''The future is looking really bright for WASZP sailing,'' says WASZP Class Manager Martin Evans with a big smile on his face when we ask him about the status of the class. And who can blame him? 1300 boats across 45 countries and still counting. And whoever visits the crowded WASZP European Games 2021, currently at beautiful Italian Lake Garda, knows this is a class with good times ahead. A perfect moment to chat with our new class partner.
Thanks for having time for us. Please introduce yourself!
''Hi. I’m Martin Evans, aged 29 from the UK. I grew up sailing single-handers in the typical pathway system for Olympic classes. I was on the British Sailing Team in the Laser class for 5 years and won a few junior world and European medals as well as the UK nationals. The windier the conditions, the better I was but unfortunately, I was pretty crap in the light! Ultimately I got to a stage where I had to ask myself if I had the goods to make it to the Games and when surrounded by athletes like Elliot Hanson, Lorenzo Chiavarini and Micky Beckett (who are now smashing the laser fleet) that were seriously talented and really hungry for it, I decided it best to hang up my hikers and focus my sailing elsewhere.''
''After Olympic classes, I was lucky enough to get a job working for the Extreme Sailing Series on the commercial team where I mainly drafted and managed contracts (I have a law degree). A very nice side benefit of that was the chance to race on GC32s and Flying Phantoms at some of the events, which was my first foiling experience and an awesome thing to be part of. When the Extreme Sailing Series sadly ended, I found myself a wife, bought a cruising yacht and sailed to the Caribbean from the UK! We crossed the Atlantic with just the two of us and had an incredible time. COVID struck, so we sailed home where I happened to be the right person in the right place at the right time to start a job with WASZP. I’ve been sailing the boat a fair bit and love every moment of it! It is refreshing to be part of a class where everybody is sailing for fun and people turn up to events solely because they love it. I’ve caught the bug and can’t wait to see where this journey takes me.''
For anyone who’s new to WASZP, can you explain what it is?
''The WASZP is now the most popular foiling boat in the world! It was born from a huge desire in the sailing world to make foiling accessible to the masses. Everybody had seen and heard of the moth and everybody wanted to sail one, but very few had the money to buy one or the time and expertise to effectively maintain one. Designed by world-renowned moth builder, Andrew McDougall, the WASZP takes all of the great things about foiling and puts them into a safe and affordable package that is accessible to sailors of all ages and genders. It’s all about maximising time on the water and minimising time and money fixing and maintaining the boat. The strict one-design nature of the class means that anybody can buy a boat that is instantly competitive and get foiling immediately. The boat is less than 4m long and weighs just 41kg. It can be launched from a trolley and stored with the wings down or folded up to save space. It can also be completely packed down into a box, put on a plane or ship and easily transported to anywhere in the world.''
''The WASZP class now has a huge following around the world with a really diverse group of sailors. Every sailor is welcome regardless of ability, giving rise to a really special and unique culture in sailing. We’re on track to break records for the biggest foiling events in the world and everybody is welcome to join the ride.''
For which type of sailor is the WASZP developed? And which dimensions/product highlights support that idea?
''The WASZP is available to everybody! The average club sailor with basic dinghy sailing experience can buy a WASZP and immediately experience the thrill of foiling. At the same time, we are seeing Olympic level sailors racing the WASZP and SailGP using the WASZP to train their professional athletes, so the boat really does appeal to everybody. There are two rigs available for over 18s which make the boat accessible for anybody up to 100kg. Recently, we announced the arrival of the WASZP_X, which gives junior sailors as small as 30kgs a place to start their foiling journey. It is quite possible we will see sailors starting in the WASZP_X, moving to the WASZP and ending up racing on SailGP teams and Americas Cups.''
It looks like a moth. What is the big difference between the WASZP and moth?
''The WASZP is a lot simpler to rig and sail and comes in at a fraction of the price of a new moth, making it far more accessible to the amateur sailor. The boat is much more durable and hardwearing and a lot safer when you crash because there are no stays on the rig to hurt yourself on. The WASZP is also one-design, which means every boat is the same and nobody can gain an advantage by spending more money, whereas the moth is a development class, which means big bucks are needed to field a competitive boat. Yes – the moth is faster – but the WASZP’s ease of use, low cost, unique culture and global events program more than makes for that.''
Why do I think the WASZP is winning in popularity?
''These days, more and more sailors want to go foiling but they don’t want to break the bank and don’t want to spend hours in the workshop fixing things. There are now quite a few examples of affordable foiling boats on the market that cater for amateur sailors, but the WASZP is the only one with a global presence and active events program. From this point of view, no other class comes close.''
You play a big role in this part. What’s your role as Global Class Manager at WASZP?
''My main job is to focus on WASZP events and racing. That means organising the major internationals including the WASZP Games and our continental championships. This year, I am becoming a lot more involved in the SailGP Inspire program that WASZP is a big part of, which aims to give young talent the chance to experience foiling at the highest level. I also work in the background on things like class rules, class sponsors and when I can, I sneak off for a sail myself…''
We already discussed the growing community. What are your goals for the next few years?
''It is realistic to see 250 boats at the WASZP Games in 2022. The UK nationals are happening right now with a record fleet of 51 boats, so we’d like to see those numbers at domestic events continue to rise. We’re also looking to hit the ground running with the WASZP_X and start kids on their foiling journey, supported by the main WASZP events program.''
A month ago we launched a new partnership together, with MAX as the main character. Why do you think electronics, in general, is an advantage during sailing?
''Sailing has so many variables and no two days are the same. That makes the sport incredibly rewarding but also means there are so many factors that influence performance. The MAX provides us with some solid certainties in a world of infinite variables. These metrics are really useful indicators of performance and help to set targets for improvement for sailors of all abilities. On a more basic level, the super accurate speed measurement of the MAX is settling the arguments in the bar after sailing of who is faster once and for all!''
How does your community react to the partnership, MAX and the Sailmon App?
''The sailors are all really pumped to use the MAX. Many of them have made their purchase already and are experiencing the benefits of the instant, accurate feedback on the water and the information the app provides when they get ashore. We’ve seen sailors debriefing each other using the data from the app and working towards ways to improve their performances. In the WASZP fleet, this information is readily shared among sailors, so the MAX really is helping the entire fleet get more from their sailing.''
What do you expect for your upcoming year about this new partnership?
''I expect our sailors to learn a lot more about the best way to sail the WASZP. I expect newcomers to the fleet to get up to speed much faster with the feedback that the MAX is giving them. I expect sailors to challenge each other to achieve the best speeds they can. I expect records to be broken. I expect WASZP and Sailmon to find new ways to connect sailors all over the world so that they can race against each other no matter where they are. There is so much to come!''