Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival

Day 7: Victor Fernandez and Daida Moreno officially the King and Queen of Pozo

Unfortunately the wind and waves didn’t play ball on the final day of the 2016 Gran Canaria Wind & Waves festival so Saturday proved to be a fairly relaxed affair with the event officially being called off just after 3pm. 

With no further heats being completed in the double eliminations the results obtained yesterday remain unchanged, so a huge congratulations to Daida Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) and Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC), who deservedly walk away as the champions of Pozo Izquierdo and steal an early season lead in the battle for this year’s titles. With the event officially called off we caught up with a few of the sailors to see what they made of 2016 Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival: 

Daida Moreno, who claimed an emphatic victory at home: “Pozo Izqueirdo is the beach where I train everyday, so I guess the timing and my local knowledge is a big advantage and allows me to show what I’m capable in the 14 minute heat. I really enjoyed my sailing and had a lot of fun and I think that showed in my sailing and the result. The conditions were good enough to compete and I managed to find a good wave and two good jumps to help me claim first place.”

Victor Fernandez — finished last year as the vice-world champion and looks set to mount another serious challenge for the title after defeating Philip Köster (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) in the final: “It’s a great way to start the season. Philip obviously came into the event as the favourite as he lives in Vargas with similar conditions and he is the reigning world champion. The final was super close, Philip jumped better than me, but I did better in the waves. At the start of the heat I wasn’t really thinking. I just went freesailing and focused on giving my best.”

Philip Köster was an injury doubt after hurting himself while warming up on Friday and added: “I really want to thank everyone that helped me yesterday to get me back on the water, it wouldn't have been possible without the physio from the "centro de fisioterapia eloysuarezmatos" I landed a few flat loops and then felt a lot of back pain which didn't let me breath enough so I was really worried whether I would be able to start my heat. 2nd place from yesterday is a good start to the season and I’m really looking forward to the next events!”

Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins), who caused a massive upset by beating Iballa Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins), who broke her board during the semifinal, on home waters to earn her best wave result yet — 2nd: “This year I decided to come to Pozo early so I could get used to the conditions and it seems to have paid off. I didn’t expect the wind to be as strong as it was but having been here for a while I was comfortable being overpowered and more confident jumping. Besides that I learned some taka’s and got better timing during wave rides. 

So once I was up against Iballa, I believed that if I stuck to the jumps I’ve been practicing and land this taka I would have a chance. I went for broke in that heat and to my delight I won it! 

Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. It’s been great to see all the girls pushing during the heats and I’m super excited to see the level going up in the women’s fleet.” 

Adam Lewis (Fanatic / NorthSails / SWOX), who finishes 9th in the first event of the year: “This year’s Pozo was quite a tricky event, but in the end I feel as though the boys and girls went big and did what we could with the conditions. I think the heat I had against Philip was one of the windiest heats I’ve ever sailed in… On a personal note I finished 9th overall. I would’ve liked to have got through one more round realistically. I think I was pretty unlucky to draw Philip in the second round, but I felt I sailed well in the heat and I’m now looking forward to the next event in Tenerife.”

Amanda Beenen (99NoveNove / Point-7): “A 4th place for me in Pozo, conditions have been extremely difficult but none the less happy with my result! Big thumbs up to especially all the ladies sailing in Pozo this year in near to nuclear winds - we've got a bunch of hardcore girls here! Of course mega props for SQ who managed to cause a big upset by getting a 2nd place! Awesome!”

Graham Ezzy (Tabou / Ezzy) successfully began his comeback through the double, but has to settle for joint 17th with conditions not playing ball: “Pozo is the workhorse of the PWA wave tour—more wave world cups have run here than anywhere else in the world. The conditions are not always pretty, but they get the job done. This year was no different. The level of the fleet is so high that double forwards were common and every heat had a wave trick, like a taka or 360, landed. Victor now has a strong lead in the title race. Hopefully Tenerife offers us more waves.”

The prize giving will be held tonight at 8pm with all winners being presented in front of the crowd after another brilliant edition of the Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival.

To see all the latest from the event — including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply click HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Result Women’s Single Elimination — Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival

1st Daida Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)

2nd Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)

3rd Iballa Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)

4th Amanda Beenen (99NoveNove / Point-7)

5th Alice Arutkin (Fanatic / NorthSails)

5th Lina Erpenstein (Patrik / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)

5th Steffi Wahl (Patrik / Sailloft Hamburg)

5th Justyna Sniady (Simmer / Simmer / Mystic)

Result Men’s Single Elimination — Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival 

1st Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC)

2nd Philip Köster (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)

3rd Jaeger Stone (Starboard / Severne)

4th Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD)

5th Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing / MFC)

5th Dany Bruch (Starboard / Challenger Sails / AL360)

5th Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / SWOX)

5th Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails)

9th Jules Denel (JP / NeilPryde)

9th Leon Jamaer (JP / NeilPryde)

9th Camille Juban (Quatro / Simmer / MFC)

9th Florian Jung (RRD / Gun Sails / Maui Ultra Fins / SWOX)

9th Adam Lewis (Fanatic / NorthSails / SWOX)

9th Antoine Martin (JP / NeilPryde)

9th Josep Pons Casanova (Simmer / Simmer)

9th Alessio Stillrich (Fanatic / NorthSails)

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