Please select your home edition
Edition
MySail 2025

2021 KiteFoil World Series Gran Canaria Day 1

by International Kiteboarding Association 1 Dec 2021 13:40 PST 1-4 December 2021

Asked what a Frenchman eats for breakfast in Spain, today's winner smiled: "I eat an English breakfast in Spain. Look at my skinny legs! I need bigger legs to go faster, and that's why I need an English breakfast."

Another rider familiar with the Great British breakfast is Connor Bainbridge who powered his way to victory in the opening race, with Mazella breathing down the Briton's neck all the way to the high-speed finish. Bainbridge followed up with three second places and would have taken second in the last race of the afternoon but for a crash just before the finish line which dropped him to third.

Bainbridge's loss was Denis Taradin's gain, as the Russian Federation rider stormed past to steal second place. Taradin admitted it had taken him a while to get into his groove. In race two he was holding a healthy lead until a crash down the final run dropped him from first to fifth place. "It was tricky conditions in the waves and it took me a while to get into the flow. Either I was going fast and crashing, or going too slow. Connor sailed a really good day with all his second places but I was getting better by the end of the day. Whoever beats who at this event is probably going to end up taking second overall in this year's Series, so I'll keep on pushing."

Another Russian Federation rider, Mikhail Novikov, is leading the Under 19 youth category with a consistent bunch of sixes and sevens. In the women's division, Poema Newland had the best day and sits just a point outside of the top 10 overall. Another French rider Lauriane Nolot holds second in the women with Austria's Alina Kornelli in third. "Really hard racing out there," smiled Kornelli. "I lost a few places with a crash just before the finish. I think the high-speed reach at the end makes it hard for us to keep control and that's why we're seeing a few people fall right at the end of the races."

Maintaining board and kite control whilst thinking race strategy and tactics is a lot to take in for the human brain. A lot of the riders are happy to get round without a crash, but a mark of Mazella's brilliance was on display in race three. With Bainbridge and Croatia's Martin Dolenc approaching the final windward mark on starboard tack, Mazella came charging in from the left-hand lay line. Seemingly with no place to go the Frenchman managed to execute a perfect foiling tack right in the gap between his two rivals without fouling them. One slip and Mazella would caused an incident which would have required him to take a penalty. "I had to go for it otherwise I would have had to sail behind them both and give up the fight for first place."

Once around the mark, Mazella used the downwind superiority of the Ozone kite to sail a deeper line towards the bottom of the course. This gave him the ability to control the next gybe and take charge of the race until the finish. "The others were faster than me upwind but I have the edge downwind so that was my opportunity."

Racing continues at 1300 hours on Thursday with five more races on the schedule, although a higher wind forecast could make the conditions very challenging indeed. All the action on the climactic final two days of the regatta on Friday and Saturday will be featured on Facebook Livestream.

2021 Kitefoil World Series Gran Canaria - Men (5 races, 1 discard)

1. FRA Axel Mazella 4pts
2. GBR Connor Bainbridge 7pts
3. RYF Denis Taradin 13pts

2021 Kitefoil World Series Gran Canaria - Women (5 races, 1 discard)

1. FRA Poema Newland 40pts
2. FRA Lauriane Nolot 54pts
3. AUT Alina Kornelli 59pts

Full rankings available here...

Related Articles

Australia's next wave at French Olympic Week
Morris faced light and patchy breeze in the must-win medal showdown French Olympic Week in Hyères delivered everything from the roaring mistral winds that pushed physical limits to the patience-testing light airs that demanded calm and clarity. Posted on 27 Apr
Sail Canada at 2025 French Olympic Week overall
Antonia and Georgia Lewin-LaFrance win bronze medal at Sailing Grand Slam Series event Antonia and Georgia Lewin-LaFrance from Chester, N.S., won the bronze medal in 49erFX at the second event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series, French Olympic Week, which was held April 21-26 in Hyères, FRA. Posted on 27 Apr
56th Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères overall
USA skiffs gold and silver as Italy and China top medal table The final day of the 56th edition of French Olympic Week saw Italy join China at the top of the medal table as they won a medal of every colour across the six Medal Races after China's exploits on Friday. Posted on 26 Apr
Sail Canada at 2025 French Olympic Week Day 5
Two Canadian boats will take part in Saturday's Medal Races Here are the highlights of Sail Canada's National Team on DAY 5 of the 2025 French Olympic Week held April 21-26 in Hyères, FRA, the second event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series. Posted on 25 Apr
56th Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères day 5
Israel deny China triple gold On a day of high pressure - in all senses - and drama in all the Medal series, team power and individual brilliance produced some of the closest board Finals in Hyères history. Posted on 25 Apr
Sail Canada at 2025 French Olympic Week Day 4
Antonia & Georgia Lewin-LaFrance finished 1st and 4th in the 49erFX The highlights of Sail Canada's National Team on day 4 of the 2025 French Olympic Week held April 21-26 in Hyères, FRA, the second event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series. Posted on 24 Apr
56th Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères day 4
Kiteboarders and windsurfers go for Friday gold as shifts play havoc with process On a day in which fortunes shifted as much as the winds, French Olympic Week will have its first Medal Races on Friday as the top 8 men and women kitesurfers and windsurfers battle it out for the podium. Posted on 24 Apr
Sail Canada at 2025 French Olympic Week Day 3
Clara Gravely is currently ranked 7th overall in the ILCA 6 class The highlights of Sail Canada's National Team on DAY 3 of the 2025 French Olympic Week held April 21-26 in Hyères, FRA, the second event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series. Posted on 23 Apr
56th Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères day 3
Epic Mistral baptises the next Olympic generation "Epic", "Crazy", "Nothing like it" and many words too colourful to include in a family press release sprang from the excited Mistral-lashed lips and sometimes stunned faces of those Olympic classes last back to the boat park. Posted on 23 Apr
First Ever US Sailing Youth National Team
Made up of 66 athletes spanning the United States from Hawaii to the east coast US Sailing is pleased to announce the inaugural US Sailing Youth National Team (USYNT), made up of 66 athletes spanning the United States from Hawaii to the east coast. Posted on 22 Apr
Hyde Sails 2024 - One DesignSea Sure 2025Exposure Marine