#martinaorsini
#races-foilingweek

03 July 2025

Where sailing takes to the skies

Foiling Week 2025 - EP. 02

Il punto di vista di Martina Orsini, fotografa ufficiale FW

After twelve editions, there is no sign of slowing down. Foiling Week 2025 has come to a close in Malcesine, ending a programme packed with regattas, trials, experiments, and conferences. Record numbers were on the water with the BirdyFish fleet making its world debut aboard over 130 WASZPs, the most spectacular Moth line-up ever seen, and the growing variety of boards and foils, from pumps to foil-drives.

As is always the case, however, Foiling Week went far beyond sports reporting. Through creative workshops, ecological diving, pioneering tech and forums featuring the stars of the industry, the #regeneration theme took on a tangible form in the Foiling Week Village and in the continuous open dialogue between athletes, designers and innovators.

Beyond the Lens – Capturing speed on water – Through the eyes of Martina Orsini

And the backdrop? The stunning light of Lake Garda, its Peler wind, and that unique vision that for over ten years has made this event the global meeting point for those who believe that sailing is much more than a racecourse.

From such a thrilling context, we have gathered together some of the most significant entries of the 2025 edition. And we could only begin with someone who has always looked at sailing from a truly special point of view: Foiling Week’s official photographer, Martina Orsini.

Martina Orsini

Martina Orsini has worked as the official photographer for Foiling Week since its very first edition. But to refer to her just a “sailing photographer” is criminally reductive: Martina is first and foremost a sailor, who looks at our sport from a unique point of view, often hovering on a dinghy, buoy or - increasingly more frequently - the water itself. Hers is a tale that combines technique, instinct and creativity. We asked her a few questions, and her insightful single answer covering all questions is a perfect portrait of the passion that drives her every time she shoots.

"Despite the many years that have spent doing this since starting as a sailing photographer - I started with foil boats - I can never fail to be moved by the excitement of seeing high-speed buoy turns or when hearing the unmistakable whistle of a foil dinghy. The ongoing challenge is to attempt to convey that same sense of speed and sporting action but never in the same way twice, in a way that excites wonder in the viewer. I would like anyone looking at my photos to say:
"Wow! I want to experience that feeling of flying over the water too!"

An answer that already says a lot in its first few lines, but which also deserves to be read anchored to the questions that inspired it.

From your first shots to experimental dinghies, to today's Olympic foils: what is it that can still really excite you? And what is it that still challenges you technically and creatively?

Martina's answer is clear: foil is a constant source of wonder. But the challenge is to be able to tell the story in a new way every time. The goal is not just to document, but to convey the feeling of flight. And to do that you need to go a step further: get in the water, get close to the line, even if it means taking on a bit of risk.

Have you noticed any difference between generations? Are young foilers more aware of your presence? Do they interact more?

“When I do something strange, such as placing myself in the water or on the course buoys, I notice that the sailors interact by flashing me with big smiles... I think out of surprise.

The best moments to capture these interactions are the pre-start or training sessions. It is there that a certain degree of complicity comes into play, something spectacular, perhaps a touch of water at 35 knots. In regattas, on the other hand, there is the unwavering respect for the sports’ technical side: pure concentration".

Martina also tells us about her recent interest in pump foil and e-foil boards, a world closer to surfing than sailing, but visually explosive: “another style, a very colourful world”, where she experiments with new points of view - shooting at water level or underwater.

You have seen it all, over the years: Moths, WASZPs, kiters, iQFoil, even offshore boats. Which class of boat do you enjoy following the most? And which one would you say best “captures” the energy of foiling?

"My favourite foil boat, both for sentimental reasons and for a certain photographic aesthetic, has never changed over the years: the Moth. I started my career with that class in 2012, it was a fleet not yet as big and not yet as full of sailing superstars as it is today, but it was the latest craze. Today, the Moth class is for the greats, without Olympic or America's Cup pressure. But it has remained a very “human” boat: there is only one sailor, movements are everything, and that is what makes it perfect for those who want to capture and tell a story of action, control, speed".

Each edition of Foiling Week has its own visual narrative. Did you and the media staff choose a specific theme or focus this year?

“Martina reveals that she has been working on a new approach for some time now: physically immersing herself in the racecourse to offer a point of view much closer to the water, to the foil, to the athletic action. This is a difficult technique to master, but “practice and experience”, she tells us, will soon help her hone it to perfection".

Seeing is flying

Martina reveals that she has been working on a new approach for some time now: physically immersing herself in the racecourse to offer a point of view much closer to the water, to the foil, to the athletic action. This is a difficult technique to master, but “practice and experience”, she tells us, will soon help her hone it to perfection.

AUTHOR: ELENA GIOLAI | SLAM

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Where sailing takes to the skies

Foiling Week 2025 - EP. 02

Beyond the Lens – Capturing speed on water – Through the eyes of Martina Orsini

Martina Orsini

From your first shots to experimental dinghies, to today's Olympic foils: what is it that can still really excite you? And what is it that still challenges you technically and creatively?

Have you noticed any difference between generations? Are young foilers more aware of your presence? Do they interact more?

Each edition of Foiling Week has its own visual narrative. Did you and the media staff choose a specific theme or focus this year?

Seeing is flying

FOIL JR RASHGUARD LS

FOIL JR RASHGUARD LS

FOIL LONG JOHN 1.5

FOIL LONG JOHN 1.5

FOIL RASHGUARD LS

FOIL RASHGUARD LS

FOIL WS HOODED JACKET

FOIL WS HOODED JACKET

Wähle deine Sprache

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Sprache

Foiling Week 2025 - EP. 02

Beyond the Lens – Capturing speed on water – Through the eyes of Martina Orsini

Martina Orsini

From your first shots to experimental dinghies, to today's Olympic foils: what is it that can still really excite you? And what is it that still challenges you technically and creatively?

Have you noticed any difference between generations? Are young foilers more aware of your presence? Do they interact more?

Each edition of Foiling Week has its own visual narrative. Did you and the media staff choose a specific theme or focus this year?

Seeing is flying

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