Sean Herbert has claimed his first WingFoil Racing World Cup title, capping a dominant week in Sardinia with a composed victory in a dramatic three-race medal series.
The Aucklander topped qualifying after winning eight races throughout the week, earning a direct passage to the men’s grand final alongside Italian Alessandro Tomasi.
The pair carried a bullet each into the final, but the Kiwi had to wait for a third and deciding race in the final series before claiming the crown.
Despite being forced to use a smaller wing after damaging his six-metre earlier in the competition, Herbert won the drag race to the first mark and never relinquished the lead, controlling the chasing fleet to secure the biggest victory of his career.
“I’ve loved the conditions here,” Herbert said. “It reminds me of sailing back home. Ales (Tomasi) has been sailing really well this year, so to take my first World Cup win ahead of him is great. I’m really stoked.”
Sean Herbert claimed his first World Cup win in Sardinia. Photo / Robert Hajduk, IWSA Media
Herbert’s path to the title was made even more impressive by the strength of the conditions, with a strong, steady breeze and testing swell providing a challenging stage for the medal series.
The 2026 season has been a breakthrough one for Herbert, who has established himself among the world’s leading wingfoil racers. He arrived in Sardinia in strong form, having led the standings after winning all four long-distance races on the opening day before carrying that momentum into the course-racing qualification.
After finishing qualifying at the top of the leaderboard, Herbert was able to bypass the earlier stages of the medal series and wait for his opponents in the grand final.
Teammate Kosta Gladiadis, the only other New Zealander in the fleet, narrowly missed out on a spot in the top-10 medal series, finishing qualifying in 12th.
Tomasi, France’s Julien Rattotti and Italy’s Michele Capitani also earned places in the final.
Herbert dominated qualifying with eight race wins. Photo / Robert Hajduk, IWSA Media
Capitani produced one of the day’s standout performances, progressing from the quarter-final through to the grand final before taking victory in the opening race. Rattotti then levelled the scores with a win in the second final, setting up the decisive third race between Herbert and his challengers.
Herbert responded in emphatic fashion, taking the lead early and holding it through to the finish to become a World Cup event winner for the first time.
In the women’s competition, France’s Vaina Picot defeated defending World Cup champion Maddalena Spanu to claim her third World Cup victory of the season.
The World Cup season finale will be held in Jericoacoara, Brazil, from 1–5 December.
Final results and standings here.
Originally published by Yachting New Zealand.
