Foiling Week (ETF26)

Malcesine, July 2026: ETF26 enters a new dimension

Seven knots of wind, and the hulls take off. That's the promise of the new T-foils that will equip the entire ETF26 fleet during Foiling Week, from July 1st to 4th, 2026, on Lake Garda. The third stop of five in the championship, this Italian venue could well reshuffle the deck entirely.

Lake Garda, natural arena for flight

Since 2014, Foiling Week has established itself as the global gathering for foiling sailing. More than 380 international sailors meet there each summer — Moth, WASZP, ETF26 — in a hybrid format between competition and technological laboratory.

For the ETF26 catamarans, Malcesine is no ordinary venue. The water, sheltered from waves but crossed by two thermal wind systems as predictable as a Swiss watch, pushes crews to their limits:

• The Peler — strong, gusty northerly morning wind. Perfect playground for pure speed runs.
• The Ora — southerly afternoon breeze, more consistent between 12 and 18 knots, ideal for stadium racing in front of Fraglia Vela Malcesine.

This alternation forces mode changes throughout the day. Crews who adjust their foil settings fastest gain a decisive advantage. With the new technical configuration, this adaptability becomes even more critical.

Full Foiling: the technical breakthrough of 2026

This is the subject that's been buzzing through the class since the new appendages were validated at the end of 2025. The T-foils, larger than the previous generation, transform the boats' behavior on all axes.

These figures, drawn from winter testing and class communications, redraw the strategies. When upwind VMG gains nearly a knot, it's the starting angles, laylines, and tack choices that change. Tacticians will need to recalibrate their instincts.

Four days to play for everything

The Malcesine format tests versatility like no other stop on the circuit.

• Stadium racing — short courses of approximately 20 minutes, upwind/downwind sausages or reaching legs. Explosive starts, tight maneuvers, zero margin for error.
• Long distance race — the fleet heads north or south on the lake. Higher points coefficient, physical endurance and tactical navigation front and center.

With roughly 22% of the season's points distributed over these four days, Foiling Week is the moment when the championship hierarchy often locks in before the summer break. Last season's average gap between positions 2 and 5? Four points. Every race weighs heavy.

Worth noting: specific penalties for foil damage — often 30 seconds or more — encourage calculated risk-taking during crowded starts.

Crews to watch

Six of the top ten teams from 2025 are expected at the start. The competitive density promises to be fierce.

The favorites

• Entreprises du Morbihan (FRA 11) — Winners of Raid Quiberon 2025, they embody consistency. The kind of crew that never gives away a single point.
• Blueshift Sailing Team (FRA 00) — Revelation of the Grand Prix Mar Menor in late 2025, their progression curve is the most impressive on the circuit.
• Toroa Racing Team (GBR 09) — Led by Mark Rijkse with John Gimson (Olympic silver medalist in Nacra 17), this British team is gunning for the top step after several seasons of consistency just off the podium.

The outsiders

• Team Rockwool Racing (DEN 03) — Formidable in breeze, capable of brilliance when the Peler blows hard.
• Geronimo Sailing Team (ITA 12) — The local team knows Lake Garda meter by meter. Home advantage could make the difference in current and shift calls.

A pivotal moment in the season

After Mar Menor in March and Campione del Garda in June, crews arrive in Malcesine with dialed-in equipment and initial certainties. For the leaders, it's the chance to build a gap before summer. For the chasers, it's the last realistic window before the French stops in Lorient and Quiberon in autumn.

Foiling Week also functions as a showcase. Live streaming coverage, strong social media activation — the event reaches a young, tech-savvy audience that perfectly matches the ETF26 class DNA.

Find the complete ETF26 Series calendar on spencer.club.

Practical information

• Dates: July 1st to 4th, 2026
• Venue: Fraglia Vela Malcesine, Lake Garda, Italy
• Live coverage: Foiling Week and ETF26 Series Instagram and YouTube
• Official websites: etf26.com / foilingweek.com