The designer who wins regattas by flying (low). Umberto Felci tells how he does it

60-year-old Italian designer Umberto Felci paired with young Olympic 470 talent Giacomo Ferrari won the foiler class BirdyFish in races on Lake Garda. That’s how this victory came about (“But come on, don’t go overboard with headlines!” he told us; Felci, a former 470 European Masters vice-champion, is someone who likes to keep a low profile. But he has an absolute sailor’s resume). We also tell you how this new flying drift performs.

Foiling Week is an increasingly popular event for flying boat enthusiasts. The 2024 edition, which took place June 24-28 in Malcesine on Lake Garda, had a record number of entries: as many as 386 sailors from 47 countries. An important signal for one of the coolest foiling events ever that brings together adrenaline-filled regattas as well as projects related to youth sailing.

On the racing front in the 8.2 division of the Waszp class, first place went to Danish star Magnus Overbeck, followed by Spain’s Pablo Astiazaran Pérez Cela and Italy’s Ettore Botticini, who finished third. Norway’s Hedvig Doksrød was the best female sailor in the division. All-Italian podium instead in the 6.9 WASZP division with Francesco Carrieri, Tommaso Geiger and Leonardo Vanelo, followed by Rebecca Geiger, fourth overall and best female sailor. Sebastian Faccioli was the winner of the Waszp 5.8 division. The final ranking of the Switch One Design class saw Italy’s Stefano Ferrighi in first, Simon Hiscocks (GBR) in second and Switzerland’s Fabio Fumagalli in third.

Ferns: “Leading BirdyFish to the max was a beautiful game!”

Umberto Felci and Giacomo Ferrari won among the BirdyFish, followed by Daniele and Sergio Minoni and Frenchmen Pierre Rhimbault and Luis Marie Du Parc in third. In particular that of Umberto Felci, a nautical designer (his are the latest generation Dufours and many “superboats” you see on cruises and race courses) and 470 class racer, was a surprise and much appreciated victory. We caught up with him to let him tell us how it went and especially his “techie” impressions of the new BirdyFish foiler.

• Umberto, how did you experience this experience and the surprise victory?

“My participation in Foiling Week came about somewhat by chance and also in a goliardic way. I had seen the BirdyFish at the last Dussendorf Boat Show and was intrigued by this new foiler to be conducted in doubles. When I spoke with the Italian importer, Aldo Rinaldi, he was the one who invited me to do this regatta and I gladly took the opportunity with the idea of trying the boat. I involved Giacomo Ferrari because of our friendship and because we are collaborating for his Olympic campaign in 470. He is very young, but despite the age difference we get along very well together. We said let’s go, try it and have fun, and that’s how it went. It’s been a very good game.”

• So how does this French foiler conduct himself?

“We got on a completely new boat and, as is usually the case with all dinghies, you first have to understand it, see the setup, figure out what you can do to make it go better. The first few days of the event the conditions were not the best, the races were cancelled and we had plenty of time to try it out, figure out how best to sail it. We were also watching the others, there were French crews, one from the U.S., all already very experienced. They were already flying like crazy, while we couldn’t get our heads around at first, but that’s normal on such high performance boats. However, we had a gradual growth and when there was a regatta we also flew without ever going down and we even won.”

• What do you like about BirdyFish? Is it true that it is an easy foiler and for everyone?

“When we tested it on the first day on the lake there was Peler and quite a few waves, so the first impression was of a boat that was not particularly easy to sail. With Giacomo we said to take ‘this stuff around here you have to have ground a lot of sail. But then I have to say that in less demanding conditions, with light winds and no waves, it is actually a simple, intuitive boat, manageable even by those who are not particularly experienced with foils. It doesn’t have complex adjustments, such as for example foil incidence or rudders, which you see on Moths and America’s Cup hulls. Overall it is a very nice design, in my opinion. I like the fact that the designer did a great job of simplifying the handling of a flying boat like this. I also have a Wasp, but there is no comparison. The BirdyFish is much simpler as an approach.”

• Is your extensive experience in 470s also useful in foil boats?

“Certainly my long competitive activity in 470 is also a good basis for leading boats like foilers, which are so different and cutting edge. The 470 we all know how challenging it is, so many adjustments, very physical. Those who can sail this historic dinghy are generally good sailors. Then of course there has to be the curiosity to get on new, fast boats, where aviation matters much more than hydrodynamics. But in the end in racing, the competitive spirit, technical guile, tactics, and experience on all boats always come in handy.”

• The competitive activity you still practice is a testament to your great passion, but it also serves your design business. Right?

“I am fortunate to be well physically which is the essential basis for racing on all dinghies, classic and flying. Lately, again together with Giacomo, I also practice WingFoil and have a lot of fun. In any case sailing, racing or not, is very important for my professional activity, I always tell this to my students as well. For me, it is unthinkable to design a sailboat without ever getting on it, testing it, testing it, without ever understanding it fully. Some colleagues do it, everyone has their own method. Mine is to use the boats firsthand. The world of foilers itself, despite initial distrust when they came out, eventually intrigued me and I must say they have made me understand so many things that can come in handy in my work. You have to be transversal in sailing.”