Please select your home edition
Edition
X-Yachts Leaderboard 2024 4

2018 Formula Kite North American Championship to be held at San Diego

by Casey Allocco 21 Oct 2018 04:45 PDT 8-11 November 2018
Kiteboard North American Championship day 2 © Bob Betancourt

The 2018 Formula Kite North American Championship is coming to San Diego and will be hosted by the San Diego Yacht Club on November 8-11, 2018. An estimated 30 kiters will launch their foil kites from the beautiful Crown Cove State Beach and shred the waters of South San Diego Bay!

Typical San Diego breezes ranging from 8-12 knots make Crown Cove an ideal venue with flat water giving riders the ability to sail faster without worrying about large swells or big kelp patties. Crown Cove is a beautiful, clean and protected part of the Silver Strand State Beach and California State Park system. Kiters can loft their kites, walk into the water and take off.

The kiteboarders will challenge each other in a series of races for three days and the top ranking countries from North and South America can qualify for the 2019 Pan American Games.

The North American Championships event is fairly new to the kiteboarding community. The first North Americans was held in Puerto Rico in 2010 and the second was held in 2011 at St. Francis Yacht Club, who have been instrumental in developing kite racing by running local racing and promoting big major championships in North America. Other popular kiteboarding destinations include St. Petersburg, FL, various locations in Baja California, and Santa Barbara Yacht Club in Santa Barbara, CA. As the sport gains traction in the Pan American Games, kite racing has a bright future emerging in new locations.

The November event will be raced using the Short Track format, a newer trend in America that was promoted by the French. The format was most recently used in the Kiteboarding Pacific Coast Championships a few months ago in Long Beach, CA. The Short Track course is less than three miles in overall length. With riders capable of hitting speeds over 30 knots over much of the course, races last less than ten minutes each. The Short Track format is altering the way kiteboarders are sailing by putting emphasis on a clean start and maintaining top speed reaching along each of the off-wind legs.

Currently, Foil Kiteboarding is being proposed as an addition to the 2024 Olympics. American Kiteboard Association (AKA) Board Member and Race Director Robbie Dean explains the current parameters of the equipment. "The Formula Kite Class has been around for a long time. The broad concept is that there are certain design parameters in terms of dimensions that the equipment can fit within, like a 'box rule'. That's the main feature of the equipment development. You can develop it as long as it fits into this theoretical box, which is what is being proposed for Olympic inclusion going forward. It's up for discussion whether they have to remain a 'box rule' class, rather than a one-design."

The participants will kick-off the North American Championships weekend on Thursday, November 8 with an Opening Ceremony. Racing will begin on Friday, November 9 and continue through Sunday, November 11. The weekend will conclude with awards on the beach at Crown Cove on Sunday after the races.

San Diego Yacht Club last hosted the Kiteboarding North American Championships in 2014. Commodore Michael Dorgan is thrilled to be hosting the event again. "We are very excited to host the Kiteboarding North American Championships at the SDYC. For over 100 years, SDYC has been leading the charge in the development of racing sailboats of all sizes, shapes and forms. Kiteboarding is an exciting sport enabling anyone to sail almost anywhere. You can open up your kiteboarding bag, pull the board out, pump up the sail, and head off on a foil above the water reaching 'power boat' speeds in a matter of seconds. We are looking forward to seeing some of the best kiteboarders from around the world compete with us in San Diego."

internationalkiteboarding.org/events/upcoming-events/formula/135-2018-north-american-championships

Related Articles

Formula Kite Worlds Quartu Sant'Elena preview
9th Sardinia Grand Slam is the first major step towards Los Angeles 2028 Next September 28th to October 5th, the Poetto beach will host the event that crowns the new World Champions. Among the top contenders: Maeder, Vodišek, and Pianosi in the men's fleet; Nolot, Aldridge, and Kampman among women Posted on 23 Sep
Fortaleza World Sailing Championships announced
Test event in January 2026, and the real thing in January 2027 World Sailing has confirmed the dates for Fortaleza 2027 World Sailing Championships as 22-30 January 2027, with a Test Event being held one year prior. Posted on 23 Sep
IKA 2025 Masters Worlds at Bilge Ozturk Kite Club
Jonson rides the Black Sea waves to victory Danish kiteboarder James Jonson was crowned Champion at the IKA 2025 Masters World Championship, held at the Bilge Ozturk Kite Club on the shores of the Black Sea, as wild waves brought an early end to the final day of competition. Posted on 14 Sep
British Kitesurfer Jake Scrace Breaks World Record
Reaching 1,587 feet in a kitesurf tow-up above the iconic Needles, Isle of Wight Jake Scrace, a British kitesurfer and thrill-seeker known for daring stunts including kite-surfing over Worthing Pier, has set a new Guinness World Record by reaching 1,587 feet in a kitesurf tow-up above the iconic Needles, Isle of Wight. Posted on 12 Sep
GKA Youth Kite Worlds Tarifa concludes
The world's most promising young riders in both Kite-Surf and Freestyle disciplines Tarifa once again proved to be the perfect stage for the 2025 GKA Youth Kite World Championships, uniting the world's most promising young riders in both Kite-Surf and Freestyle disciplines. Posted on 5 Sep
Freestyle Youth Worlds set for take-off in Spain
Youth world championship titles to be awarded Twin-tip Youth world championship titles to be awarded Twin-tip and Surfboard Freestyle in kite mecca of Tarifa. Posted on 1 Sep
GKA Kite-Surf Big Air World Cup winners crowned
Delannoy and Demanez win Kite-Surf discipline in Sylt Day five of the GKA Kite World Cup Sylt began before sunrise, with riders called to a 6 a.m. briefing in an effort to make the most of the wind and push through the Kite-Surf competition. Posted on 31 Aug
Hydrofoil Big Air winners crowned in Sylt
An action-packed final day of competition The 2025 GKA Kite World Cup Sylt got under way in spectacular fashion, with the opening discipline of Hydrofoil Big Air setting the tone for the week. Posted on 30 Aug
GKA Kite World Tour heads to Sylt
For a Kite-Surf and Hydrofoil Big Air World Cup Sylt will host the opening round of the Hydrofoil-Big Air world title fight while the Kite-Surf action is back after a five-month break. Posted on 25 Aug
North unveils the 2026 Big Air Collection
North Kiteboarding invites riders to rediscover what Big Air really feels like. This August, North Kiteboarding invites riders to rediscover what Big Air really feels like, with the launch of its 2026 Big Air Collection - featuring the completely re-engineered Orbit kite and three fresh TwinTips: Atmos Pro, Atmos, and Astra. Posted on 19 Aug
Maritimo M50Sea Sure 2025Selden 2020 - FOOTER