Sean Herbert and Vaina Picot made the strongest possible starts to the latest round of the Wingfoil Racing World Cup as racing got underway at Poetto Beach on Sardinia’s south-east coast.
New Zealand’s Herbert won three of the four long-distance races in the men’s competition, while France’s 16-year-old Picot was faultless in the women’s fleet, winning all four races on the opening day.
Herbert’s Kiwi teammate Kosta Gladiadis also made a solid start, sitting 13th overall and 14.5 points behind Herbert after the opening day.
Around 12-14 knots of wind and a classic Sardinian autumn swell provided thrilling conditions at Quartu Sant’Elena, with the fifth event of the six-stop World Cup season finely poised.
Herbert was delighted with both his form and the conditions, particularly the swell whipped up by the steady sirocco wind.
“These have to be the best conditions we’ve raced in all season,” he said.
Sean Herbert leads after the opening day in Sardinia, while teammate Kosta Gladiadis (also pictured) is 13th. Photos / Robert Hajduk, IWSA Media
Hot on Herbert’s tail was Italy’s Alessandro Tomasi, who recorded a victory, a second and a third-place finish across the four races.
Tomasi arrived in Sardinia as the World Cup series leader after winning the world title in Istanbul last month, and he was looking forward to continuing his good run of form.
“I’ve won two of the four World Cup events so far this season and feel confident in these conditions. I’ve done a lot of training on Lake Garda recently and made some changes so hopefully it’ll go well here,” he said before the day’s first race.
The men’s championship remains fiercely contested. France has 14 representatives led by Mathis Ghio, who has won every World Cup series title since it began five years ago. Ghio secured the 2025 title with an event to spare but arrives in Sardinia second in the 2026 standings, with the points tightly packed at the top.
Italy supplies 21 of the men’s field, with Francesco Cappuzzo level on points with Poland’s Kamil Manowiecki, who has won two World Cup events this season.
Poetto is a familiar backdrop for several of the leading contenders. A year ago, the beach hosted the Formula Wing Worlds, where Ghio and Italy’s Maddalena Spanu claimed the titles.
Picot continued her dominance of the women’s fleet with a perfect opening day, winning all four races. The French rider arrived as the reigning world champion following her victory in Istanbul last month.
Spain’s Iset Segura, third in the season rankings, struggled in the sirocco swell, with fifth her best finish of the day.
“I would leave Sardinia happy if I get a top four finish, but I’m going to push hard,” she said before racing.
The numbers underline the event’s international nature, with 58 men representing 13 countries and 17 women from nine countries competing for a share of the €10,000 ($20,000) prize pot.
Three more days of qualifying remain before the medal series decides the champions on Sunday.
Latest results and standings here.
Originally published by Yachting New Zealand.
