With just one day remaining, the battle for the 2026 Formula Kite Youth European Championships and KiteFoil Open Masters World Championships took another decisive turn in Gizzeria. A changing breeze and six demanding races reshaped the overall standings, leaving the Youth Men’s Championship finely balanced while Argentina’s Catalina Turienzo and France’s Antoine Paillette strengthened their grip on the Youth Women’s and Masters fleets.
Three riders tied at the top
The Youth Men’s fleet delivered the closest racing of the championship so far, where every start, every crossing and every manoeuvre could reshape the leaderboard. One of the defining moments came in Race 5, where Jan Koszowski and Karl Maeder rounded the slalom mark neck and neck before Koszowski pushed hard to defend the lead, crashed, and handed victory to the Swiss rider.
By the end of the day, France’s Nell De Jaham had joined Maeder and Koszowski on 18 net points, setting up a thrilling finale with three riders tied at the top of the overall standings. Poland’s Piotr Szymiec remains within striking distance in fourth place, just five points behind the leading trio.
“Today was a good day. We had a long day with a lot of races. The starts were really difficult because there was no room for mistakes. Every mistake could cost you a lot, so it was really physical and really intense,” said De Jaham.
Turienzo’s perfect scoreline continues
If the Youth Men’s fleet produced uncertainty, the Youth Women’s Championship told a very different story.
Catalina Turienzo continued her flawless campaign, winning all six races to extend her remarkable record to ten victories from ten starts. The Argentine strengthened her overall lead heading into Sunday’s finale.
Behind her, however, the battle for the remaining podium places remains wide open. Svetlana Trusova consolidated second place after another consistent day, while Derin Deniz Sorguç, Karolina Jankowska and Maddalena Spanu remain closely matched in the fight for silver and bronze.
Paillette extends Masters advantage
The KiteFoil Open Masters World Championships also saw the leaderboard begin to take shape.
France’s Antoine Paillette completed another outstanding day, winning every race to strengthen his grip on the championship after mastering both the lighter opening races and the stronger breeze later in the day.
“I really tried to push as hard as possible because I knew that even a small mistake could cost me the win,” said Paillette. “When it’s windy, that’s what you dream about for racing. Everything was perfect today.”
Denmark’s James Johnsen continues to hold second overall after another consistent performance, while Argentina’s Federico Aguilar remains third heading into the final day.
Everything still to play for
Sunday is expected to bring another challenging day on the Gulf of Sant’Eufemia, with stronger winds forecast for the championship deciders.
While Turienzo and Paillette will aim to convert their commanding positions into European and World titles, the Youth Men’s Championship remains impossible to call, with De Jaham, Maeder and Koszowski separated only by the tie-break after ten races and everything still to play for.
Text Credits: IKA Media
Photo Credits: IKA Media / Robert Hajduk
Video Credits: ICARUS Sports
