After three days of qualification racing, the championship entered its decisive phase today as another spectacular Maloja swept across Silvaplana, delivering steady 17–18-knot winds with gusts of up to 26 knots and allowing six races to be completed across all fleets.
Today's racing marked the end of qualification and the beginning of the championship's final chapter. While the Youth Men stepped into their first Gold and Silver Fleet battles, the Women's and Masters fleets completed the final stage of qualification, defining the athletes who will battle for the 2026 Youth WingFoil Racing World titles in Friday's Medal Series.
© IWSA media/Robert Hajduk
Youth Men: Gold Fleet turns up the heat
The Gold Fleet immediately lived up to expectations, with the top qualifiers finally racing head-to-head after three days of qualification. The intensity stepped up from the very first start, with every decision carrying greater weight and every point becoming increasingly valuable.
Italy's Ernesto De Amicis once again proved to be the benchmark of the fleet, claiming five victories from six races to strengthen his lead at the top of the standings. Behind him, New Zealand's Kosta Gladiadis retained second place overall, while Michele Capitani, Australia's Banjo Nicholson, Australia's Connor Radford and the Netherlands' Felix Drent all remained firmly in contention ahead of Friday's Finals. The only race De Amicis did not win went to fellow Italian Capitani, who claimed the day's final contest.
"With the leading contenders now racing together in the Gold Fleet, every decision on the water carried greater weight than ever, and even minor mistakes could dramatically reshuffle the order," said Gladiadis. "Tomorrow I'll push as hard as I can."
© IWSA media/Robert Hajduk
Women's Fleet: Consistency pays off
Consistency continued to define the Women's Fleet as qualification came to an end. France's Vaina Picot once again topped every race of the day, while China's Yana Li and Czechia's Klara Chalupnikova consolidated their positions as her closest challengers heading into Friday's Medal Series. Fourth overall, Australia's Emma Webb described just how fine the margins have become within the fleet: "The women's fleet is really competitive. If someone makes one mistake, you're out straight away. It's really anyone's game."
© IWSA media/Robert Hajduk
Masters: Strength in depth
The WingFoil Open Masters fleet produced some of the closest and most competitive racing of the championship so far, with victories shared among several riders throughout the day.
Italy's Paolo Migliorini emerged as the overall leader thanks to exceptional consistency across both the long-distance and short-track formats. Rarely outside the leading positions, Migliorini converted steady results into a valuable advantage at the top of the standings.
Chris Rashley (GBR) holds second overall, while Anton Kuzmenko (UKR) climbed into third after finishing the day strongly with two victories and a second place in the closing races.
Jaroslaw Miarczynski (POL) and Juan Santa Cruz (ESP) complete the top five, underlining the depth and competitiveness of the Masters fleet as the championship progresses.
© IWSA media/Robert Hajduk
The final challenge
With qualification now complete, attention turns to Friday's Finals, where the 2026 Youth WingFoil Racing World titles will be decided.
The day will open with the Golden Ticket Race, a long-distance showdown offering riders who narrowly missed the top ten one final opportunity to fight their way into the Grand Final and keep their championship hopes alive.
Once the Golden Ticket has been decided, the Medal Series will get underway. In each of the three championship categories – Youth Men, Youth Women and Masters – the top ten riders will begin their campaign in the Quarter Finals. The top two will progress to the Semi Finals, where another two places in the Grand Final are up for grabs. There, they will join the top two riders from the overall standings, with the first athlete in each category to secure two race victories claiming the 2026 Youth WingFoil Racing World title.
