Luca Filippi’s Chubanga V3 Kite Foil approved by IKA

Today we received a release from the IKA reporting that our good friend Luca Filippi’s Chubanga V3 kite foil has been approved as productions series equipment. Luca, a known F18 sailor who built the Banga F18 a couple of years ago, later started to laminate his own kite hydrofoils. First was the Banga , later he was involved in the launch of the Enata and now again with his own brand, Chubanga.

Kitefoiling will be present at the 2024 Olympics, thus the importance of this approval. There has been some controversy lately with the IKA hydrofoil builders, as Mikeslab declined IKA to inspect their factory for the IKA technical committee to approve or not as a possible Olympic and IKA official production foil.

Exploder has launched a new kite hydrofoil too (need to add the Hydro as Kite foil can also be referred to performance non inflatable kites) , but wont be registering their product for IKA inspection and possibly Olympic bid/test.

Mikeslab has stated that the IKA factory inspection puts their R&D in danger, preferring maintain their work away from IKA technical eyes. In a way I can understand their position, and eitherway any Class should restrict themselves to measure final products and verify allowed materials.

On Mikeslab affair check IKA website here

Spoke with Luca Filippi today, and of course he didn’t had much issues on the IKA inspecting his work , it is a work loaded process though and Luca has been working hard to keep his kite racing hydrofoils with a constant quality , consistent build and proven performance.

We are happy for Luca and we wish him the best for coming trials vs some big names in the kite industry. Below official IKA release on the Chubanga V3

Chubanga V3 approved as Formula Kite Registered Series Production Equipment

After a successful factory inspection, Chubanga V3 mast and glider have been approved by the IKA Technical Committee as registered series production equipment for the IKA Formula Kite Class.

The Chubanga V2 hydrofoil system is still subject to approval.

As all other approved registered series production equipment, the Chubanga V3 hydrofoil system will now be evaluated in competition until the end of 2021, when World Sailing will license the 2024 Olympic equipment through a separate agreement with the successful manufacturers. For more information on Chubanga products, please visit https://www.chubangafoil.com/

For more information about the IKA Formula Kite class, the Olympic kiteboarding format, equipment and upcoming events, please visit https://www.formulakite.org/

List of registeres series production kites: https://www.formulakite.org/equipment/eligible-equipment/kites-2020-2024

List of registered series production hydrofoil systems: https://www.formulakite.org/equipment/eligible-equipment/hydrofoils-2020-2024