Ghio Claims the Formula Wing European Championships!

June 24, 2024 / Race Wing

New on the Ozone team this year and riding the Fusion, French star Mathis Ghio is chasing down his third IWSA Wingfoil Racing world title.

Having already won the opening round of the championship in Turkey as well as the gruelling Defi Wing event in May, Mathis headed to the cold mountain atmosphere of Lake Silvaplana, high in the Swiss Alps, to battle it out in what turned out to be challenging light wind conditions for the one-off, winner-takes-all Formula Wing European Championships in June.

Plus, scroll down to check out a little gallery of other riders ripping on our double surface wing at the event.

In the four rider men’s final, Mathis faced Bastien Escofet (FRA), Alessandro Tomasi (ITA) and Oscar Leclair (FRA) for the title. Although the Italian was fast out of the blocks and held his lead to the windward mark, it wasn’t long before the nail-biting showdown for the win played out between Ghio and Tomassi on the downwind leg.

Ghio reflected, “In the three minutes before the start, I saw a big gust and a big shift coming from the right-hand side, so we all decided to go on port. But Alessandro was the first to tack in good pressure with a nice lift.” He added, “I managed to find a good gust to make a comeback on the downwind and take the lead. It was really challenging; we can really feel the altitude here which makes it a lot of cardio. The first reach of the slalom was so tense, I pumped like hell to stay in front of Ale.”

With an almost synchronized final gybe it was shaping up to be a photo finish. With the final reach running parallel to the shores of Lake Silvaplana, it felt as if the spectators were on board with the riders, experiencing every moment of the high-speed battle.

However, with an extra click of speed, Ghio won the one race he needed to be crowned European Champion. “That was a BIG final!” he summed up.

Mathis not only stands out with his speed, but also his red and black custom coloured Fusion wing!

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