Photo: Zvonimir Barišin / Pixsell

I love being out in the open air; I love the sea, the wind and the freedom that sailing offers. It’s more than a sport, it’s a way of life

Foiling has worked a miracle in windsurfing. The new technology that makes it possible to sail above the water has completely transformed the sport. America’s Cup, SailGP, Vendée Globe, Ocean Race are just some of the sailing competitions that have adopted ‘flying above water’; however, the smaller Olympic classes have benefited from the introduction of foiling too. One of them is iQFOil, the class in which the talented Croatian sailor Palma Čargo has notched up many wins. With the wind at her back, Palma, who is ACI’s ambassador, affirms the slogan ‘The Best Support the Best’, which is used by the Croatian marina company to combine love of the sea and sailing with investing in community progress and developing a stimulating environment for ambitious young people. 

First of all, can you say something more about the iQFOil class for our readers?

‘Windsurfing has been an Olympic sailing class for several decades now and is constantly evolving. It was introduced in Los Angeles in 1984 for men and in Barcelona in 1992 for women. In the 2024 Olympics in Paris, a new era will begin, brought about by the advantages of the state-of-the-art technology. My class, the iQFOil, will also premiere there. It uses hydrofoil to raise the surfboard above the water, allowing us to reach unbelievable speeds. It’s a real rocket on waves, requiring total concentration and extensive physical preparation.’

These are sailing speeds over 50 km an hour. When you put your helmet on, do you feel like a sea version of a Top Gun pilot?

‘There is no better feeling than “flying” on my surfboard with Split, my city, in the background. Sailing offers absolute freedom, which is sometimes hard to describe, but once people try this sport, they become wind and sea enthusiasts for the rest of their lives. To me, this class is much more than sport; it’s passion which allows me to feel the power of nature in its purest form. In it, I find the perfect balance between physical and mental challenge, a fulfilling combination that motivates me to keep improving’, says this Croatian windsurfer, who won a bronze medal in the Mediterranean Games in Algeria in 2022, and has repeatedly reached the TOP 5 of the world ranking list over the last few years.

You come from a sports family. Your father is an offshore sailor and your mum was into freediving.

‘Thanks to my parents, I was used to sports from a very early age. I first trained gymnastics for six years, and then I started sailing, first in the Optimist class, transferring to surfboards later. Since it was my foundation, gymnastics has helped me a lot in my career on the sea. The strength and movement coordination I gained in gymnastics training sessions have made a lot of things easier in sailing. I’ve been on the sea since I was very young because we spent a lot of time on a boat as a family, which undoubtedly contributed a lot to me choosing the career of a sailor.