DUNKERBECK MAY HAVE STOLEN FINAL RACE GLORY, BUT IT WAS ALBEAU WHO CLAIMED HIS FIFTH CONSECUTIVE CROWN IN THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY FUERTEVENTURA WORLD CUP TODAY.

The fifth and final day of slalom competition started off in a very similar fashion to day four, with the breeze teasing the competitors throughout the morning resulting in racing being on hold for much of the day.

As temperatures soared to new levels so did the tension between the competitors. And, as the day progressed it became apparent that only one race would be completed, leaving the 2009 world champion, Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde) fighting for the crown with the 2009 world rankings runner up, Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra).

Albeau Holds All The Aces

Maynard looked nervous, with plenty of work still to do, whereas Albeau was playing it cool, and trying to keep calm, confident with the knowledge that all he had to do was finish higher than 7th. However, with the mistakes he made the previous day he knew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.

By mid afternoon the wind began to build, and race director, Juan Antonio Aragon made the call to start race ten. All eyes were on Albeau and Maynard to see if they’d progress through their early heats. And, as expected, there was never a moment when either looked likely to fail, with both sailors going through to the finals with ease.

At this point, Maynard had to pull something special out of the bag. He somehow had to win the final race and ensure Albeau was almost last – a tough manoeuvre to pull off in anyone’s book! Maynard pushed hard right at the start, but milliseconds later the horn went again, signalling a recall for the final eight. Unfortunately for Maynard he’d put himself out of the race, and inadvertently handed the crown to Albeau on a plate.

Champion Sound

Antoine Albeau:

“I had a great start to this event except for my crash. So with two days to go I was in the lead by a considerable margin. But, yesterday I sailed really badly, going out in the second round which meant it was still possible for Finian to claim first place. This put a bit more pressure on me today, and added to that, my half of the elimination was really tough. The semi-final on my side of the draw could easily have been a winner’s final with guys like Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic), Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde), and Ross Williams (Tabou, Gaastra) fighting it out with me.

I felt quite tense during the final because there was a huge battle to get the best lane at the start. Luckily for me, Finian hit the line too early and was therefore disqualified from the heat. After that I was a little bit more relaxed. During the re-run of the start Bjorn came over to me and began to push a little, but I just hung back a bit because I just had to finish the race to win overall, so my start wasn’t the best. I finished third which was OK, but more importantly I’d won the event.

I’m absolutely ecstatic to have won this special 25th Anniversary event in Fuerteventura, and I’m looking forward to the next round of slalom in Turkey. I’ve got three good results now so I have a small advantage over both Bjorn and Finian in the rankings, but I haven’t won the title just yet. I’ll continue to sail my best and we’ll see what happens in Alacati.”

Dunkerbeck Seizes The Day

Despite the fact that Albeau had already won the crown, and fully in the knowledge that he couldn’t climb any higher, former world champion, Bjorn Dunkerbeck stole the final show.

Throughout his heats he’d been sailing with tremendous speed, and he carried this all the way through to the final. His team-mate Steve Allen (Starboard, Severne) just nipped inside him on the very first gybe, but it didn’t take long before he motored past the Australian to claim the lead. And, from that moment on not one person could catch him. It may not have been enough to pull him up the event standings, but it certainly leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of those surrounding him, and an insight of things to come.

Stand Out Sailors

The young French racer Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic, North) once again proved to the world that he’s a champion in the making. After winning his first heat, he was on a roll, but was unlucky not to qualify for the winner’s final. However, he was in the same tough draw that Albeau described as a final, so missing out by one place in a star studded fleet was a fantastic result.

With two straight wins until he entered the same tough semi final as Albeau and Mortefon, Alberto Menegatti (Starboard, Simmer) was absolutely on fire. Despite his hiccup, he returned to form in the loser’s final taking the scalp off seasoned pros to finish on a high.

Results After Ten Races

1st Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde) 15.5pts

2nd Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra) 21.7pts

3rd Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic) 26.4pts

4th Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North) 28.7pts

5th Kevin Pritchard (Starboard, Gaastra, Dakine) 44pts

6th Ross Williams (Tabou, Gaastra) 51pts

7th Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde) 55.7pts

8th Ben Van Der Steen (JP, Mystic) 61pts

9th Steve Allen (Starboard, Severne) 66pts

10th Jimmy Diaz (Starboard, North) 93.5pts

Overall Rankings After Three Events

Reigning PWA slalom world champion, Antoine Albeau has moved one step closer to yet another world title after claiming victory in the 25th Anniversary Fuerteventura Grand Slam by moving ahead of archrival Bjorn Dunkerbeck. And, a solid set of Results sees Micah Buzianis in third. Both Maynard and Moussilmani have climbed the ranks with their excellent results in Sotavento.

©PWA

 

 

 

 

MAYNARD CLAIMS LINE HONOURS IN AN OUTSTANDING SHOWDOWN OF THE WORLD’S FASTEST, MINUS ALBEAU WHO FAILS TO MAKE THE FINALS…

The spectators lining Sotavento’s beautiful beach were awarded with some world-class racing on day four of the competition following a gruelling five hours on standby for the sailors.

With all of the signs present that the usually consistent trade winds would kick in, the competitors were at the event site early, preparing their gear for battle. However, a competing breeze put the competition on hold for much of the day, allowing the fans to mingle with the PWA’s stars until the wind began to build late in the afternoon.

With 14 to 20 knots out to sea at 15:30 race director, Juan Antoinio Aragon made the decision to run one full round of frantic slalom. The down wind course was set close to the shore with four gybes to the finish, creating a spectacular site for the crowds lining the beach.

Finian On Form

Throughout the week former speed world title holder, Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra) has been one of the most consistent sailors, only falling out of the top 4 in one race. However, he hadn’t quite tasted victory until today.

You could tell Maynard was gunning for glory from the word go with plenty of speed straight out of the blocks. He won every heat by a considerable margin, so when it came to the finals he was more than comfortable at the front of the fleet.

Flying down the first reach at full tilt, it was a three horse race right from the start with Maynard, Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde), and Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne) all heading straight for the mark. Maynard gybed just ahead of Buzianis, with Dunkerbeck right on the American’s tail.

It wasn’t long before Dunkerbeck stepped on the gas and edged out in front of Buzianis, leaving just one sailor between himself and the finish. However, Maynard was in control of the race leaving Dunkerbeck fighting behind. It wasn’t until the last leg that the Terminator went for the gap, hammering off down wind. His efforts were all far too late though, as Maynard powered off into the distance to claim his first well-deserved win of the season.

Albeau Slips

The 2009 world champion, Antoine Albeau didn’t even have to race his first heat due to the high number of early starters, so it when it came to the quarter finals he was still buzzing with energy. Right from the word go he led his group, leaving those on the beach already writing the history books. However, that was all far too premature because as he rounded mark number three he missed his boom through the gybe causing him to fall in. From first sight it looked like he’d be able to catch up, but Danish racer Kasper Larsen (Starboard, NeilPryde) held his lane and prevented the world champion from going any further.

This slip up hasn’t caused Albeau to lose his overall lead, but it does leave archrival Dunkerbeck as the only sailor to have qualified for every winner’s final so far in this contest, and has also allowed the rest of the group to close the gap.

Stand Out Sailors

As well as Maynard and Dunkerbeck there were a few other sailors that really stepped up their game today on the lighter winds.

The first of these was ‘one man brand’ Patrik Diethelm (Patrik, North). With a top three result in each of his heats, he’s proved that his boards are shaped to perfection, and more than ready to take on the giants. Diethelm’s amazing speed, helped him hit the front of the group, and take him all the way to fourth in the final - an excellent result that’s put him within sniffing distance of the top ten.

Another sailor to be climbing the ranks is Spanish resident, Ludovic Jossin (Starboard, Loft). A cracking set of second place finishes saw him into the winner’s final with ease. But, a less than ideal first part of the race didn’t allow him to reach his full potential. Still, his seventh place will no doubt lift his ranking.

Having held off Albeau, Kasper Larsen also deserves a mention. He made it all the way through to the loser’s final for the second time this week, proving he has what it takes to compete with the PWA’s most established pros.

Results After Nine Races

1st Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde) 12.5pts

2nd Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra) 17.7pts

3rd Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic) 25.7pts

4th Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North) 26.7pts

5th Kevin Pritchard (Starboard, Gaastra, Dakine) 35pts

6th Ross Williams (Tabou, Gaastra) 42pts

7th Ben Van Der Steen (JP, Mystic) 48pts

8th Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde) 50.7pts

9th Steve Allen (Starboard, Severne) 62pts

10th Jimmy Diaz (Starboard, North) 75pts

Look Out

There’s a tough battle at the top with just one day left for the racers before the freestylers take over. The forecast for tomorrow is similar to today’s so there’s every possibility that we’ll witness more out of this world action before the trophies are handed out.

©PWA

 

 

 

 

THE THIRD DAY OF FAST AND FURIOUS RACING OFF SOTAVENTO’S WHITE SANDS BELONGED TO DUNKERBECK, BUT THE WEEK IS STILL ALBEAU’S.

The spectators finally got to witness the battle of the titans today with the awesome rise of the Terminator, Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic) battling it out in both winner’s finals with the 2009 world champion, Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde).

The scene was set for the ultimate showdown with a perfect 15-20 knot breeze, clear blue skies, and a backdrop of beachgoers watching on in anticipation. With two full races scheduled for the day, both of the legends had two chances to prove their worth, and win over the crowds.

D Day

With a less than perfect start to the week, it was only a matter of time before Dunkerbeck sought salvation. The Terminator sailed his 8.6 Severne Reflex, and Starboard iSonic 111 almost faultlessly during every early round heat, to pass through to the finals with ease.

Despite Albeau dominating race seven, Dunkerbeck gritted his teeth following a less than ideal start, to charge his way through the fleet like a lightning bolt, gaining places down every run and through all of his gybes. When he got to the final straight to see Albeau and Kevin Pritchard (Starboard, Gaastra, Dakine) gunning for the line, Dunkerbeck was forced to go all out down the final furlong where he hit warp speed. Had the course been any longer, the many times world champion would have claimed second place, but Pritchard just managed to defend himself leaving Dunkerbeck to settle for third.

The final of race eight was a completely different story though. Back on form, and knowing that he had the speed to annihilate any one who dare get in his way, Dunkerbeck hit mach 10 and crossed the line bang on the gun. By the first mark he was ahead of the pack, and with Albeau trailing in his wake, need never look back. If he had looked back however, it may have brought a smile to his face as the event leader, Albeau had dropped his sail forcing himself to the back of the fleet.

Tight At The Top

Although the day belonged to Dunkerbeck, there were also many other sailors that put in some rock solid results to consolidate their positions at the front of the fleet. The first of these was Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra) who’s now lying in 2nd overall after a 4th and 3rd saw him creep past day one leader, Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North).

Unfortunately, Moussilmani’s slip-ups today have helped his rivals catch up. The Frenchman was on fantastic form during race seven where he scored a sixth. However, a broken fin box forced him to use his smallest board in race eight, which meant he failed to hold his position, and went out in the quarterfinals. Moussilmani remains in 3rd overall, but could do with finding his day one form.

Former overall world champion, Kevin Pritchard also posted some of his best results of the contest, with his awesome 2nd place in race seven after holding off the Terminator, Dunkerbeck being his best score of the season. And, with his usual consistent style, scored a 5th in race eight which places him in 5thoverall.

Britain’s Ross Williams (Tabou, Gaastra) was another sailor to play the consistency game today, with a 5th and a 6th seeing him comfortably sitting in 6th overall.

Stepping Up Their Game

It wasn’t just the sailors at the front of the fleet who were upping their game today, many of the mid fleet sailors showed plenty of promise.

The first of these was the French all rounder, Julien Quentel (JP, NeilPryde) who sailed outstandingly to qualify for the winner’s final in race seven. This wasn’t his first taste of battling with the best though, he actually qualified for the same heat in race six, which definitely makes him one to watch for the future.

Italian, Alberto Menegatti (Starboard, Simmer) also had his best day of the week. Not only did he qualify for the loser’s final in race seven, but he did one better in race eight to wrestle with the winners. Wrestling being the word, as he was in a solid third after the first two legs, but then Albeau made his mistake closing the inside lane, which cost Menegatti his race.

Top PWA wave performer, Robby Swift (JP, NeilPryde) also sailed his slalom kit to a higher degree today. He found his form to fly off the line and comfortably go through heat after heat. Eventually he raced in both loser’s finals, but narrowly missed out on making the winner’s. Still, a better day for the young Brit sees him climb the up the ladder.

Another sailor who deserves a mention, despite not doing quite so well today, is the young Frenchman, Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic, North). Throughout the past three days he’s shown signs of excellence, especially yesterday when he qualified for the winner’s finals on two occasions, and even scored a 3rdahead of seasoned pros like Dunkerbeck. At just twenty years old, he has been tipped for the top, and will surely be a top ranked racer before long.

Looking Ahead

The forecast for tomorrow looks similar to today’s so we expect racing to continue for the remainder of the event. With Dunkerbeck back on form, and Albeau making mistakes, there’s every possibility that the results will change.

Results After Eight Races

1st Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde) 5.5pts

2nd Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra) 17pts

3rd Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North) 17.7pts

4th Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic) 23.7pts

5th Kevin Pritchard (Starboard, Gaastra, Dakine) 30pts

6th Ross Williams (Tabou, Gaastra) 36pts

7th Ben Van Der Steen (JP, Mystic) 39pts

8th Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde) 47.7pts

9th Steve Allen (Starboard, Severne) 50 pts

10th Jimmy Diaz (Starboard, North) 67pts

©PWA

 

 

 

 

ALBEAU ANNIHILATES THE WORLD’S FASTEST FLEET IN FUERTEVENTURA WITH AN AWESOME DISPLAY OF SKILL, DETERMINATION, AND ABSOLUTE DOMINATION, TO CLAIM A PERFECT SCORE.

The Albeau Show

Following what some would call a mediocre start to the event for the 2009 slalom world champion, Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde) well and truly reaffirmed his dominance today. Three races were held, which meant three bullets in the bag for the modern day slalom legend.

Sotavento’s beautiful white sands provided the perfect backdrop for Albeau to make his mark, with heaps of spectators basking in the sun, and cheering the champion on. The sixteen to twenty-five knot winds cooled his fans to the perfect degree, whilst propelling him time and time again to the head of the fleet.

During the qualification rounds there was never a moment when Albeau looked under threat. He waltzed to the front on numerous occasions, and then when he was comfortably inside the top four, throttled back to conserve energy, letting the rest of the sailors do as they please. Albeau only ever stepped back on the gas to remain in a qualifying position.

However, when it came to the finals he took no prisoners taking the scalp off those in his path. On every occasion, Albeau showed great speed to lead the finalists around the course from mark one. With a long reach at the top, speed was the key to the day, and the mighty Albeau proved to have plenty.

The Battle Behind

With Albeau claiming every win, the race for second began to heat up. Yesterday’s champion, Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North) failed to qualify for the first winner’s final, which not only meant handing the day to his fellow Frenchman, but also allowed the 2009 world title runner up, Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra) to close the gap with a second place.

Moussilmani didn’t make the same mistake in race five, and instead followed in Albeau’s wake all the way over the finish line, which left Maynard fighting for third with the many times world champion, Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic). In an awesome display of outright speed, the two battled it out down the final sprint, with Dunkerbeck finally edging out in front.

In the final race of the day, the tables turned once more with Maynard blasting ahead of Moussilmani and claiming honours behind Albeau. Moussilmani had other issues in race 6 though, which included the American racing legend, Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde) who, following a rocky start to the event, has begun to make a comeback. Unfortunately for Moussilmani, Buzianis stood between him and Maynard in the final race of the day, reducing the gap overall.

Moussilmani remains in second place for now, but Maynard is showing no mercy. With plenty of racing still to go, everything could change at the top!

Top Three Talk

Antoine Albeau:

“I feel amazing at the moment because I had the perfect day. You can’t get any better than three victories from three races! I didn’t make any mistakes even though it was quite tricky deciding which board to use. In the end, I was fast on my small board, and my medium board even when the wind was up, so it didn’t matter. I think my real asset today was my speed on the first reach, that certainly helped me win today. We still have plenty of races to go though with three days left, and for sure it’s going to be windy!”

Cyril Moussilmani:

“I had an ok day today, I managed to defend myself enough to stay in second place. I had a terrible race in the semi finals of race four because the wind was shifting a lot, making the starts very difficult. I got it completely wrong and failed to qualify for the winner’s final. I kept it together though, and did much better in the following two races. It’s not so bad for the second day.”

Finian Maynard:

“I held on to my 7.6 Gaastra Vapor all day which was a bit bigger than everyone else, but it was working really well for me so I stuck with it. There’s a huge battle at the front now between some really good sailors, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens in the following few days.”

Results After 6 Races

1st Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde) 4.8 pts

2nd Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North) 11.7 pts

3rd Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra) 14 pts

4th Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic) 27 pts

5th Ross Williams (Tabou, Gaastra) 34 pts

6th Ben Van Der Steen (JP, Mystic) 36 pts

7th Kevin Prtichard (Starboard, Gaastra, Dakine) 37 pts

8th Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde) 38.7 pts

9th Steve Allen (Starboard, Severne) 51 pts

10th Benoit Moussilmani (Starboard, Simmer) 58 pts

©PWA

 

 

 

 

Cyril Moussilmani claims an early event lead, whilst the long-standing legends fall by his wayside after three action packed rounds of Sotavento style slalom.

In an incredible first day here in Fuerteventura the flying Frenchman, Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North) sailed flawlessly in the tough conditions to create an amazingly consistent set of results which includes a first, second, and third. His nearest rivals failed to match his slalom prowess putting him 5 points clear at the top.

The idyllic racing conditions found on the southern shores of Fuerteventura today provided the perfect start to this very special 25^th anniversary grand slam. From first light, the wind showed great promise with the North Easterly trades guaranteeing the action. The course was set early enabling the sailors to commence battle on schedule at 10:00 in front of the many spectators lining the shore.

Throughout the morning the wind increased with gusts of around 30 knots sweeping across the course. Most of the competitors began the day on their 7.0s with a medium sized board. But, late in the afternoon many were holding on to their 6.2s and smallest boards often commenting that they should have been on something smaller.

Moussil-Mania

To say that today belonged to Moussilmani would be a complete understatement. The Frenchman not only qualified for every winner’s final, but did so with immense style. Not once did he fall out of the top three during his qualification rounds, and neither did he during the finals, stamping his authority on the elite group of professional racers.

A second in the first race of the day behind the 2009 world champion, Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde) put him in high spirits from the start. And, a win in race two had him as high as a kite, with little anyone could do to steal his glory. A third in race three was his worst result, but his consistency had paid dividends. And, in such a strong fleet, a third is hardly worth complaining about!

Cyril Moussilmani:

“It was a great day for me today because I’m in first place overall, and I’ve never led the slalom fleet before which is amazing, especially as it’s such a windy venue. I’m not too bothered if the wind remains as strong as it was today, I’m just looking forward to getting out there again, and beating as many other people as I can. For now I’m really happy, and looking forward to the rest of the competition.”

Albeau Explodes

Moussilmani’s nearest rival is the modern day slalom maestro, Antoine Albeau who failed to put quite as consistent a set of results together. He was seen taking it easy in many of his early round heats, often letting people pass him which was surely part of his game plan of conserving energy for the all important finals.

After claiming victory in race one by leading from start to finish many thought it would be an Albeau white wash once again. However, an almighty explosion in the final of race 2 put him fully out of action for the rest of the race, and counting an eighth until a discard comes in. True to form, Albeau was back with a vengeance in race three, but after passing Moussilmani, couldn’t quite catch his team-mate Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde) who stopped the legend from putting two bullets in his bag.

Antoine Albeau:

“Today was a real mixture for me with two solid results – a first, and a second. But, the huge catapult I had on the first leg of the second race final was a disaster. I had a good start and plenty of speed, but I think I was going a little bit too fast for the conditions. I saw a huge piece of chop that had doubled up with another bit just in front of me, and I said to myself ‘this is going to be painful’. I tried to remain confident and go straight over it, but I couldn’t! I broke my boom, my harness line, my mast, some cams, and a few battens! I’m looking forward to some more racing tomorrow though.”

Consistent Kev

Former world champion and jack-of-all-trades, Kevin Pritchard (Starboard, Gaastra, Dakine) showed extreme consistency today, qualifying for all three winner’s finals, and posting a sixth in every single one. Pritchard might not have stood out with immense bursts of speed, but as he well knows, that’s not what winning’s about. Consistency is key, of which Kev has in abundance!

Dunkerbeck Down

Despite the many times world champion and living legend, Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne) being one of only four sailors to qualify for every final – the rest being those mentioned above – he failed to capitalise on his awesome speed. It all went horribly wrong for Dunkerbeck at the start of the day when in the race one final he flew off the line moments before the gun, resulting in a PMS as his initial posting for the event. The second race final didn’t see him make much of an improvement, with a seventh being all he could manage. A fifth in race three improved his overall standing, but if he wants to win he’ll need to start scoring bullets.

Finian On Form – But Broken…

Although currently missing from the top ten overall the 2009 world rankings runner up, Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra) deserves a mention. He was without a doubt one of the fastest sailors on the water, and in the first two races was more consistent than Kev with two thirds to his name. Unfortunately for him, the strong winds took their toll on his equipment, and he broke a harness line just before one of his heats began in race three. He actually made it back out after coming in to change it, sailed his heat after starting last, gained momentum around the course, and finally finished in a qualifying position. However, whilst he’d sailed back to the start line it became apparent that he’d broken a rule – sailors are not allowed to sail in the triangle between the start line and the first mark in the minute leading up to the start - and was therefore automatically disqualified from that heat. When a discard kicks in, expect to see Maynard move up the results sheet.

Results After Three Races

1^st Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North) 5.7 pts

2^nd Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde) 10.7 pts

3^rd Kevin Pritchard (Starboard, Gaastra, Dakine) 18 pts

4^th Ross Williams (Tabou, Gaastra) 18 pts

5^th Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic) 20 pts

6^th Benoit Moussilmani (Starboard, Simmer) 21 pts

7^th Ben Van Der Steen (JP, Mystic) 24 pts

8^th Steve Allen (Starboard, Severne) 26 pts

9^th Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde) 30.7 pts

10^th Cedric Bordes (Tabou, Gaastra, Mystic) 33 pts

 

The forecast is looking good for the rest of the week so we should see plenty more action before the event is over. Anything can happen, and discards will appear soon, so watch out for the legends taking control. 

© PWA