Herbert and Picot top qualifiers as Sardinia wingfoil Medal Series field set

New Zealand's Sean Herbert and Vaina Picot will carry yellow bibs into the Medal Series at the Wingfoil Racing World Cup Sardinia after dominating the final day of qualifying in 20 knots of steady breeze.

Herbert, who won three of four long-distance races on opening day, beat Francesco Cappuzzo in a tight finish to underline his form. Cappuzzo responded with two second-place results to qualify third overall, while reigning world champion Alessandro Tomasi fought relentlessly at the front, using tactical nous to recover from seemingly lost positions.

"It was really tough. I'm very happy with my racing because I was always thinking what to do; choosing the best angle, deciding which side of the gate to take. There was a lot of thinking," said Tomasi.

European champion Julien Rattotti secured fourth place with consistent top-six finishes. Poland's Kamil Manowiecki clinched the final qualifying spot with two third-place finishes, squeezing into ninth.

In the Women's fleet, Picot faced fierce resistance from Sardinian Maddalena Spanu, who took three wins on Day 2. The pair traded victories throughout the final day, with Spanu edging a dramatic photo finish. "Two hours for six races so it was full on and very hard. I'm very hungry now!" Picot said.

Spain's Iset Segura claimed the ninth and final Women's place despite missing two races through a warm-up injury.

The top two in each fleet advance directly to the Grand Final with one bullet each, while the remaining seven riders contest semi-finals for the remaining final spots.