The Last Chance Regatta got underway on Lake Silvaplana as the Vanora Engadinwind 2026 International iQFOIL Games opened with a stacked opening day of racing. For riders who missed qualification earlier in the season — through injury, inconsistent form, or simply a change of plans — this event is the final door to the World Championships, and the mountain-ringed venue delivered exactly the kind of breeze that makes or breaks a foiling campaign.
Conditions were shifty but strong enough to keep four men’s races on the water, and no single sailor could grab hold of the fleet. Finian Evans, Louis McGonagall and Maciek Easiest all took a race apiece before Maciek Majdzinski closed out the day with a win of his own, enough to put him atop the leaderboard on consistency rather than outright dominance. It’s the kind of scoreline that makes the Last Chance Regatta worth watching heat by heat rather than waiting for a final result.
Women’s Fleet and the Last Chance Regatta Standings
In the women’s fleet, Abby Smith made the most of home-water familiarity, taking three of the four races sailed and putting daylight between herself and the chasing pack after day one. Her read on the gusty, technical conditions stood out against a fleet still finding its rhythm on Silvaplana’s notoriously fickle thermal winds.
What’s Next on Lake Silvaplana
The opening day wrapped with the event’s official opening ceremony, setting the tone for a week where every race carries extra weight for sailors chasing a qualifying berth. Racing continues through the week, and the full recap of day one — including on-water footage and rider interviews — is worth a look in the official Vanora Engadinwind highlights video. With the forecast holding and the fleet this tightly bunched, the Last Chance Regatta looks set to stay unpredictable through to its final races.
Video courtesy of iQFOiL, iQFOiL Youth&Junior Class — watch the full video on YouTube.
