WASZP - Single Handed Foiler
Need To Know
Class Description
- The Waszp is competitively sailed in 43 countries with over 1,600 boats sold.
- Current top officially recorded boat speed is 31.7mph
- Groups of Waszps are known as 'swarms' and there are currently swarms in Pensacola, Jensen Beach, Hampton, Annapolis, Charleston, San Francisco and Newport, RI.
- The Waszp swarm in Annapolis sails out of SSA and is an official Club fleet with Race Committee supported races in the spring and fall and clinics as available.
- In the Annapolis ecosystem most of the young Waszp sailors are on the water whenever there are not high school regattas or summer travel in the c420 or ILCA classes.
- Learn to foil opportunities are generally in the spring and fall. Contact the Junior Sailing Team at SSA for more information. Most sailors foil on the first weekend with good instruction and it takes somewhere between 20 and 40 days on the boat to be able to smoothly tack and jibe while foiling and compete at regattas.
Where To Buy (NEW)
Where To Buy (USED)
Cost
- A complete boat ready to race will be about $16K new and about $10K used if you can find a good one. I do not recommend purchasing a used one until you have learned to sail the boat so that you can evaluate the package properly.
Pathways
- The Waszp comes with different rig size options much like the Laser including the new WaszpX which is easier to keep upright and perfect for smaller Opti sailors learning to foil. There is a size for each sailor and skill level and you should talk to a current sailor for recommendations for your particular needs. Take a look on the Waszp website in the Pathways section for more information.
Where It Is Sailed
- SSA is the only Club in the area with active Waszps at this time. It is a recognized Fleet with discounted storage options and activity most weekends. There not currently any Club run learn to foil or foiling race programs but that could change at any time.
Typical Schedule
- Clinics and learn to sail happen year round but the cycle tends to be Canada in the summer, mid-Atlantic in the spring and fall and Florida in the winter.
- The Waszp has been added to the Helly Hansen (NOOD) Sailing World Regattas
- Each year will include North Americans, US Nationals and an Americas Championship
- There will be at least one U21 focused International Event each year
- Expect localized regattas with the wind and weather each month like ACC, FORK and Orange Bowl
- When appropriate, there are Europeans and Worlds within reach that offer connections to the highest levels of world sailing
Key Upcoming Dates
U21 North American Race Team
Spare Parts
- We have a lot of the bolts and smaller parts and pieces
- https://waszp.com/
- https://www.kasail.com/waszp/product
Websites
- Class Website
- Official Schedule Of Events & Registration
- Current Proposed East Coast Schedule Sneak Peek (Unofficial)
- Follow Waszp TV on Instagram
- Canadian Team (Charter/Coaching Opportunities)
Videos/Files
- Waszp Tutorial Videos (Waszp TV)
- Waszp Towing & Recovery Guide
- Waszp Assembly & Rigging Guide
- Waszp Tuning Guide
- Waszp Boat Maintenance
- Waszp Main Foil Assembly
- Waszp Daily Pre-Flight Checklist
- Waszp Movie - Origins & Story Of The Waszp
Typical Family/Travel Splits
- The Waszp is a single handed boat and people travel with it like a Laser on their roof, in the back of a truck or on a trailer. Our current Class President travels with it on top of his little Honda Fit! Waszp sailors tend to be more experienced and know people in the sailing venues so there is a lot of sailors staying with sailors which reduces costs. Boats and gear are rarely shared as replacements are long lead items sometimes with high price tags so having your own boat is a requirement to sail outside of the clinics.
Ideal Size/Weight
- I think most people would say that the ideal weight for this boat is somewhere between 110 and 200 pounds with skill trumping weight in most cases.
Exciting Future
- This boat is just gaining speed in the US and there is a lot going on that is great.
- SailGP has established the Inspire Program to recruit the top young talent out of the Waszp and into the SailGP boats. This kind of direct pathway does not exist anywhere else and is very exciting.
- Sopraventus is setting up shop in Pensacola to offer seasonal high end coaching and development as well as an American version of the Lake Garda foiling week in early November each year.
- America One Racing is working to develop our top end talent and get them involved in the diverse worldwide racing opportunities they support.
What The First Place Sailor Knows That You Do Not
- This is a highly technical boat and in order to set it up well you need to spend time learning the intricacies of the assembly and rigging and all of the related adjustments.
- This is a sailor driven boat and you will need to learn from the boat park and make your own adjustments and repairs.
- There is no substitute for time on the water with this boat. Get out there and sail.
- When you get it right it is really, really cool.
Parent Notes
- This boat is just taking off in North America. Well established elsewhere, 2025 will be the first year in North America with true year round sailing opportunities. Super high level clinics almost every week in Florida over the winter, ten days of amazing competition in Hawaii for spring break and then a full summer of competition including SailGP Inspire qualification at ACCs in Tom's River in June and then training up north until North Americans and a trip to Norway in August for Europeans. For a good sailor who does high school sailing but has never really connected with the c420 fleet and is too small for the Laser this boat is a gift with Olympic level coaching and talented amazing peers at every level. I would start by connecting with Coach Aug on the WeCanFoil Team or the Sopraventus Group operating out of Pensacola and organize a weekend with a charter and go from there. Very likely they will be hooked and then that coach can help you navigate from there. Have fun!
History of the WASZP
The Waszp is an Australian, single-handed, hydrofoiling sailboat that was designed by Andrew McDougall as a one-design racer for youth and adults, and first built in 2016.
Text from Wiking sailing dinghy, with the hull built predominantly of infused epoxy. It has a free-standing catboat rig, a concave plumb stem, a vertical transom, an aluminum frame-mounted, transom-hung, hydrofoil rudder controlled by a tiller and a retractable, aluminum, hydrofoil daggerboard. It has folding hiking wings and displaces 106 lb (48 kg). The design crew weight is 140 to 200 lb (64 to 91 kg).
The boat has a draft of 3.28 ft (1.00 m) with the daggerboard and rudder extended while not foiling and 8 in (20 cm) for launching with the daggerboard and rudder both retracted.
For sailing the design is equipped with variable angle hiking wings to adjust to skill level. There are also three different sail and mast combinations for smaller or less experienced sailors, with areas of 62.4 sq ft (5.80 m2), 74.3 sq ft (6.90 m2) and 88.3 sq ft (8.20 m2).
The Waszp can start to hydrofoil in 7 kn (13 km/h) of wind, sustain hydrofoiling in as little as 5 kn (9 km/h) of wind and can reach a top speed of 24 kn (44 km/h).
The Waszp is similar to the developmental Moth class, but as a one-design class with aluminum foils it is half the price and thus appeals to a wider group of sailors.
The design is an accepted one-design class in the United States. US Sailing, describes it as "a singlehanded, one-design foiler. Designed by Andrew McDougall, the Waszp offers affordable foiling on a robust boat. The class has a place for everyone; there is a large contingent of sailors who race the boat at a high level while other sailors keep the boat at their local yacht club and go for a rip around the bay!"
The first regatta held in the US was in January 2017, at the Upper Keys Sailing Club in Florida and attracted eight boats and sailors.
A February 2017 review in Sail1Design noted, "the Waszp and the Moth are similar in their concepts, but for a couple reasons, the Waszp hits a market of different dinghy sailors. First, the Waszp is half the price of the Moth, you can buy a brand new Waszp in the US for $12,500. Unlike the Moth the Waszp is a one design class. With the Waszp you have adjustable wing angles allowing you to adjust for your skill and for storage. The Waszp comes with retractable alloy foils making it an easy boat to launch. With a free standing rig, you can rig up quickly and have a much easier time getting back into the boat after capsizing."
Text from Wikipedia
Sports perpetually evolves, propelling successive generations forward and technology consistently stretches the boundaries. With speeds doubling compared to traditional classes the necessity to think and react faster has elevated foiling sailors to global prominence in Olympic preparations.
Tyler Bjorn (OLY) - North American Class Manager (WASZP)
Foiling is undeniable and the Waszp is the established one-design foiling class in the world. It provides the thrill and fun of high speed sailing without the complexity of double handed boats.
Agustin Ferrario - Coach SailGP & Director of WeCANFoil
WASZP EXPERT CORNER
Tej Trevor Parekh - Owner, Pitch Pole Skiff Products Inc.
"The Waszp is the quintessential cross-trainer for all aspiring sailors. The boat demands agility and speed not only, but also requires a sailor to analyze the wind and water in detail like never before. If you are looking to up your game in any class, then spend some time sailing and racing the Waszp. The boat is rewarding (speed!) and the class culture is open and friendly. Plenty of clinics and open dialogue in the boat park will get you up to speed in just a few months. "
