The Bay of Palma produced perfect conditions for the fourth day of competition as Gomez powered to victory in the opening heat in the Formula Kiteboard.

However, he was unable to maintain his form as De Ramecourt mastered the wind to take the next four heats which puts him three points ahead of his compatriot in the rankings while Slovenia's Toni Vodisek makes up the top-three, seven points off the lead.

"The wind and the waves were super-tricky, and it was very technical upwind and downwind, easy to lose control," said De Ramecourt.

"At the start of one race Toni got in front of my line just before the gun, so I had to stop and wait to get going.

"But it was a fun mission to play catch-up."

France are also excelling in the women's Formula Kiteboard event with Lauriane Nolot extending her lead over Britain's Ellie Aldrige to 11 points.

Full story: https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1121594/trofeo-princesa-sofia-mallorca-sailing

Changeable weather on the Bay of Palma might have finally brought some sunshine and warmer temperatures to the racing waters of the 51 Trofeo Sofía Mallorca Olympic classes, but staying on top of the sizeable shifts in wind direction and pressure offered a whole new set of challenges to the huge fleet of racers after the first couple of days of cold offshore northeasterly winds.

On this third day of the first Hempel World Cup Series regatta of 2022 the standout performances included French Formula Kite rider Lauriane Nolot. After a frustrating opening to her Olympic campaign yesterday, today she fired off a second and three first places to lead the women’s fleet by five points.

On the first day of gold fleet racing in the ILCA7 class, the comeback of Australia’s 2020 gold medallist Matthew Wearn has been impressive. A technical failure meant he started the event with a DNC, then 26th, but today he fought his way up to eighth overall with two second places.

This may only be the very start of the road to Paris 2024 but the strength and depth of the French team is impressive leading overall in the 49er, the ILCA 7 and both iQFOiL and Formula Kite women.

Respectively bronze and silver medallists at last year’s world championships, the rivalry between the French kiters Lauriane Nolot and compatriot Poema Newland – who lies third here – ensures both are pushing each other to higher and higher levels.

“I feel like this is the start of our road to the Olympics and with Poema, the way we have been battling against each other since last year is good for both of us and here we are near the top. But I am a little bit of a perfectionist and so I see my mistakes everywhere and am always looking to improve,” smiles Nolot who lives and trains from Hyères at the epicentre of the hotbed of French kiting, along with the Montpellier beaches.

“I wanted to avoid all the mistakes I made yesterday when I was too focused on how unpredictable the wind was. Today I just accepted the wind is unpredictable here and just concentrated on my speed and that worked well. I went where I had space and clear wind and that was key as I won every race. I was trying a new kite yesterday and was out of my comfort zone a bit, away from my good habits.”

Full story: https://www.sailing.org/2022/04/07/hempel-world-cup-series-at-the-princess-sofia-regatta-change-of-weather-means-new-challenges/

Frenchman Benoit Gomez secured top spot in the men’s formula kite after finishing first in every race of the blue group while reigning world champion and fellow Frenchman Theo de Ramecourt is in third after finishing first three times in the red group.

In the second qualifying race, he received a U-flagged (UFD) disqualification.

Slovenia’s Toni Vodisek split the two compatriots in second thanks to a flawless four wins from four in the yellow group.

"It’s not so bad to push the edges," said de Ramecourt after the race.

"I have been too far back in my starts in regattas last year, so it’s okay if I get a UFD, I’m finding the level."

The Notice of Race for the 2022 Formula Kite U21 and A's Youth Foil Class World Championships in Torregrande (ITA) from 16 to 22 May 2022 has been published.

The event is open to 60 Formula Kite Men and 30 Formula Kite Women born in the year 2002 or after, and for 30 A's Youth Foil class competitors each in the U17 (born 2006 and after) and U15 (born 2008 and after) divisions.

Go to the Official Notice Board
Register here

Early bird registration ends on 17 April 2022. Entries are accepted on a first come - first served basis.

'Watch out World, Asia is coming' said a relieved Max Maeder, from the highest step of the podium at the 2022 Formula Kite NFDS Asia Pacific Championships, after a thrilling medal series earlier in the day, on the waters off the beach of Pattaya in Thailand. 

He had good reason to say so.  All three steps of the Men's podium were taken by young Asian sailors.  And while Singapore's Maeder has already been showing his strength over the past season, winning among others the Open European Championship and both the class' and World Sailing's Youth Worlds, for 15-years-old Qibin Huang from China and 17-years-old local hero Joseph Jonathan Weston, this was the first formal competition since the COVID 19 pandemic outbreak, over two years ago.

Question:
Which colours are considered as ‘high visibility colour’ for helmets in Formula Kite Class Rule C.3.2.b.1?

Answer:
In reference to other applications of high visibility colours, the IKA considers luminous yellow (e.g. RAL 1026), luminous red (e.g. RAL 3024, 3026), luminous orange (e.g. RAL 2005), luminous green (e.g. RAL6038), luminous pink (e.g. RAL 4010) and equivalent as compliant colours. It is highly recommended to use fluorescent (neon) colours to increase the visibility on water.

Much darker and lighter shades of the colours above as well as colours like turquoise, blue, brown, white, black, chrome and gold are not considered as compliant with CR C.3.2.b.1.

As a guidance the colour chart below gives an indication of the colours and shadings mentioned above, please be aware that colours might differ based on your display settings or printer.

Following the registered series production equipment evaluation period from middle of 2020 until the end of 2021, World Sailing has offered licenses to build Olympic equipment to the manufacturers that have complied with the evaluation criteria.

The following equipment has been licensed (note: some manufacturers chose not to license all of their equipment options):

The International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) Executive Committee echoes the reaction of the International Olympic Committee regarding the developing situation in Ukraine.

Sport can be a force for good, bringing competitors from around the world together, united by the values of equality, inclusion, respect and fairness. We hope that the hostilities will end and that constructive dialogue will lead to the resolution of any differences.

In the meantime, following the resolution issued by the IOC Executive Board earlier today, the IKA Executive Committee will not accept athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus in any IKA class event. Furthermore, the IKA Executive Committee will not consider any class activities in Russia and Belarus or any cooperation with Russian or Belarusian entities.

The IKA Executive Committee will continue to closely monitor the situation and may adapt its recommendations and measures according to future developments.

The IKA Executive Committee reaffirms the call of the IOC President: “Give peace a chance”

IOC statement

The qualification systems for the upcoming 2022 Formula Kite World and European Championships have been updated after receiving initial feedback from our members.

The entry remains limited to 90 men and 60 women per event. 

The European Championships is an open event, competitors from all countries are able to enter (subject to quota restrictions).

Every country is guaranteed one (1) entry. Additional entries are offered only to IKA full members based on their standings in the World Sailing Rankings for the Formula Kite class as of 01 July 2022.

Using the World Rankings as a criteria for additional entries reflects (and rewards) the depth and quality of national fleets, and of teams that support class events everywhere in the world.

The change to version 1 of the qualification system is related to the remaining places after the initial quota allocation based on top 10 rankings and top 50% of the World Ranking. Instead of an open "lottery" for the remaining places, countries that have only one quota place allocated will be offered a second place and so on until the quota is filled. There will be NO individual applications by competitors (except for countries were there is no IKA paid-up member).

For the World Championships, all countries are eligible to receive a 2nd and 3rd place (even if not qualified through the World Ranking system), for the European Championships this only applies to countries from Europe. The event remains open for all countries and members from outside of Europe may receive multiple quota allocation based on their World Ranking results, however additional places to the 1 place minimum will be allocated to continental members to increase opportunities for their continental championship.

The qualification systems for the upcoming 2022 Formula Kite World and European Championships have been published.

Entry is limited to 90 men and 60 women per event. 

The European Championships is an open event, competitors from all countries are able to enter (subject to quota restrictions).

Every country is guaranteed one (1) entry. Additional entries are offered only to IKA full members based on their standings in the World Sailing Rankings for the Formula Kite class as of 01 July 2022.

Using the World Rankings as a criteria for additional entries reflects (and rewards) the depth and quality of national fleets, and of teams that support class events everywhere in the world.

The US’s Daniela Moroz closed out a remarkable five titles in a row at the Formula Kite World Championships on the Italian island of Sardinia, coming from behind in the finals shootout on the sparkling Gulf of Oristano, to seize the coveted crown.

France’s Théo de Ramecourt entered the medal race final in pole position, but took several attempts in utterly engrossing competition to secure the bullet that gave him the first world title he craved.

Both athletes were completely elated by their triumphs after five days of intensely-tight racing on the glorious track off Torregrande, in the first International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) Formula Kite Worlds of the Olympic cycle.

“I’m really happy to make it five,” said Moroz, 20. “It feels really surreal and I haven’t processed it yet. I’m still kind of absorbing it and enjoying it. It was a really tough week in all of the conditions. Then, in the end it all comes down to the last race. I was definitely a bit nervous this morning, but we got through it.”

The penultimate day of the Formula Kite world championships fought out on the glorious Gulf of Oristano on the Italian island of Sardinia, sparked tense drama all over the race track in difficult conditions.

Shifty ponente sea-breezes that fluctuated between 7kts and 12kts, helped reshuffle the top of the men’s and women’s fleets, as many of the leaders struggled to find the form that had taken them to the head of the pack.

Reigning Formula Kite world title holder, the US’s Daniela Moroz, had a stuttering start to her day when she crashed in her first race, recovering to a storming second place. It was a mistake she did not make twice, taking three bullets that send her straight to the last day’s medal races final.

Britain’s Ellie Aldridge beat Moroz in an epic battle with a nail-biting finish, that gave the Briton a bullet. Aldridge goes to the final courtesy of second and third place, that moved her up the order after the intense action of the regatta’s fourth day.

Only the finest margins separate the top of the order, after scintillating racing as the Formula Kite World Championships are due to hit the final series on the penultimate day of the regatta on the Gulf of Oristano on the Italian island of Sardinia.

The French duo of Axel Mazella and Théo de Ramecourt are equal on points at the head of the men’s standings after a day of awesomely-quick racing, in gusty and shifty side-shore breezes that reached 18kts. But occasional lulls down to 7kts were a source of drama at times for most of the athletes.

Behind the pair, only three points separate the seven racers lying in positions four to ten, such was the intensity of the battles all over the trapezoid track’s flat waters just off Torregrande’s beach.

In the women’s competition, the difference between the leaders was almost as tight. But reigning Formula Kite World champion, the US’s Daniela Moroz, retained her slender lead despite uncharacteristically dropping a bullet.

The fight for the Formula Kite world championship titles, being contested on the sumptuous Gulf of Oristano on the Italian island, shifted into high gear with drama all over the track in tough conditions that left some leading contenders in difficulties.

In the massively-shifty offshore breezes that gusted to 25kts, even the reigning world champion, US’s Daniela Moroz, suffered some tough moments. She missed a race when she failed to make one start after her kite fell and she got stuck in fishing nets, though she still retains the overall lead by the slenderest of margins.

France’s Théo de Ramecourt also had some tricky moments on the trapezoid course, off the beach at Torregrande. But the mercurial Frenchman capitalised in the difficult breezes on flat waters to score a perfect four bullets that sent him top of the order.

On the second of the regatta’s five scheduled days, the race committee got in a full quota of 20 races for the men’s and women’s fleets. With starts almost like clockwork every nine minutes, the short-sharp races were searingly-quick.

The opening exchanges at the Formula Kite World Championships, being fought out on the Gulf of Oristano on the Italian island of Sardinia, slightly upset the form book after a faltering start, when the wind teased before the action kicked off in earnest.

Britain’s Katie Dabson scored well in her day’s races on the spectacular track off Torregrande, as the south-westerly breezes filled in late in the day, leaving her second overall.

Polish teenagers Nina Arcisz and Julia Damasiewicz picked up the pace as racing intensified, after the wind died mid-way through the day’s second race. When the breeze shifted and returned, the pair found their groove in supercharged action that left them third and fourth respectively on the leaderboard.

But reigning International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) Formula Kite World Champion Daniela Moroz, who is aiming to lift a fifth successive title, once again showed her dominance to take three bullets and the overall lead, despite a wobbly start in her opening race.

The world’s fastest kiteboard racers are set to battle for the coveted Formula Kite World Championships in the inaugural title fight of the Olympic cycle, on the Italian island of Sardinia.

Over five days that promise high-intensity acton, the biggest kitefoil fleet ever will go head-to-head on the flat waters off Torregrande, marking the start of the countdown to kiteboarding’s Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Games.

The stunning Gulf of Oristano, a marine conservation area ringed by pristine beaches and spectacular hills, will serve as a fitting backcloth for the highest stakes kiteboard contest ever, as Olympic fervour has fuelled national ambitions.

National teams, larger and in greater numbers than ever, shrugged off the challenges of the pandemic to journey to Sardinia, the first steps in their quest for prized medals. Worldwide interest in kitefoil racing has exploded, transforming the event and the level of competition.

Singapore’s Max Maeder and the US’s Daniela Moroz overhauled solidly French opposition in dramatic finals to seize the Open titles at the Formula Kite European Championships in Montpellier.

On his fifteenth birthday, Maeder, took three bullets in spellbinding, near flawless racing on the track just off Villeneuve Lès-Maguelone beach. In doing so he eased past two-time reigning champion France’s Axel Mazella.

“I don’t really know how to describe this feeling,” said Maeder, shaking with adrenaline just as he came ashore. “I never believed it could be like this. It is one of the greatest feelings of my life. It’s right up there.”

Mazella’s second place earned him the European title. He began the regatta’s last day of five in pole position, needing just one win in the finals’ races to secure overall victory. But he was magnanimous about his teenage rival’s win that made the Frenchman’s third successive title victory slightly bittersweet.

Three French men locked out the top of the rankings with searingly-fast kiteboard foil racing on the penultimate day of the Formula Kite European Championships off Montpellier’s Villeneuve Lès-Maguelone beach, when it was all about booking a place in the final race.

Benoît Gomez (FRA) did that in style, climbing three places up the rankings to qualify directly to the finals, to be sailed on the fifth and last day of Europeans, with a scintillating performance of two bullets and a second place in the day’s four races.

In the 9kts breezes at the start of proceedings, he feared that his 21m kite, the largest he registered, would be too small for his 110kgs frame. But in the day’s second race he was forced to tack just before the line and make a risky port start. He caught a lift and better pressure on the right of the course that gave him the edge. He replicated the port start to his advantage in each successive race.

The roster of young kiteboarding athletes who have braved coronavirus restrictions to make it to the start line of the Formula Kite European Championships, has grown dramatically as the countdown to the event’s Olympic debut has begun.

More young teenagers than ever have turned up to attend the biggest regatta of the year so far, being staged on the Mediterranean, off Montpellier’s Villeneuve Lès-Maguelone beach in the south of France.

Yet, on the third of five scheduled days of competition, the young athletes—among the stellar fleet of 91 men and 40 women from 29 countries and five continents—were again disappointed when the wind speed was never even close to the minimum limit of 5 knots and no racing was possible. The same fate that befell the International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) A’s Youth Foil European Championships being run in tandem.

Frustrations aside, some of the young kiteboarders had tasted success already in the regatta’s opening races of the championships, which set the clock ticking on kiteboarding’s first Olympics at the Paris 2024 Games.

On the second of the five scheduled days of the regatta being staged on the Mediterranean, off Montpellier’s Villeneuve Les-Maguelone beach, southern France, the wind failed to show up and no racing was possible.

Ninety-one men and 40 women from 29 countries and five continents have navigated coronavirus restrictions to do battle on the bay of Aigues-Mortes and set the clock ticking on the countdown to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, when Formula Kite will make its debut on the race track off Marseille just along the Mediterranean coast.

Swelling the ranks of Formula Kite athletes, are 18 young International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) A’s kiters, revelling in the cut and thrust of keen competition at the IKA A's Youth Foil European Championships, being run in tandem with the IKA Formula Kite European Championships.

Reigning Formula Kite European champion, France’s Axel Mazella, began the defence of his title with a peerless, perfect record on the opening day of racing of the 2021 competition in fresh breezes off Montpellier’s Villeneuve Les-Maguelone beach, southern France.

The 24-year-old, battling in one of the three men’s qualifying fleets, fought off stiff challenges from spectacularly quick and ferociously competitive rivals, that included countryman and reigning world champion Nico Parlier, to scoop five bullets.

None of the other kiteboard racers vying for supremacy in the two other qualifying fleets, could match his stellar feat in the choppy Mediterranean bay of Aigues-Mortes, in breezes that built from 9kts to more than 15kts as it veered to the south.

A packed roster of top kiteracers is set to do battle for the prized Formula Kite European Championship crowns at the spiritual home of kiteboarding on the waters off Montpellier’s Villeneuve Les-Maguelone beach, southern France.

The competitors in the Olympic event, 91 men and 40 women from 30 nations worldwide, have navigated sometimes onerous coronavirus restrictions to take to the start line for five epic days of racing.

The elite athletes—among them a clutch of former and reigning world champions—will be joined by a fleet of 18 young aspiring kiteboarders fighting for the International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) A’s European Championship titles.

World Sailing, the governing body for the sport, has published the first World Sailing Rankings including the new Olympic events for Paris 2024.

The full World Sailing (WS) ranking lists, results from all WS graded events, throughout the year, ranking release dates and the method of calculation for the Rankings can be found at www.sailing.org/rankings.

Any questions or errors should be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Errors must be received within 48 hours of release date for the rankings to be re-calculated. It is the responsibility of the Competitor and/or Event Organising Authority to check and report any error.

The initial rankings include only the following events of the past 12 months and therefore are not a full reflection of the current standings of the fleet.

• 2021 Formula Kite Pan American Championships (100)
• 2021 Formula Kite U19 World Championships (100)
• 2020 Formula Kite Pan American Championships (100)

The next ranked events will be the 2021 Formula Kite European Championships (100) and the 2021 Formula Kite World Championships (200).

The decision to introduce foiling Formula kites for the 2024 Paris games, proved to be the right move forward, judging by the looks on the public faces on Cabarete beach this past weekend. People were amazed by the speeds, and airplane like boards flying above water.

For five consecutive days 21 sailors from 10 countries battled in winds ranging from 8 to 18 knots, in the famous wind and waves of Cabarete, in the Dominican Republic.

The qualifying races were held in open ocean with all the fleet racing together. For the last day sailors were divided to Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Women fleets and participated in short five minute races as close to shore as possible.

Kiters are starting to understand what an Olympic campaign really means as by the end of the 5th day of racing they were exhausted after completing 20 races run by CRO Francisco Jauregui from  Mexico.

Winner Toni Vodisek of Slovenia was very happy with his decision to come to Cabarete in these difficult traveling times, and is looking forward to the next event in Cabarete.

A cloudy, rainy and windless day turned out to be dazzling and beautiful for the newly crowned young World Champions after eight fast paced races of the Medal Series in the Formula Kite Men and the A’s Youth Foil fleets, and one single race for the Formula Kite Women. It all came down to the sailors who had been leading the series for the whole week to defending their positions and conquering the World titles: Maximilian Maeder (SGP) in the Formula Kite Men, Jan Koszowski (POL) in the A’s Youth Foil and Julia Damasiewicz (POL) in the Formula Kite Women.

A cloudy and almost windless morning in Gizzeria, Italy, welcomed the 65 young competitors at Hang Loose Beach on the penultimate day of the 2021 Formula Kite U10 and A’s Youth Foil World Championship. Everyone was looking up, hoping for the wind to blow as so many positions were at stake with only one day to go before the Medal Series on 'Super Sunday'.
The clouds were gone by noon thanks to a light breeze that filled the air and the three fleets were right out on the water for what turned out to become another day with great sailing conditions.

Four more races are on the scoreboard tonight for all of the three fleets of young athletes from 25 countries. On day three of the U19 and A's Youth Foil World Championships in Gizzeria, Italy, the conditions were back to classic, with a thermic breeze going from 12 knots in the first race to around 20 in the afternoon, flat sea and the air much cooler than the previous days for everyone’s happiness.

Another windy, wet and wild day on the water for the 65 young athletes competing at the 2021 Formula Kite U19 and A’s Youth Foil World Championship in Gizzeria, Italy. Yesterday’s very strong breeze kept on blowing during the night and picked up as the sun came out in the morning. It was still more than 20 knots average when the first kiters showed up on the beach at Hang Loose Beach, with gusts of 25 and waves. It lightened up as the day went by and all of the three fleets finished four fair and fun races and the overall ranking is shaping up for Sunday’s Medal Series.

Day one of the 2021 Formula Kite U19 and A's Youth Foil Individual World Championships was nothing but easy, the 65 young kiters had to face strong winds over 25 knots and really big waves. Most of them found it fun and got back ashore in between races with a big smile on their faces, while for the younger and lighter ones in the fleets it was a bit more challenging to stay on the board in the wavy sea state. But all of them went on the water for four tough races, it was a real baptism of fire of the five-day World Championship ending on Sunday.

The first event of the KiteFoil World Series has just finished last Sunday, and the beach in Gizzeria, Italy, is filling up with young eager athletes ready to battle it out on the race course to win the 2021 Formula Kite U19 and A’s Youth Foil World titles.

65 U19 riders have gathered from 25 countries in the south of Italy, at the Hang Loose Beach, one of the best spot in Europe for the sport, for the 2021 event. The conditions here are spectacular, the wind blows regularly from north-west leaving the water flat, it so happened last week for the first of five events of the KiteFoil World Series, and this very afternoon, when many young athletes have attended the practice race, all keen to get their boards flying.

Registration is now open for the 2021 Formula Kite World Championships, to be held 11-17 October 2021 in Torregrande, Sardinia, Italy.
The maximum entry quota is 100 men (3 fleets) and 70 women (2 fleets).
https://www.kiteclasses.org/events/upcoming-events

IKA paid-up members ONLY may register athletes in stages as follows:

• Until 16 August 2021, 1200 (noon) UTC: any competitor (by name) ranked in the top 10 of the World Rankings as of that date; plus up to 2 competitors per country.
• Until 23 August 2021, 1200 (noon) UTC: countries that have registered 2 competitors may register one additional competitor on a first come-first served basis.
• Until 30 August 2021, 1200 (noon) UTC: countries that have registered 3 competitors may register one additional competitor on a first come-first served basis.

World Sailing have been informed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that the IOC Executive Board have approved Men's and Women's Kiteboarding (Formula Kite) for the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition.

The Men's and Women's Kiteboarding Events will replace the Mixed Kiteboarding and Mixed Offshore Events that were democratically selected by World Sailing's members.

The decision was taken at the meeting of the IOC Executive Board today, Thursday 10 June 2021 in Lausanne, Switzerland following a recommendation from the IOC Programme Commission.

World Sailing's Council today selected individual kiteboarding events for men and women as the preferred alternative choice, should the planned double handed mixed offshore event not be approved by the IOC Executive Board in their session 8 - 10 June 2021.

The vote followed a week of discussion in the Events and Equipment committees, where delegates had the choice between 15 alternative event submissions put forward by World Sailing members and class association.

The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today approved the Event Programme and Athlete Quotas for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

In accordance with the recommendations of the Olympic Programme Commission, the main features of Paris 2024’s Olympic programme include:

• Exactly 50 per cent male and female participation, following on from the gender equality already achieved for Tokyo 2020, which will have 48.8 per cent female participation.
• Growth of mixed gender events, from 18 to 22, compared to Tokyo 2020.
• Skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing and breaking confirmed as additional sports based on a proposal by Paris 2024. Breaking will make its Olympic debut.
• Reduction in the overall athlete quota (including all new sports) to exactly 10,500.
• Reduction in the overall number of events, with a final programme of 329 events.

The 2020 Annual General Meeting of the IKA Formula Kite Class will be held on 15 November 2020 via Cisco Webex videoconferencing. The conference will be livestreamed to the Formula Kite Class facebook page.

Date: Sunday, 15 November 2020
Location: online via Cisco Webex
Starting time: 16:00 UTC

As if they knew about it, the weather gods delivered absolute perfection today, creating ideal conditions for breathtaking competition as CONNOR BAINBRIDGE (GBR) and ELLIE ALDRIDGE (GBR) managed to win GOLD overall, despite a valiant effort from FLORIAN GRUBER (GER) and LEONIE MEYER (GER) who take SILVER, with GUY BRIDGE (GBR) and KATIE DABSON (GBR) completing the podium in 3rd.

The Medal Race 3.0 format once again delivered action-packed racing today, with race 1 for semi final fleet A getting off in stellar conditions with wind at 11-16 knots at 1215. Around the first mark was an all French trio, led by THEO DE RAMECOURT, followed by MAXIME NOCHER and then AXEL MAZELLA, with ALEJANDRO CLIMENT HERNANDEZ (ESP) in 4th. Coming around the bottom mark, MAXIME tried to get inside and overtake THEO but was unable to complete the manoeuvre before the final gybe mark. MAXIME tried again to get inside his compatriot and take the lead for the changeover when they both got hit by a gust and launched, with THEO recovering better to hold a lead toward the changeover line, where he had a big crash just as he crossed the line, almost as if the pressure from MAXIME was so great that THEO’s legs gave out as soon as he crossed the line.

This is to give notice that the 2020 Annual General Meeting of the IKA Formula Kite Class will be held on 15 November 2020 via Cisco Webex videoconferencing. The conference will be livestreamed to the Formula Kite Class facebook page.

Date: Sunday, 15 November 2020
Location: online via Cisco Webex
Starting time: 16:00 UTC

AGENDA

1. Welcome and roll call
2. Minutes of the previous meeting
3. Class Report
4. Class Rule submissions
5. Future Events
6. Election of the Class Vice President
7. Any Other Business

Another chill morning did not stop the BAINBRIDGE/ALDRIDGE (GBR) duo from locking out 1st place with a race to spare, who will be joined by 2nd place GRUBER/MEYER (GER) directly in the finals, with NOCHER/NOLOT (FRA) performing well to sit in 3rd.

With 6-9 knots recorded at 2 meters above the water, everything looked set and race 5 for the GOLD fleet was started on time. However, the wind strength higher up was not adequate, and the vacuum slowly descended, fading the wind to the point that as the women finished their lap, there were no male competitors with their kites flying at the changeover, prompting a swift flurry of flags with NOVEMBER being displayed, followed quickly by AP over HOTEL, the sound signals echoing off the cliffs for miles around.

After a brief pause on shore the wind filled in properly, all the way across the lake, and race 5 was restarted in 8-12 knots at 1220. KATIE DABSON (GBR) managed to recover from a less than stellar start by tacking early and heading out far right to pick up a good shift, a tactic her teammate GUY BRIDGE (GBR) tried as well; “...it allowed me to climb inside everyone else who had overlaid. GUY did the same as me, but didn’t manage to get as lucky. The shifts are really quite big,” said DABSON. 

A frosty morning was not the only cause for the hairs to rise today, with every race providing plenty of action, lead changes and upsets, CONNOR BAINBRIDGE and ELLIE ALDRIDGE (GBR) sit in 1st with GUY BRIDGE and KATIE DABSON (GBR) battling with FLORIAN GRUBER and LEONIE MEYER (GER) for the all important 2nd place. 

The chill wind of the morning saw the competitors wrapped tightly against the cold, as the clouds wrapped the mountain tops, looking out hungrily to the race area which showed enough wind to get racing on schedule at 1100 for the first time this event.

Four races for each fleet were scheduled today for the beginning of the Final Series, with the competitors sorted into GOLD, SILVER and BRONZE, and with such experienced riders as AXEL MAZELLA and ALEXIA FANCELLI (FRA) designated to SILVER fleet, it is clear that the level of competition here is as high as it gets. 

It was as if the weather gods were as excited as the rest of us for the racing, as a massive right shift in the last 30 seconds before the start of the first race of the day saw a hasty postponement for ten minutes whilst the course was adjusted until the wind settled back down and the first race got underway in 7-14 knots. But even this was not without incident, with CONNOR BAINBRIDGE being spat out at the start.

A wild thunderstorm ripped through the valley overnight, leaving competitors to wake up to a soggy and misty morning in Ebensee but did not stop Florian Gruber and Leonie Meyer (GER) to extend their lead into tomorrow's Final Series.

The deafening storm did more than steal sleep from the participants, it also took away the standard weather cycle that produces reliable winds, leaving the competitors postponed ashore again, playing fetch with dogs, pump-foiling off the dock or just chilling out enjoying the view.

After an unsuccessful expedition to the other side of the lake to see if the wind was better there, the skies began to clear and soon 9-10 knots was consistently registered on the race area, triggering the AP to come down at 1245, with Race 3 for YELLOW starting at 1305. 

Racing got off to a slow start on Day 1 as competitors were postponed onshore waiting for the thermal wind to build. Lake locals suggest that the optimum window for racing occurs between 1100 and 1600 each day, and that the standard tactic is to “...head toward the left side until you can scratch the [western] mountain, and when you tack you will be lifted all the way up.”

At the end of the day, the German and the British team take the lead tied at 2 points.

Competitors soaked in the gorgeous views and unseasonable sunshine until the postponement was removed at 1310, where they launched into action. The qualifying series sees the 19 teams split into three fleets, with the YELLOW fleet of seven racing first, followed by BLUE and RED fleets, each consisting of six teams. 

Although the number of entries is only half the expected number due to the travel restrictions of the worldwide pandemic, the teams present are the best in the world, promising exciting action over the coming days. 

Axel Mazella of France confirmed his dominance on "Super Sunday" with what looked like an easy win, while Poland's Julia Damasiewicz had to go all the way to seal the deal.

The men's podium was completed by Maxime Nocher (FRA) and Connor Bainbridge (GBR) after a strong comeback. In the women's fleet, Ellie Aldridge (GBR) managed to split the Polish duo, with Magdalena Woyciechowska taking Bronze.

The final day of the 2020 Formula Kite Individual European Championships saw a new format, introduced in the 2019 ANOC World Beach Games in Qatar with the goal to ensure that the competitor "first over the line" in the final race is the Gold medallist while avoiding the unfairness of a "winner takes all" race after a full week of racing.

Theo de Ramecourt of France put an end to fellow countrymen Axel Mazella's impressive streak of race wins, stealing final series race 5 ahead of Benoit Gomez, also from France.

Gomez impressively demonstrated how big the competitive weight range of Formula Kite is Scoring two second places and a number of other high rank finishes during the two final series days against the highly competitive fleet, the 102kg athlete had no problems to stay close on the heels of his sometimes only 70kg light competitors.

France's Axel Mazella maintained his dominance on the third day of the Formula Kite Individual European Championships in Puck.

Following two days of competition, the men's event was split into two fleets, with the top 33 athletes contesting the gold fleet of a discipline due to make its Olympic debut at Paris 2024. 

Mazella continued his impressive run, triumphing in all four races (plus two carry forward scores) to top the leaderboard with six points. 

Competitors only got the rear view of France's Axel Mazella who scored 4 straight bullets on the second day of the qualifying series.

Mazella's closest opponent, fellow countryman Theo de Ramecourt had a more mixed day, scoring an UFD (for starting early) in the day's last race. Mazella so far has scored an impressive streak of 7 race wins and one second place, making him the clear favourite for the 2020 European title.

De Ramecourt now sits two points behind at eight points, closely followed by another Frenchmen Maxime Nocher on eleven points, making it currenlty a purely French podium.

Julia Damasiewicz (POL) Theo de Ramecourt (FRA) sit on top of the rankings after 4 races for each group on the first day of racing in Puck, Poland.

In stable 10-12 knot conditions both competition leaders did not only fight with their closest opponents, but also with some seaweed that easterly winds from a long high pressure system over eastern Europe had swept into the bay.

Both Damiasiewcz and De Ramecourt had close fights throughout the day, with the 15-year-old Damasiewicz finishing just ahead of fellow teenager Magdalena Woyciechowska, making it 1-2 for the host country. Both are tied on 4 points, with the better end for Damasiewicz having won the final race.

For the first time, athletes are racing on equipment that will be used at the Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2020 Formula Kite Individual European Championships officially began at 12:30 noon on Tuesday 18 August. A competition of this rank is being held in Poland for the first time. All eyes are set on the newly approved registered series production equipment, equipment on which athletes will compete during the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.

“This is especially a test of new equipment. All the top guys are racing on equipment that was only approved a few weeks ago due to the COVID-19 delays” - said Markus Schwendtner, Secretary General of the International Kiteboarding Association (IKA).

All five leading race foil kite brands whose innovative offerings have been approved for the upcoming four-year Olympics’ cycle are eagerly anticipating the first major face-off at the Formula Kite Individual European championships in Poland later this month.

The contest at Puck is the first opportunity after August 10—the day after the Tokyo 2020 Games were due to end—for the new registered series production kites and hydrofoils approved by the International Kiteboarding Association's (IKA) Technical Committee to compete in a Formula Kite regatta.

After years of development by designers acutely aware they will be unable to change their designs for the forthcoming four years of Formula Kite competitions, the pressure was on to come up with a winner that will survive evaluation lasting until the end of 2021 when World Sailing (WS) will license those that pass the test.

Good early results will be key to generate sales and recouping substantial investment over the coming years as the growing number of national team athletes ramp up training in the quest for gold at kiting’s debut on the Paris 2024 Olympics’ track in Marseille.

But already market leaders Ozone and Flysurfer have thrown down the gauntlet. Their new kites reflect two divergent philosophies: Flysurfer’s VMG2 is hailed as revolutionary, while Ozone’s dominant  R1 in its V4 iteration  is cast as evolutionary, refining R1’s pace and ease-of-use all around the course that won it legions of followers and countless titles.

Years of hard toil to develop a new hydrofoil that will win out in the fight to become the weapon of choice at kiting’s debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics will be put to the test in earnest for the first time at next week’s Formula Kite European championships in Poland.

From August 10—the day after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were due to finish—all 10 foils approved by the International Kiteboarding Association’s (IKA) technical committee are eligible for use in Formula Kite competitions as part of the evaluation process lasting until 2021’s close when World Sailing (WS) will license those passing the test.

With the shock withdrawal of the dominant foil of recent years after MikesLab failed to agree to the level of disclosure of construction details required by IKA and provided by all other contenders, the field is wide open for challengers—some established and some new to top-flight Formula Kite racing.

The track at Puck, Poland, will see the newly-approved foils go head-to-head in a highly-anticipated contest offering the first clues of which will emerge on top on the path to Olympic gold on the Games’ Marseille track in the inaugural Formula Kite Mixed Team Relay.

We regret to confirm the cancellation of the 2020 Formula Kite World Championships.

Both events were planned to be held back to back on the Italian resort island of Sardinia.
Torregrande was to host the first Olympic format Mixed Relay World Championship from 13 to 18 October 2020.
The Individual World Championships had already been moved from Weifang Binhai (China) to Cagliari and was supposed to commence from 6 to 11 October.

Although both events could have taken place from an organisational point of view, the ongoing world wide restrictions in travel would practically have only allowed Europeans to compete. 

The IKA Executive Committee has therefore decided that the current restrictions do not allow for a fair World Championship to be held, when most of the World is excluded. The only possible conclusion therefore was to cancel the 2020 Formula Kite World Championship events.

Both events are now scheduled to take place in 2021, with Weifang Binhai hosting the Individual World Championships in September 2021 and Torregrande hosting the Mixed Team Relay World Championship in October 2021.

The European Championship events in Puck / Poland (Individual) and Traunsee / Austria (Mixed Team Relay) will go ahead as planned.

Negotiations are currently ongoing to hold an event in Cagliari from 7 to 11 October, potentially as European Championship of the equipment open KiteFoil class. Final confirmation is expected by the end of the week.

Despite the challenges caused by the world wide COVID-19 pandemic, the European Championships of the Formula Kite class featuring the Olympic Mixed Team Relay format have been confirmed to be held 15-20 September in Traunsee, Upper Austria.

PROFS Marketing GmbH and Segelclub Ebensee are fully committed to deliver a world class event in these difficult times. Both have long standing experience in the organization of top level events.

The best teams from all over Europe are expected to participate in what will be the first true test for the 2024 Olympic quadrennium. The event is open for teams from all over the world, however the ongoing travel limitations make it unlikely that a large number of non-European teams will be able to participate.

Registration, Notice of Race and further information: https://www.kiteclasses.org/events/upcoming-events

Since the publication of the statement regarding Mikes Lab Bullet 3L / 3LC foil in Formula Kite competitions (until the end of 2021) a number of teams have raised questions regarding the fuselage length measurement.

It appears that the published 2017 dimensions provided by Mikes Lab (556.9mm) are either an accidental mistake in the submission, or based on the measurement system used in previous cycles.

All dimensions reported by teams are in the 565mm range (with an allowed tolerance of +/-2mm) which is in line with the dimensions submitted with the Mikes Lab re-application).

Event Technical Committees will therefore base a decision on the eligibility of a Mikes Lab Bullet 3LC glider not solely on the fuselage length measurement, if all other dimensions are within the accepted tolerances (see original statement below).

Competitors are reminded that event equipment inspection is NOT measurement, and that it is ultimately the responsibility of each competitor to ensure that their equipment complies with the class rules (see RRS 78). 

The registration process for new Formula Kite Registered Series Production Equipment for the 2020-2024 Olympic quadrennium has concluded on Saturday 18 July 2020 with a meeting of the IKA Technical Committee.

Series Production Equipment is equipment from a manufacturer which is mass produced and continuously made available for purchase worldwide without restriction until the end of the Olympic Cycle.

Each piece of equipment is required to be produced using the same manufacturing specifications and materials, be identical within production tolerances in all performance related aspects and comply with the measurements provided by the manufacturer upon registration.

Competitors may choose between manufacturers and their various models, however equipment built within a series must be identical within tight production tolerances.

IKA has received applications for equipment registrations from a total of 23 manufacturers:

Following a successful factory inspection, the following Diablo V5 kites have been approved by the IKA Technical Committee as registered series production equipment for the IKA Formula Kite Class.

Diablo V5 8m
Diablo V5 9m
Diablo V5 10m
Diablo V5 11m
Diablo V5 13m
Diablo V5 15m
Diablo V5 18m
Diablo V5 21m
Diablo V5 25m

Aeros and Elf have joined forces for the 2024 Olympic quadrennium to bring once again a new generation of RAM-air kites to the competition scene under a joint brand name.

Produced in the Ukraine, the following kites have been approved by the IKA Technical Committee as registered series production equipment for the IKA Formula Kite Class.

Aeros/Elf CJ-8
Aeros/Elf CJ-9
Aeros/Elf JC-9
Aeros/Elf JC-11
Aeros/Elf JC-15
Aeros/Elf JC-19
Aeros/Elf JC-22

After a successful factory inspection, Chubanga V3 mast and glider have been approved by the IKA Technical Committee as registered series production equipment for the IKA Formula Kite Class.

The Chubanga V2 hydrofoil system is still subject to approval.

As all other approved registered series production equipment, the Chubanga V3 hydrofoil system will now be evaluated in competition until the end of 2021, when World Sailing will license the 2024 Olympic equipment through a separate agreement with the successful manufacturers.

For more information on Chubanga products, please visit https://www.chubangafoil.com/

For more information about the IKA Formula Kite class, the Olympic kiteboarding format, equipment and upcoming events, please visit https://www.formulakite.org/

List of registeres series production kites: https://www.formulakite.org/equipment/eligible-equipment/kites-2020-2024

List of registered series production hydrofoil systems: https://www.formulakite.org/equipment/eligible-equipment/hydrofoils-2020-2024

Here is an update on the event calendar as of beginning of July 2020:

Formula Kite Individual Europeans

Following the re-opening of borders within Europe, the Formula Kite European Championship is now confirmed and will take place in Puck, Poland, from 18 to 23 August.

The Notice of Race can be found here:   https://www.racingrulesofsailing.org/documents/1042/event?name=2020-formula-kite-individual-european-championships

Registration is open at   https://www.kiteclasses.org/events/upcoming-events/formula/190-2020-formula-kite-individual-european-championships

Early Bird entry fee rates (230 EUR) apply until 14 days before the event. 

Please remember that nationality flags on hull and helmet are mandatory for all Formula Kite continental and World championship events (and a number of World Sailing events). It is the competitor's responsibility to produce and apply them correctly. Only the approved designs at  https://www.formulakite.org/equipment/nationality-flags shall be used.

Formula Kite Class Rule Update

World Sailing has published the updated class rules approved during the IKA General Assembly in February 2020.

The major change is the introduction of mandatory nationality flags on hulls and helmets for all Continental and World Championships as well as all World Sailing events (including Regional and Olympic Games). These requirements were previously enforced through the Notice of Race.

It is the competitor responsibility to produce / purchase and apply nationality flags, both for hulls and helmets. The design files are available here: https://www.formulakite.org/equipment/nationality-flags

After a successful factory inspection, the following Flysurfer RAM-Air kites have been approved by the IKA Technical Committee as registered series production equipment for the IKA Formula Kite Class.

Flysurfer VMG2 23m
Flysurfer VMG2 21m
Flysurfer VMG2 18m
Flysurfer VMG2 15m
Flysurfer VMG2 13m
Flysurfer VMG2 11m
Flysurfer VMG2 10m
Flysurfer VMG2 09m
Flysurfer VMG2 08m

In the process of evaluating equipment (re-) registration applications for the 2024 Olympic Cycle, the IKA Technical Committee has become aware of discrepancies in the dimensions of the Mikeslab Bullet 3L / 3LC foil.

The dimensions provided by the manufacturer for the re-registration of the equipment differ from the dimensions of the same equipment registered in May 2017, with several of the dimensions provided with the re-application being outside of the accepted tolerances.
 
Unfortunately, the manufacturer did not provide the IKA with information on when these dimensions may have changed, and which parts and serial numbers may be affected.
 
In order to protect competitors and teams from travelling to events with equipment that may not comply with the registered dimensions and therefore the Formula Kite class rules, competitors in possession of a Mikeslab Bullet 3L/3LC foil should verify that their equipment complies with the class rules and the registered dimensions.

After a successful factory inspection, the following Levitaz hydrofoil items have been approved by the IKA Technical Committee as registered series production equipment for the IKA Formula Kite Class.

Levitaz Mast R5V1 2020
Levitaz Mast R5V2 2020
Levitaz Frontwing R5 2020
Levitaz Frontwing R5-S 2020
Levitaz Rearwing R5 2020

The following hydrofoil items have been confirmed as continued registration from the 2017 equipment cycle:

Levitaz Mast Bionic P110 2017
Levitaz Frontwing Bionic 2017
Levitaz Rearwing Bionic HW 2017
Levitaz Fuselage Bionic HW 2017

After a successful factory inspection, Ozone R1V4 kites in sizes of 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19 and 21m have been approved by the IKA Technical Committee as registered series production equipment for the IKA Formula Kite Class.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 limitations, the physical factory inspection was replaced by extensive documentation including detailed videos and pictures, demonstrating every step of the app. 80 hour manufacturing process of a foilkite.

The final inspection with focus on quality control and measurement was then conducted via videoconferencing between the IKA inspection team and the technical team of Ozone Kites LTD in their Vietnam factory.

The team at the International Kiteboarding Association remains in regular contact with all our event organizers to continuosly evaluate the situation of the 2020 championship events.

Although we are starting to see the first signs of restrictions on normal daily activities being relaxed, both the legal situation to hold events (with or without spectators) and the international travel situation remain difficult.

This update covers event updates, class rule changes, and advise for getting back on the water safely.

IKA launched the application process for new Formula Kite equipment registrations in September 2019, with requirements for registration clearly laid out in an online application system.
 
This application system required interested builders to submit dimensions of their equipment together with an extensive list of supporting documentation in order to assess professional and technical competence.
 
Following the timelines laid out in the Formula Kite class rules, IKA has received 17 applications for hydrofoil system equipment registrations and 6 applications for foilkite (RAM-air) equipment registrations by 1st May 2020, the application period closing date.

We all find ourselves in exceptional circumstances globally due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and we truly hope this message finds you well wherever in the world you are at the moment.

The team at the International Kiteboarding Association continues to work diligently, despite these difficult circumstances.

There are a couple of areas which are affected by the continued spread of the virus, for which we want to give you an update to provide planning safety - as far as this is currently possible.