Australian Kitefoiling Championships at Sail Melbourne finished in ideal Melbourne conditions - Results

Picture: Scott Whitehead taking home his first Formula Kite National Title

17-year old Scott Whitehead from Townsville has taken home his first national title after posting an impressive eleven race wins, six second places and with an OCS in one race. Whitehead finished the regatta with a second and two first places on the final day.

“It is a really an amazing feeling and it’s really great to come down champion at the National Championships today. It has been a good regatta for me and I think it is the best result I ever got and it’s so great to be competing against people older than me and I am sure heaps more events like this are coming up.” Whitehead said.

“The regatta was really fun, we had all conditions, hail, shine, everything and it’s been really good. We battled all kinds of conditions yesterday with high seas and today with calmer waters,” Whitehead added about the conditions.

“It is still ages until 2024 but I will be going to World Championships all over the place, I think our next one is in China in September and before then it is just full on school work.”

Scott Whitehead finished the regatta with a 22-points lead over second placed Andrew Cooksey (WA) and Alty Frisby (WA) in third.

Scott Whitehead’s sister Breiana Whitehead defended her national title as the top-ranked female and finished racing in the mixed-fleet in a strong overall sixth place. Victorian Natalie Flintrop-Clarke finished second.

“The event was pretty tricky weather-wise, classic Melbourne I guess we got everything we could possible get; we were kiting rain, waves, flat water, sea breeze, everything… it was cool to try out everything. I think the racing was close, fun and really enjoyable,” Breiana Whitehead said about the mixed conditions over the four days of fleet racing.

“I am really happy to be the first woman in Australia which is really cool, but I would love more girls to be racing. It’s pretty fun to race in the mixed fleet, to race everyone, so I’m really happy to come sixth overall.”

Like her brother, Breiana Whitehead has her eyes set on Paris 2024, which has the mixed-relay proposed for the kite-foiling, but she also intends to enjoy the individual racing until then.

Full Results 

Kite Foil Mens
1. Scott Whitehead
2. Andrew Cooksey
3. Alty Frisby

Kite Foil Womens
1. Breiana Whitehead
2. Natalie Clarke

Formula Kite Mens
1. Scott Whitehead
2. Andrew Cooksey
3. Alty Frisby

Formula Kite Womens
1. Breiana Whitehead
2. Natalie Clarke

Masters
1. Andrew Cooksey
2. Alty Frisby
3. Marvin Baumeister

Junior Boys
1. Scott Whitehead

Mixed Relay
1. Scott Whitehead & Breiana Whitehead
2. Zac Pullen & Natalie Clarke
3. Hamish Leighton & Ben Turner

(Fleet Results)

A huge thank you to the Sail Melbourne event organising committee, race officer Stephen Aulich, rescue teams, course & pin teams, all the volunteers and the kiteboarders for turning up and making a great race. 

Picture: The 2020 Formula Kite Mens Podium

Picture: The 2020 Formula Kite Womens Podium

Picture: The 2020 Australian Kite Foiling Championships Mixed Relay podium