Picot and Manowiecki on top in Urla

The final day of the WingFoil Racing World Cup Türkiye in Urla showcased challenging racing conditions under an unstable sky. Early morning rain threatened to dampen the winds, but a building breeze allowed race management to proceed after a minor 40-minute delay. Although there was an early abandonment, the weather stabilised, enabling a rapid-fire medal series. Ultimately, France’s Vaina Picot and Poland’s Kamil Manowiecki emerged victorious in the women’s and men’s categories.

As the women’s final commenced, the breeze fluctuated between 8 and 12 knots, creating marginal foiling conditions that demanded maximum physical exertion. Picot excelled, staying on the foil and finishing strong in a single race, securing her title. “I’m so, so happy about my performance,” she expressed upon finishing. She acknowledged the importance of executing flawlessly from the start, noting, “In one race, I secured my title. There is not much room for mistakes with this format.” Despite her triumph, Picot has academic commitments to manage before the World Cup in Switzerland.

Picot faced strong competition throughout the week, particularly from Italy’s Maddalena Spanu, who finished second, while China’s Yana Li rounded out the podium in third.

The men’s final mirrored the rapid nature of the women’s event but presented a unique tactical challenge. Manowiecki entered with a strategy designed to minimise risk in the fading breeze. “In these conditions, it’s crucial to have the least maneuvers possible,” he explained. His approach relied more on physical endurance than tactical splits. The final race became a battle of stamina, with Manowiecki pushing through a tough four minutes of racing. His hard work paid off, and he dedicated his gold medal to his supportive team and family.

Manowiecki’s victory compensates for a difficult start to the season, where he struggled with new gear early on. He credited his team, particularly the Polish Sailing Association and his coach, for their support in his training journey.

In the men’s standings, Italy’s Alessandro Tomasi secured second place, while the reigning World Champion Mathis Ghio finished third, with Italy’s Ernesto de Amiciis coming in fourth.

Earlier in the day, the Golden Ticket long-distance race proved crucial for those outside the top nine. Great Britain’s Freddie Strawson faced significant challenges, originally having to tack into dirty air. Nevertheless, he held his nerve to cross the finish line just ahead of France’s Romain Ghio, who made a remarkable comeback after a poor start. Strawson advanced to the quarterfinals, despite his primary wing exploding during the following shore break, forcing him to switch to a spare wing. Turkey’s Lavinya Sarihanlioglu claimed the women’s Golden Ticket, ensuring her progression to the quarterfinals.

The event concluded with a prizegiving ceremony in Urla, celebrating the top ten competitors and highlighting the rapid growth of youth foiling. Medals were awarded across three age categories: Under 19, Under 17, and Under 15, showcasing the future of the sport.