Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival

Day 6: Super Saturday Beckons With Only The Finals Left to Run

The penultimate day of the 2018 Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival saw Pozo Izquierdo continue to produce howling winds and waves. In the morning the Youth’s contest was completed in lighter winds, while one women’s heat was finished just before 1pm before the remaining competitors were placed on hold for 4 hours.

After playing the waiting game, the waves began to improve with the tide on the push, while the wind cranked up an extra notch or two to provide an amazing end to the day and heading into Saturday only the top two sailors in both the men’s and women’s draw remain.

Wave

Women’s

Double Elimination

Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) will line up in the Women’s Final tomorrow against Daida Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) after winning both of her heats today.

The Aruban produced an excellent performance against Lina Erpenstein (Severne / Severne Sails), which included a sick tweaked pushloop and a backloop to set up a tie against Iballa Moreno (Starboard / Severne /Maui Ultra Fins). Erpenstein meanwhile made a solid start to the heat with a stalled forward, but then struggled to build on that and bows out in an excellent 4th place in the second women’s event of the year.

Sarah-Quita Offringa then took down reigning world champion - Iballa Moreno - in Heat 34 after a hard fought battle, which saw the lead switch hands on a couple of occasions. Iballa scored her best wave of the heat on her opening wave as she linked a backside air with two fluid frontside turns to earn 6.62 points. Meanwhile, Offringa was able to land a stylish tweaked pushloop again and moved into the lead with a couple of low wave scores, which made her vulnerable. After changing down sail size, Iballa was then able to find the ideal ramp to launch into, and land, a high backloop, which sent her into the lead. However, her advantage was short-lived as Offringa almost immediately landed a perfectly clean backloop - but much lower - to regain the lead and then did her best work on the wave with her final 3 waves. Iballa’s strongest part of her sailing is usually her wave riding, but after a solid start she was unable to find another wave score above 1.12 points - which is perhaps testament to how tough the conditions were - but she will also be a bit gutted knowing that ‘just’ a 4.25 point wave or better would’ve seen her defend her second place.

Men’s 

Double Elimination

Ricardo Campello (Point-7) produced a superb performance in Heat 49 to overcome his nemesis Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / Duotone / Shamal Sunglasses), who for the first time in 11 years, not only misses out on a place in the top two, but also on the podium, with Campello moving into the top 3. The 33-year-old earned an almost perfect 19 points out of 20 for his jumping after landing an amazing pushloop forward and a stalled double forward while earning two wave scores of 8.12 and 7.88 points to leave Fernandez almost helpless, which is unheard of - especially in Pozo. The Spaniard made a fine start to the heat with a perfect double forward of his own, and an 8.38 point wave, but clearly knew he was in trouble as he attempted two pushloop forwards, but to no avail.

Campello then faced good friend Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing) in the battle for second and third, which saw a great battle unfold. Both sailors landed excellent double forwards while racking up similar wave scores in the early stages to leave the duel delicately poised. However, with just a couple of minutes to go, it looked as though Campello had won the heat as he finally found the ramp he was looking for to land a now trademark pushloop forward and with hardly any time to respond it looked like Campello would continue his march back through the double. However, Browne had different ideas and the Brazilian went for broke in the last minute as he landed the first double forward off the lip in a competition before adding one or two backside turns, which turned the heat in his favour and claim victory by just over half a point, while stunning Campello. Upon hearing the result, Campello was perplexed that his first two wave scores hadn’t been scored as one wave as he felt he had continued to ride the same wave, but those pleas fell on deaf ears leaving him to settle for third place at this year’s Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival.

The stage is now set for tomorrow, which will see a grandstand finale in both the men’s and women’s with only the top two sailors in each division left standing. In the men’s Philip Köster (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) will sail against Marcilio Browne, while Daida Moreno will face Sarah-Quita Offringa. And remember if Browne and Offringa want to dislodge the single elimination winners’ from there throne then they will have to beat Köster and Daida not only once, but twice.

Girls

U13+U15

Alexia Kiefer Quintana (Fanatic / Duotone) completed a clean sweep today by winning the third final of the contest ahead of Maria Morales (Goya Windsurfing), but today’s final was quite so straightforward as she started on the wrong size sail. However, once on the right setup she sailed straight out and landed a clean forward loop to take the top spot with a perfect record.

U17

Alexia Kiefer Quintana’s day then got even better as she won the U17s category ahead of Julia Pasquale (Fanatic / Duotone) and Mar de Arce (Loftsails)

U20

Despite not being able to sail today, due to injury, Alexa Escherich (JP / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) just held on to take the overall victory in the under 20s having won both finals yesterday. Meanwhile, Tessa van der Meer finishes second ahead of her sister Nikki van der Meer and Regina Villegas Cespedes (Duotone).

Boy’s

U13

Tobias Bjørnaa (Fanatic / Duotone) just held on to the No.1 spot in the overall rankings after a somewhat surprising 4th place finish today - having won both finals yesterday. Pepe Krause (Quatro / Hot Sails Maui) won today’s final and finishes just 0.3 of a point behind Bjørnaa, while the top 3 is completed by Carlos Kiefer Quintana (Fanatic / Duotone).

U15

The under 15s division saw a hotly contested final with backloops, forwards and some quality wave riding impressing the crowd and the judges. In the end though it was Lennart Neubauer (Starboard / Severne), who takes the victory just ahead of Liam Dunkerbeck, who was missing a cleanly landed second jump, (Starboard / Severne), Jahdan Tiger (Severne / Severne Sails) and Alex Di Giosafatte (I-99 / Challenger Sails).

U17

Marino Gil (Goya Windsurfing), who finished 17th overall in the Men’s main draw, claimed a deserved victory in the U17s division, but it was quite a tight affair with Corto Dumond (Starboard / GA Sails) and Takuma Sugi (Tabou / GA Sails) - not far behind - and both excelled on the wave with Sugi earning the highest wave score in the final after landing a frontside aerial. However, Gil’s superior jumping proved to be the difference.

U20

Miguel Chapuis (JP / NeilPryde) sailed a superb final to claim a clearcut victory ahead of Adam Warchol (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing), Valentino Pasquale (Fanatic / Duotone) and Jake Schettewi (JP / NeilPryde). Chapuis landed a sick tweaked pushloop and a one-handed backloop, while linking together a couple of solid waves to take top honours here.

The forecast looks as though the nuclear winds will continue, while the swell is expected to increase slightly overnight. The skippers’ meeting has been called for 10am with the action commencing from 10:30am (GMT+1) onwards.

You can stay up to date with all the latest developments from Gran Canaria— including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply by clicking HERE and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

Result Women’s DoubleElimination - Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival

*Positions 1st-3rd may still change

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

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

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

4th Lina Erpenstein (GER - Severne / Severne Sails)

5th Justyna Sniady (POL - Simmer / Simmer Sails / AL360)

6th Nayra Alonso (ESP - Fanatic / Severne)

7th Maaike Huvermann (NED / Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)

7th Steffi Wahl (GER / Sailloft Hamburg)

Result Men’s Double Elimination - Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival

*Positions 1st-3rd may still change

1st Philip Köster (GER - Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)

2nd Marcilio Browne (BRA - Goya Windsurfing)

3rd Ricardo Campello (VEN - Point-7)

4th Victor Fernandez (ESP - Fanatic / Duotone / Shamal Sunglasses)

5th Alex Mussolini (ESP - RRD / RRD Sails)

6th Jaeger Stone (AUS - Starboard / Severne / SWOX / Shamal Sunglasses)

7th Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo (VEN - Fanatic / Duotone)

7th Adam Lewis (GBR - Fanatic / Duotone / SWOX)

9th Marc Paré (ESP - Simmer / Simmer Sails)

9th Robby Swift (GBR - JP / NeilPryde / SWOX)

9th Dieter van der Eyken (BEL - Severne / Severne Sails)

9th Dany Bruch (GER - Bruch Boards / Flight Sails / AL360 / Shamal Sunglasses)

Result Girl’s U13+U15 - Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival

1st Alexia Kiefer Quintana (Fanatic / Duotone)

2nd Maria Morales Navarro (Goya Windsurfing)

3rd Isabel Triviño Delgado (Fanatic / Goya Windsurfing)

4th Lucia Triviño Delgado (Starboard / Goya Windsurfing)

Result Girl’s U17 Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival

1st Alexia Kiefer Quintana (Fanatic / Duotone)

2nd Julia Pasquale (Fanatic / Duotone) 

3rd Mar de Arce (Loftsails)

Result Girl’s U20 - Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival

1st Alexa Escherich (JP / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)

2nd Tessa van der Meer

3rd Nikki van der Meer

4th Regina Villegas Cespedes (Duotone)

Result Boy’s Under 13 - Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival 

1st Tobias Bjørnaa (Fanatic / Duotone)
2nd Pepe Krause (Quatro / Hot Sails Maui)

3rd Carlos Kiefer Quintana (Fanatic / Duotone)

4th Giulio Gasperini (Starboard / Severne)

5th Marco Alonso Camara (Ezzy)

Result Boy’s Under 15 - Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival

1st Lennart Neubauer (Starboard / Severne)

2nd Liam Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne)

3rd Jahdan Tyger (Severne / Severne Sails)

4th Alex Di Giosafatte (I-99 / Challenger Sails)

Result Boy’s Under 17 - Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival

1st Marino Gil (Goya Windsurfing)

2nd Corto Dumond (Starboard / GA Sails)

3rd Takuma Sugi (Tabou / GA Sails)

4th Mike Friedl (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing)

Result Boy’s Under 20 - Gran Canaria Wind & Waves Festival

1st Miguel Chapuis (JP / NeilPryde)

2nd Adam Warchol (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing)

3rd Valentino Pasquale (Fanatic / Duotone)

4th Jake Schettewi (JP / Hot Sails Maui)

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