La Torche PWA Grand Slam

Day 9: The title race all boils down to tomorrow, but will it be Iachino’s or Mortefon’s day?

The waiting game for the slalom fleet continued on the penultimate day of the 2016 La Torche PWA Grand Slam, but on a positive note the sunshine did at least return after a few days of heavy cloud and mist.

During the afternoon a fun SUP Race was hosted to keep the crowds entertained, but the real focus is heading into the final day, which could yet see a dramatic late change in the title race.

Title Tension

The agonising wait for Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Point-7) continues with the forecast for tomorrow still offering a slight chance of wind with 11-14 knots predicted during the morning. The Italian is on the verge of collecting his first world title, but will have to endure one more nail-biting day. A 4th place finish would guarantee Iachino the title, but in conditions that are likely to be light and tricky anything can still happen and Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / NorthSails) will be chomping at the bit to squeeze in at least one more race as this will be his only opportunity to deny Iachino at the final hurdle. 

Fight for Third

Meanwhile, the battle for the final place on the podium could also see a tense finale. As things stand Ross Williams (Tabou / GA Sails / Mystic / Shamal Sunglasses) is on course to complete the prestigious podium, but he still has Julien Quentel (Patrik / Avanti) on his tail. Just 33 points separate Williams and Quentel — the equivalent of one place — but due to count-back Quentel must beat the Brit by at least two places once in the top 16 to take third. 

With tomorrow being the final chance the sailors will meet at 8:30am for the skippers’ meeting with the action commencing from 9am (GMT+1) — if conditions allow. Make sure you tune into www.pwaworldtour.com to keep up to date will all of the latest developments on the final day.

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