Kiteboard Course Racing Worlds at Yacht Club Cagliari - Day 1
by Icarus Sailing Media 5 Oct 2012 10:08 BST
2-7 October 2012
Kiteboard Course Racing Worlds at Cagliari day 1 © Alberto Foresti / Canon
A great day for Leccese and Heinken (Men) and Erika Heineken (Women)
It has been a good start for the Kiteboard Course Racing World Championship in Cagliari. The light Scirocco breeze picked up in the afternoon at Poetto beach allowing three races in each of the four fleets. The competitors were divided into three male fleets and one female fleet.
All the favorites were right on top, like World Champion Johnny Heineken in the red fleet and his sister Erika Heineken in the ladies fleed. Great starts also for the new European Slalom Champion, Andrea Riccardo Leccese (Columbian riding for the Italian team) who won all the races in his fleet.
He is now leading the overall rankings together with Heineken.
The first day of competition had appeared uncertain in the eyes of the 195 competitors (including 42 women). Until noon, the weather kept everyone busy finalising the preparations of their boards and kites and dealing with the sailing instructions during the skippers meeting.
A little later the breeze came in from the south which prompted by the committee to start competition. All the competitors left the beach in a few minutes colouring the sky with hundreds of kites and reaching the racing area not far from the shoreline. The show lasted until late afternoon.
Tomorrow the qualification rounds will continue to select the 50 finalists in the Men's Gold Fleet and 20 in the Women's Fleet that will battle on Saturday to reach the medal race.
Quotes:
Riccardo Leccese, "After the three first places today I' m convinced I can win the title. I can't wait until Saturday, so I can compete against Heineken in the gold race - he is my only concern."
Surprised to be among the front-runners, Andrea Beverino, in his debut on the kite after a long career on windsurfing said, "I am very pleased to be in sixth place and first of the Italians, I really did not expect it."