The first Wingfoil World Cup 2026 champions wre crowned at the Hong Kong opening World Cup of the season.
In the women, China’s Yinuo Dong and home favourite Claire Tse Tain Yu progressed to the semi-finals and into the Final to face the two 16-year-olds, Youth World Champion Yana Li and France’s Vaina Picot.
Li built a commanding lead and looked untouchable, but a cautious approach opened the door for Picot to surge ahead in the closing stages. The twist came just 100 metres from the finish line when both riders dropped off their foils.
Picot struggled to recover, while Yana Li reacted fastest, getting back up to snatch the Championship victory.
In the men, Italy’s Gregorio Pugliese produced a standout performance in the quarter-final to progress alongside Nicolo Spanu, who finished second.
Then in the semi-final, defending World Cup champion Mathis Ghio of France delivered a tactical masterclass, taking an early lead and controlling the race to the line. Spanu again did enough to secure second and reach the final.
The final set up a mouth-watering France versus Italy showdown, with Thomas Proust FRA and Alessandro Tomasi ITA starting with a win apiece as the top two qualifiers in a first-to-two format.
Proust, who had been in outstanding form all week, led early on but a costly splashdown at the top mark handed the advantage to Tomasi, who seized his opportunity, stretching his lead to take the win and the men’s championship Title.
