One of the youngest riders at the KiteFoil GoldCup, Toni Vodisek, stamped his authority on proceedings with four bullets from six in a remarkable performance that marked his best day on the water and left competitors in awe of his sheer pace.

The 16-year-old Slovenian who has been threatening a breakthrough led every race he won almost from start to finish in a stellar outing on smooth waters in gentle breezes that spawned scintillating racing at the “open” kitefoil world championship finals.

Nonetheless, Britain’s Olly Bridge leads the standings after he scored a bullet, three seconds and a raft of consistent other placings on the second day of four at the competition being staged in the Arabian Gulf off The Pearl-Qatar island’s Qanat Quartier precinct.

 Reigning International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) KiteFoil GoldCup champion, Maxime Nocher (MON), slipped to third on the leaderboard from his overnight lead, despite a bullet, two seconds and third placing.

Nocher suffered the misfortune of tangling briefly with Poland’s Maks Zakowski who had crashed just metres from the finish line as he pressed hard to clinch a third spot on a blistering final reach. Nocher freed his kite and dragged both himself and board over the line.

The intensely-competitive racing belied the benign conditions. In breezes rarely topped 7kts  under cloudless skies, the kitefoils again showed their versatility and mind-boggling speed as racers blazed around two laps of the flat windward-leeward track hitting more than 25kts.

From 22 nations, the 37 riders — including four women — have been racing as one fleet, with Doha’s dramatic skyline serving as a fitting backcloth for the action in the on-set of desert state’s winter.

The tour leader Axel Mazella (FRA) — who took the overall win at the first stop in Gizzeria, Italy, in July — sits in fourth spot. He again scored consistently, but on his Banga foil and F-One Diablo2 18m seemed a little off his usual pace.

Race organisers were able to get two sets of three back-to-back races away after the breeze, largely AWOL in recent days, kicked in on cue before lunch and held steady until just before the early sunset.

That was a perfect opportunity for Vodisek to put the hammer down on his Levitaz Bionic foil and Ozone R1V2. The settled conditions at the contest hosted by the Qatar Sailing & Marine-Sports Federation almost precisely mirror those of his home training waters.

Yet while he was happy with his incredible four wins, in the way of most athletes striving for perfection, the teenager could only see the flaws in his races that he hopes to eliminate in the final two days of competition.

“Sure, it’s the best day ever,” he said. “I’m not really sure what I’m doing right. Probably it’s down to having good speed and good angles. But I’m still making mistakes. And with no-one in front of me, now I have to figure it all out for myself. I’m thinking: don’t mess up, don’t mess up.”

His key rival, Bridge, himself just 18 and riding identical equipment to Vodisek, was equally quick to spot the problems in his racing, but took solace from the fact it had been enough to send him top overall.

“We have the same gear and we’re just as fast as each other,” he said. “But I had one crash in one race. The morning races were good, but not so great towards the end of the day. Overall, though, I pretty happy with things.”

Among the women, Russia’s Elena Kalinina was as fast as ever in the light breeze, ending the day 17th overall after some quick races that left many of the men trailing in her wake.

Overall standings after 7 races (1 discard).

MEN

1 Olly Bridge (GBR, Ozone/Levitaz)              14pts
2 Toni Vodisek (SLO, Ozone/Levitaz)            16pts
3 Maxime Nocher (MON, F-One/Banga)       18pts
4 Axel Mazella (FRA, F-One/Banga)             22pts
5 Florian Trittel (ESP, Ozone/KFA)                28pts

WOMEN

1 Elena Kalinina (RUS, Elf/Banga)                83pts
2 Gina Hewson (AUS, Ozone/Levitaz)          134pts
3 Jade O’Connor (IRL, Elf/Banga)                 137pts
4 Ariane Imbert (FRA, Ozone/Banga)           168pts

Full results: http://kitefoilgoldcup.com/images/documents/2016_KFGC_Qatar_Results.pdf

The wind played cat and mouse, but in the end there was just enough breeze and daylight to squeeze in one race on the penultimate day of competition at the finals of the “open” kitefoil world championship series.

But in the hard-fought race with the desert sun sinking fast, the fickle, shifty airs were ideal for Monaco’s Maxime Nocher to eke out another bullet that puts him one step closer to retaining his International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) KiteFoil GoldCup title.

His win over training partner Axel Mazella (FRA) by just one second at the line pushed him up to second place in the standings after a forgettable day two of the competition marked by misfortunes and mistakes that cast him down the order.

Yet courtesy of a third place finish Britain’s Olly Bridge holds his spot as overall leader going into the final day’s racing. With good wind finally forecast and just four points separating the top three riders, the high-octane action will undoubtedly furnish a fitting climax to the four-day championship played out on flat waters off The Pearl-Qatar island’s Qanat Quartier precinct.

Slovenia’s Toni Vodisek, just 16, is still very much in the hunt after blazing a trail with four bullets from day two’s six races, but his fifth place in the day’s only race caused him to slip to third overall.

Even Mazella, current KiteFoil GoldCup series’ leader after his victory in the opening round in Gizzeria, Italy, in July, is just a few points adrift in the competition hosted by the Qatar Sailing & Marine-Sports Federation.

The 31 men and six women, from 18 countries, have been racing as one fleet in an attempt to run as many races as possible in the short days and the light breezes that have only permitted eight races.

Day three came perilously close to proving a complete bust. An adequate 6kts to 7kts finally emerged in mid-afternoon. But while many of the lighter riders easily made it to the track from the beach and were comfortably riding in the 5kts to 7kts breezes, others were stuck in the wind shadow on the beach.

For more than an hour race organisers waited and helped riders to get on to the course. But with the starting sequence eventually underway, the wind dropped to less than 6kts and the race had to be postponed just 10 seconds before the off.      

When the yellow class flag finally dropped to signal the start Nocher, on his Banga foil and F-One Diablo2 kite, rarely looked back and led all the way. But he was aware that Bridge, on his Levitaz Bionic foil and Ozone R1V2 kite customised with a Union Jack flag, was hard on his heels.

As the pair match raced, covering one another’s tacks and gybes, they took the left side of the track on the second upwind leg of the two-lap race that unfolded in barely 13 nail-biting minutes.

Their duel left the door open for Mazella, who opted for the right side of the course where the wind was marginally stronger and steadier. It was a move that cost Bridge a place and almost allowed Mazella to overhaul Nocher.

“I’m so happy,” said a clearly relieved Nocher. “It’s a big fight with Olly Bridge and Axel Mazella for the world title, so every race you push hard and try to win. Every race is so important, partly because we will have only two discards. Yesterday, I made so many mistakes and broke my foil. But today I was clear and fast, and I’m pleased.”

For Russia’s Elena Kalinina, the path to the women’s crown seems assured. The 18-year-old has been racing fast and cleanly, putting her on a par with many of the men.

Overall standings after 8 races (1 discard).

MEN

1 Olly Bridge (GBR, Ozone/Levitaz)             17pts
2 Maxime Nocher (MON, F-One/Banga)      19pts
3 Toni Vodisek (SLO, Ozone/Levitaz)            21pts
4 Axel Mazella (FRA, F-One/Banga)             24pts
5 Florian Trittel (ESP, Ozone/KFA)                31pts

WOMEN

1 Elena Kalinina (RUS, Elf/Banga)                103pts
2 Gina Hewson (AUS, Ozone/Levitaz)          159pts
3 Jade O’Connor (IRL, Elf/Banga)                 160pts
4 Ariane Imbert (FRA, Ozone/Banga)            192pts

Full results: http://kitefoilgoldcup.com/images/documents/2016_KFGC_Qatar_Results.pdf

Low resolution pictures can be downloaded from:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rlcyvekq21b9ysd/AADDMwUEWJsu6CEl0N5scloXa?dl=0 

For daily highlight videos, please see https://www.youtube.com/user/IKAClass/videos

Reigning world champion Maxime Nocher put in a stellar shift on the closing day of of the International Kiteboarding Association KiteFoil GoldCup to bag another title in some of the fiercest and most competitive racing of the year.

The Monegasque rider began the day in second spot on the leaderboard just two points adrift of Britain’s Olly Bridge on the for fourth day of the finals of the “open” kitefoil world championship series.

But with two bullets, four seconds and a third spot in the day’s seven races, even as his training partner Axel Mazella (FRA) and Bridge pushed hard and match-raced him, Nocher kept clear and fast to do enough to grab the crown.

With three successive Formula Kite world titles, the latest secured in China in September, the addition of the second successive KiteFoil GoldCup crown now makes it an incredible ten kiteboarding world championships to his name.

Nocher’s jubilation was evident when he punched the air as he crossed the line second in the day’s penultimate race. Even before the last race he knew he had clinched the title as another discard available meant he could not lose whatever happened.

“When I crossed the line I knew I already had the win,” said a beaming Nocher. “The last race for me was free, and for me that’s when I race best. But overall I had a good competition. Perhaps I’m not the fastest, but I am the most consistent and that’s what helps me get there in the end. It was perfect really. I’m very happy.”

The closing day of four in the competition hosted by the Qatar Sailing & Marine Sports Federation off the The Pearl-Qatar island’s Qanat Quartier precinct finally provided unbeatable conditions for the 31 men and six women kitefoilers from 18 nations.

Doha’s characteristic breezes usual in the approach of the desert winter went largely missing for several days. Yet day two delivered sparkling racing when the full potential of hydrofoils teamed with ultra-efficient foil kites manifested itself with scorchingly-fast competition in breezes the rarely reached 7kts.

Slovenian teenager, Toni Vodisek, had his breakthrough moment when he clinched four bullets from the day’s six races, breathtakingly quick on his Levitaz Bionic foil and Ozone R1V2 kite.

Ultimately, his challenge faded as the slightly older and more tactically experienced riders regrouped, while he made a number of errors. But he still posted a bullet and third spot on the final day to give him fourth overall to mark him out as a rider with a bright future.

The 9kts to 13kts blowing over the mirror flat waters of the Arabian Gulf sparked the fastest and closest racing of the contest. The windward-leeward track, with 1.1 nautical miles between top and bottom marks, threw up a raft of photo-finishes even after more than one-and-a-half laps of the course with riders hitting more than 30kts on downwind legs.

As the breeze built, riders increasingly favoured the left track’s side to take the benefit of a lift towards the shoreline, choosing to tack several times to stay on the inside. One of the hydrofoil’s advantages, aside from sheer blistering pace, is that almost no time is lost in the tack.

The tactics of many of the top riders led to nail-bitingly tense duels with the top of the order rounding the windward mark at full speed within metres of one another. Yet there were few incidents despite the huge potential for tangles, testament to the riders’ skill.

Bridge, 18, on his Levitaz Bionic foil and 17m Ozone R1V2 was moderately pleased with his second podium placing, despite starting the day in poll. But he felt the stronger breeze would have played more to his strengths than was ultimately the case.

“I’m quite happy,” he said. “I thought I might have been more in control [of the races] because of the slightly stronger wind. But Nocher and Mazella just seem to a bit faster on their foils with the new wings.”

Similarly, Mazella, also 18, who notched up two bullets and three seconds, was pleased with his day’s performance. On his Banga foil and F-One Diablo2 kite, gear identical to Nocher’s, he was able to leapfrog Vodisek to third in the standings.

“For me it was a good day,” he said. “I like these conditions, gusty and very shifty. But the problem for me was the second day of racing. I’m not so happy about that. I made many mistakes, had many crashes, and chose the wrong options. But in the end that’s all part of the game.”

Russia’s Elena Kalinina, yet another 18-year-old, was the worthy winner of the women’s title, showing her pace, class and experience even when competing among the strong men’s fleet.      “I’m a bit tired, but happy,” she said. “I’ve never done seven races in a day. Overall I enjoyed racing among the men. Sometimes I can catch them. But their level is so high.”

Overall standings after 15 races (three discards):

MEN

1 Maxime Nocher (MON, F-One/Banga)        21pts
2 Olly Bridge (GBR, Ozone/Levitaz)               28pts
3 Axel Mazella (FRA, F-One/Banga)              33pts
4 Toni Vodisek (SLO, Ozone/Levitaz)             40pts
5 Florian Trittel (ESP, Ozone/KFA)                 65pts

WOMEN

1 Elena Kalinina (RUS, Elf/Banga)                193pts
2 Gina Hewson (AUS, Ozone/Levitaz)          270pts
3 Jade O’Connor (IRL, Elf/Banga)                 279pts
4 Ariane Imbert (FRA, Ozone/Banga)            311pts

Full results: http://kitefoilgoldcup.com/images/documents/2016_KFGC_Qatar_Results.pdf