IWSA WingFoil Racing - Survival of the fittest on urla’s eight-race day

The warm waters of Urla turned up the heat on Day 3 of the WingFoil Racing World Cup Türkiye. Serving up a gruelling schedule that tested the physical endurance, tactical composure, and equipment choices of the world’s best wingfoil riders, the race committee put the riders through their paces with eight races. They competed in a morning block of four races, then the groups were reordered during the lunchbreak before four more races in stunning conditions. The flat water and highly dynamic, shifty breeze which funnels past the island in Urla Bay provided the perfect canvas for short-course sprint racing.

The Men's Fleet: Manowiecki moves ahead

Over the course of the day, Poland’s Kamil Manowiecki put together a masterclass in positioning and high-end board speed to seize the top spot on the provisional leaderboard.

Manowiecki’s scoreline across the demanding short courses proved his adaptability in the shifty Urla breeze. He was always up near the front but saved the best for last, crossing the finish line in first place for the final three races of the afternoon.

However, even more impressive in his qualifying group was Italy’s Alessandro Tomasi who won six of his eight heats, and finished third in the other two. He moves up to second overall. French World Champion Mathis Ghio also sailed more to his usual standard after a slow start to the regatta as he rises to third overall.

Early regatta leader Sean Herbert experienced a couple of slower races, finishing eighth in one of his morning heats and ninth in his last race of the day. The New Zealander now sits in fourth overall.

Further back, Italy’s Ernesto de Amicis was making a bit of a return to form. "Today was a consistent day for me," grinned De Amicis on the beach. "I had top-three results in six races out of eight, so I'm happy about that. Yesterday I was fast but I was crashing because of the seaweed and stuff, so I was there but not there because the results weren't what I was aiming for. Today I showed a bit more what I am capable of. The comeback is on!"

De Amicis opted to lock in his 7-meter wing and Chubanga 530 foil for the entire day, a setup that gave him a massive range from 6 up to 20 knots. He admitted that the second session was far more to his liking: "The second session was more windy, so it was more muscular than pumping. Personally, I enjoyed the second session more because I was feeling a bit better with my gear."

His performance did not go unnoticed by his peers. Great Britain's Freddie Strawson noted the spectacular pace at the front: "Kamil [Manowiecki] is quick, we know that. But Ernesto was really fast today, we were always right there. For me, it was a little bit tough. I'm really fast, but sometimes I hit the plastic and then I'm not so fast! If I had to sum up the day in three words? Windy, sunny... tired."

Meanwhile, Nicolo Spanu endured an exhausting afternoon after a brilliant start. Spanu booked two excellent second-place finishes in the morning but ran into strategic and physical hurdles as the day progressed.

"The first two races were good, I got two second positions," Spanu sighed, visibly exhausted. "But after... I'm tired, so tired. I chose the wrong strategy. I started on the port side, but I think the opposite was good. After that, I had to pump a lot to try and get to the top. My arms are so tired. I didn't sleep much, but we have one hour now to rest and get ready for the next session."

The Women's Fleet: Spanu and Picot Lock Horns

The women’s fleet delivered equally dramatic, close-quarters action, narrowing down to an intense, two-way tactical duel between defending World Champion Maddalena Spanu and the rising star of the 2026 season, France’s Vaina Picot.

Spanu, highly motivated to rewrite the script after a disappointing sixth-place finish at the season opener in Hong Kong, looked back to her ruthless best in Urla. Using her exceptional technical control, the Italian champion stamped her authority on the short courses, grabbing two crucial bullets and keeping the gap to Picot’s lead to just two points.

Sitting in sixth overall, Italy's Charlotte Baruzzi explained just how unforgiving and deceptive the racetrack was, forcing riders into brutal gear compromises.

"We just finished four races in really light and tough conditions," Baruzzi explained during the lunchbreak. "From the outside, it looks windy, so I chose a smaller wing than I should have used. It's actually only around 12 knots out there.”

Despite the setback of dragging debris on her foil, Baruzzi showed incredible resilience to stay in the hunt, even downplaying her exhaustion. "I spent the third race trying to restart because I caught a plastic bag. I had to pump so much, and at the end, I don't even know how I managed to start again! My heart rate is still up at 143 bpm, but I am ready for another four races. I just have to put a bigger wing on; I'm going to use the 6.5 meter now."

Greece’s Aimilia Kosti sits in third ahead of Hong Kong winner Yana Li in fourth.

Turkish foiling is blooming

While the international elite command the headlines at the front of the fleet, there’s a bunch of home-grown Turkish talent fighting it out in the middle of the pack. Under the leadership of former Olympic sailor Ates Çinar, Fenerbahçe sports club has heavily backed the local wingfoiling infrastructure, an investment that is starting to pay off on the water.

Local wingfoil academy owner Asya Anastasya Varicioglu sits in 9th place overall in the women’s fleet. Fellow Turkish rider Dilara Uralp Palombo sits just ahead in 8th, while Lavinya Sarıhanlıoğlu holds 10th. In the men's fleet, Tan Gunec sits in 19th place overall.

With eight grueling short-course races now in the bank, the physical toll of Day 3 will weigh heavily on the riders. The men divide into gold and silver fleets, and the women continue as one group. As the fleet heads into the business end of the WingFoil Racing World Cup Türkiye, the margins for error get smaller and smaller.