Federico Pilloni came agonisingly close to claiming the iQFOiL Under-23 World Championship in Puck, Poland last weekend. The young Italian arrived at the final medal race holding the overall lead after winning twelve of twenty races in front of a 108-strong fleet, only to watch the title slip away on the final day. Leonardo Tomasini took gold, leaving Pilloni to settle for silver and the U23 vice-world-champion title.
Meanwhile, across the Tyrrhenian Sea in Cagliari, Maddalena Spanu finished second at the WingFoil Racing World Cup, unable to overtake France’s Vaina Picot despite consistent racing throughout the event. Spanu held second place from start to finish, including in the decisive medal race.
Both athletes represent the Sardinian talent pipeline at Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, where the Young Azzurra programme identifies and develops tomorrow’s Olympic and professional sailors. For Pilloni, the runner-up finish in Poland adds another strong result to a season that already includes silver from the Mediterranean Games and a sixth-place overall finish at the senior iQFOiL worlds in Weymouth. At just 23, he remains one of foiling’s most competitive young operators.
Spanu’s consistency across the wingfoil campaign reflects the refinement required in a discipline still evolving rapidly. The ability to hold second place through an entire world cup series, as opposed to snatching one good result, speaks to the depth of her preparation.
The foiling classes continue to attract young sailors globally, with iQFOiL and wingfoiling now integral to Olympic and professional racing. New Zealand athletes have watched these disciplines grow with interest, particularly as foiling techniques filter into broader sailing communities and grassroots development programmes.
Both Pilloni and Spanu will return to competition at the Italian Olympic Classes Championship in Naples from 20 to 24 October, where Pilloni represents the iQFOiL class and Spanu competes in Kite Foil. Cesare Barabino, another Young Azzurra representative, will contest the ILCA 7 fleet at the same regatta after finishing his campaign in the J/70 Cup held in Porto Cervo.
