Fly! ANA Yokosuka, Miura Windsurf World Cup
The final day of the 2025 Fly! ANA Yokosuka, Miura Windsurf World Cup was always billed as being windy, but not many expected it to be quite as windy as it turned out to be. Today was a stark contrast to yesterday, where sailors were reaching for the biggest equipment, while today they were reaching for their smallest equipment, and even then, sometimes that wasn’t small enough as winds over 30 knots howled through the course, which provided a combination of exhilarating racing and complete carnage, while the drama that unfolded simply couldn’t have been scripted…
Foil Slalom
Women’s
Japan truly has a talent for producing final days that you really can’t script and 2025 proved to be no different as Justine Lemeteyer (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils) had to survive an absolute nightmare of a last day before eventually still getting her hands on a second world title.
The 23-year-old looked to be in total control of the world title race at the beginning of the day, and even more so, when she was leading Elimination 3 into the third buoy, only to fall when holding a significant lead and eventually fighting back for third. At that stage things were still okay as she remained in control of her own fate. However, the wheels really started to come off the tracks in Elimination 4 when Lemeteyer sailed back to the beach after thinking she had been disqualified for a premature start. However, that wasn’t the case at all, but she completely missed the Winners’ Final - meaning not only would she have an eighth place hanging over her head, but now stress levels were starting to go through the roof as a seemingly stressless last day was quickly turning into anything but as Lina Eržen (Starboard / S2Maui / Starboard Foil) would go on to win Elimination 4 to close to within just 1.3 points… so, it would all come down to the fifth and final elimination.
Yet more carnage ensued in Elimination 5 as with the wind absolutely cranking it became a battle of survival, and not just racing. Again things looked to be going smoothly for Lemeteyer as she built a decent advantage in the semifinals as she approached the third buoy, but she then suffered a savage wipeout. Ordinarily, Lemeteyer would’ve probably had enough time to recover and still qualify, but given how far downwind she was it meant she could no longer make the mark, meaning she would need to tack now just to even be able to complete the course - all the while losing valuable ground as her world title hopes seemingly evaporated before her eyes. One or two failed tack attempts soon saw Lemeteyer abandon the race entirely and after failing to qualify for the Winners’ Final, destiny was now no longer in her hands and her world title aspirations were seemingly in tatters.
In the Winners’ Final of Elimination 5, Blanca Alabau (WeOne / Severne Sails) and Eržen went rail-to-rail in an intense battle - which was so close that they almost collided on a couple of occasions. However, the exact scenario Lemeteyer couldn’t afford looked to be unfolding before her eyes with Eržen winning the final, while Alabau was firmly in the top five, which would see Lemeteyer drop to third for the event and miss out on the world title in the most devastating of circumstances.
However, the drama wasn’t over yet, and there was still one final twist in the tale as Eržen, who had been battling for control on the penultimate reach, eventually exploded, which allowed Alabau to fly through and pick up the lead to claim not only her first bullet of the event, but also the event victory.
Meanwhile, you have to feel empathy towards Eržen, who went from being on the verge of winning Elimination 5, the event and the world title, to eventually missing out on all three, while Lemeteyer will be left counting her lucky stars as she somehow escapes with the 2025 Women’s Foil Slalom PWA world title, despite everything that could go wrong, going wrong.
Blanca Alabau had looked quick all week, and is well known for loving rough conditions, highlighted by the fact that her last event win came in Gran Canaria in 2023. Alabau revelled in the strong winds today as she recorded one bullet and a second place to win the event on countback. Alabau and Eržen finished tied on 7.7 points, but Alabau recorded better results than her rival in three out of the five eliminations completed. The Spaniard’s victory here means she leapfrogs Eržen in the overall rankings to finish the season as the vice-world champion.
Eržen, meanwhile, completes the overall podium for 2025 and was still able to smile during the prize giving despite suffering last minute heartbreak in her quest for a maiden world title.
Elsewhere, Marion Mortefon (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils) finishes fourth in her first event back since becoming a mother, Femke van der Veen walks away with fifth place in Japan, while Maya Gysler finishes sixth in her debut event - which included winning the first race of the day - Elimination 3.
Men’s
Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Severne Sails) came into the event knowing that a top five finish would guarantee him a third world title and the Italian never looked in danger of finishing outside the top three here after making a confident start to proceedings. In the end, Iachino finishes the last event of the year in second place after two second and two third places in the four eliminations completed as he produced a controlled display. Iachino looked cool, calm and collected in Japan and he now has his just rewards as he can now celebrate adding to his previous world titles from 2016 and 2023 after performing superbly all season.
Light winds or strong winds? It doesn’t seem to matter to Johan Søe (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils), who successfully defends his event title after producing a display of total perfection. Søe walks away from this year’s event with four bullets from four, which means he has also won the last four events he has entered on the World Tour. Søe’s speed, tactics and gybing make him an absolute racing machine and he looks fairly unstoppable at this current moment in time.
Meanwhile, Pierre Mortefon (FMX Racing / NeilPryde) completes the event podium, which sees the Frenchman crowned vice-world champion for 2025. Mortefon won the Slalom X world championship earlier in the year and given all of his troubles with equipment during the course of the season, also finishing the vice-world champion is a remarkable result.
Maciek Rutkowski (JP / NeilPryde) completes the prestigious overall podium for 2025 after the Pole claimed fourth place here after counting results of a third and two fourths, while his main rival for the last spot on the overall podium - Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / Point-7) - could only finish eighth in Japan - though he did win both B-finals on the last day.
Having recorded his first top ten result in Sylt last month, Fabian Wolf (Starboard / Severne Sails), walks away from 2025 with his best result on the World Tour thus far - 5th. The German qualified for all four winners’ finals as he continues to build momentum.
Alexis Mathis (Tabou / GA Sails) also ends the season with his best result of the year - 6th - while teammate Scotty Stallman (Tabou / GA Sails) earns his first top ten result on the World Tour - 7th - after qualifying for both Winners’ Finals today and finishing fifth in the last elimination. The Brit started the day in 14th, but after producing his best racing of the season gained seven places on the last day.
The top ten is completed by William Huppert (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils) - 9th - and Elia Colombo (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils) - 10th - with the Swiss managing to finish fourth in Elimination 3.
That concludes the PWA World Tour for 2025 - and what a way to end it - with arguably the most dramatic day of the entire season where emotions ran high. Congratulations to all the winners and we’ll see you again in 2026. We’ll be back in the next day or two with an Event Summary.
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2025 Fly! ANA Yokosuka, Miura Windsurf World Cup - Women’s Foil Slalom
1st Blanca Alabau (ESP | WeOne / Severne Sails)
2nd Lina Eržen (SLO | Starboard / S2Maui / Starboard Foil)
3rd Justine Lemeteyer (FRA | PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils)
4th Marion Mortefon (FRA | PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils)
5th Femke van der Veen (NED | Starboard / Severne Sails)
Result 2025 Fly! ANA Yokosuka, Miura Windsurf World Cup - Men’s Foil Slalom
1st Johan Søe (DEN | PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils)
2nd Matteo Iachino (ITA | Starboard / Severne Sails)
3rd Pierre Mortefon (FRA | FMX Racing / NeilPryde)
4th Maciek Rutkowski (POL | JP / NeilPryde)
5th Fabian Wolf (GER | Starboard / Severne Sails)
6th Alexis Mathis (FRA | Tabou / GA Sails)
7th Scotty Stallman (GBR | Tabou / GA Sails)
8th Amado Vrieswijk (NB | Future Fly / Point-7 / Z Foils)
9th William Huppert (FRA | PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils)
10th Elia Colombo (SUI | PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils)