S’pore kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder wins fifth Formula Kite European Championships gold

SINGAPORE – Singaporean kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder celebrated his 20th birthday in style on Sept 12, as he won the Formula Kite European Championships for a fifth time.

At the Akyaka Kite Beach in Gokova, Turkey, Maeder won the first race of the four-rider grand final to seal his victory as he finished first ahead of Switzerland’s Gian Stragiotti.

Austria’s Valentin Bontus was third, followed by Italian Riccardo Pianosi.

While unfavourable wind conditions hampered racing on the first day of the regatta on Sept 7, Maeder was in dominant form once the action began.

The reigning world champion won all but one of his races to top the standings with 16 net points and qualify first for the grand final.

Stragiotti was the other kitefoiler who automatically qualified for the grand final after he finished second in qualification with 27 points.

Maeder has won the event in all five editions that he has competed in since 2021, missing out only on the 2023 championships as it clashed with the Hangzhou Asian Games.

It has been an encouraging season for the 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medallist, who reclaimed his world title at the Formula Kite World Championships in May.

He has also emerged victorious at the French Olympic Week, Trofeo Princesa Sofia and the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta earlier in 2026.

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Kimberly Kwek joined The Straits Times in 2019 as a sports journalist and has since covered a wide array of sports, including golf and sailing.