From the moment teams started arriving at Fraglia Vela Malcesine, the vibe was unmistakably cheerful. Boats in various states of readiness, engineers doubling as sailors, and a shared understanding that — while winning the overall prize is the ultimate goal — the real point is something else entirely. To learn from each other. To have fun. To leave with a smile. Because as a community, we move faster, better and further together.
Fraglia Vela Malcesine provided the perfect backdrop — from what is arguably one of the most beautiful settings for a regatta in the world, to the outdoor technical presentation space that made S1 jury sessions feel less like a classroom and more like a conversation worth having. The lake, the mountains, the wind. There are worse places to defend a composite manufacturing process.
The jury this year brought something extra. Beatrice Rimoldi from Gurit and Maddalena Rossi from Sangiorgio Marine provided on-site composite expertise — assessing material decisions with the kind of precision that only comes from working with them daily. Matías Figueiras, fresh from the AC75 program at GB1 Racing, Solano Leyra, naval architect and professional sailor, and Rodrigo Nisi from Ferrari Hypersail completed a jury presence on the water that teams will remember — not because it was easy, but because it was real. And all of them — SuMoth alumni, every one — know exactly what it feels like to be on the other side of that evaluation.
Over 30% of participants on site were women — engineers, sailors, designers, and jury members shaping what this industry looks like next.
The spread of sustainably driven engineering this year was off the charts. From reclaimed aircraft spars repurposed as structural elements, to bio-based materials — wood, cork, bamboo — finding their way into hulls and components that had to perform under real racing loads. This is what SuMoth does that almost no other programme does: it makes sustainability a hard constraint, not a marketing footnote. You cannot win with a great boat and a poor lifecycle footprint. You cannot win with a clean LCA and a boat that will not foil. Both have to hold.
None of that is measurable without the right tools. MarineShift360 — the lifecycle assessment framework developed by Marine Futures — gave every team the same ruler. Not to punish ambition, but to make impact visible. If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it. And if every team uses a different methodology, you cannot compare, benchmark, or build on what came before. The shared framework is what turns individual projects into a collective body of knowledge.
11th Hour Racing has been the title sponsor of the SuMoth Challenge since the beginning — not because it makes for a good press release, but because they genuinely believe in what SuMoth is building. A generation of engineers who understand that performance and sustainability are not opposites. A programme that puts inclusion and gender balance at the centre, not the margin. And a pipeline of talent entering the marine industry already trained to ask the harder questions about how things are made, what they cost the planet, and whether there is a better way.
Seven days. Three stages running in parallel. Every sustainable material choice, every manufacturing decision, every design call made over months of work tested on the water — not in simulation, but on Lake Garda, in front of the jury, against the rest of the fleet. There is no shortcut.
Ask anyone who was at SuMoth 2026 what they'll remember most, and the answer is rarely the podium. It's the team from another country who showed up at midnight with tools to help fix a foil. The dinners at BLac and Speck Stube that ran too long. The arguments about bio-resins that turned into research collaborations. The moment a boat that wasn't supposed to foil — foiled. SuMoth is a competition. But it's also one of the few places in the world where everyone is genuinely rooting for everyone else to get their boat on the water.
From the organisation team to the jury, the hosting club, and the partners who came to Lake Garda not just to put a logo on a banner, but to get involved — thank you.
FVM has been the home of the SuMoth Challenge since the beginning. Lake Garda is a world-class venue for foiling and racing — and none of what happens here would be possible without the club's facility, infrastructure, and the team on the ground who make it run. A genuine thank you to the entire FVM team.
These organisations didn't just support SuMoth — they showed up, got involved, and brought expertise directly to the teams and the jury.
19 boats. 18 universities. 6 countries. Every team designed and built their own foiling Moth-class concept under real sustainability constraints — then brought it to Lake Garda to prove it works.
Overall standings across all three stages. S1 scores reflect design and sustainability evaluation. S2 covers manufacturing and on-water performance. S3 is fleet racing. Every point counts — and nothing was decided until the last race.
| # | Team | University | Cat. | S1 New | S1 Upg | S2 | S3 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇮🇹 | PoliMi · PMI | Politecnico di Milano | ⬆ Upg | — | 4,601 | 2,900 | 2,150 | 9,651 |
| 2 | 🇮🇹 | Audace · AUD | Università di Trieste | New | 5,033 | — | 1,710 | 2,600 | 9,343 |
| 3 | 🇩🇪 | EcoSailK · ECK | Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences | New | 3,724 | — | 2,110 | 2,250 | 8,084 |
| 4 | 🇩🇪 | UniMunich · TUM | Technische Universität München | New | 4,571 | — | 650 | 1,900 | 7,121 |
| 5 | 🇮🇹 | PoliTo B2 · POL-2 | Politecnico di Torino | New | 4,309 | — | 1,260 | 1,550 | 7,119 |
| 6 | 🇮🇹 | Revel · REV | Università di Genova | New | 4,528 | — | 1,560 | 1,000 | 7,088 |
| 7 | 🇫🇷 | ESTACA Wave · EWE | ESTACA | New | 4,247 | — | 1,350 | 1,350 | 6,947 |
| 8 | 🇮🇹 | UniCagliari · UNC | Università di Cagliari | New | 4,878 | — | 1,280 | 750 | 6,908 |
| 9 | 🇸🇪 | Chalmers · CHL | Chalmers University of Technology | ⬆ Upg | — | 4,153 | 1,550 | 900 | 6,603 |
| 10 | 🇸🇪 | KTH · KTH | KTH Royal Institute of Technology | New | 4,464 | — | 1,310 | 730 | 6,504 |
| 11 | 🇮🇹 | PoliTo B1 · POL-1 | Politecnico di Torino | ⬆ Upg | — | 3,295 | 950 | 2,250 | 6,495 |
| 12 | 🇮🇹 | Metis Vela · MET | Università di Padova | ⬆ Upg | — | 4,377 | 1,180 | 700 | 6,257 |
| 13 | 🇳🇱 | TU Delft · TUD | Technische Universiteit Delft | New | 3,828 | — | 1,350 | 490 | 5,668 |
| 14 | 🇮🇹 | Sapienza · SFT | Università La Sapienza | New | 4,351 | — | 540 | 440 | 5,331 |
| 15 | 🇬🇧 | Sheffield · SHF | University of Sheffield | New | 3,580 | — | 0 | 0 | 3,580 |
| 16 | 🇮🇹 | UniMi · MIU | Università di Milano | New | 3,394 | — | 0 | 0 | 3,394 |
| 17 | 🇮🇹 | Roma Tre · TRE | Università Roma Tre | New | 3,345 | — | 0 | 0 | 3,345 |
| 18 | 🇬🇧 | Team Soton · SOT | University of Southampton | New | 2,492 | — | 30 | 60 | 2,582 |
| 19 | 🇫🇷 | Centrale Nantes · ENS | École Centrale de Nantes | New | 2,539 | — | −360 | 290 | 2,469 |
S1 = Design & Sustainability Report · S2 = Manufacturing & On-water Performance · S3 = Fleet Racing · Negative scores reflect deadline penalties · S3 tie broken by race wins.
Seven days. Nineteen boats. Everything that happened between arrival and the awards ceremony — on the water, on the dock, and everywhere in between.
Seven days. Three stages running in parallel. Everything counts, and nothing is decided until the last race.
Schedule is indicative and subject to change. All activities at Fraglia Vela Malcesine, Lake Garda.
GPS tracking will be active during S2 Performance Trials and S3 Fleet Races. Watch every boat, every tack, in real time from anywhere in the world.
Track each boat's speed, foiling height, and performance runs during the S2 on-water evaluation. Data feeds directly into the jury scoring.
Follow the teams performance →Follow the full racing fleet on Lake Garda. Every start, every mark rounding, every finish — live positions for all competing SuMoths.
See the race results →Tracking links will be published here and on SuMoth social channels once confirmed. Follow @sumothchallenge for updates.
The SuMoth jury isn't a panel of distant experts ticking boxes. Many of them built their own SuMoth once. They know what it takes — the late nights, the compromises, the moment you find out on the water whether a call made six months ago was right. They're here because they care about where the industry is going, and they see SuMoth as one of the places it actually gets shaped.
nlcompFabio Bignolini
Co-Founder & CEO · nlcomp
Building recyclable composites for marine and wind energy. Brings deep-tech materials expertise and competitive sailing experience to the jury.
Alum/Southern SparsNatalia Citarella
Design Engineer · Southern Spars, New Zealand
Design engineer at Southern Spars supporting women in sailing and engineering by leading the STEM Pathway programme for The Magenta Project.
Circular EconomyKellie Covington
Marine Sustainability Consultant
Working in marine sustainability since 2017, across professional racing and superyachts. MBA in Circular Economy and a long-time SuMoth supporter returning as jury member.
Alum · ExecNoah Ferrarotto
Design Engineer · Future Fibers, UK
SuMoth alum and exec team member since 2023. Led Canadian team Rafale ÉTS in 2022. Composite specialist designing advanced rigging systems at Future Fibers.
America's CupMatías Figueiras
Controls Engineer · GB1 Racing
Co-led Southampton's 2024 SuMoth team before joining the AC75 America's Cup program with GB1 Racing. Specialises in real-time control systems for foiling yachts.
Alum · Co-hostCarolina Foroni
Autonomous Systems · DTU
SuMoth alum and former Polito Sailing Team builder. Returning this year as jury member and co-host while completing her studies at DTU.
AlumEmanuele Galbiati
Materials Engineer
SuMoth alumnus and former Polimi Sailing Team Leader. Co-designed two prototypes focused on sustainable composite manufacturing in 2024 and 2025. Researches composite structural optimisation for ocean sailboats under extreme slamming loads.
FounderBruno Giuntoli
Founder & Director · SuMoth Challenge / SuMA+
JuryTim Haines
MarineShift360Lizzy Howard
Project Manager · Marine Futures
Six years in marine lifecycle assessment. Co-developed MarineShift360 and works directly with SuMoth to build its sustainability evaluation framework.
Dufour AerospaceMathieu Janier
Composite Design & Manufacturing Lead · Dufour Aerospace
Career spanning Red Cross prosthetics, America's Cup boat parts, and Class C catamaran Rafale ÉTS. Now leading composite manufacturing at Dufour Aerospace.
Naval ArchitectSolano R. Leyra
Naval Architect & Professional Sailor
Naval Architect with experience across Moth components, foiling development, and Maxi offshore racing programs. Raced internationally in the IMA Maxi Yacht Circuit, Rolex Middle Sea Race, and Mediterranean Classic Yacht Circuit — bringing practical sailing experience directly to technical evaluation.
Gottifredi MaffioliLuigi Maffioli
Technical Director · Gottifredi Maffioli
Technical Director of Gottifredi Maffioli, Italy's leading high-performance rope manufacturer since 1926. Supplier to four America's Cup teams, INEOS Britannia, and the Vendée Globe fleet. Joins SuMoth as S2 on-water evaluator, bringing elite-level materials expertise directly to the jury.
Olympic SailingLaura Marimon
Sport Engineering · RISE Maritime
PhD from Southampton, NACRA 17 campaigner for the British Sailing Team, and lead engineer for the Swedish Olympic Committee across Tokyo, Paris, and toward LA28.
JuryIsabella Modanese
NY TimesChris Museler
Freelance Journalist · The New York Times & Sailing World
One of the few journalists covering sailing for The New York Times. Former PR Director at US Sailing and professional bowman on racing yachts. Has crossed the Atlantic onboard Hugo Boss, raced the Newport Bermuda Race four times, and written on foiling technology since its earliest days.
Ferrari HypersailRodrigo Nisi
Lead Project Engineer · Ferrari Hypersail Yard
Naval Architect with a decade in high-end yacht design and elite racing. Oversees composite construction and technical planning at Ferrari Hypersail.
Moth SailorAdriano Petrino
Moth Builder & SuMoth Judge from Edition 1
Moth sailor since 2012 and SuMoth jury member from day one. Former Sales Director at KA Sail Australia, contributing to WAZSP and Mach 2.5 development. Today builds and upcycles Moths to make the class more accessible. Top 10 Euros 2018, Kieler Woche winner 2019.
GuritBeatrice Rimoldi
Design Engineer · Gurit
Design engineer at Gurit specialising in advanced composite structures for high-performance applications. SuMoth alumna and former PoliMi Sailing Team leader in 2022 and 2023.
Sangiorgio MarineMaddalena Rossi
Aeronautical Engineer · Sangiorgio Marine
Aeronautical engineer specialising in aerodynamics, carbon structures and composite materials for high-performance yacht construction. Led the Polimi Sailing Team in 2022 and 2023.
AcademiaJean-Baptiste Souppez
Professor · Birmingham City University
Editor-in-Chief of SNAME Journal of Sailing Technology, ISO 12215 Convenor, and two-time RINA Medal of Distinction recipient.
North SailsMatija Succi
Sail Designer · North Sails Italy
Led his university team to victory at the SuMoth Challenge. Now designing sails for top Grand Prix programs at North Sails Italy. 2023 Richmond Award winner.
MarineShift360Ollie Taylor
Founder & Director · Marine Futures
Sustainability strategist and LCA practitioner. Has led MarineShift360 since 2022, translating lifecycle impact data into real-world low-carbon solutions across the marine industry.
Alum · CaptainLeonardo Vassimon
Naval Architect · Aurora Energy Research
Led Southampton's 2024 SuMoth team, building Moonshots' foil control system. Combines a love of wooden boatbuilding with a current focus on data-driven insights for the energy transition.
11th Hour Racing has been with SuMoth since the beginning — not as a logo on a banner, but as genuine believers in what happens when sustainability becomes a hard constraint, not a marketing afterthought. Their support makes this possible.
The SuMoth Challenge is proudly supported by 11th Hour Racing, a leading force in advancing sustainability through sport and innovation. Their commitment to protecting our oceans fuels everything we do.
We invite forward-thinking brands and organizations to join us as partners — supporting education, innovation, and environmental responsibility.
Together, we can change the course of sailing.
Support the next generation of naval designers.
Universities and educational organizations play a key role in shaping the future of sustainable sailing. By joining the SuMoth Challenge, your institution will empower students, drive research, and connect with a global network of innovators.
Partner with us to inspire the next generation of engineers and sailors.
Every year, talented students from around the world take on the SuMoth Challenge — designing and building innovative foiling boats with sustainability at their core. It’s a unique opportunity to learn, compete, and create real impact in the marine industry.
Ready to take on the challenge? Be part of the next edition and bring your ideas to life.
Join through your university or start your own team.
