TEAM NEWS: FIRST WORLD TITLE FOR BASTIEN ESCOFET IN TEXEL

Our team riders Bastien Escofet and Julien Rattotti clinched the titles of champion and vice-champion of Wing Foil Racing Marathon in the Netherlands!

For the 45th edition of the round Texel regatta, the wing foiling category, of which it was only the second appearance on the famous event, took on a new dimension with a World Champion title at stake. Indeed, a marathon format with 6 long-distance rounds, concluding with the Round Texel, were to determine the first World Champion of Racing Marathon in the history of the sport. That is, rounds lasting more than 30 minutes where you had to combine racing knowledge, physical condition and perfectly dialed equipment to win.

Go the distance

In a competition format that is hugely demanding for competitors, especially when it comes to concentration, our team riders Bastien and Julien took control from day one, sharing the first two places on rounds 1 and 2, with Mathis Ghio, Oscar Leclair and our team rider Francesco Cappuzzo in ambush.

Unlike the usual Wing Foil Racing events, the final result would not be determined by a 4-way final, but over the total duration of the event, with a discard granted to each participant. A limited room for error, certainly on the last round around Texel where the points count doubled. Especially since on the eve of this final round, Julien Rattotti, then leader of the event, was only two points ahead of his closest rivals, Bastien and Mathis.

Ronde om Texel

Covered last year in 2h45, the full tour around the island of Texel is a challenge like no other this season. Varying conditions on either side of the island, current, enormous chop, algae and sandbanks, meant a significant physical commitment from the competitors over the 80km of this last round. A grandiose conclusion to crown the first Racing Marathon champion.

Authors of good starts, Mathis and Julien held the lead of the race before suffering catastrophic falls for their title hopes. Stopped dead by a sandbank, they resumed the race in the heart of the peloton. In pursuit, Oscar Leclair and Bastien took the lead and never let it go. After more than 2h02 of racing for Oscar, winner of the last round, Bastien who followed closely was welcomed with the cheers of the public on the beach. This second place earns him the World Title. A deserving reward for an impressive consistency over the 3 days of racing. Just behind him, Julien Rattotti managed a spectacular comeback after his unfortunate fall for a third place in this prestigious round and thus secured the title of vice-champion!

The season continues tomorrow, in Silvaplana in Switzerland, in the Wing Foil Racing category where the GONG team with Bastien, Julien and Francesco, will be keen to once again demonstrate the speed of their GONG quiver! Stay tuned.