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| Fuerteventura - Spain: Speed, Slalom & Freestyle world cup |
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Three days after the Gran Canaria world cup finished the next tour stop started on Fuerteventura. This is a real classic event on the PWA tour and probably the biggest one in number of competitors – including 3 windsurfing disciplines (freestyle, speed and slalom) and two in kite surfing. Rene Egli, the local organizer, once more provided us with the perfect set-up and organisation: A huge tent of 2000 square meters as sailors storage area; Another 3 containers 2 kilometres further down the beach at the speed course for the extra equipment and needs of the speed sailors and another 2000 square meters tent for spectators, restaurants, and bars with massive video screens: sure the best set-up we ever had for an event!
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And Fuerteventura proofed to be the perfect place for competition once more. The result was 15 slaloms for women, 9 Slaloms for men, three completed speed rounds and two full double eliminations in freestyle. |
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| Slalom |
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I had trained a lot in Slalom this year and Fuerte was one of the first big contests. I was so desperate to win this one – especially knowing that the rough conditions on Fuerte would definitely be an advantage for me against my opponents. And the first day it really was rough! From that day onwards I was leading the contest.
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But Valerie from France was sailing very consistent and each time I would make the smallest mistake she’d finish ahead of me. It was a close race until the very last 15th round. On the paper it always looked safe for me but in reality it actually wasn’t – with only one big mistake (like a disqualification) I could have still lost even after 13 races. When it was over I was simply happy.
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| Speed |
| Parallel to the Slalom competition the first speed event took place. The idea was that we would compete in Slalom in the morning and then do speed in the afternoon when the wind was stronger. The first day this nearly ended up in a disaster. I just headed back to the beach after my 4th Slalom final when I got told that the speed course is already open. Patrik was already standing there with my speed gear all set up – if I wouldn’t have had that help I probably would have been too late for the speed contest. But like that I just grabbed my gear and raced down to the speed course. |
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A speed sailing round means that the 500-meter course is open for two hours. In that time every sailor tries to get his and her fastest speeds over the course. The ranking is then made of the average speed of the two fastest runs of each competitor. There is quite a bit of tactics involved. But this time I couldn’t think of tactics. I just sailed and sailed and sailed. I had no clew how fast I was going or what ranking I was in. Only once they closed the speed course I learned that I had won this first round. Happy? I had no more energy for that. I haven’t been this tired for a long time. Even the next day that was similar to the first one with three slaloms and a full speed round passed in a blur. |
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| I tried to concentrate as much as possible but I was very tired. And I lost that second round to Allison from Australia. Luckily we then got a break as on the third and forth day the wind was too light in the afternoon for speed sailing. I relaxed (by just sailing in slalom) and got my strength back again. Enough to win the last round of speed and therefore the competition as well. Wow – that was tighter then I imagined!!! And there are two more events to come: Greece and Namibia. |
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| Freestyle |
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Due to my commitment to do the whole PWA Slalom tour I was not able to start in freestyle on Fuerte as well. What a pity! I had barely lost to Daida on Gran Canaria and would have gone ranked second into the event. But if I wanted to compete in the IFCA world championship in Turkey (that counts as well for the PWA year ranking) I had to leave the Canaries before the end of the freestyle contest. Sad – but there was one nice surprise: Laure from Switzerland sailed even better than on Gran Canaria – finishing again on the podium – and even beaten Daida at some time during the contest!
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Results:
Women Slalom: 1. Karin Jaggi, 2. Valerie Ghibaudo, 3. Allison Shreeve
Women Speed: 1. Karin Jaggi, 2. Allison Shreeve, 3. Valerie Ghibaudo
Women Freestyle: 1. Sarah-Quita Offringa, 2. Daida Moreno, 3. Laure Threbaux
Men Slalom: 1. Antoine Albeau, 2. Finian Maynard, 3. Micah Buzianis
Men Speed: 1. Finian Maynard, 2. Patrik Diethelm, 3. Cyril Moussilmani
Men Freestyle: 1. Jose Estredo, 2. Taty Frans, 3. Antxon Otaegui
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