- Kite Foil World Champioship 2017 – Day 5, 8 October 2017
- Kite Foil World Champioship 2017 – Day 4, 7 October 2017
- Kite Foil World Champioship 2017 – Day 3, 6 October 2017
- Kite Foil World Champioship 2017 – Day 2, 5 October 2017
- Kite Foil World Champioship 2017 – Day 1, 4 October 2017
Cagliari, Poetto Beach, 8 october 2017 – Parlier Takes KiteFoil World Title While Mazella Grabs GoldCup Crown
France’s Nico Parlier put on an imperious display to seize the International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) KiteFoil World Championship on the final day of racing on the Italian resort island of Sardinia.
Even before the last race of the Sardinia Kiteboard Grand Slam, Parlier’s haul of bullets during the four days of competition meant he had the championship in the bag because of his vastly superior score.
But after adding two more bullets to his tally in the opening two races on the flat waters of the Gulf of Angels of Cagliari’s Poetto Beach, Parlier looked like he would make it a perfect hat-trick in the day’s final race after rounding the first top mark in the lead once again.
Uncharacteristically, he fell when he missed a gybe in the light, shifty breezes and had to watch much of head of the fleet ride past as he tried to restart. Yet by the bottom mark Parlier was back up to sixth position and with his raw pace and finesse he managed to claw his way back to finish second, just behind countryman Axel Mazella.
“I could have stayed on the beach for that last race because I knew I had it won already,” said Parlier. “Still, I had to stay concentrated for the whole regatta. As I expected, the level of competition was very high. So I’m really delighted to win.”
Mazella’s stellar performance earned him the second spot on the podium for the World title, but as the regatta doubled as the fourth stop of the 2017 IKA KiteFoil GoldCup series it was also enough to secure him the overall tour title.
The 20-year-old Frenchman had been peerless at the GoldCup’s previous back-to-back stops at Weifang and Pingtan, China, last month, when he won race after race in light conditions that left rivals awed by his speed and precision.
“I’m really, really happy to win the tour title,” said a beaming Mazella. “But it’s slightly bitter-sweet. I’d loved to have taken the World Championship title too. We’ve had all the top guys here, so it was very tight and very interesting. I hope it will be the same at the Formula Kite Worlds in Oman next month.”
The intense competition at the top of the fleet left reigning IKA Formula Kite world champion and KiteFoil GoldCup title holder, Maxime Nocher (MON), in an unfamiliar third spot on the podium. But after a four-month layoff and little training for the event, Nocher was pleased with his showing after a consistent series of top place finishes in the regatta’s 12 races that have left him hungry to get back on top in the increasingly competitive environment.
“It was very tight and I’m quite happy for my comeback,” said Nocher. “For sure I will go to Oman now. The level in foiling is really going up. Before, I was just leading. Now there’s very little between the top 10 guys. The technology is advancing like crazy and I’m working on my own foil. So let’s see.”
With virtually all the leading men among the 39-strong fleet from 14 nations at the Sardinia Kiteboard Grand Slam—sponsored by the City of Cagliari and Tourism Sardinia, supported by Yacht Club Cagliari—the five-day event produced some of the fastest, tightest racing of the year.
But straight out of the gate, Team Enata’s Mazella racked up two bullets on the first day of racing in light conditions that upset the form books that saw Parlier as the firm favourite after he had won nearly race this year.
True to form, though, the wheels of the Parlier machine began to grind on the second day when the gusty Mistral winds hit 40kts. On his Mike’s Lab foil and board, and Ozone R1V2 kites, he began racking up bullets and continued to do so right to close of racing, only faltering occasionally when he placed second, a record that made him untouchable.
For a time Britain’s Guy Bridge, 18, on his Levitaz Bionic foil and Flysurfer Sonic Race kites, looked as if he could challenge for a podium spot. But despite his searing pace, a chequered last two days left him in fourth spot overall.
His mother, multiple world champion, Steph Bridge, among the three women racing in the competitive mixed fleet, won the women’s title, but was nonetheless dismayed with her final day’s outing that took the gloss of things a little.
“I had a bit of a disaster,” said Bridge. “I don’t think I’ve ever in my life been out in such tricky, gusty conditions. But it’s the same for everyone. It’s just that it’s just not good to end a great event on sad note. I felt I should have done better.”
French 16-year-old Anaïs Mai Desjardins, undoubtedly a rising star, took the second podium spot behind Bridge. But her win at the KiteFoil GoldCup in Korea and a third in Weifang, China, were enough for her to take the overall tour crown.
Cagliari, Poetto Beach, 7 october 2017 –
Cagliari, Poetto Beach, 6 october 2017 – Second day of races at the Kite Foil World Champioship 2017 at the Poetto Beach of Cagliari, Sardinia.
The day was signed by a really strong mistral wind, that reached over 40 knots.
These conditions enhance the technical and physical skills of the 39 international top riders here at Poetto.
French Nico Parlier has been the absolut dominator of the day with three consecutive first place. This allowed him to pass French country man Axel Mazella on the lead.
Another great comeback was from the world champion Maxime Nocher that jumped in third place after the three third places today.
British Guy Bridge is now in 4th Overall, whil Italian Mario Calbucci is in sixth.
Tomorrow morning skippers meeting at 10.00 h. with first possible start at 11.00.
The wind is expected from NE rotating to east in the second part of the day.
Cagliari, poetto Beach, 5 october 2017 – None of the favourites to take the International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) KiteFoil World Championship title had it all their own in the opening exchanges on sparkling blue Mediterranean waters off the Italian island of Sardinia.
In a surprise upset to the form books, France’s Axel Mazella scored bullets in the first two races, holding countryman Nico Parlier at bay and pushing him into unfamiliar second spots on each occasion as the shifty breezes vexed the entire fleet.
Yet in the opening day’s third and final race both Frenchmen—arguably the fastest racers in the fleet—came unstuck. Each separately tangled with other riders and had to fight their back way into contention but finished slightly down the order. That left the door open for reigning IKA KiteFoil GoldCup title holder and Formula Kite World Champion Maxime Nocher (MON) to take the win on his comeback at the Sardinia Kiteboarding Grand Slam after a four-month layoff.
Only Britain’s increasingly quick teenager, Guy Bridge, could split the order with three consistent finishes in the thermal breezes that built to around 12kts and left him third on the leaderboard. His mother, multiple world champion Steph Bridge (GBR), had a slightly chequered outing missing one start by several minutes after suffering a tangle launching her foil kite on the beach. But racing in the mixed fleet, she managed to keep her nose in front of 16-year-old Anaïs Mai Desjardins (FRA) to give her the edge on the leaderboard.
Still, for all the drama of mixed fortunes on the water, the opening day of the IKA KiteFoil World Championship, which is also the concluding contest of the four-stop KiteFoil GoldCup series that began in May in Korea before proceeding to China for back-to-back events last month, lived up to the hype. With virtually all the world’s top men on the startline for the first time this year on the first day of the four-day regatta, sponsored by Cagliari city and the Sardinia region, the showdown was bound to produce fireworks.
That Mazella opened his account taking two comfortable victories, leaving Parlier in his wake, was slightly unexpected. On the two laps of the windward-leeward track Mazella took early leads from where he barley looked back using his favoured 15m Enata foil kite. “I got good starts just in front of Nico Parlier,” said Mazella. “But I needed to control the races all the time. I was just in front of him, so when he took a slightly higher angle, I did the same. If he went deeper, I followed suit. I’m really confident on my 15m kite.”
Parlier had also started the day on a 15m Ozone R1V2 kite that had been big enough for the early winds. But for the racer who favours heavier conditions, the tricky breezes proved slightly troublesome. “It was pretty light wind,” said Parlier. “But the biggest problem was that I had no idea which part of the course was favoured. In the last race I had a crash into another rider and that really didn’t help, though I managed to get back into it at the end.”
With the two Frenchmen fighting to get back on terms in the final race Nocher, who had switched to a second prototype foil, found another gear that gave him his first cherished victory, just ahead of Théo L’hostis (FRA), Italy’s Mario Calbucci and Guy Bridge, who were hot on his heels. “After the first two races I changed the foil,” said Nocher. “It had been giving me a lot of trouble, and the third race was way better and I managed to win, so I’m happy. It’s my comeback after four months off, and I’ve only been training for two weeks, so it’s a good start.”
Top five men after three races (no discards)
- Axel Mazella (FRA) 9pts
- Nico Parlier (FRA) 10pts
- Guy Bridge (GBR) 10pts
- Maxime Nocher (MON) 12pts
- Mario Calbucci (ITA) 21pts
Top three women after three races (no discards)
- Steph Bridge (GBR) 77pts
- Anaïs Mai Desjardins (FRA) 85pts
- Sabrina Schlossnikel (GER) 111pts.
Cagliari, poetto Beach, 4 october 2017 – Today 4 October 2017 is the registration Day. At 18:00 h there will be the Open Ceremony.
The Sardinia Grand Slam, final stage of Kite Foil Gold Cup have been presented yesterday at Sardinian Tourist board in Cagliari and will under go from tomorrow at the suggestive location of Poetto Beach of Cagliari (Fidth Bus Stop, Italian Army Bathhouse).
The event is organized by GLE (Good Looking Entertainment) with technical support from Yacht Club Cagliari and the sanctioning body being IKA (International Kiteboarding Association).
The press conference was opened by event organizer Gian Domenico Nieddu with interventions by Alberto Floris president of Yacht Club Cagliari, Barbara Argiolas Sardinia Turism minister , Yuri Marcialis Sport minister for the city of Cagliari, Mirco Babini President of the International Kiteboarding, Association and General Giovanni Domenico Pintus, Commander in chief for Esercito Italiano – Sardinian Army.
“Events like the Sardinia Grand Slam – say Tourist Minister Barbara Argiolas- are included in our strategy plan to promote tourism throught sport in contact with nature. We are opening new seasons, after summer is over, thanks to events like this. We will continue to invest in events that will focus on our environmental quality and substanibility giving at the same time an economical value . Sailing events and other sports events in contact with nature find in Sardinia their ideal location”
At the Press conference was present also the Kite foil World Champion Maxine Nocher from Montecarlo: “ I’m really happy to be herein Cagliari. It’s the fourth time that I come in this wonderful island of Sardinia and I’m becoming really affectionated because I won here my very first international title. I’m sure this will be a great event.”
The IKA event will take place in the location called ‘Esercito’, managed by the Army and is organized by Gian Domenico Nieddu of GLE Good Looking Entertainment in cooperation with Yacht Club Cagliari.
The City Hall of Cagliari and the Sardinia Region are the sponsors of the event through their Tourism office. Sixty riders are registered from all over the world and this evening at 6 pm there will be the ‘opening cerimony’.
Total prize money will reach € 20.000.
The reigning world champion MAXINE NOCHER (from Montecarlo) will have to match the strong French team including the vice world champion NICO PARLIER and AXEL MAZELLA.
Good chances also for THEO LHOSTIS from France and the British brothers GUY and OLIVER BRIGHT, all on top of the ranking separated by few points.
For the Italian fans the cheering will go to best ranked RICKY LECCESE but also hopes are placed on a good performance of veterans MARIO CALBUCCI and ANDREA BEVERINO.
In the ladies fleet UK Steph Bridge.
EVENT PROGRAM
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3:
Conference
DAY 1 – WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4:
Riders Arrivals
15,00-17,00 Rider’s Registrations.
18,00 Opening Ceremony in Cagliari – Poetto Beach –
Welcome Ceremony for Riders and Officials
DAY 2 – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5:
Qualification series
Guided tour of museums
DAY 3 – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6:
Qualification series
Sport Courses at sea
Party
DAY 4 – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7:
Qualification series
DAY 5 – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8:
Finals
19,30 Prize giving and awards closing ceremony with free dinner for all riders and organization in Cagliari End Party
Cagliari 31 August 2017 – Even in this 2017, Cagliari in Sardinia will host the fantastic show of Kitesurfing: In fact, between the 4 and the 8 of October 2017, at Poetto Beach f Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia island, it will take place the Kite Foil World Championship 2017.
After the Kite Worlds 2002, after the Kiteboard Racing World Championships in 2012, after the Youth and Master Kite World Championships 2014 and after the Kite Foil European Championships 2016, Cagliari once again became the world’s kite center.
International Kiteboarding comes back to beautiful Poetto Beach -Cagliari after the World Championship Racing in 2012 and in leading Italian resort island of Sardinia after the IKA World Kite League of last year in Porto Pollo.
This time Cagliari will host the IKA Kite Foil Gold Cup World Championships FINAL. It is the final event, the one that will assign the world title, in a tour that touched already this year Korea, France and China two times.
The IKA event will take place in the location called ‘Esercito’, managed by the Army.
Sixty riders are expected from all over the world but the biggest contingent will come from France where kite foil exploded.
Total prize money will reach €20.000.
The reigning world champion MAXINE NOCHER (from Montecarlo) will have to match the strong French team including the vice world champion NICO PARLIER and AXEL MAZELLA.
Good chances also for THEO LHOSTIS from France and the British brothers GUY and OLIVER BRIGHT, all on top of the ranking separated by few points.
For the Italian fans the cheering will go to best ranked RICKY LECCESE (based in South America) but also hopes are placed on a good performance of veterans SIMONE VANNUCCI, MARIO CALBUCCI and ANDREA BEVERINO.
In the ladies fleet USA leader DANIELA MOROZ will try to retake the world title but has to watch out from Russian ELENA KALININA.
Here below some useful information on kitesurfing and Kite Foil and on the KiteFoil World Championship 2017.
- Kitesurfing and Kite Foil: what are they?
- Format of the Kite Foil World Championship 2017 in Cagliari, Sardinia
- The location of the Kite Foil World Championship2017: The Poetto Beach of Cagliari
- Schedule of the Kite Foil World Championship 2017
- Details of Kite Foil World Championship 2017
- Streaming of the Kite Foil World Champioship 2017 in Cagliari, Sardinia
1. Kitesurfing and Kite Foil: what are they?
Let us now explain to the less experienced, what are the kitesurfing and the kitefoil.
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing is a surface water sport that consists of gliding on the water suface with a board thanks to the power transmitted by a kite used as a sail. It is an adrenaline and beautiful sport, which is becoming always more popular even among famous people, including Barak Obama.
KiteFoil
Kite foil is a special kitesurfing discipline in which a particular board is used: this board, Hydro Foil board, has a long fin with wings that allow the rider to escape completely from the water and reach incredible speeds (even over 60 km / h ) thanks to the very little resistance that this fin reaches in the water. Kite Foil is the Formula One of Kitesurf, a show not to be missed!
2. Format of the Kite Foil World Championship 2017 in Cagliari, Sardinia
The format of the World Championship of Kite Foil 2017 will be Fleet Racing.
Fleet Racing is a series of races where the riders challenge each other. At the end of each racing, the first ranked rider gets a point, the second ranked gets two points, the third ranked gets 3 points and so on.
At the end of all races, the rider who has scored the smallest total of points will be the 2017 Kite Foil World Champion.
The rankings can change up to the last race for two reasons:
- because each race is different from the others and any result is always possible;
- because every 5 races , the riders could discard the worst result obtained in the previous races.
Separate rankings will be drawn for women, men, Youth and Masters (over 35) and Grand Master (over 45).
Stay tuned! Do not miss the Kite Foil World Champioship 2017!
3. The location of the Kite Foil World Championship2017: The Poetto Beach of Cagliari
The Village of Sardinia Grand Slam – IKA Kite Foil World Championship 2017, that will be held in Cagliari, Sardinia, is located at the Army Facility (Stabilimento dell’Esercito) to the fifth bus stop of Poetto beach, the beach of Cagliari.
Event Coordinates
- 39.207015, 9.166432
- Google Maps Link: Click here
FACILITIES OF ARMY FACILITY (STABILIMENTO DELL’ESERCITO)
It includes a large area that comes alive throughout the day:
- Area athletes
- Stage Speaker & Music
- Exhibition area
- Paddock storage equipment
- medical Area
- Technical Area / jury / race committee
- secretary
- dining area
- Services
- show program area
- play area
- The Marina (means)
- Info point
- Media / TV area
- Press room
4. Schedule of the Kite Foil World Championship 2017
The Sardinia Grand Slam – IKA Kite Foil World Championship 2017 will start on 4 October 2017 at Poetto Beach of Cagliari in Sardinia, Italy!
Here under the schedule of the event.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3:
Conference
DAY 1 – WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4:
Riders Arrivals
15,00-17,00 Rider’s Registrations.
18,00 Opening Ceremony in Cagliari – Poetto Beach –
Welcome Ceremony for Riders and Officials
DAY 2 – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5:
Qualification series
Guided tour of museums
DAY 3 – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6:
Qualification series
Sport Courses at sea
Party
DAY 4 – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7:
Qualification series
DAY 5 – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8:
Finals
19,30 Prize giving and awards closing ceremony with free dinner for all riders and organization in Cagliari End Party
5. Details of the Kite Foil World Championship 2017
| Event Start Date | 04. Oct 2017 |
| Event End Date | 08. Oct 2017 |
| Max Participation Quota | 60 |
| Registration and Early Bird Deadline | 03. Oct 2017 |
| Full Entry Fee | 250.00 EUR |
| Early Bird Entry Fee | 200.00 EUR |
| Class | KiteFoil |
| Discipline | Fleet Racing |
| Event Website | CLICK HERE</ |
| Points | 200 |
| Prizemoney | 20000 EUR |
| Event Status | confirmed |
| Notice of Race | CLICK HERE |
| Sailing Instructions | CLICK HERE |
| Location | Poetto Beach |