The UK is to showcase super-fast kite foil racing with Portsmouth set to host the 2023 Olympic Formula Kite Class Europeans.
The new Olympic Class makes its first International event appearance in the UK with the kite-foiling riders ‘flying’ above the water on hydrofoils boards, powered by huge kites which can propel them to incredible speeds of up to 45 knots (51mph).
The world’s best racers from the Olympic circuit will battle it out on the waters off Eastney Beach in Portsmouth, from September 19 to 24 for the title of European Champion – and potentially a place at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
International Olympic class sailing events are rare in the UK . . . The Formula Kite Europeans will be the first Olympic circuit event here since the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 European Championships at Weymouth and Portland in 2019.
The usual Formula Kite racing format comprises of an Opening Series for all competitors, featuring between four and six, short races per day for each fleet with a very short target time of 12 to 20 minutes per race.
Then the top ten ranked kiteboarders will compete in a final day knock-out Medal Series (Semi Finals and Finals) which means that anyone of them can take the title.
All held in front of hundreds of onlookers with expert commentators explaining all the action.
Admission to the event site at Eastney Beach will be free, giving spectators the perfect viewpoint to watch the racing from the shore. For those wanting a close up of the action, there will also be a big screen set up during the finals.
The final two days of racing will also be streamed live for those wanting to follow the racing remotely.
Sara Sutcliffe, CEO of the RYA, added . . . “Kite foiling is the newest addition to the Olympic sailing slate and we couldn’t be more excited that some of the world’s best athletes will be racing on our waters during the big countdown to Paris 2024.”
At the 2022 Worlds Ellie Aldridge won Bronze and Katie Dabson finished fourth.
If you’re attending the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show at Farnborough International don’t miss Aldridge talking about the Formula Kite European Championships on the main stage on Saturday 25 February.
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