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Ellie Aldridge and Connor Bainbridge prevail in tense kitefoil racing finale
2019 Formula Kite European Championships
The fifth and final day in Sardinia proved to be very successful for British competitors across the various fleets. Frenchman Axel Mazella won the Open Men’s and American Daniela Moroz won the overall Open Women’s but her US nationality meant that Brit Ellie Aldridge became European Champion despite only having one year of racing under her belt! Ellie, in partnership with fellow Brit Connor Bainbridge, then won the inaugural Open Mixed Relay European Championship. Here’s the official story from Ian MacKinnon, IKA reporter:
Britain’s Ellie Aldridge, a dinghy sailor who only began foiling a year ago, took second in the Open Europeans and lifted the European crown with stellar racing that beat off challenges from Australia’s Breiana Whitehead and Russia’s Valeria Garashchenko.
Ellie Aldridge takes center stage
“It feels a bit mad,” said Aldridge. “The racing was so intense; so good. Everyone’s improved so much. It’s really tight racing. It’s ridiculous to think that we have all come so far in the space of just a year. All the girls are pushing each other so much.”
Mid-heat action
Aldridge was also part of the British team, paired with Connor Bainbridge, that was victorious in the inaugural Mixed Relay European Championship, when one day of the regatta was allocated to the Paris 2024 Olympics’ format event.
Open Mixed Relay Podium
The duo just edged out the Russian pairing of Alexey Chibizov and Garashchenko, 18, another newcomer to hydrofoil racing who stormed up the rankings to take the second podium step in the individual Europeans with a final flourish that put her rivals on notice.
Full results:
2019 Formula Kite European Championships
1 Axel Mazella (FRA)
2 Toni Vodisek (SLO)
3 Théo de Ramecourt (FRA)
2019 Formula Kite Open European Championships
1 Daniela Moroz (USA)
2 Ellie Aldridge (GBR)
3 Breiana Whitehead (AUS)
2019 Formula Kite European Championships
1 Ellie Aldridge (GBR)
2 Valeria Garashchenko (RUS)
3 Julia Damasiewicz (POL)
2019 Open Mixed Relay European Championships
1 GBR (Ellie Aldridge / Connor Bainbridge)
2 RUS (Valeria Garachchenko / Alexey Chibizov)
3 POL (Woyciechowska / Maks Zakowski)
2019 Mixed Relay European Championships
1 GBR (Ellie Aldridge / Connor Bainbridge)
2 RUS (Valeria Garachchenko / Alexey Chibizov)
3 POL (Woyciechowska / Maks Zakowski)
U16 Girls (European)
1 Julia Damasiewicz (POL)
2 Magda Woyciechowska (POL)
3 Nina Arcissz (POL)
U16 Boys (European)
1 Jakub Jurkowski (POL)
2 Michal Wojciechowski (POL)
3 Jan Voester (GER)
U19 Boys (European)
1 Oliver Hansen (DEN)
2 Arthur Lhez (FRA)
3 Jakub Jurkowski (POL)
Master (European)
1 Ejder Ginyol (TUR)
2 James Johnson (DEN)
3 Benjamin Petit (FRA)
Grandmaster (European)
1 James Johnson (DEN)
2 Benjamin Petit (FRA)
3 Enrico Tonon (ITA)
That’s a wrap for the 2019 Formula Kite European Championships, for the full results head to Formulakite.com. The racers will stay in Sardinia to complete in the final of the IKA KiteFoil World Series, the Sardinia Grand Slam, which starts on Wednesday.
