2026 Kitefoil World Championship, Day 1: New Zealand's Lukas Walton-Keim in top 20 after opening day in Portugal

New Zealand’s Lukas Walton-Keim has opened his 2026 Formula Kite World Championships campaign with a strong first day in Portugal, sitting 19th overall after the opening races in Viana do Castelo.

Walton-Keim notched two top-10 finishes from the first four races of the regatta to place himself firmly in contention against a world-class 54-rider men’s fleet featuring Olympic medallists and reigning world champions.

Fellow Kiwi Lochy Naismith is 37th overall after day one, while Lucy Bilger sits 28th in the women’s standings after completing three races.

The six-day championship is now underway on Portugal’s demanding Atlantic coastline, where close to 90 of the world’s best Formula Kite riders are battling for world titles, ranking points and crucial momentum in the lead-up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle.

Viana do Castelo is regarded as one of the toughest stops on the international circuit, with powerful thermal winds, rolling ocean swell and highly technical race conditions creating a stern examination from the outset.

Lochy Naismith is one of three Kiwis in action in Portugal. Photos / Robert Hajduk, IKA Media

Italy’s Riccardo Pianosi and Dutch rider Jessie Kampman arrived in Portugal as defending world champions after winning their respective titles in Sardinia last year.

Singapore's Max Maeder, Olympic champion Valentin Bontus of Austria and Slovenia’s 2022 world champion Toni Vodisek are among the leading contenders in the men’s fleet.

In the women’s competition, American great Daniela Moroz is chasing an eighth world title, while France’s Lauriane Nolot is also expected to feature prominently.

The world championships continue through to May 16.

Click here for the latest results and standings.