East Bay Teen Wins Formula Kite Worlds
For the second year in a row, Daniela Moroz of Lafayette has won the Women’s IKA Formula Kite World Championship, held in Muscat, Oman, on November 19-24. "I’m pretty stoked,” said the 16-year-old. “Coming into this there was a lot of expectation heaped on me, but I managed to stay calm. I just had fun with it and tried to keep all the pressure out of my mind.” Actually, she dominated the women’s division, winning the title with a day to spare. Among the 58 sailors from 22 countries, only six were women.
"I’m the 2017 world champion. I guess it’s pretty crazy to think about," she said. "I never imagined that I would have two world titles by the time I was 16. It makes me excited for the future, to keep pushing and see what new limits we can reach." In recognition of her world championship last year, Moroz was named 2016 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year by US Sailing. She’ll be focusing on school for the rest of this year.
Among Daniela’s sponsors is the St. Francis Sailing Foundation. St. Francis Yacht Club is one of Marinite Johnny Heineken’s sponsors; he placed eighth in the Platinum Flight of the men’s division. Nico Parlier of France is the new World Champion. Click here for complete results.
