The Ibiza Wingfoil Open Spanish Racing Championship reaches maximum registration limit

A total of 60 competitors, many of them top national figures, have already registered to participate in the Ibiza Wingfoil Open (IWO) Spanish Racing Championship, which will take place in Sant Antoni from October 4 to 6, organized by the Club Nàutic Sant Antoni and the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation. With this, the maximum number of participants has been reached.

In Ibiza, unlike other regions where competitors start from a beach, the racers board a boat, a type of "golondrina," with their equipment in search of the best wind conditions to compete, setting up a racecourse in the chosen area.

Among the participants is Gunnar Biniasch, a Canary Islander of German origin who has won the last three Spanish Racing Championships and has acted as an ambassador for the event in his archipelago, where he is well known, attracting other specialists from the region to the island. Another top contender is Jeremy Hernández Rodríguez, one of the best in the country, who will be aiming to dethrone Biniasch. Out of the 60 participants, there are 50 men and 10 women, competing in categories ranging from Youth to Grand Master. The various presentations held by the CNSA in the key wingfoil areas, such as the Canary Islands, Tarifa, and the Levante coast, have paid off. Participants include competitors from Andalusia, Valencia, Catalonia, the Canary Islands, and the Balearic Islands. Over the three days, there will be course races for both light and strong winds, and long-distance races may also take place, crossing the bay in one direction or another depending on the weather.

Wingfoil is a rapidly growing discipline, poised to become a leading contender for inclusion as an Olympic sport at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. It features a competitive format divided into three categories: Freestyle, Waves, and Racing. The Freestyle and Wave formats are usually held together at wave spots, while Racing is chosen for flatwater spots, with a more complex format of courses and options. Additionally, wingfoil is opening up many international sports-tourism destinations, with Ibiza aiming to be one of them. The island's year-round wind conditions make it an ideal location, thanks to the availability of various spots around the island depending on the wind direction and sea conditions. The bay of Portmany is undoubtedly one of the best areas, with Platges de Comte and es Pinet serving as wave spots, and the interior of the bay ideal for Racing and beginners. Other areas include es Codolar beach, Platja d’en Bossa, Cala Pada, and Cala Martina, as well as opportunities to practice wingfoil in Formentera, with spectacular locations like the coast of Illetes, which is deserted in winter.

The Club Nàutic Sant Antoni has committed to this discipline and is part of the Balearic circuit, hosting a race that coincides with the celebration of the IWO, which is also the Spanish Championship. It's worth noting that the leading wingfoil equipment brand, Starboard, has joined the event as one of its main sponsors, alongside the Consell Insular under the Ibiza brand and the Sant Antoni City Council.