THE Hydrofoil Pro Tour put on an amazing spectacle of high-speed kiting action off Rockingham last week with professional sailors reaching speeds of up to 30 knots.
Competitors in the 56-strong fleet had to deal with strong winds earlier in the week with many riders being over powered, and had to use smaller sails during early races as the wind built from 16 knots, gusting to 23kts.
The high speeds also led to a few injuries, with New Zealand rider Richard Bates suffering a hand injury as he grasped a water bottle from a support boat, while Britain’s Guy Bridge needed stitches to a hand he cut on his foil.
Nico Parlier from France won the open division and Daniela Moroz from the US won the women’s division.
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Local rider Andy Hansen was the highest ranked Australian, finishing in 14th place.
The event was the last in an international four-race series for 2016 and was hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club.