Please select your home edition
Edition
Marine Products Direct 2023 - Calypso LEADERBOARD

GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Cape Verde - Day 2

by Ian MacKinnon, GKA Kite World Tour 19 Mar 15:16 GMT 17-27 March 2023
GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Cape Verde - Day 2 © Lukas K Stiller

Reigning world champion James Carew was dumped from the GKA Kite-Surf World Cup on the second day of the contest on Cape Verde in epic waves.

The Australian, who had been hoping to land a third successive title, lost the final round of the day by only a fraction of a point to Cape Verde-based legend, Airton Cozzolino.

The victory of Cozzolino, an Italian who calls the island home, drew wild cheering from the delighted crowds on the beach. But the celebrations were muted as the judges reviewed their scores because the heat had been so tight.

Both riders, who have been training together, embraced as they came ashore. It was a sign of their mutual respect after a truly spectacular, 18-minute clash on epic Ponta Preta swells in the sinking sun.

The tense drama, with the pair separated only by 0.13 of a point in the end, was worthy of a final. Yet, Cozzolino only has the privilege of advancing to the competition's quarter finals where other Cape Verdean locals lie in wait.

Other champions who train on the Ponta Preta break—Matchu Lopes and 2019 winner, Mitu Monteiro—had battled their way through the elimination heats in series of mouth-watering duels that drove scores ever-higher.

Day two of the world cup in Ponta Preta saw the women released for the day so that the race director could focus on the men, with the competition running until almost dark. The swell built to almost two metres, with the right-hand bombs landing on the reef metres from the beach.

The elimination heats had been studded with standout performances and hard-fought battles. Earlier in the day Cozzolino had narrowly survived against the stylish backside French rider, Clement Roseyro.

The Italian just took the win with a "buzzer beater", scoring a wave right at the death that trumped Roseyro after he had led for the whole heat with big hacks and powered rail-to-rail turns.

"It was the best heat of my life, for sure," said Roseyro. "Against Airton Cozzolino I almost made it. The turns were super-good. I hope one day they're going to love 'backside' here."

Cozzolino knew he had survived a tough battle. "Everyone 'wants it' when they come up against me," he said. "They want to kill me. They want to be their best selves."

Brazil's Pedro Matos sent local favourite Hendrick Lopes home. Both riders threw down great performances. Matos' score of 9.27 for one wave, one of the highest of the day, was enough to give him the edge. Lopes, battling before his fans, was in tears.

Another local hero, Matchu Lopes, had to pull out all the stops to beat Charly Martin, the young Reunion Islander who traded blows with the Spaniard. But a stunning 9.0 wave by Lopes was enough to end Martin's dreams.

In front of home fans crowding the beach Cape Verde's Mitu Monteiro launched his own assault. Two incredible wave scores took his heat total to 18.04. It was enough to end the run of his friend and countryman, Titik Lopes.

"It was so nice to be out there with Titik Lopes," said Montiero. "I was just having so much fun. He's such a good friend of mine. Everyone here supports me. It's a bit of pressure, but I just do my best."

Brazil's Sebastian Ribeiro was ruthless in his heat against Yaris Dellomo (ITA). Two wave scores that took him to 16.80, put the Italian out of the competition.

The competition is set to move to the quarter finals stage for the men and women on Sunday, with hope of completing both finals. Stay tuned for all the action.

Related Articles

Formula Kite Youth European & Masters Worlds day 4
Torregrande breeze and Sardinian sunshine deliver picture-perfect conditions Four wins out of five races from Saturday's session will give Qibin Huang a lot of confidence going into Sunday's Medal Series in the Formula Kite Youth European Championship. Posted on 27 May
Formula Kite Youth European & Masters Worlds day 3
Three wins from four shows Damasiewicz means business Julia Damasiewicz promised herself she could do better, and on day 4 in Torregrande, Sardinia, the Polish rider delivered. Posted on 26 May
GKA Big Air Kite Worlds Tarifa preview
The waiting game begins in Andalusia The planet's best kiteboarders are pumped and ready for action as the competition window for the Qatar Airways GKA Big Air Kite World Championships in Tarifa, Spain, opens today. Posted on 26 May
Formula Kite Youth European & Masters Worlds day 2
Threat of thunder and lightning brought fleet ashore early Thunder and lightning in the Sardinian sky brought an early close to competition on day two in Torregrande. Posted on 26 May
Formula Kite Youth European & Masters Worlds day 1
Warm winds of 8 to 16 knots in Torregrande, Sardinia After four races in warm winds of 8 to 16 knots, some clear patterns are already beginning to emerge in the three world-class kitefoiling contests taking place in Torregrande, Sardinia. Posted on 25 May
Kitefoil Youths and Masters ready to race
At the Marina di Torregrande in Oristano, Sardinia An international group of talented riders are getting ready to contest the Formula Kite Youth European Championship and the Kitefoil Open Masters World Championship in the Marina di Torregrande in Oristano, Sardinia. Posted on 23 May
Sail Canada introduces 2023-24 Sailing Team
28 squad members were selected based on the Canadian Sailing Team Sport Canada Carding Criteria Sail Canada is pleased to announce the list of sailors who will be part of the 2023-2024 Canadian Sailing Team and Canadian Sailing Development Squad. Posted on 18 May
Registration opens for IKA major events
Additional places awarded for Formula Kite Europeans and Youth Worlds The 2023 Formula Kite European Championships will be held in Portsmouth, UK and will serve as the continental qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Posted on 15 May
A Silver medal at French Olympic Week 2023
Daniela Moroz brought home a silver medal for the USA after Hyères test From French Mistral winds in the 30s to bobbing around in postponement and everything in between, Hyères tested competitors with a wide range of challenges during the 54th edition of Semaine Olympique Française. Posted on 2 May
French Olympic Week: Kiwis fall short in Hyères
Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie have come agonisingly close to a medal Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie have come agonisingly close to a second medal in as many European regattas, but the 49er duo still return to New Zealand with plenty of gains. Posted on 30 Apr