2024 Formula Kite Youth Worlds in Gizzeria, Italy Day 2
by Marina Psychogyiou 4 Jul 2024 21:47 BST
Gian Stragiotti chilling ahead of bullets in 5 races - 2024 Formula Kite Youth Worlds © IKA media/ Robert Hajduk:
Calabria Straordinaria conditions are back! The day started grey and wet, but by midday the clouds had cleared and the normal Gizzeria wind had kicked in, allowing for 5 races to be sailed.
The men are split in two groups for the qualifying series, and Gian Stragiotti scored 5 bullets in his group, showing early on that he's the one to beat.
"I was expecting nothing going on the water, just to have fun. I applied what I can do and it worked out. I am pushing hard at the start, and once I'm ahead it's easy to stay in the lead" he said with content.
Behind him, a very happy Joseph Jonathan Weston was second in all races. Thailand's Olympic entry is already a celebrity at his home country, and it seems that the unprecedented attention has boosted his confidence. "This event for me is preparation for the Games, I am very happy to see that all my work is paying off". He continues "I still can't beat Gian, but I will keep trying".
The Pink Panther, as he likes to be called, is grateful to have a caddy on the beach, helping him with the kite changes. "It saves me a lot of time and energy and I can push harder on the water. I can make kite changes without thinking too much" he admits, having changed down to a 15m2 kite, after using a bigger one on the first race.
In the other group, things mixed up a bit more. Vojtech Koska from the Czech Republic won 3 of the 5 races, with Germany's Jan Voester and Briton Mattia Maini winning one race each, making the points a bit more tight and leaving open to many riders the possibility to climb to the top.
In the women's fleet, the two olympic sailors are sitting on the top of the leaderboard, with Argentinian Catalina Turienzo winning every race. It was however harder than what the points say. In one race, Turienzo who chose to sail all races with a 15m2 kite, crashed during a mark rounding and let half the fleet go past her. With remarkable speed and determination, she managed to get back in the lead and win the race. Then, on the last race of the day, Turkey's entry to the Olympics Derin Atakan, was leading, with Turienzo at the back of the fleet. The Argentine gradually covered ground and on the last downwind gained the lead leaving Atakan in second. The later, together with Magda Woyciechowska from Poland and defending champion Lysa Caval from France, seem to be the only ones who can realistically challenge Turienzo's dominance.
Five more races are scheduled for Friday, ahead of the finals and the medal series on the weekend.
Results Men
1. Gian Stragiotti SUI 4p
2. Vojtech Koska CZE 7p
3. Jan Voester GER 8p
Results Women
1. Catalina Turienzo ARG 4p
2. Derin Atakan TUR 9p
3. Lysa Caval FRA 12p
For more information visit www.kiteclasses.org.