De Amicis, Picot and Rashley claim WingFoil world titles in Switzerland
De Amicis, Picot and Rashley mastered Silvaplana’s shifting breeze, with youth and masters titles split across Italy, France and Britain after 100 riders from 22 nations battled on Lake Silvaplana.
Ernesto De Amicis, Vaina Picot and Chris Rashley took the headline WingFoil world titles on Lake Silvaplana after five days of racing. The 2026 Youth and Masters WingFoil Racing World Championships drew 100 competitors from 22 nations and five continents, and the opening day delivered four long-distance races once the Maloja thermal breeze filled in. When the wind eased on the final day, the race committee moved straight to the Semi Finals and Finals.
De Amicis dominated the Youth Men fleet, the largest class of the championships with 61 competitors, and finished with his second Formula Wing Youth world title. The Italian led the standings from day one and held that edge through a week that mixed long-distance racing with elimination pressure. New Zealand’s Kosta Gladiadis took silver, while fellow Italian Michele Capitani claimed bronze, giving Italy two places on the podium in the deepest fleet of the regatta. De Amicis had already won the inaugural Youth world title in 2025 in the Azores.
Picot won the Youth Women crown. The French rider opened the event with a flawless four-race scoreline in a 14-strong women’s fleet. China’s Yana Li took silver, while France’s Anna Hélies surged late to secure bronze. Picot had returned to the same venue a week after coming up short in the earlier WingFoil Racing World Cup at Silvaplana.
Hong Kong’s Ho Chi Ho led early, but a mistake on a tack opened the door for Rashley, who moved into the lead and held off Anton Kuzmenko to win the Masters title. The British rider said he was still in shock because he had not been the fastest rider all week, but consistency and positioning carried him through the medal series. Rashley also won the inaugural Masters world title in 2025, while Poland’s Paulina Ziolkowska captured the women’s Masters crown ahead of Germany’s Stefanie Romann in a class that featured 23 men and two women.
Across the regatta, 18 qualification races were completed over four of the five days. The championships now hand over to Gizzeria, Italy, where the next IWSA tour stop begins on July 8.
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