BLUE TECHNOLOGY
The North American Launch of an Extraordinary Event
February 24 – March 2 | Racing, Mardi Gras, and Business Opportunities
Sail Pensacola hosted the North American launch of Foiling Week – FOILING WEEK PENSACOLA (FWP), from February 24 to March 2, 2025. Foiling Week Pensacola delivered all you expect from Foiling Week with the hallmark festival format, embedded world-class foiling dinghy and foiling board racing, film festival, and a range of spectator opportunties. FWP rolled out a spectacular split-epicenter format with seven foiling board disciplines racing off the sand of stunning Pensacola Beach while fourteen+ classes of foiling boats competed on two race courses on the Pensacola Bay directly off the Community Maritime Race Village waterfront.
On Wednesday, February 26, Sail Pensacola hosted the U.S. Foiling Week Business Forum at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. The conference brought together a dynamic mix of local leaders, global innovators, investors, and foiling industry stakeholders. The goal was clear: to explore Pensacola’s potential as a long-term hub for foiling technology, sustainable marine innovation, and high-performance sailing events. The conference featured forward-thinking discussions on economic development, cross-industry collaboration, and the transformative opportunities foiling brings to the Gulf Coast. Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with many highlighting the unique blend of vision, practicality, and momentum in the room. The event not only strengthened regional connections but also positioned Pensacola as a serious contender in the global foiling economy.
Foiling Week Business Forum
The U.S. Foiling Week Business Forum, held on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, was a standout moment of Foiling Week Pensacola, gathering visionaries from across the marine, tech, and economic development sectors. Hosted at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, the event opened with a special visit to the Port of Pensacola and Persico Marine’s PB72 / American Magic base, setting the tone for a day focused on innovation and collaboration.
Following a warm welcome from Mayor DC Reeves, IHMC CEO Morley Stone, and Sail Pensacola President Dr. Timothy Ryschon, the forum dove into the global relevance of foiling in the Blue Economy. Luca Rizzotti, Founder of Foiling Week and The Foiling Organization (TFO), framed the international impact of foiling innovation.
Panel discussions throughout the afternoon explored topics like foiling public transportation, recreational powerboats, and U.S. and global innovation, featuring expert insights from Carl Wegener, Dirk Kramers, Mike Peasgood, Oliver Moore, Massimo Verme, Ferdinand Van West, and others. The local economic development panel, with leaders from the City of Pensacola, FloridaWest EDA, TechFarms Capital, and UWF’s WAVE, reinforced the region’s readiness to support and scale foiling-related enterprises.
The event closed with a keynote by Terry Hutchinson, CEO of American Magic, followed by a social hour, dinner at Angelina’s, and the official Foiling Week City Party. The forum successfully spotlighted Pensacola as a rising star in the global foiling landscape—blending innovation, entrepreneurship, and community in an unforgettable day of action and ideas.
Mardi Gras
Foiling Week Pensacola overlaps Mardi Gras celebrations in Pensacola, which means that in the city, Pensacola Mardi Gras will insert you into the middle of this historic cultural celebration, parade and party, while at the beach, the same engagement will be available through the Sunday parade. Here’s a sampling of how you can joing the Mardi Gras fun!
- Krewe of Wrecks Lighted Parade – City of Pensacola, 2/29/2025, 7 PM CST
- Krew LeFitte’s Mardi Gras Parade – Downtown Pensacola, 3/1/2025, 2 PM CST
- Krewe of Wrecks Red Beans and Rice, Sand Shaker, Pensacola Beach, 3/3/2025, 6 PM CST.
We will provide more information and links to these events as they develop!
Business Concierge Service
As a business leader, we want to make sure you make all your business connections and still enjoy the racing, trials, demo, and spectator activities. To make sure that happens, Sail Pensacola has established a Business Concierge! Vivianna Cerisola is our International Business Development Manager and will be working with you individually to assemble an itinerary that delivers an unforgettable experience with foiling, Foiling Week, and the special opportunity Pensacola holds for your business future in North America!