Caesar Finies on the water

Maxime van Gent

Craig Gertenbach, Fanatic Brand Manager:

“I´m happy to welcome Arthur, Alice and Maxime to our Fanatic International teams.

Maxime is a really talented Freestyler and Paddler and her youth and personality are a great addition to our team. Women´s Windsurfing and SUP are both really attractive to the media and she personifies the spirit of both sports!

Arthur is one of the most talented youngsters in the French Windsurfing and SUP scene, we have high hopes to be a part of what promises to be an outstanding career.

Alice is already established as a World Class Windsurfer with top results, we are proud to have her joining our team and look forward to welcoming the Arutkin family aboard!”

Arthur Arutkin

Arthur Arutkin (FRA-111) joins Fanatic and NorthSails:

“I’m happy to be with Fanatic now. What I´m really looking forward is to train with my new team mates like Victor, Klaas in Windsurf or Olivia and Yoann in SUP in different spots, but also to meet the rest of the Fanatic team and being part of it to promote this fantastic brand. I will work hard this year, but also have a lot of fun on the water!”

NorthSails are happy to welcome Arthur Arutkin to the NorthSails Rookie Team. Brother of PWA youth world champion and NorthSails international team member Alice Arutkin, Arthur has a high potential and outstanding talent in wave riding and slalom alike. Arthur already ended up as European Youth Champion in Slalom (U 15).

Alice Arutkin

Alice Arutkin (FRA-1111) NorthSails rider joins Fanatic:

“I really would like to be in the Top 3 in the PWA and this year I would like to get the first place In the French Championship and with Fanatic boards I for sure have the right tools for that! I´m glad to be part of the team together with my brother now, we for sure will try our best to promote the brand as good as we can as a package!”

Maxime van Gent

Maxime van Gent (NB-22) joins Fanatic and NorthSails:

“I’m very excited to be in the Fanatic International Team. I hope I can make women windsurfing more attractive again and will love to promote it all over the world and Fanatic for sure has the right boards for it! Fanatic also has the image to support their riders and I will be happy to be part of this great team. I will do my last year in high school now, but as well competing in the PWA World tour and also doing clinics for kids and girls.

Joining team NorthSails is for me like a dream come true! The people behind it give me the feeling they really care and the chance for me to grow into the team.

Caesar Finies

Caesar Finies (NB-13) joins NorthSails:

With Caesar we are contracting an outstanding freestyle athlete. Especially well known for his low-wind freestyle Caesar can be named as the inventor of “Flowstyle”. We believe that any talented and committed sportsman – even not competing PWA – may have a considerable impact on our sport. Unlike hardcore freestyle, Caesar’s flowstyle is accessible to any windsurfer and nonetheless incredibly awesome to watch. You will find Caesar in his home on Bonaire and he for sure will be present at windsurfing events around the globe to show off his incredible flowstyle move. Welcome to the team Caesar!

Find out more about NorthSails and their team here and check out the full Fanatic line up here.

Womens Final

With the freestylers handing the baton over to the slalom fleets, day five of competition in Mui Ne gave a brief insight into what’s in store over the following five days of race action.

To open the action, a four buoy downwind slalom course was set, allowing racing to commence in the afternoons 7-14 knot thermal breeze. The first drama of the day came when the Netherlands’ Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft / Mystic) was sailed into mid gybe, sustaining a large fin gash to the underside of his foot. The collision not only crushed Van Der Steen’s chances of advancing within the race, but could also jeopardize his chances in subsequent eliminations if the injury affects his sailing.

The next upset came in the second round of heats, when the usually methodical pairing of Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra) and Benoit Moussilmani (Starboard / Simmer) went over the start line early, fast tracking both of them to losers final where they’d battle it out for positions 11-20.

As the racing progressed late into the afternoon, Mui Ne’s usually super consistent thermal breeze began to falter, allowing only the men’s losers final to be completed before the race committee were forced to call a halt to the day’s proceedings. In that heat, Williams and Benoit Moussilmani made the best amends they could for their previous blunder, securing first and second respectively, followed by Cedric Bordes (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic) in third and Pieter Bijl (JP / NeilPryde) in fourth.

In the women’s first elimination, both Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne) and Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North) made strong starts by winning their opening heats. Continuing her run of form into the winners final, Arutkin dominated from the start line to secure a decisive victory, and early event lead. In her wake, stellar performances from Morane Demont (Starboard / Severne) and Delphine Cousin (JP / NeilPryde) in second and third ensured that day five’s podium was an all French affair.

Mens Slalom

Tomorrow we pick up the slalom where it left off today, completing both men’s finals, and the women’s losers final before going into the second race elimination. Tune in from the 10.00am (GMT+7) skippers meeting to follow all the action live @ www.pwaworldtour.com

Here you can use our:

Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins

Check live elimination ladders

View results

Read daily news summaries

Browse awesome action photo galleries

Follow the event live, with top class commentary from pros and industry insiders.

There’s also a dedicated event website which can be found at www.pwavietnam.com

Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via info@pwaworldtour.com

Sylvain Moussilmani

29 year-old Frenchman Sylvain Moussilmani (Starboard, Simmer) holds a solid 7^th position in the Overall PWA slalom, but excelled in the IFCA slalom ranking this year. While the last event started inauspiciously for Sylvain, with Brazilian Gabriel Browne (Starboard) taking the first bullet of the competition and Frenchman Julien Quentel (RRD, Neilpryde) taking second, the rest of the event in Flecheiras looked very different. Sylvain found his form and finished the competition on day five clear by 3.4 points. Julien took silver on the podium and Steve Allen (Starboard, Severne) took the bronze position.

Alice Arutkin

And while Sylvain secured his top position at the end of the season, 18-year old sailor Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North Sails), has won every round on the IFCA tour so far, making her the new 2010 IFCA Slalom World Champion even before the event ended. Unlike the men’s division, where competition was a lot closer, Alice Arutkin dominated the ladies division with superior sailing.

Sylvain Moussilmani

Flecheiras top 3 men

1) Sylvain Moussilmani (FRA 7)

2) Julien Quentel (FRA 421)

3) Steve Allen (AUS 0)

Alice Arutkin

Flecheiras top 3 women

1) Alice Arutkin (FRA 111)

2) Monica Veras (BRA 878)

3) Julians Shelef (BRA 124)

All pictures by Eric Bellande

Full results at windbrasil.com

James Dinsmore pursuing Quentel and Moussilmani

Just finished 5 days and (for me) 28 heats of the IFCA Slalom Worlds. Flecheiras in northern Brazil certainly delivered the goods with 15-20knots and relentless sunshine every day. I used my JP Slalom VI 112 in all of the races with 8.6 and 7.8 RS Racing Evo II sails. I slighty regreted my decision to leave my big slalom board at home as it was a bit light on the inside at times. The competition was stiff and the winners finals were packed with PWA top twenty sailors. Sylvain Moussilmani took four bullets ahead of Julian Quentel’s three on the way to winning the event. Australian Steve Allen took third and in doing so prevented a French clean sweep of the podium. Alice Arutkin won the womens competition. Personally my sailing was a bit erratic and I dropped a few key gybes after good starts when I had the likes of Moussilmani breathing down my neck. I had a good battle with Croatian Enrico Marotti but frustratingly lost eleventh place in the final race. I ended up twelfth place overall and can look back on the event as giving me some great experience against top quality opposition from which I hope to build on for next year.

More at windbrasil.com

Trairi (EC) – French Field on the second day of the Wind Brazil – World Cup slalom, which is being held on beach Flecheiras in the municipality of Ceará Trairi, located 130 km from Fortaleza (CE). The sailors of France won the first three positions in two series of races contested on Thursday, with winds between 15 and 22 knots (27.80 and 40.77 km / h).

After four races and one discard computed, Julien Quentel took the lead in overall standings with 5.7 points lost. “I kept the regularity of the first day and stand firm in my purpose to win here in Brazil,” said the representative of France for 24 years. Second is Sylvain Moussilmani, followed by Ceará Gabriel Browne, Biel, and also French Antoine Questel. The three have the same score, 6.7 points, proving the great balance of the championship.

The sailor of Ceará not repeat the performance on Wednesday, mainly because the mast of his sail broke during the semifinals of the first series of races and lost the lead. In the second series, he finished in fourth place, behind Julien Quentel (3), Sylvain Moussilmani (2) and Antoine Questel (1). “I gave a bit unlucky, but everything is on schedule, as I stood among the first,” he said Biel.

The highlight of Wednesday was Sylvain Moussilmani. In addition to staying in second place in the final race of the day, he won the first and jumped from fifth to runner-up overall in Wind Brazil – World Cup Slalom. Son of a French mother and Syrian father, the seventh ranked by Professionals Windsurfing Association (PWA) said he was pleased with his performance. “The day was fine, since I kept the title battle, which is my goal,” he warned.

Brazil – Santa Catarina The Wilhelm Schurmann is the best Brazilian after Biel. The Santa Catarina occupies the seventh place with 16 points. John Henry Ferreira, Janjao of Icaraizinho (EC), occupies the 10th position with 25 points; Levy Lenz, Fortaleza, is in 14th with 41 points.

Two representatives of Jericoacoara, a major tourist destination in the West Coast of Ceara, are competing in Flecheiras: Ian Moor, who is in 13th place with 35 points and Antonio Benevaldo Cruz, Bing, in 15th with 43 points. Both compete with inferior equipment to the opponents, and even then, are successfully facing the platoon foreign intermediary. “We do what we can,” Ian mused.

Women – On Thursday, two were contested races in the women’s category, which includes the participation of five athletes. The French Arutkin Alice, as occurred on the first day, won both the race and remain unbeaten. With four races and made a disposal computed, it accumulates lost 2.1 points.

“I’m happy with my performance. After all there were four wins from four races. I am happier because Ceará is a great place to sail and compete because it is windy all day, a pleasant climate and sea water is warm,” he said Alice , who praised the Brazilian opponent. “Do not know, but came to see that they are very good and may evolve further during the competition,” concluded the young sailor of 18 years.

Mônica Veras remains the best Brazilian in the standings with six points. She earned a third and second places this second day of competition and continues in front of compatriot Juliana Farias, with eight points. The Gaucho Ana Sofia Cardoso is in fourth place with 14 points. “The goal, which is to be the first in Brazil, is being met,” the state of Ceará.

On the possibility of overcoming Arutkin Alice, the Brazilian octacampeã Slalom said it was an almost impossible task because of the difference in equipment between the two. “As the wind is not strong, I lose performance because she’s sailing with a sail bigger than mine and it makes much difference,” explained Monica.

Juliana Farias, who is returning to competition after two year absence to be a mother, said she was delighted with his performance on Wednesday for two reasons. “I managed to get in front of Monica in a battery, I managed to drop in front of another and not only kept the lead because the distances between the buoys is great and I lose speed because of the very small candle,” he said.

Thirty-two athletes from Australia, France, Portugal, Britain, Spain, Turkey, Croatia and Brazil participate in the contest male and five Women’s World Cup slalom, which distributes a total of $ 30,000 (about U.S. $ 54 thousand) and set the world champions of the Senior category (main) and Ladies, Juniors and Masters of the.

The first series of races this Friday, the fifth in the championship, is scheduled for 12 hours (13h GMT). The second starts at 14h30 (15h30 GMT). The prediction is that the wind speed increases in intensity on the third day of racing, reaching 20 knots (37.07 km / h) and average higher gusts.

Fastest mode of windsurfing – The Slalom is the fastest mode of windsurfing. Athletes can reach up to 70 km / h on days of strong winds. In the championships, is obeyed the key system. In Flecheiras, sailors are divided into short battery of five minutes on average, six athletes and the top four advance to the semifinals, which are performed with eight sailors in each. The four losers vie for the “End of Losers.” The four best placed to define the winner of each race in the Final of the Winners. ”

Results Thursday

Male

Grade 3

1 – Sylvain Moussilmani (FRA)

2 – Julien Quentel (FRA)

3 – Antoine Questel (FRA)

4 – Steve Allen (AUS)

5 – Wilhelm Schurmann (BRA-SC)

Grade 4

1 – Antoine Questel (FRA)

2 – Sylvain Moussilmani (FRA)

3 – Julien Quentel (FRA)

4 – Gabriel Browne, Biel (BRA-CE)

5 – Mortfond Pierre (FRA)

Women

Grade 3

1 – Alice Arutkin (FRA)

2 – Juliana Farias (BRA-CE)

3 – Mônica Veras (BRA-CE)

4 – Ana Sofia Cardoso (BRA-RS)

Grade 4

1 – Alice Arutkin (FRA)

2 – Mônica Veras (BRA-CE)

3 – Juliana Farias (BRA-CE)

4 – Ana Sofia Cardoso (BRA-RS)

Rating – After 4 series (discarding the worst result)

Male

1 – Julien Quentel (FRA) – 5.7 percentage points (3 +2 +0.7 +3)

2 – Sylvain Moussilmani (FRA) – 6, 7 (8 +4 +2 +0.7)

3 – Gabriel Browne (BRA-CE) – 6.7 (0.7 +10 +2 +4)

4 – Antoine Questel (FRA) – 6.7 (4 +3 +8 +0.7)

5 – Steve Allen (AUS) – 11 (2 +5 +4 +8)

6 – Ludo Jossin (ESP) – 16 (9 +3 +6 +7)

7 – Wilhelm Schurmann (BRA-CE) – 16 (5 +10 +5 +6)

8 – Kozanoglu Bora (TUR) – 18 (7 +6 +8 +9)

9 – Mortfond Pierre (FRA) – 23 (29 +9 +5 +9)

10 – John Henry Ferreira (BRA-CE) – 25 (11 +7 +7 +15)

Female

1 – Alice Arutkin (FRA) – 2.1 pp (0.7 +0.7 +0.7 +0.7)

2 – Mônica Veras (BRA-CE) – 6 (2 +2 +2 +3)

3 – Juliana Farias (BRA-CE) – 8 (3 +3 +2 +3)

4 – Ana Sofia Cardoso (BRA-RS) – 14 (5 +5 +5 +4)

5 – Leticia Hoff (BRA-CE) – 15 (5 +5 +5 +5)…

With glorious blue skies and a light offshore breeze, sunbathing and swimming were the main activities in Almanarre today. A slight fluttering of the flags late in the afternoon caused the sailors to leap into action, but it wasn’t long before they resumed their positions, and lay in hope for racing another day.

Karin Jaggi

After an entire day spent on standby, we took the opportunity to talk to long standing PWA racer and current tour leader, Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) about the world famous destination of Almanarre. Having entered her first ever world cup here, returning to this beach brings back many special memories…

PWA: Tell us about your history with Almanarre.

KJ: “Well, my time at this beach goes back a lot further than my first ever world cup event, I actually learnt to windsurf properly around here. At first it was mostly on the other side of the bay, but I did come over here to Almanarre quite a lot too. And, by then it was already a world-renowned location with a history of hosting international events to the superstars of the sport such as Robby Naish (Naish, Naish), Anders Bringdal (Mistral), and Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic).”

PWA: When did you first enter an event here?

KJ: “1994.”

PWA: Wow, that’s almost two decades ago! Who was the local hero back then?

KJ: “Oh, it had to be Eric Thieme for sure. He was more famous for indoor events though than anything else.”

PWA: He was the French lunatic that used to wear the leopard print suits whilst racing in Bercy right?

KJ: “Yeah that was him! He actually has a windsurfing centre right here on the beach now.”

PWA: Has Almanarre always been about the racing?

KJ: “In competition, yes. We used to do course racing and slalom, but now it’s just slalom.”

PWA: What does Almanarre have to offer?

KJ: “First of all it’s a great spot to windsurf because the conditions vary so much, so you’ll never get bored. It can be light and offshore one day, to strong and cross-shore the next which also makes it a great place to train. It’s really close to Marseille as well, which is a fun city to visit, and the coastline here is beautiful. There are heaps of people that windsurf around here too, so there are always plenty of like minded people who love to watch the world cup when it’s in town.”

PWA: If someone came to visit during the season what sort of wind can they expect?

KJ: “There are two main winds, the Mistral which – if it is forecast – is almost guaranteed to be strong, and great for sailors who enjoy windsurfing in winds above force 4. The other wind comes from the East which can be strong too, but it’s not as reliable as the Mistral.”

PWA: Which do you prefer?

KJ: “For general sailing they can both be really good, especially if you have a car because you can drive to the other side of the peninsula, so you can always get clean onshore winds. Also, it doesn’t really matter which discipline you sail here, it can be great for speed, waves, and slalom. Plus it’s good for all ability levels.”

PWA: How would you rate Almanarre as a destination for a holiday?

KJ: “Within Europe it’s definitely one of my favourites because it’s easy to access by car so you can go on a good forecast from almost anywhere. The sailing is world-class, and it’s still not too expensive to stay directly on the beach because there are so many campsites, and small hotels. I’d recommend it to almost everyone apart from those in search of perfect waves. It’s a great destination for families too.”

PWA: Thanks for your time Karin, and lets hope the ‘vent de est’ or the Mistral return soon, so the locals can watch some more high-octane racing!

View over the French coast

Results After 3 Races

1st Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic)

2nd Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne)

3rd Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North)

4th Lise Vidal (Exocet, North)

5th Fanny Aubet (JP, NeilPryde)

6th Sarah Hebert (Naish, Naish)

7th Delphine Cousin (Fanatic, North)

8th Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra)

9th Ophelle Joly (Fanatic, North)

10th Marion Mortefon

Eye On The Horizon

The forecast looks hopeful with a good ‘vent d’est’ forecast for tomorrow, and a return of the mistral on Wednesday.

Live GPS Tracking

On day one the women were tracked throughout the afternoon. Check out the racing by following this link HERE.

Keep in the groove

For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com

Here you can use our:

• Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins

• Check live elimination ladders

• View results

• Read daily news summaries

• Browse awesome action photo galleries

Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via info@pwaworldtour.com

PWA/Paul Griffiths

Valerie Arrighetti

It was all smiles at registration as the sun beamed down on a beautiful day over the glorious cote d’azur creating an extremely relaxed vibe to the morning. This didn’t last for long though as bang on schedule the wind filled in making way for the fast and furious females to hit the water at two o’clock and lock into some fierce competition.

A four buoy downwind slalom course was set by race director, Juan Antonio Aragon and his team allowing three full races to be completed by the twenty women that had turned up to battle it out for glory in Almanarre.

The wind varied between 8 and 15 knots throughout the afternoon which made equipment selection critical to performance. Some sailors opted for 8.3s to be safe at the gybes, whilst others stuck to their 7.8s hoping they could either pump their way back onto the plane as they rounded each mark, or that a lucky gust would help them carry their speed.

Arrighetti Annihilates The Competition

The 2009 women’s slalom world champion, Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic) stamped her authority on the elite group of racers that had gathered in Almanarre for the final stop of the 2010 women’s world tour today. The French local was almost unstoppable as she flew off the start line in final after final, without ever needing to look back. She built a strong lead from the very start of every race, to score three consecutive firsts in convincing style. Despite four days of the competition remaining, it’ll be hard for anyone to topple the 2009 champ from the top if she continues to sail with such dominance.

A Fighting Chance

Although Arrighetti claimed victory in every race today, the current tour leader and former world champion, Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) scored a consistent set of results that saw her into second place for now. A second and two thirds is an awesome score line by anyone’s standards, but Jaggi seemed slightly disappointed with her performance, and was perhaps held back by not having a large enough sail. Stuck on her 7.8 whilst others were on 8.3s had her fighting hard from the start, and hoping for stronger winds. It just goes to show how critical kit selection is when these world-class racers register their gear at the beginning of the season.

Also fighting hard for an end of year podium position is the young French star, Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North). She began her assault with an explosive set of seconds from the first two races today, and a sixth in the third, which sees her just two points behind Jaggi overall. If Alice continues to sail with such speed and consistency as her first two races she could well be a challenger for that final spot on the podium.

Stand Out Performance

Following a disappointing start to the event with a premature start in race one Italian racer, Greta Benvenuti left any negative thoughts back on the beach and hit the water to race hard once again, and a second in the loser’s final of race two clearly lifted her spirits. So much so that she shot out of the blocks in her first heat of race three to finish clear of the pack just moments behind Arrighetti, and then claimed a fifth in a star studded winner’s final. A good result for Benvenuti here would consolidate her position as a top ten rider, and could even lift her up a place or two in the rankings.

Sarah-Quita Offringa

Final Few Words

Valerie Arrighetti:

“It feels amazing to be in the lead after the first day of racing. I used a 7.6 for the first elimination which worked well, but I felt I needed a bigger sail for the next race because the wind was a bit light in places. I took my 8.3 and had amazing speed for both race two and three with my medium board which is a 102L Tabou Manta. I was also using some new Gasoil fins today, which are much softer than those that I normally use but they were great. I really want to win here in Almanarre because it has a special place in my heart – it’s not my home spot, but it is where I won my first world cup event in 1996, and so I have great memories of this place. It’s a bit annoying for me that I can’t claim the title even if I win here due to the tie break rules, which I think need to be changed, but I won’t let that get me down now. Hopefully we’ll get plenty of wind and lots more racing this week.”

Karin Jaggi:

“I’ve had a bit of a rough start to this competition with some sickness yesterday, and a bit this morning, but when I got out on the water I was actually okay. The wind was fairly light out there today especially in the gybes, but I think it was fair racing – I was on my biggest gear which is a 110L board, and a 7.8. I’m not too disappointed about being in second right now, but hopefully we’ll get plenty of wind to allow for more racing. The forecast looks promising for strong winds from both directions. I’d like it if we got some really hardcore races in because we haven’t had any of those this season.”

DAY 2 – Gentle winds halt the proceedings on day two of the women’s slalom final leaving the sailors to bask in the glorious Mediterranean sunshine on the beautiful beach of Almanarre.

Patience proves key in world cup windsurfing, and today was a fine example, with a light offshore breeze simply teasing the competitors and therefore forcing them to endure an entire day on standby.

What Women Want

Whilst the sailors were on standby, we took the opportunity to find out what the world’s most elite female race force think of women’s only events.

Verena Fauster (Patrik, Gaastra) – ITA 31

“It’s really special having a women’s only event, and I think it should happen more often because it focuses everyone’s attention directly on us. It’s also very nice for all the girls to be together having fun. I do however think that if the event had been confirmed earlier in the season there would’ve been a better turn out, but there’s always next year!”

Marion Mortefon – FRA 141

“This is a great event, and such a good concept because it allows the women to take the limelight for once.”

Delphine Cousin (Fanatic, North) – FRA 775

“Having a PWA event with just the girls is an excellent idea because we can get much more racing in which is the real reason we’re here. We wouldn’t have had anywhere near the same amount of racing yesterday if the guys had been here too.”

Greta Marchegger (JP, Gaastra) – ITA 193

“It’s really cool that there’s an event which is solely for the girls because there are loads of women in the PWA, and in windsurfing itself, so we need to promote the fact that it’s not just a sport for men.”

Greta Benvenuti – ITA 38

“It’s so much better for the women to have events like this because we can get more time on the water competing.”

Sarah Hebert (Naish, Naish) – ARM 1

“It’s an excellent idea, and will definitely help to promote windsurfing to more women because the media is fully focussed on females for once.”

Julie Berthou – FRA 451

“I’m really happy to be here at the PWA event purely for women because it shows all of the spectators that females can windsurf too!”

Lindsay Berruyer – FRA 260

“I think it’s great having events like this because those sailors lower down the ranks don’t feel as intimidated as when the guys are around. It’s amazing that girls like me can race on the same course as the world champion!”

Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra) – ARU 91

“Whatssss Up! I’ve been super excited about this all-women’s event for a long time now. It’s really cool to have all of the attention on us, usually we’re a bit overshadowed by the men. I’m not sure why, we’re so much sexier than them!!!”

Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) – SUI 14

“I think it’s really important to have women only events because the focus is clearly on us, and it gives the spectators the chance to see how high the level actually is in the female fleet. It’s definitely advantageous for us because usually we have to compete for coverage with the men, which makes it much more difficult. It’s also great for the younger girls coming in to the sport because it’s far less intimidating.”

Olivia Piani (Exocet, Loft) – FRA 51

“It’s great for the girls here because we can do so much more racing than we would otherwise do, and everyone gets to see how good we all are!”

Marion Raisi – Women’s Event Manager

“I think this event is really important for the women because it’s the only week that focuses totally on the girls – the guys have plenty of events on their own, so why not the women too! It’s also important for the media outside of the industry because at a mixed event they’re bound to focus on the men because their sailing looks more impressive, whereas the press is forced to show off the girls here. If we are to grow the sport of windsurfing this is crucial.”

Lise Vidal (Exocet, North) – FRA 19

“We can do so much more racing when we’re on our own, but I think the best solution would be to have a mixed event with the same amount of time dedicated to women’s competition as the men’s.”

Fanny Aubet (JP, NeilPryde) – FRA 809

“It’s much better for promoting the sport to females, and will surely motivate more to join in.”

Ophelie Joly (Fanatic, North) – FRA 64

“I think it’s a great idea having an event with just the girls because it promotes the women’s side of windsurfing.”

Morane Demont (Starboard, North) – FRA 59

“This is a great concept that Marion has come up with and it’s turning out to be an amazing event that will help promote women’s windsurfing. I do still enjoy the mixed events too, but it’d be nice to have one event every year like this.”

Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic) – FRA 444

“This is absolutely unique – it’s the only event of it’s kind. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it in my whole career! What a wonderful idea.”

Marianne Kaplas (Starboard, Severne) – FIN 134

“This is only my second competition, but I’m definitely enjoying it more because we are getting on the water racing whenever the conditions allow, and don’t have to wait on land watching the men!”

Alice Arutkin

Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North) – FRA 111

“Women’s only events are an excellent idea because we get to go on the water for the whole day instead of sitting on the beach. As well as getting much more racing in, we also have so much more time which enables the fleet to be split in every single race and allows the newer girls a chance to learn more, and perhaps even win a heat or two!”

Emilie Lallement – FRA 494

“I’m only 15 years old, so this event is a really good opportunity for me to race against girls of a much higher level. It’s cool having the guys around, but I think this way we get more racing in.”

Estelle Barre – FRA 675

“This is my first ever PWA event so I’m not sure whether it’s better to have the guys and girls together, but it’s very well organised, and great to be racing against the top level sailors.”

Results After 3 Races

With no racing the event standings remain the same as last night, with Arrighetti out in front, and Jaggi, and Arutkin close behind.

1st Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic)

2nd Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne)

3rd Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North)

4th Lise Vidal (Exocet, North)

5th Fanny Aubet (JP, NeilPryde)

6th Sarah Hebert (Naish, Naish)

7th Delphine Cousin (Fanatic, North)

8th Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra)

9th Ophelle Joly (Fanatic, North)

10th Marion Mortefon

The women's slalom fleet

Eye On The Horizon

The forecast for tomorrow isn’t looking too promising at the moment, but a good ‘vent d’est’ is forecast for Tuesday which should ensure some more fast and furious slalom racing. This could however all change in an instant though, so there’s still every possibility that we’ll see some more racing before tomorrow’s out.

Live GPS Tracking

Yesterday the women were tracked throughout the afternoon. Check out the racing, including the top speeds they achieved, by following this link HERE.

Keep in the groove

For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com

Here you can use our:

• Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins

• Check live elimination ladders

• View results

• Read daily news summaries

• Browse awesome action photo galleries

Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via info@pwaworldtour.com

Karin Jaggi

The PWA’s fastest females will be battling round the buoys off the south coast of France from the 4th through to the 8th of September. And, with a €15,000 prize purse up for grabs, and one last chance to improve those all important overall rankings, there’s bound to be some world-class racing from the toughest female fleet on the planet.

Located equidistance between Marseille and Cannes, the town of Hyeres lies on the beautiful Cote d’Azur where the beach of Almanarre meets the Mediterranean Sea. The huge stretch of sand runs for approximately four kilometres, and has a history of hosting top-notch windsurfing events including those of the PWA, who last visited in 2004.

Conditions found at this world famous windsurfing beach can range dramatically during September, with anything from a howling ‘Mistral’ to a gusty ‘vent d’est’ meaning the competitors will have to be ready for all types of slalom action from light 9.0 weather right down to white knuckle ride 5.0 racing.

The Players

Former slalom world champion, Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) has sailed consistently enough throughout the year to almost guarantee that she’ll take home the overall world title from Almanarre – all she has to do is turn up and register! Her two event wins at the start of the year put her in a commanding position, and her second in Alacati basically sealed the deal. Having not finished lower than second all season, she’ll certainly be one to watch here in Almanarre, and will surely want to finish the season on a high by claiming victory.

Fighting hard with Jaggi will be the 2009 world champion, Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic). Despite missing the first event of the year in Korea due to personal problems, she’s fought her way back throughout the rest of the season. Currently she’s lying in tenth overall, but as soon as a discard kicks in she’ll shoot up the rankings and potentially onto the podium. A top three result for her this week would see her into second overall for the year. However, after claiming the crown in Turkey, she’ll no doubt be looking to race her way into first with a repeat performance in front of her home crowds here in France.

Also battling hard for an overall podium finish will be 2010 freestyle world champion, Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra), French rising star, Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North), and transatlantic hopeful, Sarah Hebert (Naish, Naish). Going into the final event Offringa has the upper hand, with both Arutkin and Hebert needing to score a second here in Almanarre to equal the freestylers already impressive score sheet.

With two thirds of the fleet being of French origin, there will be a whole host of hot local talent racing alongside the tour regulars that could cause an upset at any moment, so be sure to keep a keen eye on the web or the water at all times!

Sarah-Quita Offringa

Keep in the groove

For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com

Here you can use our:

• Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins

• Check live elimination ladders

• View results

• Read daily news summaries

• Browse awesome action photo galleries

Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via info@pwaworldtour.com

PWA/Paul Griffiths

Alice Arutkin

The French double ‘A’ duo remain at the front of their fleets after a frustrating day waiting for wind on Jinha beach.

Antoine Albeau

A sunny start to the day saw everyone rise early with high hopes of completing a few more rounds of competition. Right from the start the wind teased many of the world’s finest onto the beautiful Sea of Korea, but unfortunately it wasn’t consistent enough to hold any official heats.

With plenty of time for rest and recovery, and the sailors on standby for most of the day, we took the opportunity to talk to the young rising star from France, Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North), about her performance here and her plans for the future. At just 18 years old, she’s suddenly found form, and will surely be a future PWA champion before long.

PWA: How does it feel to be at the pinnacle of world tour slalom right now?

Alice Arutkin: “I’m really happy to be in 1st place at the moment, and also very surprised because I didn’t get the opportunity to train that much this winter as I broke my foot. I only really got back on my slalom gear a couple of weeks ago at the IFCA Youth Championships where I also surprised myself with a win!”

PWA: What were your goals for the event?

AA: “To finish in the top 3. I really hope that I can achieve this now.”

PWA: The 1,3,2,1 on your score sheet must have given you the confidence that you can do that surely?

AA: “Well, I’m not usually very confident about my racing, especially against people like Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne), Sarah Hebert (Naish), Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra), and Morane Demont (Starboard, Severne). They’re all such good sailors, but like I said, hopefully I’ll be able to stay in the top 3.”

PWA: What gear were you using in the races yesterday?

AA: “In the first few races I was on my North F10 9.0m and my Starboard Isonic 111, and then for the last race when it was a bit windier I changed down to my 8.0m and 101. That probably sounds like big gear, but I have to feel fully powered up when I’m racing, otherwise I’m not very comfortable.”

PWA: Will you be training hard back at home in France before Costa Brava?

AA: “No. I wish I could, but I have to go back to school and finish my exams, so I wont have any time on the water between the end of this event and going to Spain.”

PWA: Will you be competing on the wave tour again this year?

AA: “Yes, for sure. I really enjoy wave sailing and love going to the events because there’s no pressure on me to perform, which means I can learn more and have fun with inspirational people. It’ll be really tough for me to break into the top 5 there, but I’ll try my best.”

PWA: After finishing your exams, will you concentrate on windsurfing for the next few years or will you be heading off to university?

AA: “I would really like to carry on competing on the world tour, but I also want to go to university, so I’ll try to combine the two from September onwards.”

Looking Ahead

The forecast for tomorrow looks promising so we should see some more of Alice and the rest of the competitors on the water in the very near future.

Stay In The Groove

For more information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, click on www.pwaworldtour.com

Here you can use our:

• Live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins

• Check live elimination ladders

• View results

• Read daily news summaries

• Browse awesome action photo galleries

There’s also a dedicated event website for fans at www.pwaulsan.com

Or for more information, please contact the PWA office via info@pwaworldtour.com

PWA / Paul Griffiths