Foiling Week 2026, nine days in the foiling galaxy
by Nicola Maggio 6 Jul 06:47 NZST
27 June - 5 July 2026
Racing, the Foiling Sport Congress, clinics, trials, public experiences and dedicated board disciplines shaped the 13th edition of Foiling Week.
The event also saw the announcement of the new Foiling & Sailing Media Meeting, scheduled for October 5th during the 66th Genoa International Boat Show.
Malcesine, a "Foiling Capital" of The Foiling Organization, hosted the 13th edition of Foiling Week, the world's leading international event dedicated to foiling. For nine days, Fraglia Vela Malcesine welcomed a diverse audience of sailors, teams, designers, boat builders, companies, event organisers, national federations, partners, media and foiling enthusiasts from around the world, reinforcing the role of Lake Garda as one of the world's foremost destinations for high-performance sailing and foiling.
Public participation exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. Thanks to the renewed collaboration between the Regione del Veneto, the Municipality of Malcesine and Destination Verona & Garda Foundation, together with the expanded programme of Foiling Week Experiences, residents and visitors had the opportunity to experience foiling first-hand through on-water activities, technical visits, demonstrations, simulators and meetings with athletes, designers and innovators.
Once again, Fraglia Vela Malcesine proved instrumental to the success of the event. Operational partner of Foiling Week since its inaugural edition in 2014, the Club's staff, volunteers and numerous technical partners, both onshore and on the water, played a fundamental role in delivering the sporting programme, public activities and overall event operations.
Among the highlights of the second half of the week was the spectacular ETF26 competition, which featured twelve intensely fought races and remained undecided until the very end, with just two points separating the top two teams. France's Entreprises du Morbihan claimed its fourth consecutive Foiling Week title, ahead of fellow French teams Team Pro and Blueshift Sailing Team, completing an all-French podium.
The Moth fleet once again delivered world-class racing. In the women's standings, reigning World Champion Victoria Schultheis (Malta) claimed victory ahead of France's Paola Amar. Overall honours went to Croatian Olympic gold medallist Šime Fantela, followed by Australians Otto Henry and John Harris. Widely regarded as the benchmark class in modern foiling, the Moth once again confirmed its role as the technological and competitive laboratory of high-performance sailing.
Competition also concluded for the BirdyFish, WingFoil and Starboard X15 fleets, completing a sporting programme that successfully represented the full spectrum of today's foiling disciplines.
Foiling board disciplines continue to experience unprecedented growth, confirming themselves as one of the fastest-growing sectors of Foiling Week. Developed in collaboration with SFT, the 2026 programme culminated with the third edition of the Foiling Week Downwind Race, which attracted a record number of competitors. Winners were Teodoro Rofrano (Italy) in the Foil Assisted category, Tom Rofrano in Parawing, Marnie Bertram in SUP, and Sergi Sanchez (Spain) in WingFoil.
Alongside the racing programme, the second edition of the Foiling Sport Congress, organised by The Foiling Organization, brought together representatives from national federations, classes, events, companies and international stakeholders to discuss the future development of foiling.
Among the most anticipated sessions was "The Peak of Italian Foiling", moderated by Luca Rizzotti, President of The Foiling Organization. The panel featured Ambrogio Beccaria (Allagrande Mapei), Francesca Clapcich (11th Hour Racing), Jana Germani (Red Bull Italy SailGP Team), Enrico Voltolini and Francesco Pretagostini (Ferrari Hypersail), together with Daniele Savoldi (Persico Marine), exploring the factors behind Italy's remarkable rise in international foiling and what will be required to turn today's success into long-term global leadership.
Another widely attended session was "Who Tells the Foiling Story?", moderated by Viola Devoti, America's Cup Marketing Executive and Social Media Manager at We Are Foiling, featuring Ed Russo, Director - Sailing Grand Slam / SOF Hyères, and Andy Rice, journalist and podcaster (The Foil - Racing Media, The Athletic and The New York Times). The discussion focused on the international communication of foiling, the fragmentation of media rights and the strategies required to expand the sport's global audience. During the session, The Foiling Organization officially announced the launch of the Foiling & Sailing Media Meeting, a new international forum for journalists, broadcasters, content creators, rights holders and communication professionals, to be held on October 5th during the 66th Genoa International Boat Show.
With the conclusion of its 13th edition, Foiling Week further strengthens its evolution from a sporting event into an international platform where competition, innovation, education, industry, communication and local communities come together. A journey that continues to grow alongside the global foiling community, confirming Malcesine as the natural home of this unique universe.
Marco Carletto, President of Fraglia Vela Malcesine, declared: "With the conclusion of the 13th edition of Foiling Week, Fraglia Vela Malcesine celebrates the success of an event that brought together eight foiling classes and around 300 athletes from across the world, confirming its position among the leading international events dedicated to foiling and sailing innovation. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the athletes, sponsors, partners, exhibitors, volunteers and staff whose commitment and professionalism were instrumental in delivering such a prestigious and complex event. Foiling Week is much more than a regatta: it is a meeting point where sport, innovation, boatbuilding and maritime culture come together around a shared vision for the future of foiling. Fraglia Vela Malcesine is proud to host this event and will continue working alongside We Are Foiling and World Sailing to further develop the format, making it even stronger, more attractive and more welcoming each year."
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