The final day of the Opening Series in Quartu Sant’Elena saw Italy’s Riccardo Pianosi and France’s Lauriane Nolot strengthen their leads and qualify directly for the Grand Final, each with a match point. The same advantage goes to Vojtech Koska in the men’s fleet and Lisa Caval among Women
The Mistral wind brought the best out of the leading contenders on the final day of the Opening Series at the Sardinia Grand Slam in Quartu Sant’Elena. On Saturday, October 10th, Riccardo Pianosi and Lauriane Nolot consolidated their respective leads, each securing two race wins and a second-place finish. Olympic champion Valentin Bontus and Lisa Caval also celebrated individual race victories.
They will be joined directly in tomorrow’s Grand Final, on October 11th, by Vojtech Koska in the men’s fleet and Caval in the women’s. Meanwhile, Flavio Marx, seventh in the men’s standings, and Tiana Laporte and Maddalena Maria Spanu, sixth and tenth respectively in the women’s fleet, will have to fight their way through the quarter-finals.
MEN: PIANOSI AND KOSKA ALREADY THROUGH TO THE FINAL
Riccardo Pianosi once again demonstrated his dominance in Saturday’s three races, having held off Vojtech Koska’s comeback on Friday. The Italian, who has made Quartu Sant’Elena his adopted home, recorded two wins and a second place.
Pianosi was exceptionally fast, starting with the opening race on an 11m kite to make the most of the 21.9-knot Mistral, reaching speeds of 29 knots upwind and 40.2 knots downwind. Following the opening races, most of the riders switched from their 15 m to their 11 m kites.
The second race featured an outstanding tactical duel between Paris Olympic champion Valentin Bontus and 2025 world champion Ricky Pianosi, with the Austrian using the advantage of his 15 m kite on the downwind leg.
In the third race, American Noah Runciman made an early break, before Pianosi fought his way back to take the win ahead of Koska and Dickinson.
“We raced in some great, strong wind, although it was more stable than on Friday. The races were tactical, but less of a lottery than on the previous days. Training and racing here is always fantastic. I grew up here, and last year I won the World Championship. What am I looking for? Every day, I try to improve a little more.”
Tomorrow, 11 October, the 2026 Sardinia Grand Slam title will be decided. Who are his main rivals?
“Everyone who has qualified has a chance of winning. This format makes that possible, from Koska to Bontus, from Dickinson to my teammate Marx. It’s going to be fun.”
WOMEN: NOLOT SOARS AND NOT JUST UP THE STANDINGS
In the women’s fleet, leader Lauriane Nolot adopted a defensive approach in the first race of the day, having to fight her way back after a gust literally sent her “flying”. After switching from a 15 m to an 11 m kite, she managed the remaining two races like a true champion. “We went out for the first race with kite way too big for us, we used the 15m one and it was super super windy. So the first race was painful for me, because I took some gust and I was flying away. I was just trying to catch up at the end. After I switched for the 11m, as most of the girls, and the two other races were good because I was feeling really comfortable with the 11m, I like the really strong wind and it was a really good racing for me” Nolot commented.
In Race 2, Maya Ashkenazi delivered an excellent performance in the opening stages but was overtaken on the final leg by Lysa Caval. By the end of the afternoon, Elena Lengwiler had also moved ahead of Ashkenazi to secure a place on the Opening Series podium.
Tiana Laporte also put in some strong performances, finishing with a fourth place and two sixth places after repeatedly challenging for a podium position. The Italian-French rider, who was born in Spain, also finished the qualifying series in sixth place.
OPENING SERIES STANDINGS
MEN’S TOP FIVE (15 races, 3 discards)
- Riccardo Pianosi (ITA) — 23.0 points
- Vojtech Koska (CZE) — 28.0 points
- Sam Dickinson (GBR) — 40.0 points
- Valentin Bontus (AUT) — 63.0 points
- Noah Runciman (USA) — 72.0 points
WOMEN’S TOP FIVE (15 races, 3 discards)
- Lauriane Nolot (FRA) — 15.0 points
- Lysa Caval (FRA) — 33.0 points
- Elena Lengwiler (SUI) — 44.0 points
- Maya Ashkenazi (ISR) — 46.0 points
- Lily Young (GBR) — 47.0 points
MEDAL SERIES TODAY: THE STARTING LINE-UPS
The Medal Series take place today. In the men’s fleet, the action will begin with the quarter-final featuring the riders who finished sixth to tenth in the Opening Series: Cameron Maramenides, Flavio Marx, Martin Dolenc, Zohhar Haruvi and Paul Labordère.
The two highest-placed riders will advance to the semi-final, where Sam Dickinson, Valentin Bontus and Noah Runciman, who finished third to fifth respectively, will be waiting.
Riccardo Pianosi and Vojtech Koska are already through to the final, each carrying one bullet — meaning that both will start the Grand Final with a match point. The first rider to secure two race wins will be crowned 2026 Sardinia Grand Slam champion.
In the women’s fleet, Tiana Laporte will also start in the quarter-finals, alongside Elle Geiger, Katie Dabson, Svetlana Trusova and fellow Italian Maddalena Maria Spanu.
The two highest-placed riders will advance to the semi-final, where Elena Lengwiler, Maya Ashkenazi and Lily Young await. French riders Nolot and Caval have qualified directly for the final.
SCHEDULE AND LIVE STREAMING
The Sardinia Grand Slam concludes on Sunday, 11 October, with the afternoon programme scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m., subject to possible changes depending on the weather forecast.
Updates will be available through the official channels of the IKA — International Kiteboarding Association — and the Sardinia Grand Slam social media accounts.
On Sunday, the Formula Kite action will once again be streamed live on the Facebook and YouTube channels of the event and IKA, as well as on the IKA website.
The prize-giving ceremony is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
ORGANISATION
Organised by GLEsport in technical and sporting collaboration with Chia Wind Club, the Sardinia Grand Slam takes place under the auspices of World Sailing, the international governing body for the sport of sailing; the IKA, the International Kiteboarding Association; and the FIV, the Italian Sailing Federation.
The Sardinia Grand Slam receives funding and patronage from the Minister for Sport and Youth.
Promoted by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, through its Department of Tourism, Handicrafts and Commerce, the event also receives funding and patronage from the Municipality of Quartu Sant’Elena.
Partners of the Sardinia Grand Slam include Secauto and USE.
Quartu Sant’Elena (Cagliari, Italy), 10 October 2026
Photos: 1) Italy’s Riccardo Pianosi, originally from the Marche region and now based in Quartu Sant’Elena, topped the men’s Opening Series at the Sardinia Grand Slam; 2) Vojtech Koska consolidated his second place in the men’s standings, qualifying directly for the Grand Final; 3) Intense action during the men’s Opening Series; 4) Lysa Caval (left) and Lauriane Nolot; 5) Nolot in spectacular action; 6) Elena Lengwiler climbed back onto the podium on Day 4; 7) Sam Dickinson, third in the men’s Opening Series; 8) Fierce competition in the women’s fleet; 9) Valentin Bontus won the second race of the day after an exciting, tactical head-to-head battle with Pianosi (Credits IKA Media / Robert Hajduk). Free usage granted with credits. Click on the pictures for the hi-res version.