2024 Formula Kite Youth Worlds in Gizzeria, Italy Day 3
by Marina Psychogyiou 5 Jul 11:16 PDT
Epic conditions on day 3 - 2024 Formula Kite Youth Worlds © IKA media/ Robert Hajduk
Another 'normal' Gizzeria day allowed for 5 further races and brought the qualification series to an end for the men. The top 25 will continue to the gold fleet tomorrow while the rest will compete for places 26 and lower.
There was drama at the gold fleet cut, as there was a three-way tie in 24th place. On the tie break, Turkiye's Derin Cam Baba and Frenchman Eloan Roche made the cut, leaving Jan Koszowski in the silver fleet for the rest of the event.
The women continue sailing in a single group.
Catalina Turienzo had a slow start early in the day, and defending champion Lysa Caval took the opportinity and scored two bullets, the first for France at this event. The Argentinian later found her winning form and scored 3 bullets back-to-back to close the day.
Derin Atakan doesn't have a race win to her name yet, but consistent performance puts the Turkish olympian in second, a mere point ahead of Caval.l
At the top of the men's fleets, Swiss Giann Stragiotti continued to dominate the competition. He scored bullets in the first three races uning his 23m2 kite but at an incident he broke a bridle. He rushed ashore, changed to a 15m2 with the help of his dad and went on to win two more races.
In the other group, Germany's Jan Voester and Czech Vojtech Koska continued featuring in the front, winning one race each, but the protagonist of the day was Brazilian youngster Lucas Fonseca who won 2 races on the water and the third one after a protest against about an incident on the starting line.
Plastic Everywhere
Today, the sea in front of Hang Loose Beach was full of plastic trash, causing kitefoilers to crash if they didn't manage to avoid. It is a reminder that even in the stuningly beatiful Mediterranean Sea, the threat from plastic pollution is a reality. The waters off Gizzeria, like many parts of the Mediterranean, are not immune to this environmental challenge and the results affect the kitefoiling community dramatically.
As with many of our era's issues, addressing this requires a collective effort from all stakeholders, including governments, businesses, and individuals, to protect the Mediterranean's precious marine environment for future generations.
Six final races are scheduled for Saturday, ahead the medal series for the top 10 on the Sunday. Follow @kiteclasses to stay updated with what's happening in Gizzeria!
Results Men
1. Gian Stragiotti SUI 8p
2. Vojtech Koska CZE 15p
3. Jan Voester GER 15p
Results Women
1. Catalina Turienzo ARG 8p
2. Derin Atakan TUR 18p
3. Lysa Caval FRA 19p
For more information visit www.kiteclasses.org.