The road to the 2026 Youth and Masters WingFoil Racing World Championships reached its final destination yesterday on Lake Silvaplana, where the 2026 Youth and Masters world champions were crowned.
The day opened with the Youth Men Golden Ticket Race, won by France’s Adam Humeau, before the wind eased and forced the Race Committee to adapt the Medal Series programme, moving directly to the Semi Finals and Finals across the three championship categories, where Italy’s Ernesto De Amicis, France’s Vaina Picot, and Great Britain’s Chris Rashley claimed the world titles.
Italy’s Ernesto De Amicis capped a commanding week by claiming his second Formula Wing Youth World Champion. Having led the standings from the opening day, the Italian once again proved to be the benchmark of the fleet, excelling across the full range of conditions Silvaplana delivered throughout the week – from light breeze to classic Maloja winds. New Zealand’s Kosta Gladiadis finished second overall, while fellow Italian Michele Capitani completed the podium.
“This has never been an easy venue for me, so I’m even happier to have won here. I led the event all week in every kind of condition, from strong winds to lighter breeze. Today we finally had classic Silvaplana conditions, around 14–15 knots, and it was amazing to race here,” De Amicis said, acknowledging the support from his father and the Italian Sailing Federation.
France’s Vaina Picot completed a remarkable week by converting her qualification dominance into the Women’s Formula Wing Youth World Champion. One week after falling short of victory at the Ensis ENGADINWING WingFoil Racing World Cup in Silvaplana, the French rider returned to the same waters with a clear objective, relying on consistency, composure, and an unwavering mindset to claim the biggest prize of all. China’s Yana Li secured the silver medal, while fellow French rider Anna Hélies produced a late charge to complete the podium in third.
Reflecting on her victory, Picot said, “Last week didn’t go the way I wanted, so this feels like my revenge. I kept the same strategy and the same mindset throughout the championship. I stayed focused, avoided the big mistakes and, above all, I was consistent. That’s what made the difference.”
If the Youth fleets produced clear benchmarks throughout the week, the Masters Fleet remained impossible to predict until the very last race. Several riders proved capable of winning across the five days of racing, and the Final reflected that same balance. Hong Kong’s Ho Chi Ho led the early stages before a mistake on a tack reshuffled the race, allowing Great Britain’s Chris Rashley to move into the lead and hold off Anton Kuzmenko to secure the world title.
Still processing the result moments after crossing the finish line, Rashley admitted, “Honestly, I’m still in shock. I never expected to win. I wasn’t the fastest rider all week, but I was really consistent and managed to put myself in the right position. When the opportunity came in the Final, I took it.”
In the Masters Women’s division, Poland’s Paulina Ziolkowska claimed the world title ahead of Germany’s Stefanie Romann.
Looking ahead, following the conclusion of the 2026 Ensis ENGADINWING Formula Wing Youth and WingFoil Open Masters World Championships in Silvaplana, the international circuit now heads to southern Italy for the 2026 WingFoil Racing World Cup Gizzeria–Calabria, taking place from 8–12 July.
Text Credits: IWSA Media
Photo Credits: IWSA Media / Robert Hajduk
Video Credits: ICARUS Sports
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