Harry Joyner makes history as the first person to complete a foiling tack

iQFOiL, which is a windsurfing class selected by World Sailing to replace the RSX for the 2024 Olympics – is a disciple that WAIS’ Harry Joyner is making history in.

Earlier this year, the fifteen-year-old foiled through the first-ever tack on his iQFOiL equipment. The momentous occasion had been highly anticipated and Joyner has now inspired iQFOiL athletes across the world.

“I have been sailing for eleven years, starting when I was five. Before joining IQ Foil, I worked through the ranks in dinghy sailing. I started with small single-handed boats, then moved into double-handed boats, which led me to IQ Foil,” said Joyner.

“IQ Foil is the new Olympic Windsurfing discipline which involves Slalom Racing in lighter wind, Course Racing in stronger wind and a Marathon Race which is three times the length of a Course Race (about an hour and a half).

“My Coach brought me down to Fremantle Sailing Club (FSC) one day and we decided to try WindFoiling to see if I enjoyed it. I transferred to WindFoiling straight away and never looked back.”

With such a significant achievement, came solid preparation.

“The preparation in performing the first ever Foiling Tack was a large amount of persistence and determination, in order to create a faster tack. The idea was never to do a Foiling Tack, it was just to create the fastest tack possible.”

“There was a lot of doubt throughout the Windsurfing Community that a Foiling Tack would not be possible, but in the back of my mind I thought someone would do it eventually.”

That day eventually did come around and Joyner made history, indicating the performance gap between experienced sailors and the youth is rapidly closing.

“I had a normal training session at FSC on the seventeenth of March, yet the focus of the session was tacking.

“Throughout the session I had an idea that if I was to keep a higher ride height on the foil through the tack, I would touch down on top of the water less. Then further into the session I managed to perform the Foiling Tack.

“At the time, we did not know whether it was the first Foiling Tack or not, it was just a personal achievement. However, a month later I realised I was in fact the first person in the world to achieve one.”

After ticking a large goal so early on in his career, Joyner now has his attention set on becoming an Olympic gold medallist.

“My goal is to be a two-time Wind Foiling Olympic Gold Medallist.