PART ONE
THE WINGFOIL RACING BLUEPRINT
With an incredible number of wins under his belt already, Ocean Rodeo’s team rider Mathis Ghio is unquestionably one of the best wingfoil racers on the planet. He’s also, right now, the fastest…
As the reigning World Wingfoil Race Champion, Mathis continues to bag gold at almost every race he attends. Having won the Wingfoil Racing World Cup in Abu Dhabi and the GWA Wingfoil World Cup FreeFly-Slalom in Leucate earlier this year, the Frenchman then claimed the European title at the inaugural WingFoil Racing Europeans, held in Athens. [podium image if it works]
Always powered by his A-Series Glide wing, Mathis is tearing up the wingfoil scene due to his exceptional technical skills, remarkable consistency and a talent that's proving near impossible to match.
In this 2-part series we’ll take a look at that winning formula that lies behind his success, with Mathis taking us through his gear set-up, trends from the world of wingfoil racing, his advice for those just starting out, and we’ll also get an insight into some of the exciting innovations he has been testing out recently.
Here’s Part One.
With an incredible number of wins under his belt already, Ocean Rodeo’s team rider Mathis Ghio is unquestionably one of the best wingfoil racers on the planet. He’s also, right now, the fastest…
As the reigning World Wingfoil Race Champion, Mathis continues to bag gold at almost every race he attends. Having won the Wingfoil Racing World Cup in Abu Dhabi, the GWA Wingfoil World Cup FreeFly-Slalom in Leucate and the inaugural Wingfoil Racing European Championship earlier this year, the Frenchman recently claimed yet another first place at the Pascucci WingFoil Racing World Cup Campione del Garda 2023.
Always powered by his A-Series Glide wing, Mathis is tearing up the wingfoil scene due to his exceptional technical skills, remarkable consistency and a talent that's proving near impossible to match.
In this 2-part series we’ll take a look at that winning formula that lies behind his success, with Mathis taking us through his gear set-up, trends from the world of wingfoil racing, his advice for those just starting out, and we’ll also get an insight into some of the exciting innovations he has been testing out recently.
Here’s Part One...
> Mathis, we always see you flying through the competition at every race and recently you hit a new record. What’s the maximum speed you have reached so far and what kind of condition do you need for maximum speed?
Yes, recently I managed to hit 36.8 knots! On that day, I was in Gruissan to train for the Defi Wing. The wind was offshore and blowing at 35-40 knots. I was feeling extremely comfortable with my new 3m prototype wing for its first session on the water, and I went full speed downwind of a sea wall to benefit from its wind acceleration. I pushed a lot when I got the gust, and then went downwind to reduce the air drag. I continued to accelerate and managed to get 36.8 knots.
[If you want to see what this kind of speed looks like, take a look at this video.]
> What happens when you push too far with speed...what's the limiting factor? Wings or foil design?
When I push too far with speed, my foil tends to breach the water surface, because my high speed involves a huge lift from my foil which is hard to handle above 30 knots. I think that is the only limiting factor, because I would need an even smaller front wing to go faster.
> What's the most important feature on a race wing?
For me, there are two extremely important features on a race wing, and it’s very difficult to decide exactly which is best. There is the ALUULA material which brings the biggest amount of stiffness to a wing, which translates into tons of power, and then the Carbon Handles, which give a direct power transmission feeling, allowing me to pump extremely efficiently.
> How do you pick your wing size? Is it faster to be overpowered… or faster to use a smaller wing if possible?
It’s a very challenging decision for me, and I still make some mistakes about my wing size. I choose my wing depending on the wind, the swell and the current. I prefer to be slightly overpowered than underpowered, especially for downwind races, which are the kind of courses where you should have a lot of power to perform well. The feeling of being a little overpowered is hard to evaluate, because you’ll need to mix this with a great maneuverability. I find my fastest wing right now is the 5m A-Series, followed by my 6m A-Series, so I try to always use one of these wings during the competitions.
> What's your setup for really light wind racing?
My really light wind racing set-up is the Ocean Rodeo A-Series Glide 6m (I don’t use the 7m as I’ll be the only person in the fleet flying, and the committee does not start the race when 50% of the fleet is not flying!). I’m pairing it with the R5 frontwing (525mm²), a 190mm² rear wing, a 110m² mast, with a 60L / 5’4 board, all from Levitaz.
> Do you change PSI on the airframe for more flex or less flex depending on conditions?
Yes, it’s a major performance factor for me. I play with the pressure from my leading edge a lot, but never from my strut. It helps me to have the correct response from my wing for pumping in different conditions. For example, when the wind is light, I deflate my wing a little to have a longer pumping movement with a bigger amplitude, and this helps me to get quicker on the foil. I’m also deflating my wing when the wind is gusty and requires a little twist to avoid being catapulted. On the other hand, I increase the pressure when the wind is strong and consistent, to have a lot of stiffness for racing.
> What is your standard frontwing and stab size set-up...how do you mix and match stab, front wing and fuselage lengths?
Most of the time I use the Levitaz R5-S (515sqm) frontwing for light or upwind-downwind races, and the R5-SX (500sqm) frontwing for the stronger wind reaching races because its surface is slightly smaller as is its aspect ratio. I use the R5 frontwing (525 sqm) which is made for upwind/downwind races and which is slightly slower than the R5-S frontwing on reaching races.
I’m able to match all my race frontwings, going from 525 to 500sqm, with the 190sqm stab due to an extremely ingenious system for shimming the stab. It allows you to only have two screws on the whole foil, which reduces the drag like crazy, and so increases the speed. I also have bigger frontwings, but I can’t talk about those just yet…
I choose my front wing by considering the formats planned by the committee and the current wind on the race area.The fuselage is fixed to the frontwing, so we’ll run tests before producing the frontwing to choose the correct one for each frontwing, and then it’s solid.
> What mast length do you race with?
I’m always racing with a 110cm mast to allow me to be secure and to avoid foil breaches. This length also helps me a lot for upwind because I’m able to push really hard on the foil while having the board counter heeled.
> How important is board size?
I have two boards, a 58L and a 44L. I use the smallest one in strong winds because I’m convinced that reducing the board weight/volume helps to increase the speed and the maneuverability. I’m one of the few using two boards on the race tour.
> How important is board weight?
I think the most important part for racing is the volume distribution and not the board weight. Nowadays, the race boards are all between 3 to 5kg, but the volume distribution is so different between all the competitors.It feels like everybody is making tests right now, and not a lot of people find a general way to make a board. People are making personal boards to answer their personal needs. We are all inspired by the kitefoil boards for sure, but we cannot make exactly the same board because we do not have the same pull.
> Do you use a harness?
Yes, I personally use a harness. Like everybody on the tour, we are faster and have more angle when we are unhooked, but I’m using it a lot for long course races because I’m not able to race 25 minutes with only my arms. When it comes to classic course races (2 to 8 minutes), I’m using it to stretch and relax my forearms mid-race, but I’m almost never hooked during the race.
> Leash attached to wrist or waist?
Definitely to my waist! I was against it for a loooong time but I changed my mind after it wedged my hand during a jibe and prevented me from pulling the handle, and resulted in a fall in the middle of a race…
> Do you wear a board leash when racing?
No, I’m not using a board leash because it could be extremely dangerous during a crash at high speed to have a leash. With its elastic effect, the board/foil can come back very strongly and could result in a massive injury.
> What would be your favorite race conditions in terms of wind strength and wing / foil size?
My favorite conditions are a 10-15 knot onshore wind with a nice chop. I love to use my 6m A-Series Glide paired with my 58L BOOM Race board from Levitaz and R5-S frontwing (515mm² front wing).
> And when not racing, what are your ideal conditions?
When not racing, my ideal conditions are way different for a fun wing session: riding in boardshorts with a nice sideshore 25 knot breeze, with a 1-2 meter wave rolling along the coast. I don’t ask for much, ha!
> Mathis, we always see you flying through the competition at every race and recently you hit a new record. What’s the maximum speed you have reached so far and what kind of condition do you need for maximum speed?
Yes, recently I managed to hit 36.8 knots! On that day, I was in Gruissan to train for the Defi Wing. The wind was offshore and blowing at 35-40 knots. I was feeling extremely comfortable with my new 3m prototype wing for its first session on the water, and I went full speed downwind of a sea wall to benefit from its wind acceleration. I pushed a lot when I got the gust, and then went downwind to reduce the air drag. I continued to accelerate and managed to get 36.8 knots.
If you want to see what this kind of speed looks like, take a look at this video.
> What happens when you push too far with speed...what's the limiting factor? Wings or foil design?
When I push too far with speed, my foil tends to breach the water surface, because my high speed involves a huge lift from my foil which is hard to handle above 30 knots. I think that is the only limiting factor, because I would need an even smaller front wing to go faster.
> What's the most important feature on a race wing?
For me, there are two extremely important features on a race wing, and it’s very difficult to decide exactly which is best. There is the ALUULA material which brings the biggest amount of stiffness to a wing, which translates into tons of power, and then the Carbon Handles, which give a direct power transmission feeling, allowing me to pump extremely efficiently.
> How do you pick your wing size? Is it faster to be overpowered… or faster to use a smaller wing if possible?
It’s a very challenging decision for me, and I still make some mistakes about my wing size. I choose my wing depending on the wind, the swell and the current. I prefer to be slightly overpowered than underpowered, especially for downwind races, which are the kind of courses where you should have a lot of power to perform well. The feeling of being a little overpowered is hard to evaluate, because you’ll need to mix this with a great maneuverability. I find my fastest wing right now is the 5m A-Series, followed by my 6m A-Series, so I try to always use one of these wings during the competitions.
> What's your setup for really light wind racing?
My really light wind racing set-up is the Ocean Rodeo A-Series Glide 6m (I don’t use the 7m as I’ll be the only person in the fleet flying, and the committee does not start the race when 50% of the fleet is not flying!). I’m pairing it with the R5 frontwing (525mm²), a 190mm² rear wing, a 110m² mast, with a 60L / 5’4 board, all from Levitaz.
> Do you change PSI on the airframe for more flex or less flex depending on conditions?
Yes, it’s a major performance factor for me. I play with the pressure from my leading edge a lot, but never from my strut. It helps me to have the correct response from my wing for pumping in different conditions. For example, when the wind is light, I deflate my wing a little to have a longer pumping movement with a bigger amplitude, and this helps me to get quicker on the foil. I’m also deflating my wing when the wind is gusty and requires a little twist to avoid being catapulted. On the other hand, I increase the pressure when the wind is strong and consistent, to have a lot of stiffness for racing.
> What is your standard frontwing and stab size set-up...how do you mix and match stab, front wing and fuselage lengths?
Most of the time I use the Levitaz R5-S (515sqm) frontwing for light or upwind-downwind races, and the R5-SX (500sqm) frontwing for the stronger wind reaching races because its surface is slightly smaller as is its aspect ratio. I use the R5 frontwing (525 sqm) which is made for upwind/downwind races and which is slightly slower than the R5-S frontwing on reaching races.
I’m able to match all my race frontwings, going from 525 to 500sqm, with the 190sqm stab due to an extremely ingenious system for shimming the stab. It allows you to only have two screws on the whole foil, which reduces the drag like crazy, and so increases the speed. I also have bigger frontwings, but I can’t talk about those just yet…
I choose my front wing by considering the formats planned by the committee and the current wind on the race area.The fuselage is fixed to the frontwing, so we’ll run tests before producing the frontwing to choose the correct one for each frontwing, and then it’s solid.
> What mast length do you race with?
I’m always racing with a 110cm mast to allow me to be secure and to avoid foil breaches. This length also helps me a lot for upwind because I’m able to push really hard on the foil while having the board counter heeled.
> How important is board size?
I have two boards, a 58L and a 44L. I use the smallest one in strong winds because I’m convinced that reducing the board weight/volume helps to increase the speed and the maneuverability. I’m one of the few using two boards on the race tour.
With an incredible number of wins under his belt already, Ocean Rodeo’s team rider Mathis Ghio is unquestionably one of the best wingfoil racers on the planet. He’s also, right now, the fastest…
As the reigning World Wingfoil Race Champion, Mathis continues to bag gold at almost every race he attends. Having won the Wingfoil Racing World Cup in Abu Dhabi and the GWA Wingfoil World Cup FreeFly-Slalom in Leucate earlier this year, the Frenchman then claimed the European title at the inaugural WingFoil Racing Europeans, held in Athens.
Always powered by his A-Series Glide wing, Mathis is tearing up the wingfoil scene due to his exceptional technical skills, remarkable consistency and a talent that's proving near impossible to match.
In this 2-part series we’ll take a look at that winning formula that lies behind his success, with Mathis taking us through his gear set-up, trends from the world of wingfoil racing, his advice for those just starting out, and we’ll also get an insight into some of the exciting innovations he has been testing out recently.
Here’s Part One...
> Mathis, we always see you flying through the competition at every race and recently you hit a new record. What’s the maximum speed you have reached so far and what kind of condition do you need for maximum speed?
Yes, recently I managed to hit 36.8 knots! On that day, I was in Gruissan to train for the Defi Wing. The wind was offshore and blowing at 35-40 knots. I was feeling extremely comfortable with my new 3m prototype wing for its first session on the water, and I went full speed downwind of a sea wall to benefit from its wind acceleration. I pushed a lot when I got the gust, and then went downwind to reduce the air drag. I continued to accelerate and managed to get 36.8 knots.
If you want to see what this kind of speed looks like, take a look at this video.
> What happens when you push too far with speed...what's the limiting factor? Wings or foil design?
When I push too far with speed, my foil tends to breach the water surface, because my high speed involves a huge lift from my foil which is hard to handle above 30 knots. I think that is the only limiting factor, because I would need an even smaller front wing to go faster.
> What's the most important feature on a race wing?
For me, there are two extremely important features on a race wing, and it’s very difficult to decide exactly which is best. There is the ALUULA material which brings the biggest amount of stiffness to a wing, which translates into tons of power, and then the Carbon Handles, which give a direct power transmission feeling, allowing me to pump extremely efficiently.
> How do you pick your wing size? Is it faster to be overpowered… or faster to use a smaller wing if possible?
It’s a very challenging decision for me, and I still make some mistakes about my wing size. I choose my wing depending on the wind, the swell and the current. I prefer to be slightly overpowered than underpowered, especially for downwind races, which are the kind of courses where you should have a lot of power to perform well. The feeling of being a little overpowered is hard to evaluate, because you’ll need to mix this with a great maneuverability. I find my fastest wing right now is the 5m A-Series, followed by my 6m A-Series, so I try to always use one of these wings during the competitions.
> What's your setup for really light wind racing?
My really light wind racing set-up is the Ocean Rodeo A-Series Glide 6m (I don’t use the 7m as I’ll be the only person in the fleet flying, and the committee does not start the race when 50% of the fleet is not flying!). I’m pairing it with the R5 frontwing (525mm²), a 190mm² rear wing, a 110m² mast, with a 60L / 5’4 board, all from Levitaz.
> Do you change PSI on the airframe for more flex or less flex depending on conditions?
Yes, it’s a major performance factor for me. I play with the pressure from my leading edge a lot, but never from my strut. It helps me to have the correct response from my wing for pumping in different conditions. For example, when the wind is light, I deflate my wing a little to have a longer pumping movement with a bigger amplitude, and this helps me to get quicker on the foil. I’m also deflating my wing when the wind is gusty and requires a little twist to avoid being catapulted. On the other hand, I increase the pressure when the wind is strong and consistent, to have a lot of stiffness for racing.
> What is your standard frontwing and stab size set-up...how do you mix and match stab, front wing and fuselage lengths?
Most of the time I use the Levitaz R5-S (515sqm) frontwing for light or upwind-downwind races, and the R5-SX (500sqm) frontwing for the stronger wind reaching races because its surface is slightly smaller as is its aspect ratio. I use the R5 frontwing (525 sqm) which is made for upwind/downwind races and which is slightly slower than the R5-S frontwing on reaching races.
I’m able to match all my race frontwings, going from 525 to 500sqm, with the 190sqm stab due to an extremely ingenious system for shimming the stab. It allows you to only have two screws on the whole foil, which reduces the drag like crazy, and so increases the speed. I also have bigger frontwings, but I can’t talk about those just yet…
I choose my front wing by considering the formats planned by the committee and the current wind on the race area.The fuselage is fixed to the frontwing, so we’ll run tests before producing the frontwing to choose the correct one for each frontwing, and then it’s solid.
> What mast length do you race with?
I’m always racing with a 110cm mast to allow me to be secure and to avoid foil breaches. This length also helps me a lot for upwind because I’m able to push really hard on the foil while having the board counter heeled.
> How important is board size?
I have two boards, a 58L and a 44L. I use the smallest one in strong winds because I’m convinced that reducing the board weight/volume helps to increase the speed and the maneuverability. I’m one of the few using two boards on the race tour.
> How important is board weight?
I think the most important part for racing is the volume distribution and not the board weight. Nowadays, the race boards are all between 3 to 5kg, but the volume distribution is so different between all the competitors.It feels like everybody is making tests right now, and not a lot of people find a general way to make a board. People are making personal boards to answer their personal needs. We are all inspired by the kitefoil boards for sure, but we cannot make exactly the same board because we do not have the same pull.
> Do you use a harness?
Yes, I personally use a harness. Like everybody on the tour, we are faster and have more angle when we are unhooked, but I’m using it a lot for long course races because I’m not able to race 25 minutes with only my arms. When it comes to classic course races (2 to 8 minutes), I’m using it to stretch and relax my forearms mid-race, but I’m almost never hooked during the race.
> Leash attached to wrist or waist?
Definitely to my waist! I was against it for a loooong time but I changed my mind after it wedged my hand during a jibe and prevented me from pulling the handle, and resulted in a fall in the middle of a race…
> Do you wear a board leash when racing?
No, I’m not using a board leash because it could be extremely dangerous during a crash at high speed to have a leash. With its elastic effect, the board/foil can come back very strongly and could result in a massive injury.
> What would be your favorite race conditions in terms of wind strength and wing / foil size?
My favorite conditions are a 10-15 knot onshore wind with a nice chop. I love to use my 6m A-Series Glide paired with my 58L BOOM Race board from Levitaz and R5-S frontwing (515mm² front wing).
> And when not racing, what are your ideal conditions?
When not racing, my ideal conditions are way different for a fun wing session: riding in boardshorts with a nice sideshore 25 knot breeze, with a 1-2 meter wave rolling along the coast. I don’t ask for much, ha!
> How important is board weight?
I think the most important part of racing is the volume distribution and not the board weight. Nowadays, the race boards are all between 3 to 5kg, but the volume distribution is so different between all the competitors. It feels like everybody is making tests right now, and not a lot of people find a general way to make a board. People are making personal boards to answer their personal needs. We are all inspired by the kitefoil boards for sure, but we cannot make exactly the same board because we do not have the same pull.
> Do you use a harness?
Yes, I personally use a harness. Like everybody on the tour, we are faster and have more angle when we are unhooked, but I’m using it a lot for long course races because I’m not able to race 25 minutes with only my arms. When it comes to classic course races (2 to 8 minutes), I’m using it to stretch and relax my forearms mid-race, but I’m almost never hooked during the race.
> Leash attached to wrist or waist?
Definitely to my waist! I was against it for a loooong time but I changed my mind after it wedged my hand during a jibe and prevented me from pulling the handle, and resulted in a fall in the middle of a race…
> Do you wear a board leash when racing?
No, I’m not using a board leash because it could be extremely dangerous during a crash at high speed to have a leash. With its elastic effect, the board/foil can come back very strongly and could result in a massive injury.
> What would be your favorite race conditions in terms of wind strength and wing / foil size?
My favorite conditions are a 10-15 knot onshore wind with a nice chop. I love to use my 6m A-Series Glide paired with my 58L BOOM Race board from Levitaz and R5-S frontwing (515mm² front wing).
> And when not racing, what are your ideal conditions?
When not racing, my ideal conditions are way different for a fun wing session: riding in boardshorts with a nice sideshore 25 knot breeze, with a 1-2 meter wave rolling along the coast. I don’t ask for much, ha!
World Champion’s weapon of choice
the Glide A-Series
Featuring a full ALUULA airframe, the Glide A-Series is 40% lighter and 2x stiffer and stronger than a comparable Dacron based wing.
Available in sizes 2.5 to 7m.