New Zealand’s Sean Herbert has continued his impressive international campaign with a sixth-place finish at the WingFoil Racing World Cup in Silvaplana, Switzerland, spearheading a standout performance from a trio of Kiwi riders against one of the strongest fleets of the season.
Herbert, alongside rising star Kosta Gladiadis and Jeremiah McDonald, all finished inside the top 11 at the prestigious alpine regatta.
The event concluded dramatically on Lake Silvaplana, where Poland’s Kamil Manowiecki stormed from third place into the overall lead during the medal series to claim victory after a dramatic collision between Italian frontrunners Alessandro Tomasi and Francesco Cappuzzo opened the door for a late comeback.
For Herbert, however, the result represented another significant step in what is shaping up to be an excellent season. The reigning Yachting New Zealand Barfoot & Thompson Male Sailor of the Year advanced through the quarterfinals of the medal series before his campaign ended in the semifinals, securing sixth overall.
His regatta was anything but straightforward. Herbert showed flashes of brilliance throughout the qualifying series, claiming a race win and adding two second-place finishes, but also battled inconsistency during a week of challenging mountain conditions and fluctuating winds.
The 24-year-old has now recorded back-to-back sixth-place finishes at World Cup events after producing the same result in Türkiye in May, reinforcing his status among the world’s leading wingfoil racers.
Sean Herbert was sixth at the World Cup in Silvaplana. Photos / Robert Hajduk, IWSA Media
One of the stories of the event, however, was the continued rise of Gladiadis. The young Manly Sailing Club rider enjoyed a breakthrough performance, finishing eighth overall after advancing to the quarterfinal stage of the medal series.
Gladiadis has steadily established himself as one of the sport’s most exciting young prospects this season. After narrowly missing the top 10 at the Formula Wing European Championships in Naples in April — where he finished 11th overall and third in the under-19 division — he backed that up with another impressive showing in Türkiye before breaking through into the top 10 in Switzerland.
McDonald also delivered a strong performance, finishing 11th overall and narrowly missing out on a place in the medal series. His result continues a consistent upward trajectory after placing 18th at the previous World Cup stop in Türkiye.
The Kiwi trio entered the final day in strong positions after a demanding penultimate day of racing that saw organisers complete eight races in excellent Maloja thermal winds before thunderstorms swept across the Engadin Valley.
Kosta Gladiadis continued his impressive season, breaking into the top 10. Photos / Robert Hajduk, IWSA Media
The qualifying series concluded with Italy’s Tomasi and Cappuzzo locked together at the top of the standings, while Herbert remained firmly in contention after another series of solid finishes. The New Zealander’s consistency throughout the opening rounds ensured he comfortably secured a place in the medal series despite the exceptionally competitive Gold Fleet racing.
The performances in Switzerland continue an encouraging season for New Zealand’s wingfoiling contingent. Herbert opened the year with fifth place at the Formula Wing European Championships in Naples, finishing just nine points shy of the podium, while Gladiadis impressed with 11th overall. The pair then carried that momentum into the World Cup stop in Türkiye, where Herbert finished sixth and Gladiadis narrowly missed an automatic berth in the medal series.
With three consecutive major international events now producing top-level results, the New Zealand squad is building momentum as the 2026 World Cup season heads to Gizzeria, Italy, next month.
Final results and standings here.
Originally published by Yachting New Zealand.
