Kajiya and Guillebert take the win at Cauipe lagoon

Report from day three | Cauipe, Brazil | Words: Liam Dredge | Photos: Svetlana Romantsova

  • Veteran Bruna Kajiya cements world rankings’ lead with narrow victory in Cauipe
  • Former champion Arthur Guillebert back on top with huge win in tense final
  • With the world titles still up for grabs, the Freestyle finale will play out in Fuwairit, Qatar, from 5th to 9th of December

The final epic day at the Copa Kitley GKA Freestyle World Cup Brazil dealt drama and upset in equal measure, with home favourite Bruna Kajiya taking the narrowest of wins as France’s Arthur Guillebert came out on top.

Brazil’s Kajiya, took the victory in Cauipe over the current world champion, Mikaili Sol (USA). Kajiya won by only 0.02 of a point in a nail-biting final that went down to the wire.

In a venue that Kajiya calls her second home, the three-time world champion secured the win with her very last trick. She cemented her place at the top of the Freestyle rankings on the Qatar Airways GKA Kite World Tour, putting her in the driving seat ahead of the last stop.

Former world champion Guillebert took the win in a tight final when he saw off the challenge of the multi-talented Maxime Chabloz (SUI). The Swiss athlete had turned the screw on the Frenchman with the competition’s only perfect 10, but it was not quite enough.

Guillebert has been building momentum this season and his victory at the penultimate tour stop in Cauipe gives him two top finishes heading to the grand finale next month in Fuwairit, Qatar, home of the tour’s title partners.

Click HERE to read the full story about what happened during the finals.

GKA Cauipe lagoon Womens winners

Women
1 Bruna Kajiya (BRA)
2 Mikaili Sol (USA)
3 Karolina Winkowska (POL)
4 Francesca Bagnoli (ITA)

GKA Cauipe lagoon mens winners

Men
1 Arthur Guillebert (FRA)
2 Maxime Chabloz (SUI)
3 Tom Bridge (GBR)
4 Finn Flügel (GER)

WATCH THE FULL RECAP OF THE WOMEN’S AND MEN’S FINALS BY CLICKING ON THE VIDEO BELOW

Peagasus Yachts
M.O.S.S Australia
NAV at Home
JPK 11.80 July 2024
Jeanneau JY55
TMG-LAGOON-600×500-optimized
MultiHull Central Corsair 880
Cyclops Marine