When the world’s best foiling sailors descend on Lake Garda this northern summer, they’ll find Harken waiting at the village with something more than promotional materials. The hardware manufacturer has signed a three-year deal to become racing partner of Foiling Week, and the move signals something worth paying attention to: the sailing equipment industry is getting serious about foiling’s future.
Foiling Week runs from 27 June to 5 July at Fraglia Vela Malcesine, and since its founding in 2014, it has grown into the planet’s premier gathering for foiling technology. The Moth, WASZP, BirdyFish, Switch One Design, ETF26 and kitefoiling classes all converge on the Italian lake to test equipment, share ideas and push the boundaries of what’s possible when a boat lifts clear of the water. For most observers in New Zealand, it’s the annual barometer of where high-performance sailing is headed.
Harken’s involvement carries weight because the Rhode Island company doesn’t chase every trend. Their catalogue spans everything from deck hardware to complete racing systems, built for conditions from Auckland Harbour to the Southern Ocean. That they’ve committed to a three-year partnership with Foiling Week suggests they see foiling not as a niche spectacle but as central to sailing’s evolution.
“We are proud to support Foiling Week, an event that perfectly embodies the spirit of innovation that has always driven Harken,” said Emanuele Cecchini, the company’s commercial director for Italy. “For us, it represents a valuable opportunity to meet athletes from around the world and share knowledge, expertise and experience.”
What sets Harken apart from typical race sponsors is their approach. Rather than just staffing a booth, they’re bringing block kits to Lake Garda for sailors to test on the water. Competitors will install Harken systems during training sessions and actual racing, letting them evaluate gear under real conditions rather than in controlled demos. That practical bent aligns with Foiling Week’s own philosophy. The event exists to push innovation forward, not to polish it for marketing photographs.
The company plans to showcase their product families specifically engineered for foiling classes: the Fly, Carbo, Zircon and Black Magic block systems. Each has been designed to handle the extreme loads and precise control that foiling demands. Harken will also bring Spinlock safety equipment, making the village a genuine hub for the technology that keeps modern racing sailors moving faster and staying safer.
For New Zealand sailors watching the foiling classes evolve, Harken’s commitment matters because it validates what many have long believed. Foiling isn’t a passing fad confined to international circuits. Major manufacturers are betting their resources on its development, which means the equipment, knowledge and techniques flowing from Lake Garda will eventually find their way to our own waters. Whether you’re racing a Moth in the North Island or following the technology from shore, this partnership is worth keeping an eye on.
