Breiana Whitehead

Kite foil racing, one of the most exciting, high-speed events on water, makes its debut on the sailing program at the Paris Olympics, and Townsville’s Breiana Whitehead will be one of the athletes to watch.

Foil riders 'fly' above the water on hydrofoils attached to boards, powered by huge kites that can propel them at speeds of up to 45 knots (80 km/h).

Breiana, who trains alongside her brother Scott, has been a consistent top-10 performer in the class over the past five years, winning bronze and the European and World Championships in 2019 and finishing sixth in the Euros and seventh at the Worlds in 2022.

She also secured a Paris Games quota spot for Australia when she finished 11th at the 2023 World Championships in The Hague.

The 24-year-old started sailing in Townsville Yacht Club at the age of eight and progressed through lasers and 29ers before discovering a passion for kiting.

"I lived near the local kite beach and once I discovered that racing on the foil was a possibility, I was really determined to learn how to do it,” Breiana said.

"I can't forget the first time I finally stopped crashing every 10 seconds and started to properly foil, just the feeling of flying over the water. Everything goes quiet and it's just you, the wind and the waves."

Breiana describes foiling as just like racing a sailboat, but a lot faster.

"There is a lot going on that's for sure," she said. "Once you have the foiling skills, the racing feels very similar to sailing, most of the tactics and strategy I learnt through racing dinghies and skiffs applies, but everything happens really quickly.

"The close racing gets pretty intense though; with so many kites, lines and people on foils all trying to get around the marks without tangling or crashing in the water."

Breiana now has her eyes firmly on Paris and is looking forward to showcasing her sport to Australian audiences from the waters off Marseille, where the sailing events will take place.

"I'm really excited for the world to see just how exciting kite foil racing is," she said. 

"Hopefully it encourages people to get involved in water sports, being outside and enjoying the ocean, lake, or wherever they can experience and value the world we live in."