Riccardo Pianosi and Jessie Kampman resisted enormous pressure in the medal series to become the 2025 Formula Kite World Champions. After a week of drama, it was a climactic finale on day six of the Formula Kite World Championships in Quartu Sant’Elena, Sardinia.
With the forecast of a building Mistral breeze, the organisers decided to start the medal series in the morning in case the Mistral became too strong and too dangerous for racing in the afternoon.
© IKA media/Robert Hajduk: Jessie Kampman has dominated all week, although even she had a tumble
TREACHEROUS MISTRAL
The top eight men and women went out, ready for battle against each other, and the elements - a gusting, shifty breeze bulleting out from Poetto Beach, and a few nasty waves thrown into the mix.
Even for the very best, staying stable on the board was proving very tricky in the knock-out rounds. In the women’s quarter final, Britain’s Olympic Champion Ellie Aldridge tumbled out of contention while American six-time World Champion Daniel Moroz surged into the semi-final. In the semi-final it was Switzerland’s Elena Lengwiler who suffered an early fall, while Moroz and Britain’s Lily Young earned their place in the final.
© IKA media/Robert Hajduk: Riccardo Pianosi felt good, went fast, won on home waters
FIERY FRENCHMAN
In the men’s knockout races, Benoit Gomez was on fire, the Frenchman blasting his way through the quarter and the semi-final and into the last four along with Olympic silver medallist Toni Vodisek from Slovenia. Now to the men’s final, where Gomez and Vodisek joined Singapore’s Max Maeder and local lad from Quartu Sant’Elena, Riccardo Pianosi in the yellow bib and holding match point advantage.
All four were fast out of the gate and still closely matched a the top of the course until Vodisek suffered a massive wipe-out. Pianosi held a slender lead. Maeder knew he had to go full throttle to keep the game alive, pressing to more than 40 knots of speed on the downwind leg and closing the gap.
© IKA media/Robert Hajduk: PIanosi celebrates with his wife Giorgia
Maeder was breathing down Pianosi’s neck all the way around the next lap and right up to the finish. But the Italian withstood the pressure to cross the line victorious, punching the air as he became Formula Kite World Champion for the first time in his career. Maeder took the silver and Gomez the bronze.
LOCAL HERO
“It was an amazing week,” said Pianosi, who got married little more than a month earlier and lives with wife Giorgia just a few minutes away from Poetto Beach. “I started the week probably not in the best way. I had some problems and had a tangle with one guy in the qualifying series. But over the week I managed to climb the fleet into first place. Today I was feeling fast, I was feeling good. I had a good start and then I continued like this until the finish and it paid off. I'm pretty happy to reach this goal, probably the biggest win of my life.”
© IWSA media/Robert Hajduk: Moroz thriving in strong winds
And so to the women’s final, where Moroz and Young would join defending World Champion and Olympic silver medallist from France, Lauriane Nolot, and Dutch rider Jessie Kampman who has dominated all week in the yellow bib.
A TUMBLE IN THE FINAL
Kampman was fast out of the start although the others were not far behind. Nolot was pushing hard, keen to reel in the Dutch rider but then the French rider crashed and Kampman was now comfortably ahead. Not that anything was comfortable today as even Kampman fluffed her high-speed gybe and crashed, little more than a minute away from crossing the finish line. Moroz swept past for the win and now moved to match point alongside Kampman.
© IKA media/Robert Hajduk: Women's podium - Moroz (bronze), Kampman (gold), Nolot (silver)
In the next race Young took a tumble out of the start line while Kampman moved into the lead. This time she stretched away, clung on to her advantage and crossed the finish line, the world title secure. A well deserved victory for the Dutch rider, and a silver for Moroz and bronze for Nolot.
“Today was a bit of a stressful moment as I crashed my gybe in the first race when I was leading,” said Kampman. “I had to get back into it and I managed to finish off the job nicely. I'm really, really happy about my riding and about how the week went. A big thank you to my team and to my sponsors for all the help this week because I couldn't have done it without them.”
© IKA media/Robert Hajduk: Men's podium - Maeder (silver), Pianosi (gold), Gomez (bronze)
It has been a dramatic and windy climax to a week of challenging conditions. Back on Poetto Beach, Jessie Kampman and Riccardo Pianosi could finally let it sink in. They are the new Formula Kite World Champions.
Quartu Sant’Elena makes a stunning debut on the international kite scene, offering a seamless blend of sport, nature, and culture. With Poetto Beach as its vibrant stage, foil disciplines shine against a backdrop of turquoise waters, pink salt pans, and golden sunsets. It’s a place where every ride becomes a memory.
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