A day ashore shines a light on Formula Kite's future - International Kiteboarding Association

Light and unstable winds prevented racing on the second day of the Formula Kite Youth European Championships and KiteFoil Open Masters World Championships, leaving the overall rankings unchanged after no races could be completed in the Gulf of Sant'Eufemia.

While the fleet remained ashore, the day offered an opportunity to look beyond the standings, shifting the focus from the leaderboard to the stories shaping Formula Kite's future.

Looking ahead to the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta

Beyond this week's racing, another major milestone is already shaping the season for Formula Kite's rising stars. Later this month, the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta will bring together the world's best sailors at the venue that will host the sailing competition at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Among those taking on both events are Claire Ramsey, Catalina Turienzo and Karl Maeder, each using Gizzeria to prepare in a different way before the season's next major challenge.

For Canada's Claire Ramsey, Gizzeria offers the ideal opportunity to continue that preparation, using the event to work on her starts and become more comfortable on the VMG 3s alongside many of the athletes she expects to race against later this season. "I am here in Gizzeria instead of being at Long Beach because I've spent a lot of time training by myself and I believe Gizzeria is a really great place to practise starts, especially with a lot of the other girls," she said.

For Catalina Turienzo, Gizzeria represents both an important training opportunity and the chance to enjoy the final Youth events of her career before moving on to the next challenge."It's my last Youth year, so I really wanted to make the most of it, to enjoy these last two events – the Europeans and the Youth Worlds. We're here training before LA and then we're going there straight after this."

Switzerland's Karl Maeder shares a similar approach, seeing every event as another step in his development."The focus is here now, and then later it'll be there," he said. "This event is important for me to gain as much experience as possible. Long Beach is arguably more important in the bigger picture because that's where the Olympics are going to be,

A new generation steps forward

For many young athletes, Gizzeria marks an important milestone in their Formula Kite journey, offering the opportunity to compete alongside some of the world's best young riders and gain valuable international experience.

Among them is Svetlana Trusova, competing in her first international event. After a promising opening day, the chance to race alongside athletes she had previously only watched from afar has already made a lasting impression."It's my first time at the Youth European Championships and my first international event. I'm super excited, but at the same time I'm a bit scared. I'm so excited to be here and see all the guys that before I only saw on the internet."

New Zealand's Toby Wigglesworth is also experiencing his first event on the Youth circuit after making the transition into Formula Kite only recently."I've only done about three Formula Kite competitions so far," he said. "This is my first event on the Youth circuit, so it's a great experience. I really like the vibe here. Everyone's super relaxed on the beach, and it's nice to get to know the people I'll be racing against."

The standings remain unchanged

With no races completed, Poland's Jan Koszowski continues to lead the Formula Kite Youth Men's European Championships after Thursday's opening four-race programme. Argentina's Catalina Turienzo remains at the top of the Youth Women's Championship following her four race wins on the opening day, while France's Antoine Paillette continues to head the KiteFoil Open Masters World Championships.

Racing is scheduled to resume on Saturday, with all three fleets ready to continue their fight for the 2026 European and World titles.