WINGING IN THE WIND
The Straits Times|January 29, 2024
Wingfoiling picks up in S’pore as sailing evolves but is still largely recreational
Kimberly Kwek
WINGING IN THE WIND

Over the last 40 years, Felix Knick has sailed a wide range of boats including dinghies, keelboats and foiling catamarans, and competed in regattas like the world championships and transatlantic races that have taken him from New York to Hamburg.

These days, the seasoned sailor has swopped his sails for wings and can be found winging on the waters off East Coast Park and Changi Beach.

Winging, which is short for wingfoiling, is a water sport that is growing in popularity around the world. It combines elements of windsurfing, kitesurfing and foiling and the athlete - or winger stands on a board while holding onto an inflatable wing which is typically 4-6 sq m in area.

The board is equipped with a hydrofoil, which lifts it above the water surface, allowing the wingers to go faster.

Knick, 46, picked up the sport in 2021 and is now part of a community of over 100 wingers in Singapore.

The chartering director in a shipping company said: "It's still a relatively new sport so it's very much in development. When I started with equipment that were differently shaped, they were huge and very heavy.

"Now the equipment is very light, you can foil in much lighter winds. In the beginning you needed 12 to 15 knots of wind, now we're foiling with six knots.

"It's good for Singapore because usually Singapore weather is light wind conditions."

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 29, 2024 من The Straits Times.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 29, 2024 من The Straits Times.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

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