Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam

Day 3: Dieter Van der Eyken storms back through the double but can’t quite stop Kiri Thode, whilst Sarah-Quita Offringa dominates

The women took centre stage first on day three of the Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam as the double elimination was completed in 20-30 knots of breeze and slightly flatter water as the remaining top five girls put on a great display. However, there was still no stopping Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins), who powered to an emphatic victory in the double elimination and also the second single elimination. In the men’s Dieter Van der Eyken (Starboard / Severne) was on fire, but even he couldn’t stop Kiri Thode (Starboard / GA Sails) from retaining his single elimination crown.

Men’s

Double Elimination

The real standout today was Dieter Van der Eyken, who won a total of six heats in the double elimination - with four of those victories coming today. The Belgian maestro took on the reigning world champion - Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo (Fanatic / North / MFC) - first and he came flying out of the starting blocks exploding through a pasko 360, an amazing planing spock into culo and stylish one-handed burners on both tacks. Gollito sailed extremely well too, especially considering the fact he has under the weather with an ill-timed bout of chicken pox. The six-time world champion spun through a super stylish no-handed burner, which was probably the pick of his tricks, before suffering a broken mast on the landing of a backloop. Luckily Mattia Fabrizi (Fanatic / North) was on hand to sail a new set of kit out to him and Gollito was able to land a spock culo of his own to end the heat. In the end there almost nothing between the two sailors with two tie breaks on the judges scoresheets, but Van der Eyken was given the nod.

The Belgian then faced Tonky Frans (Tabou / GA Sails), but even a timing error - meaning the heat had to be resailed - couldn’t knock Van der Eyken out of his stride as he progressed again. Nicolas Akgazciyan (99NoveNove / Point-7 / Maui Ultra Fins) suffered the same feat before Antony Ruenes (Tabou / GA Sails) also felt Van der Eyken’s wrath. Ruenes wasn’t happy with his own performance in the heat, but realistically the Belgian maestro would’ve beaten anyone in the world with the way he sailed  in Heat 50 as he accumulated the highest score of the whole contest with an incredible 58.5 points from a possible 60. Van der Eyken again landed perfect spock into culos, stylish one-handed ponches and stunning paskos, but it was his amazing air skopu which really stole the show and goes down as the standout move of the day.

Winners’ Final

Waiting in the final was Kiri Thode and the Belgian looked to be continuing his outstanding form into the final as he made a better start than his rival as he flew through a shaka and sailed away from another spock into culo, whilst Thode crashed a massive shaka before dropping what would’ve been a sick culo. However, Thode then started to find his groove as he landed a culo and shaka on his second attempt before quickly rattling off a burner and a ponch. At this stage Van der Eyken may have been edging the duel as he added a pasko and a backloop, which was landed cleanly. However, the pendulum then swung as the Bonairean landed an exquisite air kabikuchi, which he planed out of before finishing with a high kono. Both sailors completed their scoresheets with a minute to spare so it was then down to a nervous wait for the judges verdict. In the end Thode came out on top as he successfully defended his single elimination crown to take a strangle-hold over the event title. Van der Eyken though will be absolutely delighted with his work today and was rewarded with his best result ever in a double elimination as he sailed his way into second place with a scintillating display.

Women’s 

Double Elimination 

Yoli Freites de Brendt (Fanatic / North) picked up where she left off from yesterday as she clinically dispatched of Arrianne Aukes (RRD / Simmer / Maui Ultra Fins) in Heat 48. The Venezuelan rotated through clean spock 540’s and punetas together with fluid flakas and shakas to progress by way of a 3-0 decision.

However, next up for Freites de Brendt was Maaike Huvermann (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins). Unfortunately Freites de Brendt couldn’t replicate the form she showed in the previous heat, but Huvermann was in great form as she enjoyed the lighter winds and flatter water to advance. The seventeen year old then dispatched of Oda Johanne (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) as she landed flakas and shakas on both tacks as well as spocks and switch konos, whilst also attempting regular konos.

Winners’ Final

Huvermann’s reward for winning against her Norwegian rival was a duel against Sarah-Quita Offringa, who was once again in a league of her own. The Aruban gem is on the verge of an eighth successive world title and was never going to give her opponent even a slight chance of victory as she combined amazing burners and culos with a double flaka and big shaka to take the double elimination crown.

Single Elimination II 

Winners’ Final

Just as in the first single elimination it was Oda Johanne who navigated her way into the winners’ final to face Sarah-Quita Offringa again, but she was powerless to stop Offringa from marching to another emphatic victory. Johanne landed a nice shaka and a switch kono, but it wasn’t enough as Offringa again exploded through flakas, shakas and ponches together with a planing e-slider and a stylish burner to once again stand at the top of the podium. 

Double Elimination II 

The second double elimination was started, but will be completed tomorrow after the evening wind became more patchy. 

The forest promises further wind tomorrow and both fleets will meet again at 10am for the skippers’ meeting, before the action gets underway from 10:30am onwards. Don’t miss any of the amazing action by tuning into www.pwaworldtour.com - here you’ll be able to follow everything as it happens via the PWA live stream and live ticker.

Results After Double Elimination Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam - Men’s Freestyle

1st Kiri Thode (Starboard / GA Sails)

2nd Dieter Van der Eyken (Starboard / Severne)

3rd Antony Ruenes (Tabou / GA Sails)

4th Nicolas Akgazciyan (99NoveNove / Point-7 / Maui Ultra Fins)

5th Tonky Frans (Tabou / GA Sails)

6th Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo (Fanatic / North / MFC)

7th Julien Mas (JP / Avanti)

7th Yentel Caers (JP / NeilPryde)

9th Philip Soltysiak (Starboard / Sailworks)

9th Amado Vrieswijk (JP / Severne)

9th Balz Müller (Patrik / Severne)

9th Taty Frans (Starboard / GA Sails / Mystic)

Results After Double Elimination and Single Elimination II Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam - Women’s Freestyle

1st Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins)

2nd Maaike Huvermann (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)

3rd Oda Johanne (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)

4th Arrianne Aukes (RRD / Simmer / Maui Ultra Fins)

5th Yoli Freites de Brendt (Fanatic / North)

6th Maxime van Gent (Fanatic / North / Maui Ultra Fins)

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