On October 25-27, 2024, Annapolis Yacht Club hosted the first annual Chesapeake Wing Foil Championship, in conjunction with and alongside the Halloween Howl Youth Regatta. Not only was this the first wing foil regatta that was put on by the Club, but it was also possibly the first ever wing foil racing event ever contested on the Chesapeake Bay!

Wing foiling is a relatively new watersports discipline, which has emerged as almost a hybrid of kiteboarding and windsurfing. As the sport utilizes a hydrofoil, it’s become an incredibly progressive discipline within the watersports world and has been embraced by sailors all over the world and from all levels and ages, including America’s Cup and SailGP sailors, all the way down to the junior level. In addition to the hydrofoil, the sport uses an inflatable wing and a relatively small board that can be packed to fit into a lightweight bag which can subsequently be checked onto an airplane and brought virtually anywhere. Because of its portability, steep learning curve, logistically friendly nature (the whole rig can be thrown in the water from a boat or a dock), and its financial ease of access (complete kits cost around $3,000) it’s gaining traction and popularity in a way that very few fringe sailing disciplines ever have.

Annapolis Yacht Club has partnered with Cabrinha, a Miami-based global designer and manufacturer of wind sports products, to create what is currently the country’s largest and fastest growing wing foiling junior program. AYC coach and part time Miami resident, Daniel O’Farrill has been the mastermind of the program, bridging the gap between the Club and Cabrinha to develop what is without a doubt, the most fun program in the AYC Junior Fleet!

With the Club’s commitment to push wing foiling established, the next item on the list was to execute the first regatta that the Bay has ever seen. With the breeze a no-show on Friday, the planned complementary Cabrinha product demo was substituted for a race clinic, hosted by Coach O’Farrill. Come race day, 11 total competitors of all ages and a variety of skill levels traveled to Annapolis from as far as Miami and Rhode Island to participate in the event. For many, this was their first ever wing foiling regatta and an opportunity to mix things up with a few relative veterans. Conditions couldn’t have been any more perfect with Saturday’s racing featuring blue bird skies and breeze ranging from 20-25 knots. Four races were completed on a slalom style course just to the North of Horn Point, featuring a reaching start and some seriously fast paced laps. PROs Cole Allsopp and Dr. Pen Alexander kept the course square and ensured that competitors were having an absolute blast. Racing was completed for the day by 3:00pm and the start time was moved forward to 9:00am on Sunday to take advantage of a dying northerly forecast. Sunday’s racing was a perfect opportunity to show just how versatile this sport can be. Competitors sailed, towed, and were ferried out into the Bay just to the East of Greenbury Point and racing got underway in roughly 8 knots of puffy breeze. One race was completed just before the wind shut off entirely, making for a five-race series.

Off the water, competitors were welcomed to AYC’s Halloween Howl festivities and costume party on Saturday night, followed by the Halloween Howl awards ceremony on Sunday afternoon. This event was, without a doubt, a massive success leaving all competitors hungry for more! No doubt AYC is onto something special with their wing foil program and overall support of this new and emerging sport. With events beginning to pop up all over the world and more recently embraced and hosted by clubs throughout North America, the sport is here to stay and will certainly only continue its rise in popularity.