Windfoil New Zealand and Yachting New Zealand strengthen youth pathway with new partnership

The future of windfoiling in New Zealand is looking bright, with Yachting New Zealand and Windfoil New Zealand deepening their collaboration to develop the next wave of talent.

The strengthened partnership comes as a squad of emerging young sailors prepares for the 2026 iQFOiL Youth and Junior World Championships in Costa Brava, Spain, later this year through a series of intensive training clinics.

The latest training blocks have seen a race squad of six young iQFOiL sailors — Finn Davies, Josh Tuck, Vlad Misescu, Elbe White, Margarita Konstantinova and Ben Rist — preparing for the championships in July, alongside a second squad of younger athletes identified as future prospects. Rist heads into the campaign as the defending New Zealand youth champion after winning the national youth trials at Manly Sailing Club last year to secure selection for the Youth World Championships in Portugal.

By integrating both groups into the same environment, emerging sailors are able to learn directly from more experienced athletes while becoming accustomed to the demands of elite competition.

Earlier this month, the iQFOiL sailors attended Yachting New Zealand’s live-in national camp at the Sir Peter Blake Marine Education and Recreation Centre (MERC) in Long Bay alongside other youth classes, taking part in a weekend of on-water training and off-water sessions. They will now continue regular weekend training with lead coach Thomas Crook (pictured above), supported by Patrick Haybittle, until they depart for Spain.

Gary Hill, president of Windfoil New Zealand, said the organisation has spent much of the past five years investing strategically in the pathways of the class and is now beginning to see real depth of talent emerging.

“It is a genuine success story, but it is also one built on collaboration — with Yachting New Zealand, our volunteers, coaches, sailors and private funders all continuing to contribute significantly to the sport. We are excited to see that relationship continue to grow," Hill said.

The partnership, initiated by Windfoil New Zealand, comes at a time of significant momentum for the country's iQFOiL sailors at the highest level of the sport.

Josh Armit is New Zealand's leading men's windfoiler and finished fourth on his Olympic debut in 2024. Photo / Sailing Energy

At the recent 2026 French Olympic Week regatta in Hyères, Stella Bilger narrowly missed the podium after finishing fourth overall in the women’s fleet. Bilger advanced through the quarter-finals and semi-finals to reach the winner-takes-all final, where she crossed third in a dramatic medal race. Fellow Kiwi Aimee Bright also impressed, finishing fifth overall after progressing directly to the semi-finals, while Veerle ten Have placed 11th.

In the men’s fleet, Josh Armit reached the quarter-finals and finished eighth overall, with Eli Liefting 16th. Bilger and Bright finished first and second at the under-23 world championships in Portimão, Portugal, last year, while Liefting won bronze at the same event the previous year. Armit and ten Have, the country’s leading male and female iQFOiL sailors, also impressed at their debut Olympic Games in Marseille in 2024, with Armit finishing fourth and ten Have 10th.

Hill said the focus of the programme extended well beyond medals and podium finishes.

“Medals are important, but our biggest priority is creating a sustainable pathway for young sailors and building long-term participation and retention in the sport. The key to a successful class is relationships — building them, maintaining them and creating an environment where sailors can thrive together,” he said.

“When sailors such as Aimee and Stella are back in New Zealand, they give a huge amount back to the squad through their experience and leadership. That strong squad culture has become one of the defining strengths of our class.”

Yachting New Zealand high-performance director Ian Stewart acknowledged Hill and his team's contribution to the sport.

“Yachting New Zealand has an extensive youth development programme designed to work alongside classes such as Windfoil New Zealand,” Stewart said.

"Gary has put an enormous amount of work in over a long period to strengthen the windfoil pathway and bring it into line with our wider youth programme. We’re really happy to back Windfoil New Zealand by sharing our knowledge, expertise and resources, and helping make sure these athletes are well-connected to succeed."

The group recently attended a live-in national camp at the Sir Peter Blake Marine Education and Recreation Centre (MERC) alongside other youth classes. Photo / Clara Geiling

Hill believes recent performances underline the strength and depth now emerging within the New Zealand programme.

“We are seeing a really exciting group of young sailors coming through — athletes who I believe will become household names in the years ahead,” he said.

“They are coming into the class from a range of backgrounds, including Optimist and skiff sailing, and they are bringing with them a real hunger to learn and improve. Through this partnership with Yachting New Zealand, we are ensuring the next tier of talent is firmly established and that New Zealand is well placed to remain one of the world’s leading nations in the class for many years to come.”