Feeling of flying – Inaugural Victorian Kite Foil State Championships

by Lesley Fasala on 16 Aug 2017 The 2017 Sail Melbourne International event, to be held at Royal Brighton Yacht Club, will play host to the inaugural Victorian Kite Foil State Championships.

Kiters will take to the water to harness the feeling of flying on their kites to race the course alongside a host of other sailing classes. Kiteboarding Victoria has put their support behind the first Victorian Kite Foil State Championship.

The event is expected to draw interstate and local competitors to the two-day event held on the second and third of December, 2017. Kiteboarding is no stranger to Royal Brighton Yacht Club, where there has been many kiting events held in the past. There are strong synergies between the two sports and this event represents a further strengthening of the relationship between kiting and sailing.

Simon Savage, the president of Kiteboarding Australia who is a passionate kite foil racer says “As a very new sport, kitefoiling is extremely fortunate to have the support of clubs like RBYC without which, such events would not be possible. This inaugural state racing championship is both a great step forward for grass roots participation in the sport and an important step in building relationships that are good for our sport.”

The event is timed to harness the seasonal summer Seabreeze that should be in full swing by early December, making for perfect racing conditions for riders from Victoria and interstate to compete in the Championships.

International Kiteboarding Association is hoping to secure a demonstration event at Toyko 2020 Olympics, a decision from World Sailing/International Olympic Committee will be announced in the coming months. If the sport is included in 2020, this will bring the sport into a whole new light, making for a spectator’s delight in the exciting racing class.