Sean Herbert has claimed the best result of his wingfoil racing career, taking silver at the WingFoil Racing World Cup in Gizzeria, Italy, to add to what has been a memorable weekend for New Zealand sailing on the world stage.
The Manly Sailing Club rider finished runner-up to Italy's Alessandro Tomasi in a winner-takes-all final, going one better than the bronze he won at the 2025 World Cup in Switzerland. It builds on a run of form that also includes bronze at last year's World Championships.
Sunday's result was hard-earned. Light and unpredictable conditions forced organisers to abandon the earlier rounds of the medal series, condensing competition into semi-finals and a single decisive final.
Herbert had qualified directly for the final alongside eventual champion Tomasi, meaning one race win would deliver the overall title. In the final, Herbert and France's Mathis Ghio sought the stronger breeze near shore while Tomasi and fellow Italian Francesco Cappuzzo found an early edge. Ghio briefly led on the second lap, but Tomasi's superior pace in the light conditions proved the difference, with Herbert taking silver.
The 24-year-old had been knocking on the door all season, opening the year with fifth at the Formula Wing European Championships before recording back-to-back sixth-place finishes at the World Cup events in Türkiye and Switzerland. Gizzeria was where that consistency finally translated into a podium.
Fellow Kiwi Kosta Gladiadis finished ninth overall and second in the under-19 standings. The 18-year-old has put together a strong season: third in the under-19 division at the Formula Wing European Championships in Naples, a top-10 overall finish at the World Cup in Switzerland, and a defended Formula Wing Youth World Championship silver medal just two weeks ago. His under-19 podium in Italy adds further weight to his reputation as one of the sport's most promising young racers.
The double result came on the same day Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush successfully defended their 49er European Championship title in Eckernförde, Germany, capping an extraordinary weekend for New Zealand sailing internationally.
The World Cup circuit heads to Sardinia in September for the next round of the 2026 season.
