In Sardinia, circular and low-impact solutions for water sports and sailing are being studied. The University of Cagliari, together with the UniCa Sailing Team, is working on the construction of an International Moth class boat, one of the most advanced foil dinghies in the world. The team will participate in the SuMoth Challenge, which is divided into three phases: design, production, and performance, followed by a regatta. The final phase will indeed see the teams compete to demonstrate the performance of their boats during the prestigious Foiling Week, held in Malcesine on Lake Garda, between June and July for over 10 years.
The team consists of dozens of students from the University of Cagliari, coming from various departments and divided into different sections, including the Design Team, Sensors, Social Media and Image, Shore Team, LCA and Materials, Marketing, and Communication. Leading the project are the scientific director, Flavio Stochino, the team manager and coach Gianmario Broccia, and the team captain and skipper Gabriele De Marco. MEDSEA supports the initiative as a media partner.
In the UniCa Sailing Team's shipyards, work is currently underway on a prototype boat made of eco-sustainable composite materials, excluding the use of carbon fiber and favoring innovative materials such as flax fiber and resins with a high bio component. The challenge is to create a foil dinghy that can "fly" over the water, a task that will test the engineering skills of the students and provide them with a platform to apply such knowledge to an extremely practical case.
The Foiling SuMoth Challenge is not just a competition but a laboratory of ideas for creating eco-sustainable boats, based on the "3R" principles: Reuse, Recycle, Reduce. "These values are at the heart of Foiling Week's commitment to accessibility and sustainability, principles that the UniCa Sailing Team fully intends to embrace and develop," declares Flavio Stochino, the project's scientific director.
Currently, the UniCa Sailing Team is finalizing all the design aspects of the boat that will be built in spring and at the same time is conducting a fruitful campaign to research sponsors and partners, aiming to spread the paradigms of this project to the public as widely as possible.
Meanwhile, training continues in preparation for the competition and water tests.
"We are thrilled to have the support of the MEDSEA Foundation, a collaboration born from the sharing of common values, dedicated to creating innovative solutions to promote the circular economy in Sardinia in the name of sport, research, and sustainability," conclude Gianmario Broccia and Gabriele De Marco.
Latest news
Ocean&Climate Village comes to Cagliari for the first time: MEDSEA engages schools and university students
For the first time, the Ocean&Climate Village came to Cagliari, bringing an exhibition dedicated to ocean awareness, the ocean’s role in regulating the climate, and the protection of marine biodiversity…
Il Viaggio delle Balene: Tracce nel Blu expedition concludes after 497 nautical miles of marine biodiversity research around Sardini
The scientific expedition Tracce nel Blu – Route for Biodiversity concluded on Friday, 9 October. It marked the second edition of ** Il Viaggio delle Balene (The Whale Journey)**, a…
Tracce nel Blu 2026: the new Il Viaggio delle Balene mission has set sail
Tracce nel Blu – Route for Biodiversity has set sail: the 2026 scientific expedition of Il Viaggio delle Balene, dedicated to cetacean monitoring, Mediterranean monk seal research through environmental DNA…
MEDCONNECT launches in Limassol: MEDSEA leads two Work Packages and the Italian National Hub
Turning blue innovation into solutions that can be adopted, financed and replicated across the Mediterranean. This is the challenge at the heart of MEDCONNECT, the new Mediterranean Lighthouse of the…
After Decades on the Seabed, Ghost Net Removed off Villasimius with GhostNetBusters
120 kg of fishing nets were removed from the seabed, while a further 510 kg of nets and other fishing gear recovered during previous operations were disposed of, together with…
"GhostNetBusters”: Patagonia joins MEDSEA and the Capo Carbonara MPA to free the seabed from ghost nets
Villasimius will host “GhostNetBusters”, an environmental initiative organised by the MEDSEA Foundation in collaboration with the Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area, with the support of Patagonia
Posidonia oceanica: First Restoration Intervention Launched in Lacco Ameno Bay, Ischia
As part of the Oasi Marina initiative promoted by Beiersdorf and announced last year, MEDSEA Foundation has completed its first Posidonia oceanica restoration intervention in Lacco Ameno Bay, on the island of Ischia. The restoration…
CRESO Project Meets in Nice: MEDSEA Presents a Roadmap from Climate Risk to Coastal Action
The Interreg Marittimo project CRESO gathered its partners in Nice on 5 June 2026 for a full-day meeting dedicated to presenting the first year of work on a cross-border approach…
Wetland4Change, from research to planning: the project’s final meeting in the Camargue
Two days of discussion on wetland-based solutions for carbon sequestration and flood risk reduction. MEDSEA presented the results from the Marceddì–San Giovanni pilot site together with representatives of the Regional…
ARTEMIS, from pilot actions to Mediterranean-scale impact: MEDSEA at the final conference in Menorca
Three days of discussion on the results of the Interreg Euro-MED project dedicated to seagrass meadow restoration. MEDSEA presented the Sardinian pilot site and the communication work that documented two…
Posidonia Restoration: 15 ARTEMIS Recommendations to Support Italy and the Mediterranean in Implementing the Nature Restoration Law
The restoration of Mediterranean seagrass meadows must move from fragmented pilot projects to long-term, large-scale action supported by coherent governance and sustainable financing, according to the new report released by…
Marco Spinelli. The power of storytelling to protect seas
For Marco Spinelli, the sea has always been home. A photographer, documentary filmmaker and explorer of the underwater world, he grew up in Sicily, where he spent his childhood exploring the…
Mona Khalil: A Life Devoted to the Sea, Cut Short by War
The voice of Mona Khalil, guardian of southern Lebanon's sea turtles, has been silenced by bombs. For more than twenty years, Mona dedicated her life to protecting sea turtles on…
El Niño: The planet's irregular heartbeat that could also affect the Mediterranean.
El Niño is one of the most important natural climate phenomena on Earth. Although it originates in the tropical Pacific Ocean, it can influence weather and climate on a global scale…
Virginia Salzedo. Finding Resilience in a Fragile Sea
For those who truly know the sea, it is not only about whales or spectacular encounters with its most iconic inhabitants. This is certainly the case for Virginia Salzedo, an internationally…
Mediterranean Seagrass Restoration Efforts Continue in Greece
Following restoration interventions in Sardinia and Malta, MEDSEA has now completed a new restoration campaign on the Greek island of Arkoudi, working alongside iSea, a Greek environmental organisation dedicated to marine…
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4