REGIONAL QUALIFIER REGISTRATION OPENS FOR THE INAUGURAL US WASZP  HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

A New National Stage for America’s Next Generation of Foiling Sailors

The WASZP Class has set the stage for a major shift in American youth and collegiate sailing with the announcement of its Regional Qualifiers for the inaugural National Championship. For the first time, high school and college sailors will have a dedicated, school-recognized pathway in a foiling one-design class — a development that reflects both the rapid expansion of the WASZP fleet and the rising success of the young athletes within it.

For years, foiling existed mostly outside the structure of school sailing. Talented young WASZP sailors were progressing quickly, winning major regattas, and earning opportunities around the world, but had no national stage where those achievements connected back to their high school or college programs. This new Qualifier Series changes that dramatically.

Four Regional Qualifiers — West Coast, South, Great Lakes, and Northeast — will determine the 24 sailors (12 high school and 12 college) who advance to the National Championship at Toms River Yacht Club in May 2026. Sailors register for the qualifier tied to the school they attend. The top three high school sailors and top three college sailors from each region will qualify for the Championship.

The announcement represents far more than a new regatta. It signals that high school and college sailors now have a way to be recognized for foiling achievement within their existing school athletic structures. And it plugs directly into a WASZP pathway that is already established, active, and expanding across North America.

Tyler Bjorn, North American Class Manager, describes it simply:

“The WASZP pathway is creating something truly powerful for young American sailors. For the first time, we have a foiling ecosystem with real scale, real structure, and real access. These qualifiers represent a national framework that will only strengthen as more schools and clubs join in.”

 

Four Regions — One National Championship

The 2026 Qualifiers will be held as follows:

West Coast Qualifier
January 31 – February 1, 2026
Coronado, California

South Qualifier
January 31 – February 1, 2026
Jensen Beach, Florida

Northeast Qualifier
April 25–26, 2026
Annapolis, Maryland

Great Lakes Qualifier
May 9–10, 2026
Muskegon, Michigan

Find your event and enter on RaceHub, the official registration site for all WASZP events.

Learn more about the Regions in the original announcement if you missed it.

Each event advances the top three high school and top three college sailors. The format is familiar for school-based sailing programs but new — and exciting — for foiling dinghies.

A Pathway Built on Real Structure and Real Progression

What makes these Qualifiers so meaningful is the system they connect to.

The WASZP pathway starts where it should: at community Hubs, where new sailors take their first foiling flights using shared equipment and simple coaching frameworks. From there, sailors begin racing in local and regional events, building comfort and confidence in a mixed-age environment where learning accelerates quickly.

Around age 12, sailors join the Youth Development Teams, jointly supported by WeCANFoil and USFoil. These teams provide structure, coaching continuity, and a supportive learning environment. As sailors progress, they are invited into Regional Race Teams, then National Race Teams, and finally the Podium Team for the class’s highest-performing athletes.

This approach mirrors what successful sailing nations already do — but with a uniquely North American twist: access-first, community-driven, and supported by organizations that work together rather than compete with one another.

Importantly, the pathway now gives sailors a way for their achievements to be recognized inside the school system. Foiling is no longer something they do “outside” of school sailing — it is now part of it.

Agustín Ferrario, Program Director at WeCANFoil, explains:

“The WASZP offers something no other foiling pathway can: a full development ladder. From first flights to big-fleet international racing, the structure is already here. These qualifiers simply plug young sailors into a system that is proven to work.”

Many of the class’s recent graduates have already moved into high-performance roles — including AC40 training opportunities, SailGP, and professional foiling — but now high school and college sailors can earn national recognition while building toward those programs, not separate from them.

The timing is ideal as the WASZP Class is also in process to become a fully recognized World Sailing Class in 2026, creating even more international racing and development opportunities.

A Global One-Design Movement with Unmatched Scale

The WASZP is not merely growing — it is redefining what accessible foiling looks like. The class reached a major milestone with the 2025 International WASZP Games in Weymouth, where more than 250 boats competed on the same course. It is the first — and still the only — foiling dinghy class in the world to field a fleet of that size.

This surge is driven by a combination of factors: strict one-design rules, durable build quality, manageable cost, and a community-based culture that emphasizes shared learning over equipment advantage. As a result, large WASZP fleets have emerged across Europe, Oceania, South America, and now North America, where participation has accelerated dramatically over the past two years.

Perhaps most importantly, becoming a World Sailing-recognized Class will solidify the WASZP’s role on the global stage, creating new world championship structures, increased support from national authorities, and greater integration with other high-performance pathways.

For high school and college sailors entering the Qualifiers, this means they are stepping directly into a class with genuine international depth and momentum.

Race Teams, America One Racing and a Coordinated Performance System

The development of the Race Team structure is a major reason the WASZP pathway is progressing so quickly in North America. With alignment between the North American WASZP Class, America One Racing, WeCANFoil, and USFoil, the system now supports sailors from their earliest racing experiences through advanced training.

Race Teams include:

Youth Development Teams
Regional Race Teams
National Race Team
Podium Team
And an expanding network of clinics and access

This system creates continuity across the continent. Sailors in California are training the same foundational skills as sailors in Maine, Chicago, Florida, or Texas. Video review, tuning notes, and performance expectations are shared across the network, and sailors who enter the pathway at one hub can seamlessly join camps or teams elsewhere.

Learn more about the America One Racing partnership here.

Tyler Bjorn, WASZP North America Class Manager, sees the Qualifiers as a natural extension of this progress:

“These qualifiers are a major step forward. They give high school and college sailors a direct link into the Race Team system, the winter training in Jensen Beach, and eventually the international stage. It’s a pathway with no ceiling.”

Jensen Beach: The Winter Foundation of the WASZP Pathway

The WASZP North American Winter Base at the US Sailing Center in Jensen Beach has become one of the most important training environments in the entire class. It offers warm water, consistent breeze, coaching continuity, and a predictable schedule — all essential components of foiling development.

Sailors store their boats onsite for the winter, fly in and out around school breaks, and participate in structured training blocks supported by coaches from A1R, USFoil, WeCANFoil, and the local Florida community. Training days begin with focused briefings on boat handling, starts, race strategy, and foiling mechanics. On the water, groups mix freely — youth, college, and masters sailors training side by side, raising the performance level for everyone.

Because fleets from across North America converge here, the Winter Base reinforces alignment throughout the entire system. Sailors return home in the spring with sharper skills, greater confidence, and a stronger sense of how top-level WASZP racing operates.

With the launch of the High School and College Qualifiers, the Winter Base now has a direct connection to a national championship. The winter work will no longer prepare sailors only for summer regattas — it will help determine who earns national recognition in their school’s sailing program.

The WASZP All-Stars Invitational

Another major addition to the pathway is the WASZP All-Stars Invitational, a 20-sailor, invitation-only event held just before the 2026 Games in Pensacola. The All-Stars Invitational brings together top performers from around the world in a high-intensity format with a $10,000 prize purse.

Selections are made by the International WASZP Class and domestic qualifiers, ensuring that both established front-runners and rising talents are represented. The racing is intentionally tight, tactical, and fast-paced, designed to highlight the athletic and strategic demands of top-level foiling.

For North American sailors advancing from the Qualifiers, the 2027 All-Stars Invitational creates a clear target. It connects the school-based pathway directly to the international foiling community and reinforces the opportunities available to sailors who progress through the system.

Access, Equipment, and Support Through FOILFAST

A pathway of this scale only works when sailors, schools, and clubs have reliable access to boats and support. That is where FOILFAST, the exclusive North American WASZP distributor, plays a critical role. Rather than functioning simply as a retailer, FOILFAST has become one of the foundational pillars behind the class’s rapid expansion.

Through FOILFAST, programs across the continent have consistent access to event-ready charter boats, new-boat inventory, and club fleet packages, ensuring that sailors can enter the pathway without facing long delays or equipment shortages. For many programs—especially high schools and colleges—this reliability is what allows them to participate in the Regional Qualifiers and integrate WASZPs into their existing sailing structures.

FOILFAST also provides full spare-parts support at major training blocks and regattas, keeping sailors on the water and reducing downtime at critical moments in the season. This level of event support has helped stabilize and grow regional fleets, particularly in areas where foiling is expanding rapidly.

Charter fleets for the Regional Qualifiers and other major events are available through the FOILFAST Boat Charters page, allowing sailors to compete even if their home program is still building its fleet.

Perhaps most importantly, FOILFAST works directly with schools, community sailing centers, and clubs to help them launch new WASZP fleets aligned with the national pathway. This includes advising on equipment needs, supporting early training sessions, and ensuring new fleets have the resources required to grow sustainably.

The result is a support system that matches the ambition of the pathway itself. As more schools and hubs commit to foiling, FOILFAST ensures they can do so with confidence—backed by a consistent supply chain and an event presence that keeps sailors on the starting line.

A Turning Point for Dinghy Foiling in America

The Regional Qualifiers and new National Championship represent a significant milestone for foiling in the United States. They offer something the sport has lacked: a clear, accessible, school-recognized pathway that connects local hubs, Race Teams, winter training, and international racing.

With a rapidly expanding global class, strong coaching partnerships, growing domestic fleets, and progress toward World Sailing class status, the WASZP pathway is giving young American sailors a structure that matches their ambition.

Foiling in the U.S. has entered a new phase — and the Qualifiers are the doorway to the national stage.

Expect updates on a similar series in Canada for late summer in the next few months.

Questions or Program Inquiries

For questions about the Regional Qualifiers, school or club participation, or getting started with the WASZP pathway, please contact Tyler Bjorn, WASZP North America Class Manager, through the contact form at foilfast.com.

He can assist with:
• High school and college program integration
• Charter access and equipment planning
• Fleet development for schools and community sailing centers
• Race Team and pathway overview
• Event logistics and regional support

Submit inquiries through the FOILFAST contact page and your message will be directed to Tyler or the appropriate Class resource.

Most of the Qualifiers will be live streamed so stay tuned for updates on how to follow the racing live and support your school's athletes!