WASZP All-Stars Invitational Day 1
by WASZP Class 18 Mar 05:39 GMT
March 17-18, 2026
2-26 WASZP All-Stars Invitational Day 1 © Down Under Sail
American sailors served notice on Day 1 of the inaugural WASZP All-Stars Invitational.
Gavin Ball tops the Men's fleet and Pearl Lattanzi leads the Women's - a clean US sweep at the top of the leaderboard as the world's best WASZP sailors go head-to-head for a US$10,000 prize purse and international glory. The rest of the world has 24 hours to respond.
What is the All-Stars Invitational?
The WASZP All-Stars Invitational is an elite, invitation-only event bringing together the top-ranked WASZP sailors from around the globe. Eight men and seven women - selected purely on merit - go head-to-head in short, high-intensity sprint races. No discards, no margin for error; every result counts.
Running for the first time, the format is designed to push both sailors and the WASZP to its limits - fast, unforgiving foiling competition at the highest standard.
Sailors:
| INVITED FEMALE SAILORS | INVITED MALE SAILORS |
|---|
| Pearl Lattanzi (USA) | Louis Tilly (Australia) |
| Liv Häggström (Sweden) | Pablo Astiazaran (Spain) |
| Bridget Conrad (Australia) | Gavin Ball (USA) |
| Louise Metenier (France) | Hippolyte Gruet (France) |
| Grace Poole (Canada) | Andrew Chisholm (Canada) |
| Sol Lopez (Spain) | Nick Schuler (Germany) |
| Julia Gebhard (Germany) | Flinn Olson (New Zealand) |
Men's Fleet - Ball Does It the Hard Way
Gavin Ball (USA) leads the Men's fleet - and he earned it the hard way. Called over the line in Race 1, Ball responded with ruthless tactical composure, recovering from last place to take the race win, then backing it up with three more bullets to end the day on top. It was the standout performance of the regatta so far.
The pressure is real. Australia's Louis Tilly sits just two points back - clinical, composed, and riding the momentum of his Asia-Pacific Championships win. France's Hippolyte Gruet, currently ranked #4 in the world, rounds out the top three with a consistent scoreline that keeps him firmly in contention.
Women's Fleet - Lattanzi Piling On
If Ball's performance was the highlight reel, Pearl Lattanzi (USA) is writing the other half of the story. The reigning 2025 WASZP Games Champion leads the Women's fleet with 20 points - a continuation of a dominant season that shows no sign of letting up.
Canada's Grace Poole is closest, sitting three points back after taking two race wins today - dangerous and well within striking distance. Australia's Bridget Conrad holds third with 30 points. With no discards in play, the margins are unforgiving and every race tomorrow will matter.
Final Day - March 18
The All-Stars Invitational concludes tomorrow - and the rest of the world will be doing everything it can to stop the Americans from walking away with the inaugural title and the US$10,000 prize.
The champions will be crowned at the American Magic performance and innovation centre in Pensacola - SailGP's first long-term training base, purpose-built to support year-round performance and technical development. It's a strong for WASZP sailors in the All Stars Invitational, with recognition taking place at a facility dedicated to developing the sport's next generation of talent.
Find out more here.