Racing, the Foiling Sport Congress, clinics, trials, public experiences and dedicated board disciplines shaped the 13th edition of Foiling Week. The event also saw the announcement of the new Foiling & Sailing Media Meeting, scheduled for October 5th during the 66th Genoa International Boat Show.
Foiling Week Malcesine 2026 | Šime Fantela | ©Martina Orsini – WeAreFoiling Media
Malcesine, a “Foiling Capital” of The Foiling Organization, hosted the 13th edition of Foiling Week, the world’s leading international event dedicated to foiling. For nine days, Fraglia Vela Malcesine welcomed a diverse audience of sailors, teams, designers, boat builders, companies, event organisers, national federations, partners, media and foiling enthusiasts from around the world, reinforcing the role of Lake Garda as one of the world’s foremost destinations for high-performance sailing and foiling.
Public participation exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. Thanks to the renewed collaboration between the Regione del Veneto, the Municipality of Malcesine and Destination Verona & Garda Foundation, together with the expanded programme of Foiling Week Experiences, residents and visitors had the opportunity to experience foiling first-hand through on-water activities, technical visits, demonstrations, simulators and meetings with athletes, designers and innovators.
Foiling Week Malcesine 2026 | Victoria Schultheis | ©Martina Orsini – WeAreFoiling Media
Once again, Fraglia Vela Malcesine proved instrumental to the success of the event. Operational partner of Foiling Week since its inaugural edition in 2014, the Club’s staff, volunteers and numerous technical partners, both onshore and on the water, played a fundamental role in delivering the sporting programme, public activities and overall event operations.
Among the highlights of the second half of the week was the spectacular ETF26 competition, which featured twelve intensely fought races and remained undecided until the very end, with just two points separating the top two teams. France’s Entreprises du Morbihan claimed its fourth consecutive Foiling Week title, ahead of fellow French teams Team Pro and Blueshift Sailing Team, completing an all-French podium.
Foiling Week Malcesine 2026 | Entreprises du Morbihan | ©Martina Orsini – WeAreFoiling Media
The Moth fleet once again delivered world-class racing. In the women’s standings, reigning World Champion Victoria Schultheis (Malta) claimed victory ahead of France’s Paola Amar. Overall honours went to Croatian Olympic gold medallist Šime Fantela, followed by Australians Otto Henry and John Harris. Widely regarded as the benchmark class in modern foiling, the Moth once again confirmed its role as the technological and competitive laboratory of high-performance sailing.
Competition also concluded for the BirdyFish, WingFoil and Starboard X15 fleets, completing a sporting programme that successfully represented the full spectrum of today’s foiling disciplines.
Foiling Week Malcesine 2026 | ©Martina Orsini – WeAreFoiling Media
Foiling board disciplines continue to experience unprecedented growth, confirming themselves as one of the fastest-growing sectors of Foiling Week. Developed in collaboration with SFT, the 2026 programme culminated with the third edition of the Foiling Week Downwind Race, which attracted a record number of competitors. Winners were Teodoro Rofrano (Italy) in the Foil Assisted category, Tom Rofrano in Parawing, Marnie Bertram in SUP, and Sergi Sanchez (Spain) in WingFoil.
Alongside the racing programme, the second edition of the Foiling Sport Congress, organised by The Foiling Organization, brought together representatives from national federations, classes, events, companies and international stakeholders to discuss the future development of foiling.
Foiling Sport Congress 2026 | Left to right: Francesca Clapcich (TV screen), Enrico Voltolini (TV screen), Daniele Savoldi, Jana Germani, Ambrogio Beccaria, Francesco Pretagostini, Luca Rizzotti | ©Alessio Tamborini – WeAreFoiling Media
Among the most anticipated sessions was “The Peak of Italian Foiling”, moderated by Luca Rizzotti, President of The Foiling Organization. The panel featured Ambrogio Beccaria (Allagrande Mapei), Francesca Clapcich (11th Hour Racing), Jana Germani (Red Bull Italy SailGP Team), Enrico Voltolini and Francesco Pretagostini (Ferrari Hypersail), together with Daniele Savoldi (Persico Marine), exploring the factors behind Italy’s remarkable rise in international foiling and what will be required to turn today’s success into long-term global leadership.
Another widely attended session was “Who Tells the Foiling Story?”, moderated by Viola Devoti, America’s Cup Marketing Executive and Social Media Manager at We Are Foiling, featuring Ed Russo, Director – Sailing Grand Slam / SOF Hyères, and Andy Rice, journalist and podcaster (The Foil – Racing Media, The Athletic and The New York Times). The discussion focused on the international communication of foiling, the fragmentation of media rights and the strategies required to expand the sport’s global audience. During the session, The Foiling Organization officially announced the launch of the Foiling & Sailing Media Meeting, a new international forum for journalists, broadcasters, content creators, rights holders and communication professionals, to be held on October 5th during the 66th Genoa International Boat Show.
Foiling Week Malcesine 2026 | BirdyFish | ©Martina Orsini – WeAreFoiling Media
With the conclusion of its 13th edition, Foiling Week further strengthens its evolution from a sporting event into an international platform where competition, innovation, education, industry, communication and local communities come together. A journey that continues to grow alongside the global foiling community, confirming Malcesine as the natural home of this unique universe.
Foiling Week Malcesine 2026 | Start of the Downwind Race | ©Alessio Tamborini – WeAreFoiling Media
Marco Carletto, President of Fraglia Vela Malcesine, declared: “With the conclusion of the 13th edition of Foiling Week, Fraglia Vela Malcesine celebrates the success of an event that brought together eight foiling classes and around 300 athletes from across the world, confirming its position among the leading international events dedicated to foiling and sailing innovation. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the athletes, sponsors, partners, exhibitors, volunteers and staff whose commitment and professionalism were instrumental in delivering such a prestigious and complex event. Foiling Week is much more than a regatta: it is a meeting point where sport, innovation, boatbuilding and maritime culture come together around a shared vision for the future of foiling. Fraglia Vela Malcesine is proud to host this event and will continue working alongside We Are Foiling and World Sailing to further develop the format, making it even stronger, more attractive and more welcoming each year.”
CLASSMENTS
ETF26
Overall – 1 Entreprises du Morbihan – FRA, 2 Team Pro – FRA, 3 Blueshift Sailing Team – FRA
MOTH
Overall – 1 Šime Fantela – CRO, 2 Otto Henry – AUS, 3 John Harris – AUS
Top Youth – Jaime Framis Harguindey – ESP
Top Women – Victoria Schultheis – MLT
Top Master – John Harris – AUS
WASZP
Men 8.2 – 1 Matteo Chaboud – FRA, 2 Mosè Bellomi – ITA, 3 Francesco Carrieri – ITA
Men 7.5 – 1 Riccardo Billè – ITA, 2 Giuseppe Chiantera – ITA, 3 Antonie Madic – FRA
Women 7.5 – 1 Olivia Castaldi – ITA, 2 Louise Metenier FRA, 3 Julia Gebhard – GER
Men 6.9 – 1 Artur Brighenti – ITA, 2 Jacopo Andrian – ITA, 3 Daniel Evgeny Castaldi – ITA
Women 6.9 – 1 Elisa Bombana – ITA, 2 Imogen Green – GBR
Top U17 Men 7.5 – Riccardo Billè – ITA
Top U17 Women 7.5 – Tilde Kantola – SWE
Top Junior Waszp 8.2 – Francesco Carrieri – ITA
Top Youth Waszp 8.2 – Mosè Bellomi – ITA
Top Core Waszp 8.2 – Matteo Chaboud – FRA
Top Master Waszp 8.2 – Alberto Guillen Serrano – ESP
Top Super Master Waszp 8.2 – Jervis Tilly – AUS
SWITCH ONE DESIGN
Men – 1 Finley Dickinson – GBR, 2 Federico Bergamasco – ITA, 3 Magnus Overbeck – NED
Women – 1 Antonia Schultheis – MLT, 2 Camilla Svensson – DEN, 3 Alessandra Dubbini – ITA
BIRDYFISH
Overall – 1 Tevfik Edhem Dirvana & Güray Zünbül – TUR, 2 Timo Elfes & Patrick Bornikoel – GER
BIRDYFISH – FOILING GRAND PRIX YOUTH SERIES
Overall – 1 Federico Bonalana & Marco Alberti, 2 Thomas Rodriguez & Luis Sampedro – , 3 Marcela Miteva & Andrea Kalcheva
IODA
Overall – 1 Andy Voysey – GBR, 2 Bram Van Eijk – NED, 3 Riccardo Pittau – ITA
Top Youth – Bram Van Eijk – NED
DOWNWIND
Foil Assisted Overall – 1 Teodoro Rofrano – ITA, 2 Dominic Hoskyns – GBR, 3 Nico Hopp – GER
Parawing Overall – 1 Tom Rofrano – ITA, 2 Dominic Hoskyns – GBR, 3 Nico Hopp – GER
SUP Overall – 1 Marnie Bertram – GER, 2 Tommaso Pampinella – ITA, 3 Jette Koep – GER
Wingfoil – Sergi Sanchez – ESP
PUMP FOIL
Overall Men – 1 Titouan Tournus – FRA, 2 Edan Fiander – SUI, 3 Jurij Scheibler – AUT
Overall Women – 1 Marnie Bertram – GER, 2 Sarah Spalinger – SUI, 3 Caroline Eiben – GER
Overall Youth – 1 Oliver Young – NZL, 2 Lou Thouin – FRA, 3 Lukas Bunkenburg – GER
Top Master – Luc Stadler – FRA
PARAWING
Overall Man – 1 Tom Pansard – FRA, 2 Bastien Escofet – FRA, 3 Lou Thouin – FRA
Top Women – Manon Dupe – FRA
Overall Master – 1 Dmitry Evseev – MRI, 2 Aljaz Valic – SLO, 3 Maksim Pashkevski – RUS
WING
Overall – 1 Kosta Gladiadis – NZL, 2 Felix Drent – NED, 3 Banjo Nicholson – AUS
Top Youth – Kosta Gladiadis – NZL
PARAWING CHAMPIONSHIP
Overall – 1 Bastien Escofet – FRA, 2 Dmitry Evseev – MRI , 3 Tom Pansard – FRA
Top Women – Kosta GLADIADIS – NZL
X-15 Class
Overall – 1 Pietro Zanoni – ITA, 2 Sam Darbyshire – AUS
EFOIL
Men Challenger – 1 Albert Ayerbe – ESP, 2 Nico Hop – GER, 3 Vladislavs Mironovs – LTV
Women – Agnes Wikander – SWE, 2 Sofia Wittmann – GER, 3 Nia Suardiaz – ESP
Men Pro – Manel Arpa – ESP, 2 Alex tete – FRA, 3 Clemens Kresser – AUT
Master Men – Clemens Kresser – AUT, 2 Piet Varkevisser – NED, 3 Kai Katchadourian – USA
Foiling Week is made possible thanks to the support of: REGIONE DEL VENETO | COMUNE DI MALCESINE | DESTINATION VERONA & GARDA FOUNDATION | WORLD SAILING | FRAGLIA VELA MALCESINE | AMAALA YACHT CLUB | ALFA ROMEO | CYCLOPS | GOTTIFREDI MAFFIOLI | HARKEN | KTOOL | NORTH SAILS | NORTH SHORE RISK LIMITED | PERSICO | PINDAR | SFT | SLAM | VAKAROS | WINGMAN | FLITE BOARD | FOIL DRIVE | JETCYCLE | UNIQOHR | WAYDOO | SPECK STUBE | STIEGL | TINAZZI
For more information, visit foilingweek.com
