France’s Nico Parlier and the USA’s Daniela Moroz mounted successful defences of their titles in difficult conditions at the 2019 Pascucci Formula Kite World Championships on the waters of northern Italy’s Lake Garda.
For 18-year-old Moroz the crown was a remarkable fourth in succession, while Parlier could bask in the glow of three back-to-back Formula Kite world titles in the face of increasingly-stiff challenges from ever-quicker fleets stacked with talent.
British Sailing Team members Olly Bridge and Connor Bainbridge scooped silver and bronze, and Guy Bridge finished eighth overall.
The event was also the first major test for the British Sailing Team’s female riders, who were selected for the programme following the #kite4gold initiative.
Ellie Aldridge, a dinghy racer-turned-rider, was the British Sailing Team’s highest ranked female in ninth, and was second British female behind Steph Bridge who finished in sixth.
Maddy Anderson was 16th, Jemima Crathorne 18th and Katie Dabson 24th.
Formula Kite Class – Men Gold fleet Leaders (87 entries)
1st FRA Nico Parlier – – 8 pts
2nd GBR Oliver Bridge – – 12 pts
3rd GBR Connor Bainbridge – – 12 pts
4th FRA Theo De Ramecourt – – 16 pts
5th SLO Toni Vodisek – – 29 pts
6th FRA Maxime Nocher – – 32 pts
7th GER Florian Gruber – – 36 pts
8th GBR Guy Bridge – – 39 pts
9th RUS Denis Taradin – – 44 pts
10th FRA Benoit Gomez – – 44 pts
Formula Kite Class – Women fleet Leaders (30 entries)
1st USA Daniela Moroz (U19) – – 5 pts
2nd RUS Elena Kalinina – – 8 pts
3rd AUS Breiana Whitehead – – 19 pts
4th USA Kirstyn Obrien – – 23 pts
5th FRA Alexia Fancelli – – 23 pts
6th GBR Steph Bridge (M) – – 24 pts
7th RUS Valeria Garashchenko (U19) – – 25 pts
8th CHN Jingle Chen – – 34 pts
9th GBR Eleanor Aldridge – – 37 pts
10th NZL Justina Kitchen – – 48 pts
Full results available at www.formulakite.com
