Although Ghio took an early lead, he was pushed hard all the way by the Italians Nicolo Spanu and last year’s winner in Campione, Francesco Cappuzzo. “Just before the finish there was a hole in the wind, maybe down to 9 knots, and I think I avoided it just in time, a bit more than Nico and Francesco, and that was enough to keep me ahead at the finish.” 

Heineken finished fifth, a satisfactory start for the American who decided to come over to Europe to test his racing skills against the current best in the world. “I’ve got some work to do on upwind, probably on my fitness,” laughed the 34-year-old trying to hold his own against the teenagers and 20-somethings that tend to dominate the front end of the fleet. 

“I can work on my upwind speed, maybe have a better angle,” said Heineken, a former kitefoiling world champion. “It’s definitely the harder you work the higher you go upwind, and you know it’s a lot of effort, so keeping up that work rate consistently for 15 minutes is pretty tough. So what I’m learning very quickly is I should probably be in better shape for this.”

Starting early once again out of the next rabbit start, Ghio took up the lead although was pushed hard this time by fast-improving British rider Rafferty Read. However, not long before Ghio was due to reach the finish line, a long way ahead of the bulk of the fleet, the race was abandoned as the morning Pelèr breeze turned increasingly fickle and patchy. Ghio, Read and the other front runners were massively frustrated to have worked so hard only to see a potential result melt away.

A family celebration back on shore at Univela Campione for the Spanu family however, as mum and dad rushed to congratulate Maddalena and Nicolo for their first-race successes. Second in the women’s race was recently crowned European Champion from Spain, 16-year-old Nia Suardiaz, and France’s Kylie Belloeuvre in third.

The result of the long distance race has now been used to split the men into four qualifying groups, while the women will now compete off their own start line as the racing format moves into six to seven-minute sprints. First race is scheduled for another early morning start on Saturday to catch the best of the Pelèr breeze.