Setting The Pace

Hard Works Pays Off For Iachino - Read Our Short Interview With The Italian Now - Who Leads Both The Slalom & Foil World Tours With An Event To Go In Each

After a less than ideal start to the season - a disappointing 25th place in Marignane, France - Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Severne / Starboard Foil) was immediately placed under pressure to perform for the remainder of the season with no margin for error. Since that disappointing result in France (where only 1 elimination was completed) and a solid, if unspectacular, 7th place Foiling in Japan, the Italian has been nothing short of exceptional with the 30-year-old winning 2 out of the last 3 Slalom events - while a third place in the other means he leads the Slalom title race with an event to go. However, his focus for now will be on the upcoming Mercedes-Benz Sylt PWA World Cup where he will enter the final Foil event of the year also as the world tour leader after a 3rd place finish in Costa Brava. 

Iachino has shown all the qualities needed to add to his sole world title from 2016, and with opportunities on two fronts, the Italian is perfectly poised to do just that. You can see the first part of Iachino’s world title quest by tuning into www.pwaworldtour.com between the 27th September - 6th October, while you’ll be able to follow his progress for a second Slalom world crown between the 18th-23rd November in New Caledonia. For now though you can read our short interview with Matteo below…

Hey Matteo, congrats on winning your second event of the season in Denmark - how was the week as a whole for you?

“Thanks Chris! The week has been really tough but a really good racing week. It has been really hard psychologically.”

Denmark threw pretty much every kind of condition you can imagine at you guys, but whereas others seemed to have some weaknesses exposed you performed exceptionally across all the conditions - how pleasing was that for you?

“It has been a great event. As you said we raced in any kind of condition and that makes this event one to remember. It allows you to show your performance all round and to win it has been really good.”

Of the conditions that we had in Denmark, which were you favourite? And were there any conditions which you possibly felt less effective in?

“I love high wind and choppy wavy waters. The adrenaline you get out of racing on a 5.5m full power is second to nothing I know. The second elimination of the windy rainy day has been my favourite. Big chop and 5.5m full power. I personally don’t like much the dead flat waters with offshore light winds but we're professional windsurfers and we have to be ready to compete in anything… unluckily also in that kind of condition.”

Winning in Hvide Sande now means that you lead both the Foil and Slalom World Tours with an event to go in each… which is an incredible feat - how does that feel? And how are you feeling heading into the final stages of the season?

“It feels amazing. It shows once again to myself that hard work pays off. This year and all the last years I’ve been working so hard in and out of the water and being at the top of the two racing disciplines in the PWA has a really big meaning for me. I’ll keep working hard and enjoying windsurfing as I did until now and I’ll give my best in Sylt and Noumea.”

Thanks, Matteo. See you in Sylt.

You can stay up to date with Matteo iachino’s latest news and adventures via his Social Media Channels:

Facebook: @MatteoIachinoProWindsurfer
Instagram: @matteoita140_official