The Athena Foiling Pathway Squad kicked off an exciting summer of foiling action by competing in last week’s 2025 International WASZP Games at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy.
Over the past 12 months, the Athena Foiling Pathway has trained, developed, and coached more than 20 young athletes across three squads: U18s, U21s, and a Women’s Senior Team, with a key goal of preparing for their first-ever WASZP World Championships.
Competing against a record fleet of over 240 international sailors across multiple divisions, Athena’s women’s and youth crews rose to the challenge, consistently delivering against their performance ambitions
Among many strong AFP performances, standouts included:
- Alex Jones, 16 (Parkstone Yacht Club) – Winner of the 7.5 Rig Division
- Theo Smith, 16 (Draycote Water Sailing Club, Solihull) – 3rd in 7.5 Rig Division
- Katie Jenkins, 19 (Weymouth & Portland) – 2nd in 7.5m Female Rig Division
- Rachael Betschart, 19 (Royal Bermuda Yacht Club) – 3rd in 8.2m Female Rig Division
In the main gold fleet, Samson Cross, 17 (Datchet Water Sailing Club), and James Crossley, 19 (WPNSA), both qualified for the highly competitive Gold Fleet, a notable achievement in one of the world’s most competitive foiling classes.
Another AFP performance to be proud of came from North London teenager Kai Hockley who successfully competed in his first ever WASZP Worlds having relocated to Weymouth to join AFP fulltime as part of the programme to accelerate his development in high-performance sailing.
Athena Foiling Pathway Manager James Parker-Mowbray commented:
“Our AFP squad is primarily made up of under-18 and under-21 sailors, and within those youth categories, we achieved strong results and showed real success. But the strategy for the Worlds wasn’t solely about results. Our goal was for the sailors to learn a tremendous amount every single day by having a World Championship event on their doorstep—an opportunity they might not otherwise have had access to. They certainly made the most of it, developing and progressing significantly, which is great to see, they can all be very proud”
Applications for the next intake of the Athena Foiling Pathway Squad are now open and will close on Friday, 31 July 2025. Young sailors interested in joining the U18, U21, or Women's Squad can apply via the Athena Pathway website.– Apply Today
The WASZP Worlds mark the beginning of a packed summer for Athena, culminating in next month’s inaugural AFP Foiling Festival, taking place 18–22 August 2025 at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy. Delivering a five-day high-performance programme that caters for different levels of foiling experience, offering tasters for beginners, skills sessions for developing sailors, and structured training for current squad and intermediate-level athletes.
Hannah Mills OBE, Athena Pathway Team Principal, said:
“I was so proud to see the AFP Squad competing against over 200 international sailors at the WASZP Games. It was unbelievable to go down there and see it all in action.
Foiling is bringing such excitement to sailing, and we’re inviting every age and ability to come and give it a go at the AFP Foiling Festival. Even if you’re not a sailor but want to try wing foiling, it’s a great chance to get involved, see what it’s all about, and just get out on the water and have fun.”
AFP Foiling Festival - 18–22 August 2025 - full programme details HERE