Les Ailes de St Tropez SUP Foiling Event Recap

We just got back from an incredible week in the South of France to take part in LAST - Les Ailes de St Tropez, the first stop of the Downwind Foil World Tour - and what a week it was!

The event ran over six days, from Tuesday to Sunday, and while the wind didn’t quite show up this year (pretty unusual for St Tropez at this time), the energy and vibe from the community was amazing. The people and the energy around these events is something else. Everyone is cheering, sharing tips, and pushing each other on the water.

The first few days were all about flat water racing: dock starts, SUP foil knockouts, and head-to-head battles around a short course. It was really fun to watch and even more fun to ride. The knockout format had everyone on edge: win your round and you move forward; lose and you’re out. It’s intense, fast, and really brings out the technical side of foiling.

By Friday, it was time for the main downwind race. With the wind under 10 knots, the course was shortened from 40km to 23km. We both went with Starboard Ace Lightning boards - Ben on the Code 960 R, Holly on the Axis Fireball 1070. The conditions were tricky: the bumps that did appear were moving fast but there weren't very many of them, so it was a real puzzle choosing the right foil. Go big to stay on foil but risk losing the fast bumps, or go small and rely on fitness and technique?

Ben managed to grind out 25th place, while Holly unfortunately had to call it a DNF at the 13km mark. Paddling up onto the foil and keeping it going in those conditions was brutally physical, but also an incredible challenge - a real test of fitness, technical skill, and determination. Exactly the kind of race that makes the Downwind Foil World Tour so epic.

For Ben he chose the 960R from Code because he knew it was the perfect lightwind wing to keep him flying in the light conditions, paired with the medium fuse and 151R tail to give him as much assistance paddling up as possible and to stay flying through the lighter sections. It was a race of trying to stay on the bigger faster moving bumps and rely on fitness and pumping in between.

The winners were Olivia Piana (AXIS Fireball) for the women and Kai Thompson (AXIS Tempo) for the men, with Naumi Eychenne (Armstrong Foils), Melanie Lafenetre (Code Foils) and Axel Pham (Armstrong Foils), Jarrod Snow (Code Foils) rounding out the podium.

After that came the Foil Drive downwind race, which was an absolute spectacle. Watching everyone out on the water, charging downwind together, the energy was unreal.

The week wrapped up with flat water finals in St Tropez harbour at sunset. Seeing foilers moving through the water with the sun going down was just magical. Holly managed a 4th place in the SUP foil flat water race, again on the Axis Fireball.

The event was ran perfectly by Fred Bonnef and his team, keeping everyone involved in the event and a great location based at the Saint Tropez Yacht Club.

It was hard to leave after such an epic week, but we’re already looking forward to watching the action from the next stop of the tour in Crozon. If you’re curious about any of the boards, foils, or gear we used at LAST, drop us a message. We’re always happy to chat about setups and help you get on the water.