Offshore Mistral returned to Quartu Sant’Elena for Day 3 of the Sardinia Kiteboard Grand Slam, delivering a whole new set of tactical challenges. With 12 to 16 knots and gusts hitting 19 in race one, the men started out on 21m kites, but as the wind built after race one, the fleet headed back ashore to swap down to 15s for the rest of the afternoon - a complete contrast to yesterday's fading conditions.
© IKA media/Robert Hajduk
Koska charges hard to close the gap on Pianosi
The men's fleet saw a standout performance from Czech Republic’s Vojtech Koska, who crossed the finish line first in all four races today. Even after suspecting an early start in Race 2 - which ultimately resulted in a UFD penalty and handed the official bullet to regatta leader Riccardo Pianosi (ITA) - Koska never backed off, pushing flat-out all the way to the finish line. His dominant speed brought him within just a single point of Pianosi at the top of the leaderboard (Pianosi 20.0 pts, Koska 19.0 pts).
"Really good day - I can see myself right at the top," Koska said. Mistral makes it more spicy, but I love 15m conditions - flat water makes me really happy and I perform very well. With this wind it’s not only about speed; you have to look around and find the right wind to take. Racing against Ricci is a pleasure, and overall it was just an amazing day."
Pianosi, who bounced back from a 12th-place start on Day 1 to claim the overall lead on Day 2, held onto his yellow bib today through the tactical Mistral. "It’s super technical and not just about speed," Pianosi noted. "You have to be extremely focused on which part of the race course you stay on. Vojtech was super fast today, faster than me, but overall it was a good day. Let’s see what tomorrow brings."
© IKA media/Robert Hajduk
Nolot maintains control with a playful approach
In the women’s fleet, France’s Lauriane Nolot continues to set the pace at the top of the standings with 11 points, building a comfortable cushion ahead of second-place teammate Lysa Caval (23 pts) and Israel's Maya Ashkenazi (32 pts). Nolot is using the shifty offshore conditions as an opportunity to test new tactics and read the wind patterns.
"This regatta for me is a chance to try different things and really read the wind," Nolot explained. "Today in the first race my idea didn’t pay off on the first leg, but it did on the second. You can’t predict the wind, but you try to work with it. Offshore wind is playful, and I’m just enjoying the game."
© IKA media/Robert Hajduk
Great Britain’s Lily Young (4th overall) highlighted the change in pace compared to recent regattas. "It was a super mixed and tricky day - you really had to be on it with the shifts and gusts," Young shared. "This year we’ve had a lot of nice, consistent flat water and onshore conditions in places like Long Beach and Türkiye, so it’s nice to have a challenge like this. On a day where it’s easy to have a hard race, staying consistent was key.”
© IKA media/Robert Hajduk
Top Five Leaderboard After Day 2 - Sardinia Kiteboard Grand Slam
Men’s Fleet
1 Riccardo Pianosi ITA 19.0 pts
2 Vojtech Koska CZE 20.0 pts
3 Sam Dickinson GBR 28.0 pts
4 Valentin Bontus AUT 49.0 pts
5 Flavio Marx ITA 53.0 pts
Women’s Fleet
1 Lauriane Nolot FRA 11.0 pts
2 Lysa Canal FRA 23.0 pts
3 Maya Ashkenazi ISR 32.0 pts
4 Lily Young GBR 32.0 pts
5 Elena Lengwiler SUI 37.0 pts
Full results: www.https://kiteclasses.org/2026grandslam
How to follow the racing
Follow all the action through IKA’s official social media channels for daily updates, race highlights, and full results at www.kiteclasses.org
Don't miss the final two days of action on October 10 - 11, broadcast LIVE on the IKA YouTube channel.
© IKA media/Robert Hajduk
