on the water, while Genoa is the place where the global industry has been gathering for the past three years to reflect, exchange ideas, celebrate achievements and look ahead,” said Rizzotti.

The speech also referenced the main platforms for dialogue with the industry, from the boat shows in Genoa, Amsterdam, Annapolis and Düsseldorf, to the strengthening of the global event network. Among these is Foiling Week Pensacola, scheduled from early 2027. Following last year’s test event, the Florida city has secured hosting rights for the next three years (2027 – 2029), confirming the strong international momentum around foiling as an integrated platform for sport, technology and territorial development.

The core of the event was the announcement of the winners of the 13 Foiling Awards IX categories, recognising the sporting achievements, technological innovations and projects that significantly contributed to the evolution of foiling throughout 2025. In the first twenty days of February, more than 7,000 members of the global foiling community cast their votes online across the 104 nominees shortlisted in the 13 categories.

Particular emphasis was given to the Female Sailor Award, won by Moth World Champion Victoria Schultheis of Malta, the Male Sailor Award, assigned to Moth World Champion Enzo Balanger of France, and the Sailing Team Award, awarded to Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, represented on stage by Olympic gold medallist Ellie Aldridge and Kai Hockley. The winners of these three categories were also awarded a stay in AMAALA, offered by the presenting partner AMAALA Yacht Club and a Quatix 8 Premium Marine Smartwatch by GARMIN.

The winners of the ninth edition are: Female Sailor – Victoria Schultheis, Male Sailor – Enzo Balanger, Sailing Team – Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, Innovation Technology – Evolo, Sustainability – Avel Minilab Sustainable Hydrofoils: LMPAEK Innovation, Project – Ferrari Hypersail, Event – Defi Wind – Gruissan 2025, Foiling Pathway – Foiling Base Cadiz powered by SailGP Inspire, Production Motor Boat – Blue Game BGF45, Commercial Vessel – Penguin Princess Fast Crew Boat, One-Off Sailing or Powered Yacht – Gitana 18, Production Sailing Boat – Flyte, Boards and Water-Toys – Fliteboard Race.

The Organising Committee presented a Special Award to rider Nikolas Plytas, creator and performer of the “double loop” trick on a foiling board.

The Future Impact Award was assigned to Gitana 18 by an international jury of sailing and marine journalists including Fabio Pozzo (La Stampa), Suellen Hurling (Live Sail Die), Matthew Sheahan (Planet Sail), Magnus Wheatley (Rule 69 Blog), Pierre-Yves Lautrou (Tip & Shaft), Andy Rice (Yachting World) and Nacho Gomez (El Role). The award recognises the nominee with the strongest potential to influence the future evolution of foiling in terms of innovation, scalability and impact on the sector.

The award was collected by skipper Charles Caudrelier, winner of the latest edition of the Route du Rhum and current holder of the race record.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Forlanini Award, named after Italian foiling pioneer Enrico Forlanini and assigned to the best among all category winners.

The award was won by France’s Enzo Balanger, already Male Sailor winner thanks to his Foiling Week and Moth World Championship 2025 titles, and was presented to him by the Chief of Staff to the President of the Regional Government, Rear Admiral Massimiliano Nannini.

Text courtesy of WeAreFoiling, images courtesy of Martina Orsini