Challenger Sails wins PWA slalom world title

Posted by RIWmag on 15 Nov 2022 /

45 years after its foundation Challenger Sails wins the PWA slalom world title thanks to the top Polish rider Maciek Rutkowski.
To celebrate this historic result for the sail factory of Senigallia RIWmag has reached its very excited sailmaker Claudio Badiali who after a week of sleepless nights did not stop answering the phone because of all the friends and supporters who called to congratulate.

RIWmag: Ciao Claudio, congratulations for this incredible result ! How are you today ?
Claudio Badiali: Hello to all RIWmag readers! How do I look? I don't know how I'm, I'm so stunned by all the phone calls I receive, I heard Maciek, Palmino, My collaborators, all the guys of the CHS team and family, and I honestly don't know how I'm, maybe I'm still under the influence of adrenaline spinning, anyway I think I'm fine!

RIW: How many hours have you slept this week ? You followed the races live despite the Japanese time zone ?
C.B.: Good question. In the first few days I slept an average of 3 Approximately hours per night, I was in England and I followed the races together with the English importer of Challenger. Then I went back to Italy and tonight I followed the races from the 23:30 All 05:30 A whole tirade, And right after that I started with phone calls.! So in total I will have’ Slept 12-15 hours in all during this Japanese event!

RIW: The victory of a World Cup is built with many pieces : the rider, La vela, the table, the fin and the foil, The weather conditions ... When and how this sponsorship and collaboration with Maciek Rutkowski was born ?
C.B.: Maciek had been in my sights for years. In 2018 we met, We talked, He was not satisfied with his situation and we decided to start the collaboration. The initial feeling was not the best because’ He came from a model of development of the sails that did not correspond with mine. So we spent a year, a year and a half to be able to adapt to each other. Then and’ born a wonderful feeling, Now he speaks to me almost with his eyes to explain the sensations and performances he seeks and I understand it on the fly, and then when I give him the sails in fact he thanks me because’ correspond exactly to what he wanted. I believe that this is the secret of the success of this World Cup.

RIW: How would you describe Maciek Rutkowski as a slalom athlete ? Why do you think he could have won such a coveted title ?
C.B.: One thing I like about Maciek and’ that I see him very similar to me for his tenacity, He never gives up … and if he sets a goal he achieves it. When and’ Arrived here was out of the first 10, then and’ entered the top 10, then 7th, then 4th and now he won! That was our goal. 3 years ago! Had 3 years to get there, There’ was the Covid in the middle but we got there. It was ambitious to say that? I don't know … I also told Matteo Iachino the second year that he was with us, I told him that in three years he would win the title and so’ was! I think there are few athletes with maturity’ by Maciek, able to win the World Cup. Mortefon, Albeau, Maciek and Iachino are among them. In this panorama I also sell Marotti and others 3 or 4, with many interesting young people!

RIW: You knew your sails were going fast for years, This year the result has also arrived. What are the main features of this world champion wing ?
C.B.: We have been making good racing sails for a lifetime, from course and slalom especially. This and’ One of our characteristics because’ We come from a world of sailing that’ Racing. Our sail design basics are purely in these disciplines. The leap in quality’ and’ was made over the years around the 2010 about thanks to Anders Bringdal: With him we revolutionized our design. From that moment and’ it has been a continuous development with the Prince in the speed sails that are excellent and thanks to which we have obtained many championships and speed records’ in the open sea also for more’ of 2 years thanks to Bringdal and Baldini. What I'm aiming for is stability, lightness and more profile’ fast as possible. I start from NASA profiles that I think are more’ suitable for these requirements, depending on the conditions in which the sail must sail, and from there’ We begin to modify and develop according to the requests of our development and research team. Profile and stability’ are the main aspects. Lightness and’ very important but not at the expense of the other two parameters and the consistency and resistance of the sail. So very important are the shape, and in the shape there is’ my invention S-Shape that gives’ That profile and that speed’ more, and the stability’ profile.

RIW: Looking at the photos of the PWA, Maciek Rutwowski's sails stand out graphically in a clear way. How did you come to this color choice ?
C.B.: I'm a bit of a conservative.’ traditionalist and I had decided to make red sails because’ and’ the color that recalls the race, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Ducati, in short and’ always been the color of everything’ which was good and fast in Italy. But in any case all racing slalom sails are produced in Italy and therefore the customer has a wide choice of colors. Then and’ My son arrived who wanted to propose something different and pushed on the pink color. At the beginning we old men do not see pink as a race color, war, but rather as a color to match the female sex. Pero’ then I thought Robby Naish also started’ with pink and red sails, rather pink, and so’ We worked on it and arrived at the current graphics. How did Maciek see them and’ crazy and wanted them just that color. But I repeat, and’ A personal matter, and in Challenger every athlete can’ have sails made with the colors he wants. I always stay for ferrari red.

RIW: Achieved this result, How do you review 45 past years of Challenger Sails?
C.B.: I think back to these years with a bit’ of sadness, Mario and I in a basement we put ourselves with 50 thousand lire each with mom's sewing machine, buying a little’ of sail fabric and a bit’ of wire and we started to make the sails for the Flying Junior, the sailboat with which I was in the national team at the time. It was the youthful boat, the one that today corresponds to the 420. In 1977 Challenger and’ born with 100 thousand lire and in those years we built everything, Mario and a third partner who the following year preferred to choose other paths. They are also years full of many satisfactions, Many regattas and many prizes won, many athletes of the past, starting with Fabio Balini who won the European Championships with us. There was a time when sails were still made by us in Italy and on a regatta of 115 subscribers were there 87 Challenger and 7 in the early 10. Always because’ We come from the sailing school: Our sails do not have the fat that comes from the turn of the mast more’ or less accentuated or by cambers that help, but from a ferzo profile for ferzo, which is done on sailboats or catamarans of class A where our catamarans are at the top of the world. Few people know it but our past as sailmakers has influenced a lot. Then over the years we have had a lot of experiences, from the most’ Dear friend who is not there’ more’ Paolo Neirotti, a person who with us and’ Grown so much but made us grow a lot, made us understand our potential, to other athletes like Anders Bringdal, Prince Andrea Baldini, and I can say others 50, the same Matteo Iachino who and’ grew up here, We made him understand his potential’ and today and’ still there’ that you play the world championship after almost 15 years. These 45 years have been tough but I would relive them the same! The passion, the adrenaline, that I have received and that I have given in this sport are priceless, I don't think any other job would have satisfied me like this’ so much!

RIW: Achieved this result, how do you see the future of Challenger Sails ?
C.B.: Perhaps as Palmino mentioned to me today this title today and’ Our degree. And’ How to be a good student, Studies, you pass all the exams well but you miss that piece of paper that says you are an engineer, surgeon, or professor in chemistry or whatever you want. Today perhaps the authority’ maxim of this sport has given us this document, Today perhaps for the first time I do not feel’ more’ people who when you call her, despite making sails that you know are probably much better than many other sails, they tell you that they would like to try them. Now I don't think people will say’ what do you want’ try the world champion sailing, NEVER SAY NEVER FOR CHARITY, But now I feel like I've thrown that classic bad trend behind me., especially Italian, not to see not well what and’ our own and always prefer what comes from outside. Ducati must win everything to convince the public to consider it better than Honda, Why’ when Ducati didn't win the world championship, or Aprilia, or the other Italian brands that are now dictating the law, was considered second series. Now Italian products, Ferrari, Ducati, Italy, Aprilia, Challenger and many others are proving that perhaps talent, creativity’ and the bases we have of study in Italy allow us to be “Über alles” as they say in Germany (“above all”).

RIW: What do you think of the PWA slalom formula that includes both foil and fin races in a single title compared to the new IFCA format that separates them again into two distinct titles ?
C.B.: I update you. It is being decided in these days through a vote made by all the companies that make up the PWA on how we want the future. In my opinion divide the two specialties’ involves too many difficulties. An athlete who goes to do a race and wants to participate in both specialties’ which are chosen at the discretion of the referee should bring slalom and foil equipment to cover conditions from the 6-7 a 35-40 nodes. CIO’ would mean 6 Slalom sails, 6 Foil sails, 3-4 wing wings from foil, more’ all fins, all trees, the boards: an Iveco van of the big ones would not be enough to transport everything, let's imagine then if you have to travel to Japan or Korea to do some races … and’ impossible. And’ Just the idea of deciding how to do these races. In my opinion, for next year the decision and’ Date’ was done, leave everything in its current state, and’ by 7 months that we develop the sails for next year, and’ too late to change the rules on a deadline like this’ neighbour. Then in the 2024 The best solution may be to use the foil up to a certain intensity’ of wind, and from that limit up use the fin and use 5 or at best 6 sails, 2 for foil and 3-4 for the fin. 3 boards throughout so that it is more’ Easy for everyone. In this way, even young people can afford to buy used material and do all the PWA regattas.. In my opinion and’ a mistake to split PWA and IFCA formats, These associations should sit at the same table and bring forward the same ideas and regulations., then you can’ discover to restart windsurfing in a big way.

RIW: Covid before, the war in Ukraine and rising energy costs, of production and transport after, have put a strain on economies around the world. Windsurfing remains a niche sport : What the public should expect and how our sport will overcome these difficulties ?
C.B.: And’ It is true that all these situations have created difficulties.’ not only in windsurfing but in all sports. Windsurfing for me has two big potentials’ that need to be re-evaluated, The first and’ that and’ sport more’ beautiful in the world, I challenge anyone to compare a gym sport or inside a stadium with windsurfing on the most’ Beautiful beaches in the world. There’ own comparison beyond’ that everyone can have their own preferences and different passions, from windsurfing to horse riding or athletics. In addition to the location, the second priceless aspect of windsurfing and’ the fact that it allows anyone to compete in some races with the most’ Great world champions. And’ as if one wanted to go play a football match and could be on the pitch with Reinard or Cristiano Ronaldo … and’ a dream guys! What sport allows a similar situation? Maybe the marathon, but’ and’ A sport that forces you to be focused with yourself. Windsurfing on and off the water, in circles, There’ an exchange of materials, of opinions, In the evening we celebrate together and share a common passion … What must allow the revival of this sport and’ just one thing, promote more and more’ these races that unite as the Defi Wind, Prince Of Speed, Silvaplana, One Hour, races that allow registration to all … We increase these tenders, Let's do them all over the world, I already have it’ also said to the PWA, We create a long distance race circuit, and li’ there will be no 60 Professional members, but 60 More professionals’ 500 normal people who are less good but perhaps more passionate’ of the professional, and li’ that we can recover and relaunch this sport in difficulty.