Akademy K-Challenge opens its 2026 season on two European stages
In Campione del Garda, on the Italian waters of Lake Garda, two crews from the Akademy K-Challenge will make their competitive debut in the ETF26 class this weekend. At the same time, in Spain, Enzo Balanger will be chasing the European title in the foiling Moth. Two venues, two classes, one shared ambition: to prepare young talents and women sailors for the demands of elite performance — and to compete for some of the sport’s most coveted titles.
For the Akademy K-Challenge, the 2026 season begins in the most valuable arena of all: direct competition. Short races, high-intensity starts, close-quarters manoeuvres and a foiling platform where every detail matters. From 10 to 13 June, two crews — K-Challenge Blue and K-Challenge White — will take part in the ETF26 Garda Grand Prix in Campione del Garda, Italy. It is a sporting appointment, of course, but above all an important milestone for a programme led by K-Challenge with the support of its loyal partners, foremost among them L’Oréal Groupe.
On Lake Garda, a renowned playground for sailors and speed enthusiasts, the objective will not be limited to the leaderboard. It will be to learn. To learn quickly, collectively and under pressure, in the sharp, demanding rhythm of a regatta weekend. The ETF26, a spectacular and highly technical foiling catamaran, leaves no room for approximation or hesitation in crew coordination. On board, performance depends on the precision of each movement, the quality of communication, the ability to keep the boat on the foils and to link manoeuvres without breaking momentum.
This is precisely the purpose of the Akademy K-Challenge: to train a generation of sailors capable of performing on boats that are faster, more technical and more physically demanding than ever before, and to prepare them for the standards of the world’s leading international competitions. With the America’s Cup, the Youth & Women’s programmes and circuits such as SailGP in its sights, this high-speed training pathway is designed to build a strong, ambitious and sustainable pool of talent.
“Since the creation of K-Challenge, we have always believed that performance is not built solely around a front-line team, but also through transmission, training and the ability to bring new talents through. The Akademy reflects that vision. It gives young sailors, technicians, engineers and women the opportunity to face the demands of elite sport at an early stage, to progress on foiling platforms and to look ahead to the world’s greatest international competitions. Our ambition is to help build a strong French pathway, capable of shining tomorrow on the podiums of the America’s Cup, SailGP and the major foiling circuits,” says Stephan Kandler, founder and CEO of K-Challenge.
The profiles brought together within the two crews reflect this ambition. The sailors come from different backgrounds, with different experiences, strengths and instincts that still need to be shaped into a collective force. Some already have a strong foiling culture; others are still learning its codes. All of them will have to find their place within the crew and put their individual talent at the service of a shared performance.
“For this ETF26 season, we are not approaching the championship with an immediate results-driven mindset. The objective is to help the sailors progress individually and collectively, race after race. There will be crew rotations across the different Grands Prix, so that everyone can experience high-level competition, learn, gain autonomy and gradually build a genuine culture of foiling performance,” explains Léo Chapalain, Head of the Akademy K-Challenge.
In Campione del Garda, K-Challenge Blue will be led by Timothée Rossi as helmsman and skipper, with Gaultier Tallieu on mainsail trim and Eliott Savelon on flight control, while Julien Bunel will be the reserve athlete.
K-Challenge White will be skippered by Margaux Billy, alongside Maëlle Frascari on mainsail trim, Lou Mourniac on flight control and Lara Granier on the bow.
At the same time, another representative of the Akademy K-Challenge will be taking on Europe’s elite. In L’Escala, Spain, Enzo Balanger will compete in the European Foiling Moth Championship with the ambition of winning the title. On this flying single-handed dinghy — an extreme expression of modern performance in miniature — the sailor is alone with speed, balance and absolute precision. The Moth is an uncompromising school, where every setting, every movement of the body and every reading of the racecourse can decide the outcome of a race.
For K-Challenge, Enzo Balanger’s commitment to the discipline forms part of a broader vision: to multiply high-level experiences, deepen the understanding of flight, expose talents to the very best specialists and nurture, through competition, a culture of excellence. His journey already illustrates the relevance of this bridge between training, support and performance: identifying strong temperaments, placing them in the right environments, and giving them the means to express themselves at the highest level.
Between Italy and Spain, between crewed racing and single-handed sailing, between collective learning and the pursuit of a European title, the Akademy K-Challenge opens an important chapter in its season. Through these young talents and women sailors, part of the future of French foiling is already taking shape. Quietly for now, but with a clear ambition: to help today’s sailors grow into the athletes who will carry French colours on the greatest international stages tomorrow.
In brief — ETF26
Event name: Lombardia EUROSAF ETF26 Foil European Championship / ETF26 Garda Grand Prix
Venue: Campione del Garda, on Lake Garda, Italy. The venue is operated by Univela Sailing in Tremosine sul Garda, a recognised centre for dinghy sailing, foiling and high-level regattas.
Dates: Wednesday 10 June to Saturday 13 June 2026.
Racing format: Four days of racing, with up to six races per day. Races are short and intense, lasting around 15 to 20 minutes, with a low-point scoring system: 1st place = 1 point, 2nd place = 2 points, and so on. A discard may come into effect after a certain number of races have been completed.
Expected conditions / racecourse interest
Lake Garda is a highly formative venue for foiling boats. It combines strong local effects, dramatic surrounding relief, pressure lanes and thermal winds. The Ora breeze, usually established in the afternoon, can offer ideal flying conditions, often around 12 to 18 knots. It is a perfect racecourse to test the crews’ ability to manage speed, stability, acceleration and tactical choices in a technically demanding environment.
Teams entered: Seven ETF26s are registered.
Blueshift
Henri Demesmaeker, Charles Dorange, Rasmus Rosengren
Team Pro
Tim Mourniac, Benjamin Amiot, Pierre-Yves Durand
K-Challenge Blue
Timothée Rossi, Eliott Savelon, Gaultier Tallieu
K-Challenge White
Margaux Billy, Maëlle Frascari, Lou Mourniac, Lara Granier
Entreprises du Morbihan
Matthieu Salomon, Valentin Bellet, Solune Robert
Team Bams
Erwan Fischer, Yann Jauvin, Clément Péquin
Sansin Sailing Team
Graeme Sutherland, Kai Coleman, Sam Street
