Please select your home edition
Edition
Doyle_SailWorld_728X90px_SY TOP

2024 Formula Kite European Championships at Mar Menor, Spain - Overall

by Andy Rice 24 Mar 2024 23:17 PDT 18-24 March 2024
Max Maeder and Lauriane Nolot celebrate on the beach - 2024 Formula Kite European Championships © IKA media / Robert Hajduk

Winds gusting close to 30 knots brought spectacular conditions for the climax of the 2024 Formula Kite European Championship in Mar Menor, Spain.

Reigning World Champions Max Maeder and Lauriane Nolot respectively won the men's and women's European titles, but for the French woman she had to sail at her absolute best to beat her faster rivals. Jessie Kampman and Poema Newland pushed Nolot hard all week, the French dominating the top three of the leaderboard throughout the regatta.

Coup de Grâce

This was part of the French Olympic selection trials and it showed. The intensity of the racing between these three was something to behold, and it drove the French to a level that the rest of the female fleet just couldn't match.

Except perhaps for Elena Lengwiler. The Swiss rider could barely gybe a foiling kiteboard a year ago, but she has made enormous strides in her ability and at times was the fastest rider on the race track. Finishing in fourth place behind the French, and yet she has yet to qualify Switzerland for a place at the Olympic Games. That task will come at the 'Last Chance' Regatta in the South of France a month from now when Lengwiler will surely earn her place for Paris 2024.

Extreme Measures

In the Final, up against those three French riders, Lengwiler was definitely a contender, not just making up the numbers. But in the end the Swiss rider finished just off the podium. A crash in the first race of the Final for Poema Newland was not what this competitive rider was aiming for, but it was so easy to do on a day when the women were resorting to their rarely-used 9 square metre kites which you only ever see in extreme conditions.

Nolot was the early leader for the first race and looked like she was going to win the Europeans in one race. But Kampman had other ideas and overtook her rival on the downwind leg and held the lead to the finish.

Not the fastest, but the smartest

In the next race Nolot spotted an opportunity for a brave port-tack start across her three rivals. She executed the start perfectly and was rewarded with an early lead that Nolot would never relinquish. For once Nolot lacked an extra gear of speed, but instead she made up for it with brave tactics and fully deserved to take the European title. Together with her teammates, it was a clean sweep of the medals for France, Kampman taking silver and Newland the bronze.

In the men's Medal Series, Italy's Riccardo Pianosi and Bruno Lobo of Brazil fought their way out of the men's semi-finals to go up against Axel Mazella and Max Maeder in the Final. But the 17-year-old from Singapore was just too good, Maeder needing only one race to win the title which he last held in 2022. Silver went to Mazella, an incredible result for the Frenchman only recently returned to kiting after a serious knee injury, and bronze to Pianosi.

Unintimidated

Joining the commentary team for the livestream of the final two days of the Europeans was the 2022 World Champion Toni Vodisek. The Slovenian has already qualified for a place at the Games and was taking time away from the water before getting back into competition for the final push towards Paris 2024. Despite Maeder's almost flawless performance, Vodisek still believes he can beat the favourite at the Olympic Games.

It has been a barnstorming start to the Olympic kiteboarding season, and with the World Championships just a few weeks away, there are more thrills and spills to come between now and Paris 2024.

More info at www.kiteclasses.org. (top three)

Men
1. Maximilian Maeder SGP Gold
2. Axel Mazella FRA Silver
3. Riccardo Pianosi ITA Bronze

Women
1. Lauriane Nolot FRA Gold
2. Jessie Kampman FRA Silver
3. Poema Newland FRA Bronze

More info at www.kiteclasses.org.

Related Articles

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
Canadian sailor James Huynh wins bronze
At Asunción 2025 Junior Pan American Games James Huynh from Brossard, QC, won a bronze medal at the Asunción 2025 Junior Pan American Games, finishing third in the men's Formula Kite event which ended on Sunday as part of the sailing competition. Posted on 18 Aug
Formula Kite Worlds head to Sardinia
New venue announced for the 9th Sardinia Grand Slam New venue announced for the 9th Sardinia Grand Slam, sailing event scheduled next September 28th to October 5th: the ninth edition will crown queens and kings of the foil that made its five-circle debut in Paris Games. Posted on 10 Aug
Formula Kite in action in Kingston for Sail Canada
The Senior Championships will be held August 8-10 Formula Kite, a new event which made its Olympic debut in Paris last summer, will be showcased in Kingston, August 8-10, during the Sail Canada 2025 Formula Kite Senior Championships. Posted on 7 Aug
Oman Kite Festival 2025 concludes in Sur
After 10 days of international competition The Oman Kite Festival 2025 came to a close after ten days of exciting competitions and vibrant events held across several coastal locations in the Sultanate of Oman. Posted on 29 Jul
RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERBarton Marine Pipe GlandsVaikobi Custom Teamwear