Fuerteventura PWA World Cup and Super-X Exhibition Day 3

With winds gusting over 40 knots and most competitors on sails under 4m, today’s freestyle in Fuerteventura was even more radical than yesterday. In the men’s fleet, the tougher conditions suited the Europeans who took nine of the top sixteen places; a total roll reversal from yesterday, but still only have one sailor in the top ten overall, which has no-one over twenty years old in it!

With winds gusting over 40 knots and most competitors on sails under 4m, today’s freestyle in Fuerteventura was even more radical than yesterday. In the men’s fleet, the tougher conditions suited the Europeans who took nine of the top sixteen places; a total roll reversal from yesterday, but still only have one sailor in the top ten overall, which has no-one over twenty years old in it!

French freestyle champion Julian Taboulet (JP / Neil Pryde) was on fire and became only the third sailor here to pull off a shaka in competition. His routine on the water blew Tonky Frans (AHD / Gaastra) and Remko De Weerd (Fanatic / Gaastra) away before finally being taken out by Konan Lang (Naish), the young Brazilian who had another amazing day, advancing all the way into the semi finals to face yesterday’s champion from Britain, Robby Swift (JP / Neil Pryde).

Once again though, Swifty’s power sailing blending all the tricky slides with tweaked power aerial moves got him into the finals.

Venezuela’s Diony Guadagnino (Neil Pryde) blew Colin Sifferlen (Starboard) away in the quarter finals moving for the first time here into the semis. Diony’s sailing was the most radical of the day, with crazy pete’s in every heat – that’s basically a back loop with a rig flip half way round! And the latest move that Ricardo Campello (JP / Neil Pryde) invented only a few weeks ago in Gran Canaria; the ‘fruit loop’, which is an air cha cha – if simple terms could be used to describe this, it would be jump real high and spin around your rig in mid air, starting with a duck gybe, then a tack, before landing with all limbs intact. Try that in 40 knots… Not to mention his wyaramoos – flat water Gu-screws.

But even Diony’s form, which he put down to “just having fun on the water” couldn’t beat Swifty’s dominance once again here in Sotavento. Robby won the third round today and in doing so has already won the whole PWA Fuerteventura Freestyle World Cup, without even having to compete tomorrow! Celebrations have already begun…

The battle is now focused on the top five, where there’s eight sailors who could potentially get podium positions. After three rounds though, the top five are Taty Frans (AHD / Gaastra) (who took down Campello in the quarters), Colin, Diony and Konan, in second third fourth and fifth respectfully. After tomorrow’s competition there’ll be a discard available when Konan might leap frog into second place with his current form, and Campello could make a comeback.

As for the old guard, they’ve not even had a look into the top ten yet, until today when Orjan Jensen (North) beat Kauli Seadi (AHD / Naish) by landing a crazy pete and a massive one handed forward loop (amongst other crazy moves) in the five minute heats, moving him into the top eight today.

The ladies fleet had another tough battle with a series of back to back heats which would even leave the strongest men exhausted. The second half of their double elimination was completed, so today’s winner would meet yesterdays champion, Karin Jaggi (F2 / Arrows).

Iballa Moreno (Mistral / North) met her sister Daida Moreno (Mistral / North) in the semis after they beat country mate Nayra Alonso and Austrian Tanja Emig, and won, avenging her twin and leaving them in equal second place overall.

Karin Jaggi retained her lead as her incredible form and routine included full speed one handed spocks literally right onto the beach, a perfect and very high forward loop, a grubby and more twists and turns in an event she has been dominating and leads comfortably at the moment.

With stacks of wind still forecast for tomorrow, the final day of freestyle, the twins are the only girls in a position to still challenge Karin here.

On Tuesday the Super –X Exhibition starts, combining freestyle sailing and slalom racing. If the winds stay this strong, it’ll be a radical spectacle. Watch this space!

TODAY'S RESULTS - FREESTYLE MEN</B> <BR> <BR>TODAY'S RESULTS - FREESTYLE WOMEN</B> <BR> <BR>
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