Antoine Albeau and Cedric Bordes, tandem record holders. Image credit Eric Bellande.

Many sailors have raised the personal best speeds, with more national records being improved too. Bjorn Dunkerbeck is now getting dialled into the conditions on the canal, boosting his top speed up to 50.91knots….can he come closer to Antoine? Or even overtake him?

But Antoine just keeps going faster and faster, with his top speed still at 51.69 knots over 500m Antoine has now taken the two second top speed to over 100km per hour! This is an incredible 54.14knots over two seconds giving Antoine the fastest top speed in the world and the first person to take it over 100km per hour. Check out the full details on the GPS Speedsurfing page here. 

Anders Bringdal reflects on yesterday’s action on Facebook:

“Yesterday, Great day here in the canal. Antoine did what he does and smashed the 100 KM/h top speed. Pretty cool and is good to see. Bjorn also had a good day and came charging through.
I did not manage to find the grove and was slower.
Also managed to buss my self up a little more… sore ribs on my last run.
Now Thursday forecast looked good yesterday. Today it looks so so again.. We still wait for that stronger day as we all feel we can go faster.
Like we say in France, A-Fond”

Bjorn Dunkerbeck, looking to chase down Antoine's record.

So, it looks like there could be a couple of mellower days ahead on the canal, before potentially more records flying on Big Thursday, Boards will of course keep you updated, for now over on Windsurf Journal they have now released the first episode from the canal…

Yesterday saw a moderate 20 knots fill in and Brit speed sailor Zara Davis had a crack at the canal to see how things are shaping up. Fingers and toes are all crossed that the main competition will get underway soon.

Other big names who are on the ground in Namibia are Bjorn Dunkerbeck and Antoine Albeau who are both vying to smash the World Speed Record.

Watch this space to see if they can do it!

For more info check out the official site here and Facebook page here

Luderitz Speed Challenge - Namibia

Check out Mpora Live and follow the action live from the beach! 

The last day of the Fuerteventura Freestyle World Cup saw many changes in positions throughout the ladies and mens competition as the riders fought in strong winds to improve their results.  Finally the wind came through putting most of the ladies on 3.7′s and the men on 4.2-4.5 metre sails and saw an increase in waves and chop in the competition area, making the heats very exciting to watch as the riders could really pull out their biggest best tricks.

Sarah-Quita takes the win. Image credit PWA/JC.

The ladies had a second single elimination, following which they were surprised to be told they would also have a double elimination immediately afterwards.  Arrianne Aukes sailed amazing heats, taking 3rd place as she passed Yoli De Brendt in the single elimination.  The double then saw Maxime Van Gent and Iva Chiochetti progress past myself and Sveta Martynova, to give them a chance to improve on their positions after the first elimination.  In the later heats Arrianne held on to her position as she again beat Yoli to keep 3rd place and confirm her first time on the podium!  She landed smooth funnels and flaka’s and spocks throughout the heats, sailing her best heats of the week to guarantee her position. Sarah-Quita remained in the top spot, yet again putting in an incredible performance with Laure Treboux in second.

Gollito takes the victory. Image credit PWA/JC.

The mens heats saw unbelievable windsurfing as the size and speed of tricks just increased by the second with the wind being strong enough to really show their true abilities.  Steven van Broekhoven came back, sailing seven heats consecutively to bring himself into 2nd place, after a surprisingly early exit from the single elimination.  His final against Gollito saw him pulling a huge shuv-it air spock but he could not beat Gollito who took the waves coming in as a perfect opportunity to sail out and perform incredible Air Chacho’s and other perfect moves right in front of the judges.

The next PWA Freestyle event will be held in Sylt in Germany, where the men will again battle out to decide the 2012 rankings.  After this there is an event in Vietnam where there should be Mens and Ladies Freestyle to complete the 2012 tour.  Hopefully we will be there to report but until then…GetWindsurfing!

Photos can be seen here from Danielle.

The pair are set to take to the water together on a tandem windsurf board and put on show for the many spectators on the beach during the festival which will be held in Switzerland between 8 – 12 August.

More info on Bjorn’s Facebook page here

Dunky And Dani

With only one heat sailed yesterday of Round 6 and Bjorn still in a clear lead of the event over the RRD team of Julien Quentel and Antoine Albeau, it was going to be a long day at the beach as the PWA race crew were very keen to get this round completed.

Dunkerbeck takes the win. Image credit PWA/JC.

Against the forecast, the wind actually picked up enough to start some racing and by 2pm we were out on the water for a very fickle onshore day of racing! You can always tell the conditions are tricky by how many over-earlies there are in the racing. No less than 15 over-early general recalls took place today with on average 2-3 sailors getting bumped per heat! The race was all down to the start as in 10-12 knots there is not as big a speed difference between a lot of us sailors and with the flatter water it was unlikely that anyone of us would fall off a gybe! I spoke a bit too soon and in my Heat (which happened to be the French National Championships with Albeau, Montefon, Le Guen, Questel and De Souza all in my Heat!) I managed to hit the first mark with everyone at once and promptly spat my gybe and took waaaaay too long to get the sail back up and finished LAST. Not my finest moment but in a way I was glad to not have to sail so late in to the afternoon!

Micah and Bjorn. Image credit PWA/JC.

Somehow we managed to sneak in enough heats to sail the winner’s final but not the loser’s final, with Micah Buzianis dominating this final race taking the winner’s final ahead of Bjorn Dunkerbeck, Ross Williams and Steve Allen. This 2^nd for Bjorn was easily enough for him to win the event and just sneak ahead of Antoine Albeau in the 2012 PWA Rankings for Slalom with Antoine finishing 3^rd at this event and Julien Quentel 2^nd overall.

It was an extremely difficult week of racing here with winds very up and down each day of the event making sail-size critical and the starts even more so which can be seen by the amount of different final winner’s and BIG names well down the results list like Maynard (32^nd), Questel (29^th), Volwater (28^th) and Gonzalo in 25^th overall.

At least the temperatures were nice and we were blessed to be able to sail in boardshorts all week after a horrifically cold event in South Korea last month. We now have a full month’s break before the first of the Canary Island events kick off with Pozo (waves) and Fuerteventura (slalom) being the highlights. I’ll be on my way back to Lake Garda with the Italian team for a month of relaxing, training and work before we tune up the 5.5m’s and small boards for the typical 50 knots we usually race in on the Spanish islands.

A big congrats to Bjorn for winning another event and to Quentel who really dominated yesterday to finish 2^nd overall. It’s still early days in the season with 3 more slalom events to go so we’ll see whether Bjorn can take the title again this year or Albeau will be back and hungry as he’s typically the fastest guy in nuking conditions and won the Fuerteventura World Cup last year by a streak!

Check out all the week’s reports by clicking the numbers below…

Hot off the press here in Korea, Micah Buzianis has topped the list after a solid fight back at the tail end of the event. It’s his first event win for a while and he looked over the moon.

The young French rider Antoine Questel made a horrible mistake, sailing to the wrong mark while leading his semi final handing Micah the opportunity to take the win. But that said, Questel is a name to watch out for as the PWA slalom season continues. He has shown, mistakes aside, that he’s got the speed and composure to top the rankings.

Micah Buzianis wins in PWA Korea. All images courtesy PWA/JC.

The best news for the UK is, that our very own Ross Williams jumped three spots in the last round and made it to third place on the podium. A great result for Ross who looked sharp all week and laid down a solid foundation to build an assault for the top of the slalom ranking this season.

Ross said: “It’s been a two year hiatus since I’ve been on the PWA slalom podium and it’s good to be back!”

PWA Korea: Ross Williams finishes third. All images courtesy PWA/JC.

Bjorn had a horrible last couple of rounds getting knocked out after hitting something yesterday and then slicing his foot open today, pushing him down to ninth place. Antoine Albeau also didn’t look his usual self and had to settle for fourth here.

The racing for myself got better and better, and by the last couple of rounds I started to at least feel in the fight. I would defiantly like to race with these guys a little more often, it’s so competitive out there on the course and I miss that. But, I have the Maui Race series to look forward to in a couple of weeks and this has been a great warm up for that. The only difference is then it will be back to racing in shorts in steady 25-35 knot trades!!

Thank you Dan for some great reporting all week. Good luck in Maui and we look forward to the next installment!

Reports from every day can be found by clicking through the numbers below…

In a repeat of Day Five’s weather, the final day in Reggio Calabria saw the wind turn on late in the afternoon. The conditions were good enough to finish the men’s first elimination and complete the ladies second.

Women

After dominating the first elimination, Karin Jaggi was in a strong position going into the second round. With a bullet in the first heat, she headed straight to the winner’s final. Not ready to give up, French sailor Valeria Arrighetti put in an outstanding performance in the final and edged ahead of Jaggi. Local sailor and PWA debutante Laura Linares sailed a smart heat and finished in an excellent third position.

Karin Jaggi cruising to overall victory at Reggio Calabria

Overall results:

1. Karin Jaggi

2. Lena Erdil

3. Valeria Arrighetti

4. Alice Arutkin

5. Laura Linares

Men

The mens final was an exciting finish to what has been a frustrating week in Italy for many of the racers. With the conditions turning on, the battle for the top spot was taken right to the finish line. Trailing at the start, Dunkerbeck stepped on the gas and chased down the top three, overtaking Antoine Albeau and Jimmy Diaz. Neck and neck with Gonzalo Costa Hoevel down the final straight, Dunkerbeck squeezed ahead by inches to take the win in a photo-finish. A solid start to the year for Bjorn as he attempts to defend his world title.

Antoine leads Bjorn, but for how long?

1. Bjorn Dunkerbeck

2. Gonzalo Costa Hoevel

3. Antoine Albeau

4. Peter Volwater

5. Jimmy Diaz

The winners in Italy

To see the full results, elimination ladders and race report, head to the PWA website.

With Bjorn Dunkerbeck due to drop into their Thailand HQ, Starboard appealed to the windsurfing public for questions to put to the big man. Due to security issues Bjorn never made it to Thailand but he still took the time to answer your questions. Read on to hear more from the 2011 PWA Slalom World Champion…
Remco Griep, Netherlands
Hey Bjorn, first of all…congratulations with your 2011 title again. I was wondering…how much has the PWA tour changed in the last 15 years??? Grtz Remco

Bjorn:
It’s changed in the way that most windsurfers are only doing one discipline and there are 3 world champions. Slalom, freestyle and wave, with no more overall title.

Pascal Marchand, France
What size boards and sails have you registered? What fins will you use (size, model and brand) Thank you and have a great season!

Bjorn:
I am not 100% sure until the first event, but the big one will be the iSonic 127 and the 107 is in too. I will choose between the 90 liter and the 87, but I am not sure yet (editor note: its become the 87 in the meantime). Sail sizes will be 9.6 – 8.6 – 7.8 – 7.0 – 6.2 and 5.6

Down the line, Netherlands
Why did you use a 9.2 and a 9.6 last year and will you do the same for 2012? And will you use the 5.6 for 2012?

Bjorn:
Well I hadn’t even rigged up my 5.6 in two years so I didn’t really expect to have two days in Costa Brava and two days in Fuerte where I needed it.

Jurjen van der Noord, Netherlands
What are your goals regarding speedsurfing for 2012 and are you going to participate in any speedevents?

Bjorn:
It would be great if there was a world championship and a European championship this year. I’d go for it for sure! (Note editor: Victor Couto was here last weekend and confirmed their interest for Namibia)

Just how does Bjorn go so fast?

Sandro Wijker, Netherlands
In 2011 we saw the magnicficent Anders Bringdal put down some impressive speeds at the event in Luderitz. Besides the “normal” speed events what can we expect from you Björn during 2012 regarding speed challenges???

Bjorn:
I’m not sure at the moment. It didn’t look safe enough in Luderitz to try and beat 50 knots.

Funkydude, Netherlands
Dear Bjorn, its the million dollar question: When will you take part in the gps-speedsurfing competition? Do you think you have a chance against the Dutch top gps-speedsurfers?

Bjorn:
In the right wind- and water conditions; yes I do.

Niels Van Der Kaaij, Netherlands
What did you do different in preparation compared to the last few years what made you so successfull in 2011? More workout, gym, other way of training?

Bjorn:
Loads of windsurfing plus making the Code Red into the winning Reflex you see today.

Brian McDowell, Ireland (he runs the website windsurfing International)
Do you pour RedBull on your cornflakes?

Bjorn:
Red Bull all the way ))

Marcel Grondman, Netherlands
What will be the next important windsurfing equipment invention which will boost / change windsurfing? Or will the equipment evaluate gradually?

Bjorn:
Fine tuning I believe. What could help windsurfing a lot as a sport would be more top windsurf centers, clubs and schools everywhere in the world!

Surfrider, Netherlands
How much do you train on the water for slalom? And do you focus on starts, gybing or speed?

Bjorn:
It all depends on the wind and water.

Windy Dave, Netherlands
Would you be a proponent to bring back the PWA Overall title?

Bjorn:
I would like to see eight contests in wave, freestyle and slalom plus a World Championship in Speed and a few more long distance races on the calendar.

Jeroen Labots, Netherlands
What is your process on how to find the best board – fin combo? How often are you testing different fin brands, models and lengths? Are you also involved in the board R&D whereby you test using a standard/specific model of fin, or is every ‘test-pilot’ using his own fin quiver?

Bjorn:
I’ve been involved for over 20 years in all research and development for world champion gear on five different sailmakers and four different shapers (;-)))

Thank you to Starboard for the interview – Star-Board.com

Swift, Dunkerbeck and Voget

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles sends windsurfing professionals sand-boarding in the desert in the new Crafter 4MOTION with Achleitner four-wheel drive

While Dakar Rally competitors just put the first half of the route behind them and recovered at the bivouac in Copiapo/Chile on their rest day, Björn, Robby and Klaas faced a completely different challenge: sand-boarding in the Atacama desert to put the Crafter 4MOTION to an acid test on behalf of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

The Dakar Rally base camp

The three of them met at 5.30 in the morning to depart for Medanoso, the highest sand dune in South America. They got to the base of the 800 metres high dune just in time for sunrise and the fun was about to start. First, the professional sand-boards specially crafted in South Africa had to be waxed and polished in the desert sand, before marching uphill. Why marching? Didn’t the Volkswagen team tell them to put the Crafter to an acid test? So why walk when you can drive? At least as far as it is possible. After all, they’re all coming down and the worst that can happen is getting stuck. The Crafter 4MOTION performed superbly on the way to the crest, also considering it had to carry the entire equipment of the three windsurfing professionals. Good for the boys, who were saved a long stretch of the exhausting climb and were able to concentrate all their energy on sand-boarding.

Watched by a desert fox the three professionals drew their lines in the sand and boarded down to the foot of the dune. After a short break they carried on to the Dakar Rally bivouac for a quick meet ‘n’ greet with Rudolf Schenker (Scorpions), Dariusz ‘Tiger’ Michalczewski (former boxing world champion) and Jacky Ickx (Formula 1 legend), who had dropped in. Schenker’s spontaneous gig really livened up the atmosphere in the bivouac – and even made the ‘Tiger’ roar

Part two of the trip obviously led into the water – Chile is, after all, a second home to Robby and Klaas, who had their dream houses built here. Klaas Voget remarked, “There are thousands of fantastic surfing and windsurfing spots along the Chilean coast, albeit extremely difficult to get to them. The Crafter 4MOTION really comes very handy here and what is more, it provides room for all our stuff, and there are three of us”.

Unfortunately, the wind was a spoilsport and so all the windsurfing equipment went back into the Crafter unused.
Still the three professionals made the most of their lightning visit to the beach. They got out their sand-boards, found a small dune and had some idyllic photos taken of jumps in the sunset. Klaas, an experienced snowboarder, impressed his audience with his stylish tailgrabs.

Robby, the only goofyfoot (right foot in front) among them, daringly tried to be regular so that he could also grin into the camera rather than presenting his behind to the photographer. The odd crash landing was marked by cheers. Dunki, for his part, impressed the cameramen with his efficiency, “I’ll give you one more jump. Don’t cock it up. Focus on the pebble over there.” Sure as day follows night, where other guys need ten attempts, Dunkerbeck delivers first time, or does he? But then Björn would not be world champion 41 times over if he didn’t possess the gift of perfect concentration.

]]> http://boards.mpora.com/news/swift-voget-dunkerbeck-lost-desert.html/feed 0 http://boards.mpora.com/news/severne-racing-adedicated-website.html http://boards.mpora.com/news/severne-racing-adedicated-website.html#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:40:16 +0000 editor http://boards.mpora.com/?p=31345 Introducing Severne’s new dedicated racing website…

severneracing.com homepage

Rolling off the back of their success on the PWA Slalom Tour this year, Severne sails have created their own dedicated racing website. There is whole host of information on it, including; products, videos, specs, gallery, team riders and the all important ‘where to buy’. Go find out more for yourself by following the link below.

Here is Severne’s home page statement;

‘In 2010 SEVERNE launched the Living Wing concept. Based on the auto-adjusting properties of bird wings, this concept revolutionized the way we think about sails: no longer are they static, lifeless foils, they have evolved into dynamic wings with active flex. They have become alive.

In 2011 the program objectives became reality; Bjoern Dunkerbeck won the PWA Slalom World Championship. To challenge the domination of old guard was one thing; we re-wrote history and won with the fastest race sail that exists today.’

www.severneracing.com

PWA Sylt prizegiving

The official 2011 men’s slalom rankings
Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear) has returned to glory in the 2011 season, having played second fiddle to Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde) for the last five year. Dunkerbeck has delivered a fantastic season of races and has been seen to recover from even the trickiest of situations. Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde) has secured his podium finish with two event wins, and in third place sits Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft / Mystic) having had an exceptional season on tour.

1^st Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear)
2^nd Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde)
3^rd Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft / Mystic)
4^th Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North)
5^th Finian Maynard (RRD)
6^th Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde)
7^th Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails)
8^th Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde)
9^th Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun / Dakine)
10^th Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North)

The official 2011 men’s youth (U.22) slalom rankings.
With so many experienced sailors the slalom fleet is a particularly tough fleet to crack, where experience often overrules natural talent.  However the tour always needs new blood and there is no better way than to improve than take on your elders.

There were many talented youths fighting their way around the race course this year, but it is Jules Denel (Exocet) that walks away with the youth slalom champion trophy. Denel been charging this season and has been up there with the best of them. We expect big things from Denel next season.

1^st Jules Denel (Exocet)
2^nd Matteo Iachino (JP / Gaastra / Mystic / AL360)
3^rd Oliver-Tom Schliemann (Starboard / North)

The official 2011 men’s freestyle ranking
It has been a rough ride for the freestylers this season but Steven Van Broeckhoven (F2 / Gaastra) has emerged victorious. Van Broeckhoven has blown the judges away at all seven of the stops this year with his huge moves and has rightfully been awarded the world title. Kiri Thode (Starboard / Gaastra) has had his most successful year on tour winning two events to put him in second, and Jose Estredo (Fanatic / North) wowed the crowds in the Canaries to finish in third.

1^st Steven Van Broeckhoven (F2 / Gaastra)
2^nd Kiri Thode (Starboard / Gaastra)
3^rd Jose Estredo (Fanatic / North)
4^th Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins)
5^th Davy Scheffers (Tabou / Gaastra)
6^th Tonky Frans (Tabou / Gaastra)
7^th Anthony Ruenes (Tabou / Simmer)
8^th Dieter Van der Eyken (Starboard / Severne)
9^th Philip Soltysiak (Starboard / Dakine)
10^th Bjorn Saragoza (Starboard / Hot Sails)

The official 2011 men’s wave rankings
All eyes have been on the youth star Philip Koster (Starboard / NeilPryde / Dakine / Maui Ultra Fins) this season and with three event wins under his belt it is no surprise. Koster has slayed his opponents with his incredible planing double forward all season. The man with some of the highest jumps on tour Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC) sits in second place, and Brazilian Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde) has earned third for his stunning wave riding. 

1^st Philip Koster (Starboard / NeilPryde / Dakine / Maui Ultra Fins)
2^nd Ricardo Campello (JP / NeilPryde / MFC)
3^rd Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde)
4^th Victor Fernandez Lopez (Fanatic / North)
5^th Daniel Bruch (Starboard / Severne / AL 360)
6^th Dario Ojeda (Tabou / Simmer / Dakine)
7^th Thomas Traversa (Tabou / Gaastra)
8^th Alex Mussolini (Tabou / Gaastra)
9^th Marcilio Browne (Fanatic / North / MFC)
10^th Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra)

The official 2011 women’s wave rankings
Daida Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne) has defended her title for another year, she has made sure she is a step ahead of her opponents all season by throwing the highest stalled forward and even a few doubles. In second place her sister Iballa Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne) has been flying higher than ever to make sure she made every final, and in third place Nayra Alonso (Fanatic / Severne) has had an extremely successful year on tour, slaying her opponents with her super-stylish waveriding.

1^st Daida Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne)
2^nd Iballa Ruano Moreno (Starboard / Severne)
3^rd Nayra Alonso (Fanatic / Severne)
4^th Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne)
5^th Evi Tsape (F2 / North)
6^th Laure Treboux (Fanatic / North)
7^th Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North)
7^th Fanny Aubet (JP / NeilPryde)
7^th Heike Reimann (Hot Sails)

The official 2011 constructor’s rankings

All season the brands have been battling it out for the constructor crown, over in the board front Starboard have snatched the crown with four world champions to their name. JP has taken second with just one point separating them from Fanatic.

NeilPryde walk away as the 2011 sail constructor champions, but it was a close fight as Severne and North sails sit just one and two points behind.
Boards
1^st Starboard
2^nd JP
3^rd Fanatic
4^th Tabou
5^th F2

Sails
1^st NeilPryde
2^nd Severne
3^rd North Sails
4^th Gaastra
5^th Simmer Sails

Read the full PWA Sylt event summary here…

The Starboard flatwater range – including iSonics, Futuras, UltraSonics and more – are now featured online at www.star-board.com

PWA Costa Brava 2011

The 2011 Catalunya Costa Brava PWA World Cup – Event Summary: Costa Brava delivers outstanding slalom conditions seeing Albeau claim his first victory of the year. 

Round 3 of the PWA World Tour Slalom took place in the beautiful Bay of Roses, located in the Costa Brava region of Catalunya, Spain. It was slalom sailing at its best, hammering winds meant massive action allowing 8 eliminations to take place.

Hosted on the Ballena Alegre camping resort, the entrants all stay on-site in bungalows surrounding the race HQ, and just 50 meters from the beach.

Competition opened up straight away as the local Tramontana wind turned it on directly after registration. The race crew laid down an enormous four-gybe downwind course, to test the world’s best to the maximum. Winds blowing 30 knots ensured 7 races could be completed in the first three days and a further elimination was spread out over the remainder of the event.

Battling through the high winds Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde) managed to secure himself a massive lead, taking the top position in the first four rounds. As the week progressed the conditions calmed allowing Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / Dunkerbeck Eyewear) to return to form, nabbing a pair of firsts of his own. Not wanting to lose out on his event winner status Albeau put in a stunning performance, absolutely dominating the 7th race.

The conditions really backed off for elimination 8, spread over three days. It wasn’t until the closing hour of the competition that Catalunya provided winds strong enough to compete. With little to lose Albeau looked to be taking things easy.  Dunkerbeck came in second, enough to boost his ranking at this event and hold onto the series title. Special mention has to go to Alberto Menegatti (Starboard/ Gaastra) for winning his first PWA race.

Race by race

Elimination 1 – Battle commences

The big names returned to Catalunya to prove that experience pays, off easily cruising through the early heats. Dunkerbeck fell victim to a crashed gybe at the first mark of the semi-finals and failed to qualify for the winner final.

With Dunkerbeck missing in the winners final Antoine Albeau took the opportunity to get a notch on the bed post and mark his return, having played second fiddle to Dunkerbeck in the previous two events.

Elimination 2- Costa Brava carnage

Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails) and Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun / Dakine) claimed first place positions all the way to the winner’s final where they went on to take third and sixth place respectively.

Dunkerbeck took two big hits in the semi-final resulting in a broken mast and again missing out on a place in the winners final.

The loser’s final saw the Tramontana hitting speeds of 30 knots at the start line catching many of the sailors out who were still on their big gear. The sailors were barely able to hold on as they blasted around the course.

Albeau cleaned up in the second elimination by sailing the perfect round, securing first place in each heat and a well-earned victory in the winner’s final.

Elimination 3- Tearing Tramontana

Costa Brava delivered a day to remember with a cross shore breeze blowing well above 40 knots. Complex slalom conditions took the sailors to the limit. Many of them struggled to complete the course in the early heats; with gear too big, the wind proved too much to contend with.

Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North) put in a sterling performance, his childhood high wind experiences obviously paying off, as he took down challengers heat by heat.

Albeau pushed the start hard in the winner’s final but a drag race down the straight put Cyril in first. Albeau’s spectacular gybe saw him take the inside line and distance himself from the rest of the pack. It came down to Cyril and Pascal Toselli (RRD/ Point- 7) to fight it out for 2nd and 3rd.

Elimination 4- Survival mode

The wind was still howling for elimination 4 but by this time the sailors were well tuned into the crazy conditions.

The loser’s final was a really tidy affair. Faultless sailing in this heat kept the pack really close together until the final marks. Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde) battled his way to the winning post closely followed by Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde) and Ludovic Jossin (Loft).

Dunkerbeck’s debut in the winner’s final saw him off to a slow start but his spectacular sailing saw him push past the fleet into 3rd place. Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft Sails / Mystic) erupted out of the starting gates, but he was unable to match Albeau’s straight line speed. Albeau stole this race with a win well over 100m.

Elimination 5- Rise of Dunkerbeck

The Tramontana dropped it down a notch for day three’s racing, providing much more comfortable conditions for the sailors to compete in.

Angulo’s demise came early on in the losers final before they were even racing; his premature start ensured an early exit. Benoit Moussilmani (Tabou / Simmer) took first place having dueled all the way to the finish line with Toselli.

An electric final marked the return of Dunkerbeck. Timing the start to perfection he flew in front of the fleet. Albeau’s attempt to take his inside line only resulted in a loss of speed. It came down to a man on man showdown at the final mark where a stunning gybe from Dunkerbeck forced him up front providing him with enough ground to win.

Elimination 6 – Dunkerbeck’s double

Reduced winds put the sailors on their biggest gear racing on sails around 8.6m for elimination 6.

The winner’s final saw the sailors take it easy on the start line, not wanting to make a mistake at this crucial point in the competition. Buzianis took the lead around the first mark, drama came when Albeau dropped his gybe causing Dunkerbeck to pile into the back of him. Buzianis, Volwater and Van Der Steen led the charge around the second and third marks. Dunkerbeck managed to gain enough ground in the upwind bank to turn on the after burners and boost his position from 6th-1st.

Elimination 7 – Albeau strikes back

Van Der Steen and Cyril Moussilmani’s early demise saw them open up more room for Dunkerbeck to make it into the winner’s final.

Three men stole the show in the losers final; Angulo’s aggressive start put him in the lead early. Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra) and Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / North) fought it out for 2nd and 3rd until the fourth mark. Williams’s return came on the final straight taking down Angulo and Mortefon.

Albeau stormed the winner’s final of elimination 7 opening up a tremendous gap early on; this race was his from the start.

Elimination 8 – Frustrating Fluctuations

Spread over three days, elimination 8 fell victim to inconsistent conditions. The sailors waited patiently for the thermal to kick in each afternoon. It wasn’t until the closing hours of the competition that Catalunya provided enough wind creating a turn in the results.

Menegatti managed to bag his first PWA race leaving Dunkerbeck to take second moving his event score up a notch whilst knocking Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North) down into fourth.

Winners Quote

Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde)

“I am feeling good; this is the first event I have won this year. I did really well at the beginning winning four races in a row, and then a 2nd and 3rd. Today was hard so I didn’t want to push too much. Now I am feeling confident for the rest of the season”

Event results

1st Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde) 5.5

2nd Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear) 21.4

3rd Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard /Loft / Mystic) 24.0

4th Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North) 32.0

5th Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde) 34.0

6th Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails) 39.0

7th Pascal Toselli (RRD / Point-7) 50.5

8th Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde) 53.5

9th Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun / Dakine) 54.0

10th Sylvain Moussilmani (Tabou / Simmer) 57.5

Current overall standings
Men (after 3 events)

1st Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear)

2nd Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde)

3rd Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North)

4th Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard /Loft / Mystic)

5th Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails)

6th Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun / Dakine)

7th Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North)

8th Micah Buzianis (JP/ NeilPryde)

9th Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde)

10th Benoit Moussilmani (Tabou / Simmer)

Congratulations to Antoine Albeau for coming 1st at the Catalunya Costa Brava PWA World Cup.

Back on the road

The PWA team will now be heading over the pond to the beautiful island of Bonaire for round three of the Freestyle world cup taking place on Jun 12 – Jun 16 2011. The island’s trade winds provide perfect, steady conditions for flat-water sailing in beautiful Lac Bay, where shallow waters and a clear sandy bottom will provide an excellent environment for the world’s top freestylers to do battle.

Scope the action

For information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, navigate to 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

Costa Brava 2011 winners Bjorn Dunkerbeck (2nd) and Antoine Albeau (1st(

The 2011 Catalunya Costa Brava PWA World Cup – Day 6: Albeau cleans up in Costa Brava claiming his first event of the year whilst last minute wind puts a critical spin on the event standings.

A sluggish start to the day in Costa Brava saw a morning of minimal action. Overcast skies put a pause on the thermal wind allowing the tension to mount as the day progressed. Two o’clock came and went marking the release of the sailors that were no longer in the final elimination whilst the rest of the fleet waited anxiously on the water’s edge. As the afternoon continued hopes of any wind began to fade, but as the old saying goes ‘it’s not over until the fat lady sings.’

In true Catalunya style the thermal kicked in between 8-13 knots, just enough to complete elimination 8 and enabling some last minute drama to unfold.

Six more heats down and we were into the winner’s final. Alberto Menegatti (Starboard/ Gaastra) took off with a great start closely followed by Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear). With little to lose Antoine Albeau (JP/ NeilPryde) looked to be taking it easy hanging back with the rest of the pack. Menegatti and Dunkerbeck continued to work their way further in front as the marks passed by, seeing Menegatti claim his first PWA race and the legendary “sailor of day” award.

The loser’s final saw the wind dropping off slightly and the sailors really had to work their way around the course often coming to a complete stop at the marks. Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde) put in an awe-inspiring performance grafting hard to keep his kit on the plane in-order to maintain first the whole way around. Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra) worked his way from 4th to 3rd overtaking Jesper Orth (RRD) on the third leg. Ludovic Jossin (Loft) put in a consistent performance holding second from start to finish.

This turn of results took Bjorn Dunkerbeck into second place, Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard /Loft / Mystic) into third and Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North) down into fourth.

Quotes from the Champions

We caught up with the newly crowned event winners to get their thoughts on taking their respective event titles.

1st Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde)

“I am feeling good; this is the first event I have won this year. I did really well at the beginning winning four races in a row, and then a 2nd and 3rd. Today was hard so I didn’t want to push too much. Now I am feeling confident for the rest of the season”

2nd Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear)

“I feel great, I started off pretty average but I recovered every single day, I think we were pretty lucky to get the last round in the final hours. I managed to perform how I wanted making me second at this event, and most importantly a second place is great for the overall ranking. I am very happy”

3rd Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard /Loft / Mystic)

“This competition was incredible, I finished in third. This is my first podium position at a PWA event. We had strong wind and light wind we had everything, the conditions were amazing and I am really pleased”

The closing ceremony ended with an element of fun when competitors were awarded their own local ‘porons’ of wine.

Results

1st Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde) 5.5

2nd Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear) 21.4

3rd Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard /Loft / Mystic) 24.0

4th Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North) 32.0

5th Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde) 34.0

6th Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails) 39.0

7th Pascal Toselli (RRD / Point-7) 50.5

8th Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde) 53.5

9th Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun / Dakine) 54.0

10th Sylvain Moussilmani (Tabou / Simmer) 57.5

A massive congratulation to Antoine Albeau for claiming 1st place at the 2011 Catalunya Costa Brava PWA World Cup!

This turn of events keeps Bjorn Dunkerbeck at the top of the pile in the overall rankings closely followed by Antoine Albeau.

Back on the road

The PWA team will now be heading over the pond to the beautiful island of Bonaire for round three of the Freestyle world cup taking place on June 12th – June 16th. The island’s trade winds provide perfect, steady conditions for flat-water sailing in the beautiful Lac Bay. Where shallow waters and a clear sandy bottom will provide an excellent environment for the world’s top freestylers to do battle.

Scope the action

For information on all the entrants, and to keep up to date with every piece of the action, navigate to 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