Tuesday, 13 September 2016 15:42
Riders Talk Olympics Aspirations as Wind Stays Away
Light breezes tantalised racers at the Formula Kite (foil) World Champions for a second straight day, but remained stubbornly insufficient to get off any races in the women’s or men’s “gold” and “silver” fleets. In the absence of action, the 60 riders for 19 countries were briefed on the status of kiting’s bid for a slot in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and voiced concerns over some possible strategies apparently unfolding. Markus Schwendtner, International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) CEO, outlined the possible pathway to an Olympics berth and the potential pitfalls that could lie in the way. Key among the elite…
Monday, 12 September 2016 15:24
Riders Becalmed as Wind Refuses to Play Ball
Riders at the Formula Kite worlds suffered a frustrating day on the beach under cloudless skies as the wind refused to blow until the last moment when a light breeze kicked in, but too late to get competition underway. The 60 racers from 19 nations at the International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) Formula Kite World Championships will be hoping the breezes forecast for the coming days prove accurate so that the race directors can make up any deficit. MEN Overall standings after five races (one discard): 1 Nico Parlier (FRA, Ozone/Mike’s Lab) — 4pts2 Riccardo Leccese (ITA, Ozone/Mike’s Lab) — 5pts3…
Sunday, 11 September 2016 15:25
Parlier and Moroz Dominate at Formula Kite Worlds in Unexpectedly Tough Conditions
What a difference a day makes. French rider Nico Parlier dominated his fleet with a flawless four bullets at the Formula Kite world championships as he revelled in unusually blustery conditions that suit both his racing style and equipment. Even in his day’s final race when reigning world champion Maxime Nocher (MON) threatened to finally snatch a victory on a searingly-quick reach to the finish, Parlier was just able to squeeze out his rival on the line in a photo-finish. The contrast to the opening day of the International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) Formula Kite (foil) World Championships could hardly have…
Saturday, 10 September 2016 15:26
Tricky Breezes Test Formula Racers in Opening Exchanges
French teenager Axel Mazella opened his campaign where he had left off at the KiteFoil GoldCup in Italy, with an emphatic bullet in the first race of the Formula Kite (foil) world championships. His feat was matched by Britain’s Olly Bridge, 18, who signalled his intent when he also scored a convincing win in the opening race of the alternate men’s qualifying fleet, on the smooth waters off Joysea Beach, at Binhai, Western China. But the light breezes over the Yellow Sea, that started out blowing between 10kts and 14kts, dropped steadily as skies cleared on day one of the…
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Friday, 09 September 2016 15:28
Cream of Formula Kite Crop Line Up in China to Battle for World Title
The stage is set for the opening exchanges in what will inevitably be a week of scorching action at the inaugural Formula Kite (Foil) World Championships on the butter-flat waters off eastern China. Fifty-eight riders from 19 countries have assembled to battle for the title, the first since rule changes at the beginning of the year altered class rules to accommodate hydrofoil boards in the fast-shifting environment of kite racing. Yet even in the “closed” Formula Kite class — which allows the use only of registered production foils — the emergence of fresh shapes have prompted some leading riders to…
Monday, 05 September 2016 15:29
Stage Set For Engrossing Showdown of Globe’s Top Foilers as Rivals Meet to Fight it Out in China
Battle in the eagerly-awaited first Formula Kite (foil) world championship will get underway in just five days on the waters off Weifang, China. With most of the top kitefoil racers slated to compete, the six-day event will be one of the biggest clashes since rule changes converted Formula Kite to hydrofoiling. The International Kiteboarding Association’s (IKA) KiteFoil GoldCup and the Hydrofoil Pro Tour (HPT) have slightly diluted competition in 2016 as some riders favour one over another, making it rare for so many of the leading riders to compete on the same stage. Now, however France’s Nico Parlier, current HPT…
Friday, 17 June 2016 15:30
Registration opens for the 2016 Formula Kite World Championship
After the huge success of the 2015 Weifang Binhai Open, the event will now play host to the 2016 IKA Formula Kite World Championship. After the evolution of the "70cm Raceboard Class" into a foiling high-performance class solely raced on registered production kites and hydrofoils, the 2016 World Championship will see the worlds best kiteracers battle for the title and their share of the 50000 EUR prize money one offer. In addition, the top riders qualify directly for the Sailing World Cup Final in Melbourne later this year, an important milestone on the new hope for a possible inclusion in…
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