The impact of a solid sphere on a free surface of water and its penetration below the surface is a topic of interest among engineers and scientists owing to its wide range of applications in various fields. Accurate modelling of this phenomenon is essential in the study of agglomeration of particles during spray drying, multiphase fuel combustion and in devices such as medical powder inhalers, etc. Also, this process determines whether ice crystals stick to a wetted surface during ice accretion, e.g. on aeronautical measuring probes or in aircraft engines. In this numerical study, we investigate the effect of the capillary force acting at the contact line at low Weber numbers and the effect of wettability, characterised by the contact angle. The governing equations in the liquid and gaseous phase are discretized using the Finite-Volume method and the interface between them is represented using a Volume-of-Fluid approach. The motion of the particle is modelled using Newton's second law and a constant contact angle boundary condition is imposed on the particle surface. A model to calculate the capillary force at the contact line is developed and implemented. Its influence on the outcome of particle impact is studied. The model has been validated with existing experimental data. From a non-dimensional consideration and for a given material, the maximum penetration depth of the particle depends linearly on the Weber number. This relation also applies for inclined particle impacts if theWeber number is calculated using the normal component of the impact velocity. The influence of the wettability of the particle's surface is discussed and it is shown that it has a major effect on the penetration behavior.