Displaying items by tag: Daniela Moroz

Monegasque rider Maxime Nocher seized the Formula Kite crown with a stellar performance in the final day’s short, sharp medal races, making it three world titles in succession.

Nocher began the day with a healthy lead but knew he had to keep clear of trouble in the “platinum” fleet’s four races with only the top ten men. In the end he notched up two bullets and two fourths in the 6kts to 7kts breezes that were barely sufficient to clear the heat haze that shrouded the track off Joy Sea Beach, Weifang, eastern China.

But as much as Nocher’s hat-trick of world titles is a stunning feat, the victory of US foiling prodigy, Daniela Moroz, just 15, was utterly remarkable against such a classy and tactically astute women’s field.

Moroz had started the final sixth day of competition on equal points with the reigning world champion, Russian Elena Kalinina, 18. Moroz had appeared to have no answers to the Russian in the light airs of day five and trailed in second in each of the four races.

Yet in the last four races in similarly light breezes Moroz found another gear. On her Ozone R1V2 kite and Mike’s Lab foil the American completely turned the tables on Kalinina, with a perfect score of four bullets.

In the day’s second contest on smooth waters Kalinina crashed hard on a drag race to the line battling against Britain’s Steph Bridge — who ultimately took the third podium spot — after catching some debris. But even then Moroz was long gone, a story repeated in every race.

“That’s pretty crazy,” said a clearly elated Moroz, as she waded ashore. “It haven’t really got it yet. I’m pretty happy. It’s so cool. I was pretty bummed about yesterday. I had her in a couple of races and lost. Today I relaxed and tried to cover her and sail without any mistakes.”

The ever-unflappable Kalinina could only shrug her shoulders at the turn of events but recognised that Moroz — considered strongest in the heavier conditions of her Crissy Field, San Francisco, home spot — had discovered something in the lighter airs too.

“I was absolutely trying my best, but she had a speed advantage,” said Kalinina. “Yesterday she made some mistakes that cost her, but today she was perfect. Also, the wind was a little stronger today and more stable today, which helped her.”

For Nocher, newly on a foil by the Italian brand, Banga, the title also brings the joy of knowing he is the first to clinch the Formula Kite title since rule changes brought the class into the foiling era.

In the patchy light breezes blowing over the Yellow Sea, the super-efficient hydrofoils and foil kites came into their own, producing scintillating racing at mind-boggling speeds as the skills of the whole fleet have increased exponentially.

Nocher had to be at the top of his game on the final day to see off the challenge from his training partner Axel Mazella (FRA), who initially sat just a few points adrift in second overall going into the medals races.

“It was really intense today,” said Nocher. “We only had 10 in the fleet, but they’re all the best riders and we’re altogether on the course. That’s my third world title, but my first Formula foil title. So it’s really wonderful to win it.”

Britain’s Olly Bridge, 18, occupied third spot overall entering the final day and realistically knew he had no title shout. But a bullet in the day’s opening clash and a second spot were enough to push him up the order and take the second podium spot at the cost of the French teenager, Mazella, in third.

“I had a pretty good start with a win in the first race, but then I had a tangle which put me down to eighth in one race,” he said. “I’m generally pretty good on the last day and I was just trying to keep it together. I think I’m beginning to handle the pressure pretty well. I had a small chance of winning, but Nocher would have had to screw up pretty badly. So, overall I am happy.”

MEN Overall standings:

1 Maxime Nocher (MON, F-One/Banga) — 21pts
2 Olly Bridge (GBR, Ozone/Levitaz) — 31.5pts
3 Axel Mazella (FRA, F-One/Banga) — 35pts

WOMEN Overall standings:

1 Daniela Moroz (USA, Ozone/Mike’s Lab) — 16pts
2 Elena Kalinina (RUS, Elf/Banga) — 21pts
3 Steph Bridge (GBR, Flysurfer/Levitaz) — 42pts

Full results men:http://formulakite.com/images/documents/2016FormulaKiteWorldsMedalMen.pdf
Full results women:http://formulakite.com/images/documents/2016FormulaKiteWorldsOverallWomen.pdf

Low resolution pictures can be downloaded fromhttps://www.dropbox.com/sh/m1xaet02neud8ek/AAAkpoL_qER0W_bU9tBdLLLFa?dl=0

Teenage Russian title holder Elena Kalinina stands neck-and-neck with the US rider Daniela Moroz as they enter the final day of competition at the Formula Kite (foil) World Championships in China.
Kalinina,18, trumped her even younger rival Moroz, just 15, scoring a perfect four bullets in ultra-competitive racing in breezes that barely topped 8kts blowing over the Yellow Sea’s almost glassy waters off Joy Sea Beach, Weifang Binhai, eastern China.
In the light airs the young foil sensation Moroz trailed in second in each of the day’s four women’s races. It was a complete reversal from Sunday when Moroz left Kalinina playing second fiddle in each of their four races in punchy conditions characterised by heavy swells and winds that topped 25kts.
Yet even the light breezes of day five were a welcome break after two lay days at the first International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) kitefoil worlds when the wind stubbornly refused to kick in even enough for the kitefoilers, who can display blistering pace in barely 5kts, to race.
The 49-strong men’s fleet were seeded into “gold” and “silver” fleets for the medal races after a qualifying series curtailed through lack of wind. The competition in the “gold” fleet’s five races was intense with none of the top riders able dominate, continually swapping places on the leaderboard.
But Nico Parlier (FRA), who topped the leaderboard at the start of the day thanks to a perfect performance on Sunday when he was untouchable in the heavy conditions, found the light breezes not to his liking.
On his Mike’s Lab foil and biggest Ozone R1V2 19m kite, Parlier struggled to match the pace of other lighter riders whose style and equipment were better suited the breeze that occasionally dropped as low as 5kts on parts of the windward-leeward track.
Italy’s Mario Calbucci riding a Banga foil and Elf Joker kite mounted a concerted challenge on the leaderboard with several strong early races, but then suffered misfortune when he tangled and his main kite was damaged, which caused him to fail to complete two races.
Before his costly mishap left him lying sixth on the leaderboard, despite being given redress for two races, he was buoyant. “For me these conditions are like home in the Adriatic Sea,” he said. “I think on my Banga foil I have the most speed in the field. It’s just that I need to improve tactically.”
Britain’s Olly Bridge, 18, was quick out of the gate and seemed about to notch up a victory in the day’s first when he headed for the finish line, apparently mistakenly believing it to be a two lap race, costing him dearly.
But he made up for his error with a clutch of scorchingly-fast races on his Levitaz Bionic foil, scooping a bullet, a second and a third place that left him third overall, just ahead of Florian Trittel (ESP) who was very much in the mix towards the top of the fleet on his KFA Mako foil and Ozone R1V2 kites.
Yet it was the training duo of Maxime Nocher (MON) and Axel Mazella (FRA), victor at the IKA KiteFoil GoldCup opener in Gizzeria, Italy, in July, who respectively topped the standings heading to the closing day’s showdown.
On identical F-one Diablo2 kites and Banga foils, Nocher was able to rack up three bullets to beat Mazella’s one. It might have been two, but in the day’s third race he crashed on a blistering reach to the finish when up against Bridge for the win.
“I caught a lot plastic bags in every race,” he said. “In the third race up against Bridge and Nocher I got one and fell and it cost me 20 seconds. But in the end it’s a game, and every rider has the same problems. So, overall I’m happy.”
Kalinina, also a new convert to the Banga foil that appears better suited to light winds, was also happy to reassert herself over her junior rival, Moroz, who pushed the Russian hard.
“We’re very close,” said the unflappable Kalinina. “It’s been like a match race with her. We’re covering one another on our tacks and gybes. It’s pretty tactical with the wind, that seems to shift on the right of the course.”

words: Ian MacKinnon
pictures: Alex Baranescu

Overall standings after ten races, with one discard:
MEN
1 Maxime Nocher (MON, F-One/Banga) — 11pts
2 Axel Mazella (FRA, F-One/Banga) — 18pts
3 Olly Bridge (GBR, Ozone/Levitaz) — 19.5pts
Overall standings after four races:

Overall standings after eight races, with one discard:
WOMEN
1 Daniela Moroz (USA, Ozone/Mike’s Lab) — 10pts
1 Elena Kalinina (RUS, Elf/Banga) — 10pts
3 Steph Bridge (GBR, Flysurfer/Levitaz) —23pts

Full results men:http://formulakite.com/images/documents/2016FormulaKiteWorldsOverallMen.pdf
Full results women:

Low resolution pictures can be downloaded fromhttps://www.dropbox.com/sh/m1xaet02neud8ek/AAAkpoL_qER0W_bU9tBdLLLFa?dl=0