World Foiling Congress 2026 opens its doors today and runs until the end of tomorrow (March 18).

Retrun to Genoa

The global foiling industry will gather in Genoa on March 17th and 18th for the Third World Foiling Congress 2026, the global summit where leaders of the foiling ecosystem meet to discuss technology, applications and regulation in this rapidly evolving sector.

Presented by Ropner Insurance, the Congress returns to the Magazzini del Cotone in Genoa with an expanded two-day format, reinforcing its role as a key meeting point for professionals involved in high-performance waterborne mobility.

The Foiling Organization

Organised by The Foiling Organization, World Foiling Congress 2026 will feature 10 panels and more than 30 leading experts from industry, engineering and design, research institutions and regulatory bodies. Discussions will focus on the state of the art in hydrofoil technology, emerging professional applications and certification frameworks designed to enable safe and scalable adoption across multiple sectors.

Since 2024, the Congress continues to develop as a platform for international coordination, contributing to the definition of shared guidelines and industry standards in dialogue with major global regulatory and classification organisations.

Examining Technical Breakthroughs

The opening session, “Gitana 18: A New Era in Offshore Sailing,” will be delivered by Charles Caudrelier, winner of the 2022 Route du Rhum, where he set a new race record of 6 days, 19 hours, 47 minutes and 25 seconds aboard the foiling Ultim trimaran Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (Gitana 17). Caudrelier will be supported by Pierre Tissier, Technical Director of the Gitana Team.

They will examine the technological and design breakthroughs shaping the next generation of offshore foiling yachts. Gitana 18 is also among the Nominees in the One-Off Sailing or Powered Yacht category at the Foiling Awards IX, taking place the same evening, when Congress delegates, nominees, partners, journalists and guests will attend the Foiling Awards IX ceremony, celebrating individuals and innovations shaping the future of foiling.

Alongside the thirteen award categories and the Forlanini Award, assigned to the winner of the winners, the 2026 edition introduces the Future Impact Award. Assigned by an international panel of sailing and nautic journalists, it will recognise the one among the 104 projects selected for the IX edition that most clearly signals where foiling is heading next, the project, person, event or technology most likely to shape the following years through scalability, adoption and influence.

World Foiling Congress – A Key Event

By bringing together industry leaders, engineers, regulators and innovators, the World Foiling Congress confirms its position as a key event for professionals working across leisure, sport, commercial and Naval foiling applications.

Professionals interested in attending the World Foiling Congress may submit their application at: https://pci.jotform.com/form/260362553825357

World Foiling Congress 2026 is made possible thanks to the support of: ROPNER | REGIONE LIGURIA | LA MIA LIGURIA | PORTO ANTICO DI GENOVA | CARIBONI | GARMIN | GOTTIFREDI MAFFIOLI | PERSICO MARINE | HPi VERIFICATION SERVICES | CARPE DIEM YACHT DESIGN | HEINEMANN YACHT ASSESSMENT | CONFINDUSTRIA NAUTICA | EBI – EUROPEAN BOATING INDUSTRY | ICOMIA

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