Julia Castro Wins a Podium Finish at Surf Foil World Tour Opener

With Foil Drive continuously bridging the gap between an assist system and a traditional e-foil, we headed to Morocco for the opening stop of the 2026 Surf Foil World Tour in Marchica, Nador. It was the tour’s very first time visiting Morocco, making it the perfect setting for our official competitive debut. We were absolutely stoked to watch team rider Julia Castro, riding a Fusion, secure an awesome second-place podium finish riding the Foil Drive Fusion.

The SFT events have been a link for non-wind related water sports and their incredible riders and community with meetings and events all over the world. With this year's highly competitive competitions it’s been really exciting to see the Fusion create a lane of its own as a highly adaptable foiling unit, showcasing its convertible features during beginner demo’s and families to podium worthy speed and maneuverability on the world stage. It’s been able to shine as a single tool, with endless possibilities.

Competing against a fleet of fully integrated e-foil setups, Julia proved the capability of the Fusion system at the highest level of competition. In a discipline traditionally dominated by conventional e-foils, securing a second-place finish on a Foil Drive assist system marks a massive milestone for us and the community.

Facing a highly competitive international field, the Fusion delivered the power, efficiency, and responsiveness required to bring competitive top speeds and with its lighter battery and unit weight its reactiveness and maneuverability had an impact on every heat. It is a clear demonstration that elite racing performance is no longer limited to traditional, heavy e-foil designs.

As the e-foil World Championship enters its second season, the level of competition and the pace of technological evolution are skyrocketing. The Surf Foil World Tour now heads to its upcoming international stops in Munich, China, and France. Jeremy Wilmotte will be riding in Shengzhen China in May for the next competition riding Armstrong x Foil Drive, bringing his own impressive skills to the event.

With this podium finish, Julia and the Foil Drive Fusion have set the tone early for 2026, challenging industry expectations and redefining what is possible in competitive e-foiling.

Congratulations, Julia. We cannot wait to see what the rest of the tour brings.

"I am super stoked about my result in Marchica, Morocco. I have been out of the competition scene for quite a while but very hungry to make it back, and finally the moment arrived. Although my board selection was not great, I went with way too little litres, I managed to be on the podium and even fighting for first place.

I competed with the Foil Drive FUSION and the new V3 remote. Taking home a second place means a lot to me and I can't wait for the next event which for me will be Munich.”