The 2025 Formula Kite World Championships starts on 28 September out of Poetto Beach in Quartu Sant'Elena, Sardinia. Taking part in the fastest of all Olympic sports, the riders are about to find out what progress they have made since the end of the last Olympic cycle which reached its climax at Paris 2024 just over a year ago.
There have been equipment changes - different kite designs, upgraded foil packages amongst others - and the more experienced riders have a better idea of what Olympic campaigning is all about after learning so much through the previous cycle.
Some of the big names have had a quiet year, recharging their batteries before building up to another campaign. This is the event where it recommences in earnest. Meanwhile some of the younger up-and-comers have been working hard on their skills, so this will be a fascinating test of the ‘old’ against the ‘new’, bearing in mind ‘old’ is a very relative term in such a youthful fleet.
THE WOMEN: ALDRIDGE LEADS THE FIELD
Ellie Aldridge, who won Olympic gold for Great Britain, has only started training hard in recent weeks, having focused more on her role within the British SailGP team this season. Lauriane Nolot, the defending World Champion and Olympic silver medallist from Marseille, has been recovering from an injury right after the Olympics and has been working hard on her physical form, throwing herself into CrossFit training over the past year but now ready to go fast on a foil again.
Jessie Kampman, who challenged Nolot hard for French Olympic selection last year, has now switched nationalities and is competing for the Netherlands. As winner of the last major event on Poetto Beach a year ago at the KiteFoil World Series Sardinia, Kampman will be determined to show she remains a world-beating force.
The last time the World Championship took place at this venue was two years ago when Daniela Moroz (USA) won the sixth of her world titles. Moroz narrowly missed out on a medal at the Olympics and the American has been mostly completing her studies and exploring other watersports. Recently Moroz joined the British for some training in Weymouth in the south of England before flying on to Sardinia. Aside from Aldridge, Britain’s Lily Young will be one to watch. She’s currently ranked No.1 in the World and would dearly love to add a world title to her achievements.
Switzerland’s Elena Lengwiler was one of the fast-improving riders in the lead-up to Paris 2024. While the Olympic regatta in Marseille perhaps came a bit too early for her, now the Swiss rider has a chance to keep on moving up and challenging for the top spot. There will be strong challenges from female riders from a number of other countries including Australia, Spain, Poland, Israel, Thailand and Turkey.
THE MEN: WHO CAN BREAK UP THE MAEDER v VODISEK PARTY?
Reigning Olympic Champion Valentin Bontus is recuperating from a big injury and has only recently got back on a kiteboard. While the Austrian will be absent from Poetto Beach, Olympic silver medallist Toni Vodisek from Slovenia and Singapore’s teenaged bronze medallist Max Maeder will be competing. Between them, these two riders have dominated the men’s World Championships of recent years and Maeder will be keen to defend his title from 2024.
As ever the French are fielding a strong squad which includes the likes of Olympian Axel Mazella, former World Champion Theo de Ramecourt (now test pilot for Flysurfer kites) and Benoit Gomez who has been developing his range of Element kites to pose some threat to the recent dominance of Flysurfer kites during the 2024 cycle.
Riccardo Pianosi, who finished fourth at the Olympic Games, is newly married but now it’s back to business for the young Italian who knows these waters so well. Connor Bainbridge, eighth at the Olympics, is back for Great Britain although Sam Dickinson is one of the new generation who will be pushing Bainbridge hard. Even the unstoppable Maeder has been impressed with Dickinson’s speed on an all-out reach when they’re hitting in excess of 35 knots through the water.
Maeder has also been training with the Swiss squad including his younger brother Karl as well as Gian Stragiotti who has grown massively both in terms of physical stature and raw speed through the water. Of the new generation of teenagers, Stragiotti is certainly looking like future medal material. Further beyond Europe there are plenty of challengers in the men’s fleet, from North and South America as well as Asia and Australasia.
This will be the week when the new pecking order will be established, an important confidence booster for those who match or exceed their expectations. Outside of the Olympic Games, the Worlds is the one that matters the most.
Racing takes place out of Poetto Beach at Quartu Sant'Elena from 30 September to 5 October.
Results will be updated as they happen, racing will be tracked, and the final days will be live streamed on FaceBook and YouTube.
