La unching NEWS | VIEWS | EVENTS 6


THE BIG PICTURE


High flyi g R


High-flying kite foilers


acing was disrupted for everyone last year, but breaks in lockdown did enable some events


to go ahead, such as the Formula Kite European Championships in Gran Canaria in December. Formula Kite is a cutting edge sport that sees riders tackling courses at speeds of up to 55 knots (63mph). There was a great result for the British team, with Ellie Aldridge taking gold in the women’s division (her second European title in two years), and Guy Bridge coming third in the men’s division.


The British Sailing Team’s #kite4gold initiative, launched in 2018, identified and developed world- class female athletes with a view to bringing home gold from the Paris 2024 Olympics. Ellie was one of these recruits, and was crowned Formula Kite European Champion just a year after switching from dinghy sailing to kite foiling.


Turn to page 61 to read about the kite foilers’ success at the 2020 UK Sport PLx Awards


Photo:A x S: AlexSchwarzP


z Photography


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