IWSA WingFoil Racing - A new dawn - 2026 WingFoil Racing World Cup

World Cup returns with season opener in Hong Kong

After a two-month break from competition, the world’s elite wingfoil racers return to the water as the 2026 Wingfoil Racing World Cup season gets underway from 4–8 February. The opening event of the new campaign will take place at Stanley Main Beach, Hong Kong, setting the tone for a season expected to be one of the most competitive yet.

More than 50 sailors will line up at the season opener, competing for a €10,000 prize pot and vital early World Cup ranking points. With every event contributing towards the overall standings, a strong start is crucial as athletes look to establish momentum after the pause.

Hong Kong hosted 2024 Asian Championships © IWSA media

The venue team at Stanley Beach arrives with proven international experience, having successfully hosted the 2024 Asian Championships, which attracted leading global riders including Mathis Ghio and Maddalena Spanu alongside strong regional talent. Building on that success, hosting a World Cup-level event represents a major step forward and provides an exciting backdrop for the start of the season. Stanley itself is a vibrant coastal destination where East meets West, offering an appealing mix of culture, scenery and accessibility.

Women’s fleet - confidence, recovery and championship ambition

The women’s competition opens with several compelling storylines. Sixteen-year-old Vaïna Picot (FRA) enters the season as one of the riders to watch. The French talent from Guadeloupe saw her confidence grow steadily through 2025, culminating in a silver medal at the season-ending event in Jericoacoara, Brazil. Recovering from a health scare during the closed season, Picot is focused on making it to Hong Kong ready to challenge from the first races.

(L to r) Vaina Picot (FRA), Maddalena Spanu (ITA), Aimilia Kosti (GRE), Iset Segura Santeularia (ESP) © IWSA media/Robert Hajduk

Working hard to stay ahead will be Greece’s Aimilia Kosti. The 21-year-old demonstrated resilience last season, overcoming a deflating wing in Brazil to secure bronze behind Picot. As Picot’s performances continue to strengthen, Kosti will need to raise her level early in the new campaign.

At the top of the field stands Maddalena Spanu (ITA), the clear favourite for a third World Cup title. The young Sardinian was unbeaten throughout the 2025 World Cup season, a campaign that also saw her crowned Formula Wing World and European Champion. Still only 19, Spanu begins 2026 as the rider everyone will be chasing.

Asian representation in the women’s fleet is strong and led by Hong Kong’s Claire Tse Tian Yu, bronze medallist at the U19 Women’s World Championships. She is joined by riders from Singapore and China, underlining the growing depth of talent in the region.

Men’s fleet - the benchmark and the challengers

Mathis Ghio (FRA) celebrates his fourth successive World Cup title in Brazil © IWSA media/Robert Hajduk

In the men’s competition, Mathis Ghio (FRA) starts the season as the benchmark. The four-time World Cup Champion has won the series every year since its introduction in 2022. In 2025, the 23-year-old sealed the title with an event to spare and added World and European titles to his achievements. He heads into the new season carrying confidence after balancing winter training with his studies in Lyon.

Poland’s Karol Manowiecki finished last season on a high, winning the final World Cup event in Brazil. His commitment to extra training days at competition venues paid clear dividends, with steadily improving results through 2025 that saw the 23-year-old finish second overall in the end-of-season World Cup rankings behind Ghio. During the break Manowiecki has made a significant equipment change and will begin the new campaign in Hong Kong using a wing supplied by PPC. Confident the switch will further elevate his performance, early races will reveal how quickly he adapts to the new setup.

Italy always provides the circuit with a big contingent of high-class riders and last year the strongest of the Italians proved to be Alessandro Tomasi. The 22 year old impressed last August by winning the Istanbul round of the World Cup and achieved enough consistency to finish the season on the podium taking third in the overall rankings. If he can maintain that consistency of results expect to see his wild curly mop of hair crossing the finish line first many times this coming season.

One of the older riders in the fleet is 28 year of Freddie Strawson of Great Britain who three years ago made the switch from kites. His training partnership with Manowiecki started to pay off last season as the athlete from Lincolnshire grew in confidence and recorded some of his best results – including a 4^th place finish in the World Cup Switzerland last summer.

Adding further intrigue at the season opener are local Hong Kong riders Hugo Chow Tsz Hei, the 2025 Asian Champion with a top-eight World Cup finish to his name, and Rafeek Kikabhoy, two-time Asian Champion in 2023 and 2024, both aiming to make a strong impact on home waters.

A new dawn - 2026 WingFoil Racing World Cup – season preview