Kiwi podium in Cagliari at the Formula Wing World Championships
New Zealand has a new world championship medallist. Aucklander Sean Herbert took bronze in the men’s final at the first ever Formula Wing World Championships in Cagliari, Sardinia — a landmark event for this fast-growing sport.
New Zealand has a new world championship medallist. Aucklander Sean Herbert took bronze in the men’s final at the first ever Formula Wing World Championships in Cagliari, Sardinia — a landmark event for this fast-growing sport. His composed run through the knock out rounds, caps a surge in form that includes a World Cup bronze in Switzerland and a clear US title in San Francisco earlier this year.
How kiwi debutant Sean Herbert stunned the Wingfoil Racing World Cup
Herbert handled the light air semi-final with calm reading of the breeze. He then won the first men’s final race before a wind swing rewrote the script. Italy’s Francesco Cappuzzo hit back in the next race. That tied him with France’s Mathis Ghio on points, and put the Italian ahead on a tiebreak. One more race would decide it all.
Weather chaos frames a pure test at the Formula Wing World Championships Cagliari
Nature had her say all week. A waterspout scrubbed practice. Day one served a warm offshore Mistral and four lung busting long distance heats from a high speed rabbit start. Day two brought five short-course sprints and tight margins. Day three flipped again. A strong southerly pushed swell into the bay and turned the track into a rolling gym session.
The Formula Wing World Championships Cagliari rule book kept choices honest. Each rider could register only two wings and two foil sets. Wing size gaps mattered. Some found themselves under or overpowered as the breeze shifted. That simplicity sharpened tactics. “It is useless to be fast if you go the wrong way,” admitted Ghio after a shaky start to his week. He reset, cut risk, and climbed.
Spanu holds her nerve as the women’s fight intensifies at the Formula Wing World Championships Cagliari
Italy’s Maddalena Spanu made the women’s field chase from the gun. She won three of four heats on day one, then kept the yellow jersey through the swell day. The gap closed as Poland’s Karolina Kluszczynska, France’s Vaïna Picot, and Greece’s Aimilia Kosti traded blows. Spanu kept the head space clean. “I do my best not to get nervous,” she said. When the final arrived, she split the course, nailed the last top mark, and held the final run for gold. Picot took silver. Kosti claimed bronze.
Men’s final swings on inches at the Formula Wing World Championships Cagliari
The last act nearly died in a dying breeze. Time ran short, so the Golden Ticket long distance race was cancelled. Then the wind came back from the city side, a gusty Mistral that raised the heart rate and the stakes. All four men in the final had moments in front. Alessandro Tomasi crossed first in the last race, but a mark touch brought a points penalty. That call handed the race, and the world title, to Ghio. Cappuzzo took silver. Herbert sealed bronze for New Zealand.
Australia’s Olympic iQFOiL silver medallist Grae Morris showed flashes, including a day one heat win, but could not hold pace in lighter sessions. Poland’s Kamil Manowiecki looked lost early, then changed small details in his trim and stormed back into the fight as the breeze built. The depth told a wider story. French and Italian squads packed the top ten, but the field felt broader than any wingfoil event to date.
What mattered in Cagliari
Format variety tested complete skill sets. Long distance legs rewarded downwind control and line choice. Short course sprints punished lazy laylines and slow tacks. The equipment limit forced clean decisions, not a trailer full of options. Fitness counted. Several riders spoke of red line heart rates and the need to save energy across sessions.
For Kiwi readers, Herbert’s rise is the headline. A former O’pen Skiff world champion and triple Starling national titleholder, he has carried that racing edge into foils with back to back national wing titles at home and a berth with America One Racing in the US. Switzerland validated the trajectory. Cagliari confirms it on the world stage.
Women’s podium: Maddalena Spanu ITA, Vaïna Picot FRA, Aimilia Kosti GRE.
Men’s podium: Mathis Ghio FRA, Francesco Cappuzzo ITA, Sean Herbert NZL.
Cagliari gave the sport its first names on the trophy. It also showed why wingfoil racing is growing. The gear is simple, the racing is clear, and the story writes itself when a Mistral sweeps down a Mediterranean bay and four riders fight for a title on a seven minute course. For New Zealand, a bronze in the men’s final hints at more to come.
https://wingfoilracing.org/news/press-releases
https://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/news/sean-herbert-claims-bronze-dramatic-wingfoil-world-champs-finale
