The Skoda Formula Kite Youth World Championships have begun in Urla with Argentina’s Catalina Turienzo and Switzerland’s Gian Stragiotti making perfect starts, each winning all four races on the opening day. With light, shifty winds testing the 40-strong international fleets, qualification continues until Saturday before the top 10 men and women advance to Sunday’s Medal Series, where the next generation of Formula Kite talent will battle for the world titles.
Urla, a few miles west of Izmir on Turkey’s Aegean coast, provides an atmospheric setting for the championships. The peninsula is regarded as one of Turkey’s premier gastronomic destinations and is also home to some of the country’s best kiting locations.
The opening day provided relatively gentle conditions, with the breeze ranging between 8 and 11 knots over flat water – lighter than the riders would have liked.
© IKA media/Robert Hajduk - Catalina Turienzo (ARG)
Turienzo, however, appeared to have few problems. The Argentinian teenager continued the remarkable form that saw her crowned Youth European champion last month without losing a race. She dominated all four contests on day one to establish an early lead in the 13-strong women's fleet, which features riders from 10 countries.
“It’s a very nice environment, everyone in the youth fleet has fun although we push each other on the water. I’d say the seniors are more competitive, especially as we’re all working towards Olympic qualification now. But this is a great opportunity to test myself in competitive racing,” Turienzo said.
There was a similarly dominant performance in the men's fleet, with Stragiotti taking four wins from four races. The Swiss rider is among the early favourites for the title, alongside Frenchman Nell de Jaham, who won the Youth European Championship in July.
© IKA media/Robert Hajduk - Gian Stragiotti (SUI)
China’s Qibin Huang emerged as the closest challenger on day one, finishing second in three of the four races. The Chinese rider admitted the conditions made tactical decisions particularly difficult.
“The wind was light today and it was hard to judge the laylines with the shifty breeze,” Huang said.
The men's title is particularly open this year. Defending champion Riccardo Pianosi is now too old to compete in the youth category, while Singapore's Olympic bronze medallist Max Maeder is absent as he recovers from suspected concussion.
Turkish hopes for a women’s medal are being carried by Olympian Derin Atakan, who sits second overall after the opening day's racing. Atakan is being coached in Urla by experienced 470 sailor Ateş Çinar, who has competed for Turkey at four Olympic Games.
“Our goal for LA is to also have a male athlete compete in the Kite discipline. That’s why we’re investing in this class as a club, as a federation, as a country. If you can’t be competitive at youth level, you can’t compete at senior level. That’s why this youth championship is so important for us,” Çinar said.
© IKA media/Robert Hajduk - Charlie Mann (GBR)
Britain has four representatives in Urla, including the Mann brothers. For Charlie, the championships are as much about development as medals.
“I’m competing in the youth fleet to build up experience before I enter the senior fleet. It’s all about gaining experience for Brisbane 2032, which is the ultimate goal.”
With four days of qualification still to come, the early leaders have made their intentions clear. But the light and changeable conditions of Urla are likely to ensure the fight for the top 10 remains open throughout qualifying.
There’ll be full coverage of Saturday and Sunday’s racing on the Kite Classes YouTube channel with commentary from Alec Wilkinson.
© IKA media/Robert Hajduk
