Alessandro Tomasi and Vaina Picot were crowned champions at the Wingfoil Racing World Cup in Calabria after mastering a dramatic final day, challenged by both the weather and their rivals. Cloud cover and intense heat disrupted the usual thermal breeze in Gizzeria, leading to the abandonment of earlier rounds of the Medal Series. Ultimately, only around 10 knots of wind arrived, resulting in a condensed competition format featuring semi-finals and winner-takes-all finals for this fourth World Cup event of the season.
For Tomasi, the week concluded perfectly. The Italian qualified directly for the men’s final, alongside New Zealand’s Sean Herbert, requiring just a single race victory to secure the title.
Five riders contested the men’s semi-final, including Italians Francesco Cappuzzo and Gregorio Pugliese, alongside defending World Cup champion Mathis Ghio and fellow Frenchman Thomas Proust. Cappuzzo started strong but by the first leeward gate, Ghio and Proust had taken control. However, Cappuzzo’s impressive comeback allowed him to overtake Proust on the second upwind leg, securing qualification alongside Ghio, who finished first.
The final quickly turned tactical, with Ghio and Herbert opting for the beach side in search of stronger breezes. Yet, Tomasi and Cappuzzo held the advantage at the first mark. Ghio regained the lead temporarily on the second lap but Tomasi’s exceptional pumping efficiency allowed him to reel in the Frenchman, ultimately passing him to clinch victory and the event title.
In the women’s competition, five riders competed in the semi-final after earlier rounds were cancelled. Italy’s Charlotte Baruzzi led initially, but Spain’s Iset Segura found more speed to join Baruzzi in the final, alongside top qualifier Vaina Picot and defending champion Maddalena Spanu. Picot, who narrowly missed victory in Switzerland, demonstrated her dominance, taking a commanding lead from the start.
After a brief struggle for second place between Segura and Spanu, Picot completed one of the most commanding performances of the week.
Picot expressed her joy, stating, “I’m so happy. I loved the light conditions. I was so stressed before the final. Now I’m going to have a holiday in Guadeloupe, where I’m from, and then come back rested for the Formula Kite Worlds in Turkey.”
The Wingfoil Racing World Cup will continue in Sardinia in September, where the competition for the 2026 season titles will resume.
To keep up to date with 2026 WingFoil Racing World Cup, please visit wingfoilracing.com
Text Credits: Alec Wilkinson
Photo Credits: Robert Hajduk / IWSA Media
Video Credits: ICARUS Sports
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