SINGAPORE – On a day when Max Verstappen showed that he was only human as his winning run in Formula One was ended at the Australian Grand Prix, Singapore’s Maximilian Maeder reminded the sailing world of his dominance on the water.

The 17-year-old kitefoiler is preparing for a busy year, with the Paris Olympics in August his main target. The teenager passed his first major test after winning gold at the 2024 Formula Kite European Championships in Mar Menor, Spain on March 24.