Young Swede Adam Holm wins Kona World Championships

by Daniel Nordlund on 7 Aug 2017 After six days of intense racing in Båstad, Sweden, Swedish Adam Holm (23 years) is crowned new World Champion in World Sailing-class Kona One.

Adam Holm secured the title after a thrilling battle with the first runner-up Dutchman Huig-Jan Tak, who finished only one point behind the Champion. The three times World Champion Björn Holm won the silver medal.

The Championship took place on classical racing waters out of Båstad on the Swedish West Coast which has hosted numerous international and national sailing events over the years. The first race days took place in very light and shifty conditions putting lots of effort on the tactical skills of the sailors.

The later part of the Championship developed into a tight high wind battle between the two main contenders Adam Holm and Huig-Jan Tak. Adam delivered an impressive high wind sailing resulting in a bullet and four second places in the last four races keeping him ahead of Huig-Jan.

- I am completely stoked over winning the gold at the Worlds. I have been fighting a long time for this. Huig-Jan Tak is a very good friend of mine and it has been challenging and rewarding to battle the gold with him, Adam Holm says.

Adam Holm proved to master all conditions during the week with an impressive consistence and a total record: 1-1-2-(25)-2-(3)-2-2-1-2-2-2. His overall score was 17 points, one point ahead of Huig-Jan Tak.

- I am happy with my racing and glad that Adam won. It was a privilege to race against him. At the same time, I am disappointed that we couldn’t do more races the last day since I had a such an upgoing trend with my sailing, says Huig-Jan Tak.

The Kona World Champion is well-reputed. Among his previous merits are a gold in Kona Worlds 2012 and a gold in Kona Europeans 2014. The last years he has been full time engaged in an Olympic campaign in the RS:X-class.

The bronze medalist in the Kona Worlds 2017 was the three times World Champion Björn Holm (SWE). He was three points behind Huig-Jan Tak.

Kona One is one of the fastest growing windsurfing classes in the world and part of World Sailing. It is a one design class where all sailors use identical boards and men and women compete together. The same sail is used in all conditions and size according to weight, to give as fair conditions as possible. It is further a non-pumping class.