Nolot & Maeder win Europeans in high-wind crescendo
24 March 2024
HIGHLIGHTS
Small kites required for strong winds gusting close to 30 knots
Some hard-fought Semi Finals in a tense Medal Series climax
Singapore’s Max Maeder wins men’s gold in a single race
Lauriane Nolot not the fastest, but smart sailing earns women’s gold for France
An exciting end to six days of high-speed crashes and competition
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.
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.
NOT INTIMIDATED
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.
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