RRD X-Fire 129

Key Features: 

Four new designs (90,114, 122 and 129) going fast has never been so easy!

All new TT Tail, which delivers even more control and stability than the V4 and makes gybing and acceleration even better.

New back foot rail design gives comfort plus smooth power on the legs when you need it most.

RRD X-Fire

Technology for 129-122-144: EPS/Full PVC 3mm top and bottom/Biaxial carbon 100 grams on decl/80 Grams UD 80 on bottom/Custom made technology.

Technology for 105-98-90: EPS/Full PVC 3mm tip and bottom/80 Grams UD80 on Deck and Glass/160 Grams Glass Bottom/Custom made technology.

Technology:

Presenting the RRD XFire Part One…

And Part Two…

See how things pan out next week with our onsite live commentary from Boards’ very own roving reporter/Editor – Amy Carter.

Elsewhere the return of the popular Walvis Bay Speed Week was confirmed, as was the 2012 La Reunion Wave Classic.

Both of these competitions should see a high level of action so stay tuned to Boards and Boardseeker to see how things pan out.

The conclusion of the PWA Fueretevnetura Slalom saw Finian Maynard take the top podium spot with Ben Van Der Steen in second and Antoine Albeau down in third. Check out what AA had to say here and the PWA’s round-up here

Don’t forget there is a new Boardseeker vid for your viewing pleasure which features some hot Tenerife action and speaking of this particular Canary Island – the Test Team are currently putting a bunch of wave kit through it’s paces out on ‘the rock’.

Keep your eyes peeled for the test later on in the year.

For now though, we will leave you with the news that the guys from Juice Watersports are heading to Grimwith Reservoir with a van laden with kit for your demoing pleasure. If you’re in the area then go and check out all the windsurf and SUP toys they have for you to play with.

Whatever you’re doing this weekend – have a good one and pray for wind!

Juice Demo Van

The revolution is here! RRD has developed the most exciting and performance driven range of slalom boards to ever hit the windsurfing market. The all-new X-Fire V4 sets a new standard in slalom sailing with the introduction of the ‘TT Tail’ ( stands for TORO TAIL ), the next generation of design concepts that will take the world by storm. A comprehensive design and testing program has produced 5 all-new designs that will be the market reference in 2012. One look at these racing machines and you will agree!

RRD X-Fire LTD V4

The X-FIRE LTD V4 features:
• Fastest boards ever produced in windsurfing. Period.
• TT Tail creates unrivalled control and stability, simply an amazing feeling on the water.
• TT Tail cleverly releases the wetted surface area drag underneath the back foot.
• TT Tail makes these new boards machines accelerating away from the gybe mark.
• Increased wind range on all boards, especially the TT models. Better low and high-end
sailing!
• New rail design = better gybing.
• Reduced volume and thickness in the nose = reduced weight and easier handling.
• Full-carbon laminations for the 114, 122 and 129. Super lightweight yet exceptionally
strong.
• Revised scoop-rocker lines for all boards.
• Maximum attention and accuracy for individually tailored bottom shapes for each new
model.
• Revised cut-out designs for all boards (98, 105, 114, 122 & 129), giving increased
controllable lift with better acceleration.

Technology:

Models 129-122-114 LTD V4:
EPS / Full PVC 3 mm top and bottom/Biaxial carbon 100 grams on deck/80 Grams UD 80 on
bottom / Custom made technology

Models 105-98-90 LTD V4:
EPS / Full PVC 3 mm top and bottom/ 80 Grams UD 80 on Deck + Glass / 160 Grams Glass
Bottom /Custom made technology

For even more specs then download the PDF by clicking HERE

To find your closest retailer, head to RRD UK importers seaspritesports.com

Behind the two French surfers, Ben van der Steen (NED-57) from the Netherlands is on place three in the overall ranking. Björn Dunkerbeck has taken the fourth place overall. The hunt for the world champion title is not over. There are still two other spots to go for the PWA fleet. In Alacati, Turkey and Sylt, Germany the champions Albeau and Dunkerbeck will fight for the title. Dunkerbeck only needs one other event win to win the Worldcup. Albeau would need to win both events.

Final results:

1. Antoine Albeau (F-192)

2. Cyril Moussilmani (F-71)

3. Ben van der Steen (NED-57)

4. Björn Dunkerbeck (SUI-11)

5. Finian Maynard (KV-11)

6. Micah Buzianis (US-34)

7. Sylvain Moussilmani (F-7)

8. Peter Volwater (H-24)

9. Benoit Moussilmani (F-1)

10. Ross Williams (GBR-83)

RRD Fire Race

These boards are the same shape as PWA Slalom legend, Finian Maynard, black-and-white RRD X-Fire bullets. The feedback on these shapes has been excellent and in response to this RRD have bought them out in a wood and glass technology that will allow you to race, cruise or burn off your mates and enjoy a performance feeling yet with a more durable construction technology. They are highly acclaimed and test results praise their awesome speed, ease of sailing, amazing control and fluid gybing.

These beauties come in volumes of 135, 122, 112, 102 and 90 litres and feature the NEW shapes from the X fire V2 range. Each board has a different size and outline to perform in their given conditions. From short and wide on the 135 to progressively narrower and longer on the 112, 102 and 90 with respective widths of 85, 77, 69.5, 65cm and 59cms. They come equipped with MFC SL2 G10 fins in tuttle boxes.

Get ready for some serious action, make lighter winds exhilarating, fire up your racing, improve your gybes, cruise up and downwind or just enjoy going very fast. More details on  www.robertoriccidesigns.com and are available now from your nearest legendary RRD dealer, http://seaspritesports.com/dealers.php for your list of retailers.

PWA Slalom

Finian Maynard and Antoine Albeau stole a bullet a piece on the racecourse today, whilst freestyle world champion, Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo popped and styled his way to victory in an evening tow-in extravaganza!

On the penultimate day of competition, the crowds gathered on Sylt’s iconic golden sands witnessed two full rounds of spectacular racing throughout the afternoon, and saw two new race winners emerge from the mist.

The gusty offshore breeze once again proved tough for the world’s top ranked racers to tame, but with the help of a few caddies, and some patience from the race crew, everyone had a fair chance of choosing the right gear to match the conditions they were dealt during their heat. With gusts of twenty-five knots and lulls of fourteen, the wind tested the sailors skills to their maximum, and with a nastier chop than yesterday mistakes were easily made at the marks.

To add to the chaos, during the second race heavy rain moved in, and this coupled with board speeds of over 30 knots and temperatures of around 10 degrees created extremely harsh conditions for the racers to endure, many of whom are used to champagne sailing throughout the rest of the year!

Albeau’s Afternoon

After a disappointing previous day – for him – the current world tour leader, Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde) fought back with a vengeance this afternoon to claim a second in the fourth race of the series, and more importantly, a bullet in the fifth to end the afternoon on a high, hoping for much of the same tomorrow.

Albeau’s second race final was by far the most impressive, not least because he won, but because he hit the pin end at full speed, and although not the first to cross the line, stamped his authority on the star-studded fleet with tremendous speed that saw him to the first gybe in pole position. From there on it was back to business for the modern day slalom champ, who led the fleet around the course in his usual dominant fashion.

His results from today have helped him to close the gap on event leader, Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic), and two more bullets for the five times world champion could see him steal the show on the final day!

Finian’s Final

In the first race of the day Sylt’s many spectators saw a new character claiming line honours in the form of 2009 overall rankings runner up, Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra). Following a successful second day of racing yesterday, having enlisted the help of British Wave Champion and RRD team manger, John Skye (RRD, MFC) for a small fee, the Irish blooded British Virgin Island resident shot right up the rankings. Maynard’s caddy commented, “My boss has done an amazing job on the water today, but I’d have to say some of that success is clearly down to the team behind him (me). Just look at the results, I’ve helped him go from 30th to 3rd in the space of two days!” Maynard replied, “John’s help has been invaluable over these past two days, but he really needs to work on his slalom technique!”

Snapped

Following a smoking hot start to Sylt, cracks began to appear in the thirty-five times world champion, Bjorn Dunkerbeck’s armour today. It all started to go wrong with a failure to qualify for the first winner’s final, which unfortunately for him wasn’t down to sailor error. The mighty terminator was powering towards the final gybe in a qualifying position when his harness line snapped, causing an almighty explosion as the sail hit the deck at full speed, and Dunkerbeck fell in backwards!

With a discard in Bjorn’s bag, the top ranked sailors in the fleet are once again on a more level playing field, but windsurfing’s legend remains on top after a successful comeback in the second race of the day saw him hot on Albeau’s heels. However, the roles reverse if you look at the event results with Albeau chasing Dunkerbeck for the final event crown. If there’s more racing tomorrow, which is more than likely, it’ll be an exciting finale for the last race of the season.

Stand Out Sailors

Elsewhere in the fleet, Patrik Diethelm (Patrik, North) and Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North) exchanged winner’s final results with a 5th and a 3rd each to claim equal third in the race for sailor of the day behind Albeau and Maynard. Although not Moussilmani’s best event of the year, Diethelm is having an absolute corker, proving his own shapes to be a worthy investment for any wannabe racers.

Results After Five Races

1st Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic)

2nd Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde)

3rd Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra)

4th Kevin Pritchard (Starboard, Gaastra, Dakine, MFC)

5th Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde)

Gollito – night tow-in

Panasonic Night Tow-In Freestyle

With the weekend parties in full force, freestyle’s elite threw two fingers up to the wind, and wowed the crowds with a floodlit display of tow-in trickery. Current freestyle world champion, Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo (Fanatic, North) leapt out of the darkness to claim the top cash prize, followed by current wave tour runner up, Ricardo Campello (JP, NeilPryde, MFC), and 2010 Podersdorf freestyle champion, Taty Frans (Starboard, MauiSails, Mystic).

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:

• View the live streaming broadcast

• View the live ticker service for heat-by-heat bulletins

• Check live elimination ladders

• Check results

• Read daily news summaries

• Browse awesome action photo galleries

There’s also a dedicated event website which can be found at www.windsurfworldcup.de

MaverX masts

Sailrepair are very pleased to announce that they are importing MaverX masts into the UK. The MaverX Stilo RDM masts are renowned as some of the toughest on the planet but not only are they  one of the strongest masts but they have the performance that helped Finian Maynard break the World Speed Record. MaverX have put a lot of effort into ensuring the masts not only suit but also enhance the majority of sails. In fact Sailrepair are willing to guarantee that MaverX mast will rig and perform with the following sails – Simmer, Neil Pryde, North, Severne, Tushingham, Challenger, Ezzy Sails and Naish. If you buy a mast and are not happy with how it performs with your sails Sailrepair will give you your money back providing the mast is returned in as new condition within 14 days. What’s more MaverX masts are available to test at OTC in Weymouth or should you prefer warmer conditions in Tenerife as well. You can go along and just hire a mast for £5 per hour which includes help in rigging or you can rig one of the test sails on a MaverX mast for £15 per hour including booms etc.

For more details – www.sailrepair.co.uk/maverx.html

Dealer enquires welcome

Micah Buzianis

Day 2 – Buzianis remains in control despite being pushed hard by Albeau and Maynard, whilst Arrighetti strengthens her lead, but allows Offringa to steal a bullet.

On the second day of racing in Alacati the PWA’s fastest were greeted with wall-to-wall sunshine and a gentle breeze. Luckily the wind swiftly strengthened throughout the morning allowing the competition to commence in glamorous conditions by midday. Two races were completed for both the men’s and women’s fleets, giving everyone the opportunity to prove their worth.

Over the course of the day the wind varied between ten and twenty knots causing the sailors to swap gear on a constant heat by heat basis. 9.5s and big boards were the order of the day when the wind was down, and 8.5s and medium boards were preferred when it was up.

Due to the gusty conditions race director, Juan Antonio Aragon made the decision to revert back to the standard 8 man heat format for the men’s fleet.

Men

The Buzianis Show

Former world champion, Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde) once again posted two consistent results to remain at the front of the fleet. He may not have scored quite the perfect day that he had yesterday, but two seconds firmly consolidates his lead, and makes him the man to beat here in Turkey. He played it safe throughout his heats to ensure his place in every final. There was no racing for glory, but also no stupid mistakes, which is a sure fire way to lead the fleet.

The Real Albeau

Race one saw the return of the 2009 world champion and current tour leader, Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde). After a consistent start to the event, he stepped up his game and began to destroy the fleet. A string of firsts saw him happily into the final, and a perfect start had him leading the way. Needless to say, with Albeau in a commanding position he was completely untouchable, and flew to victory in race 3. Unfortunately race 4 didn’t go quite the same way, but another consistent finish sees him strong in second overall.

Finian’s Back

After his shock exit in race 2 yesterday, Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra) came back with renewed motivation and a score to settle. In the first race of the day he made partial amends by qualifying for the final. But, a sixth was all he achieved. With the knowledge that he could better his last result, he headed out to race 4 with work left to do. He shot off the start line and screamed into the first mark with seven sailors bearing down behind him. After the gybe he pulled ahead, not once needing to look back, leaving everyone else to fight it out behind. A first and a sixth see him climb the ranks with only Albeau and Buzianis left in his way.

Finian Maynard out in front

Standout Performers

Aside from Buzianis, Albeau, and Maynard there were a few other sailors that stood out from the crowd. In the first race Australian, Steve Allen (Starboard, Severne) sailed extremely well to launch himself into the final. Following an outstanding first gybe, and plenty of speed, he finished just behind Buzianis to claim third. Unfortunately, his second race didn’t go quite the same way due to an enormous collision at the first gybe with Ludovic Jossin (Starboard, Loft).

Italian shaper, Patrik Diethelm (Patrik, North) also sailed an awesome first race to claim fourth behind Allen. However, his second race went the same way as Allen’s when Ertugrul Icingir (Starboard, NeilPryde) fell off directly in front of him. With nowhere to go, he sailed straight over Icingir’s sail, resulting in a swim. Still, a fourth for Diethelm has improved his ranking, and reminds him that he’s capable of fighting it out with the best of them.

Flying Frenchman, Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North) also stepped up his game today qualifying for both winner’s final. A seventh and a fifth see him climb into fourth, and keep him in with a chance of a podium finish.

Another sailor to step up to the mark was Dutch racer, Ben Van Der Steen (JP, Mystic) who had a taste of things at the top with a fourth place in race 4. This sees him move into the top twenty, but with two bad results he’s desperately in need of a further discard.

Results After Four Races

1st Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde)

2nd Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde)

3rd Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra)

4th Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North)

5th Julien Quentel (RRD, NeilPryde)

6th Bora Kozanoglu (JP, NeilPryde)

7th Alberto Menegatti (Starboard, Simmer)

8th Sylvain Moussilmani (Starboard, Simmer)

9th Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic)

10th Enes Yilmazer (JP, NeilPryde)

Women

Outstanding Arrighetti

The 2009 world champion, Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic) had an excellent day of racing which sees her sitting pretty at the top of the table. Throughout the first race final she was fighting with the young freestyle world champion, Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra). Offringa flew off the line to lead at the first gybe, but Arrighetti’s experience shone through to take the win.

Offringa Fights Back

In the second final, Offringa shot off the line with the same display of speed as the first time round. However, she’d obviously learnt from the previous race and sailed a much smarter heat, blocking any advances from Arrighetti to take the win. An excellent day for the three times freestyle world champion which sees her move up the rankings to within a stones throw of the podium.

Sarah-Quita Offringa

Queen Of Consistency

Former world champion and current tour leader, Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) had a conservative day with two third place finishes seeing her maintain her position in second. However, with Arrighetti firmly in first there’s plenty of work to do if she’s to wrap up the world title race here in Turkey.

Results After Four Races

1st Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic)

2nd Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne)

3rd Sarah Hebert (Naish, Naish)

4th Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra)

5th Fanny Aubet (JP, NeilPryde)

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

There’s also a dedicated event website which can be found at www.surfnsound.org

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

PWA/Paul Griffiths

Finian Maynard at Fuerteventura 2010

One of the fastest men on the windsurfing planet, Gaastra / RRD rider Finian Maynard put the pedal to the medal nearly claiming victory at the 25th year anniversary event in Fuerteventura! One of the most intense battlegrounds on the PWA tour, Finian knows the game and played it well. Matt Pritchard got a chance to ask a few questions and see what he had to say about his recent success …

MP: Finian, Congrats on a solid 2nd place result- I know it is tough out there; give me a rundown of what has been going on for you this season.

FM: Fuerte was a great result, I am super happy to finish second with a chance for the win on the last day. I thought I sailed very mistake free and tried to be consistent on the race course and this plan seemed to work quite well. The beginning of the season was hard with a knee injury just before Korea and getting used to my new Vapor sails so I have been playing catch up a lot but I think I am race ready now.

MP: How about your size? You have been one of the biggest guys on tour- probably a reason why you are one of the fastest guys out there…. What are you dims right now and have they changed for you in the last year?

FM:  I think I am still the same height…..190cm and my weight right now is 111kg. I think that this helps me in powered conditions when one needs to sheet on harder but I feel I am competitive in the light wind as well as growing up in the BVI was all about 10-15 knots of wind.

MP: With the 6/3 rules, do you think this is an advantage to you or not? If not, why would it favor one competitor over another?

FM:  I like the 6/3, we can race anywhere, anytime and in any condition, so for the event organizers this makes for a better show and we can also race on the equipment we want in any specific wind. With the 4/2 rule, one could get caught out from time to time on the wrong stuff.

MP: What size sail have you been using most on tour this year? Do you have a favorite size and why?

FM:  I like my 7.6 the most. It feels stable and quick but unfortunately I have only raced it in one event. Otherwise, I have been on my 10.0 most of the year.

MP: How involved are you with your team mates Ross and Kevin? Do you guys talk strategy on the race course or is it every man for himself out there?

FM:  To be fair, it is mainly every man for himself on the race course, every sailor on the water is a competitor. However, we do talk about how the sails are feeling when we are on the beach.

MP: How about the Terminator- Dunks is making a pretty serious effort to win back a world title! What are your thoughts about that and what do you think motivates him to keep pushing so hard?

FM:  Bjorn has endless energy and desire for racing. It is embedded in his blood. I think that his sponsors are pushing hard and I believe he wants one more PWA title in the modern era before he retires.

MP: You have been on tour for many years- I would say you are due for a Slalom title one of these days- What will it take for you? I know that is a tricky question but you have always been close but not quite- what gives?

FM:  My desire for the title is stronger than ever. I will do my very best to achieve that goal.

MP: With 2 more events to go- one in Turkey and Sylt, what is your strategy for the rest of the season?

FM:  I am fighting with many guys for 3rd overall this year. I have no strategy, just to try and race well and see what happens.

MP: Well that all sounds pretty good- thanks for your time and good luck in the next event! We will be watching …

FM: Thanks a lot, I hope the wind gods are good to us and we get more high quality racing like Fuerteventura.

Finian Maynard

Reigning World Champions, Antoine Albeau and Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo stamp their authority on their respective fleets after ten days of spectacular competition in Sotavento.

Antoine Albeau

Rene Egli and his team hosted yet another outstanding PWA Grand Slam last week for the very special 25th Anniversary edition of the event, in which the modern day slalom legend from France, Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde) claimed his fifth consecutive Fuerteventuran crown. And, the three times world freestyle champion from Venezuela, Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo (Fanatic, North) claimed not only his fourth title from the windy isle, but also secured the 2010 freestyle world title.

Slalom

The slalom fleet was blessed with five days of world-class conditions off the beautiful white sands of Sotavento, allowing ten full rounds of action packed racing in winds of 10-30 kts. The variety of conditions kept the PWA’s elite slalom fleet on their toes with full quivers of sails being rigged throughout the week. 6.2s to 8.0s and small to medium sized boards were the norm guaranteeing an all round champion was crowned.

With so many races, consistency was key, but two discards did allow for a few mistakes. Throughout the week all of the top ten fell victim to their own errors. The mighty Albeau missed his boom, Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra) fell foul to sailing on the course with a minute to go, and even former World Champion, Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne) – who was the only sailor to qualify for every winner’s final – went over the start line early.

Tight At The Top

Plenty of mistakes ensured an exciting climax to the racing right up until the very last final. The current world champion, Albeau sailed fairly consistently throughout the week, but an explosive crash on day one forced a discard upon him. However, a perfect day two helped him climb the rankings, and consolidate his position at the top of the podium. And, a mixed bag on day four tightened things up, but the mighty Albeau remained on top. The final race of the event went without drama, or at least it did until Albeau’s nearest rival, Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra) who had nothing to lose, handed it to the Frenchman by pushing too hard before the race began gaining himself a PMS in the process.

Maynard sailed extremely consistently throughout the week, rarely finishing out of the top 4, ensuring he was in a strong position to give it his best shot in the final race. And, a win on the penultimate day was the highlight of his week, proving to the world that he’s still a true contender.

Despite never finishing outside of the top 8, living legend Bjorn Dunkerbeck had a fairly inconsistent start to the event resulting in him playing catch up right from the word go. By day three he’d returned to form, and a win in the final race was enough to secure his position in third.

Missing out on the podium by just a few points, early event leader Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North) was always one to watch. A broken fin box in his medium board lost him his lead, and his return to form in the final race was just too late. A fourth for the Frenchman was fairly disappointing, but it does put him in good stead for a possible end of year podium position.

Stand Out Performers

Twenty-year-old French racer, Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic, North) showed moments of excellence throughout the week, with his best result being a third in the winner’s final of the first race on day two. Competing at this level against the seasoned pros at such a young age surely makes him one to watch. And, can only bode well for his future windsurfing career.

Another French sailor to step up their game this week was Pascal Toselli (RRD). Despite not making the winner’s finals, he consistently crept through to the loser’s, and many world tour pundits think he’s yet to reach his full potential. With a few more events under his belt, we could see him challenging the old guard.

The sailor laying claim to the best starts throughout the week was Danish racer Kasper Larsen (Starboard, NeilPryde). Not only did he fly out of the starting blocks race after race, on one occasion he managed to hold off a charge from the mighty Albeau in a nail biting final leg, preventing the world champion from going any further than the second round in race nine.

Italian, Alberto Menegatti (Starboard, Simmer) finished the week on a high with a third place finish in the loser’s final. If he can perform like that at the next few events his ranking will improve and he’ll break through to the next level.

Finian Maynard

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, and moves ahead of archrival Bjorn Dunkerbeck. A solid set of Results sees Micah Buzianis in third. And, both Maynard and Moussilmani have climbed the ranks with their excellent results in Sotavento.

1st Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde)

2nd Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic)

3rd Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde)

4th Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra)

5th Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North)

Freestyle

After a disappointing first day for the freestylers, the wind returned with full force for the remainder of the competition, allowing two full double eliminations to be completed. With gusts of over 30 kts the guys tricked it up on equipment as small as their 90L boards and 4.0m sails, adding another dimension to the huge variety of conditions found on this year’s world tour already.

The level of sailing went through the roof in Sotavento with countless sailors raising their game heat after heat in a display of the latest freestyle wizardry. Scoring highly with the judges were double or triple combination moves such as scopus, bongkas, and spock culos. And, when the swell arrived, big air moves such as double forwards, push loops, back loops, and one handed goitas were also looked on favorably.

Gollito’s Single

Following a victory in Lanzarote weeks earlier, the three times world champion, Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo opened up his quest for another crown in fine style in Fuerteventura nailing spock culos with ease to dominate every heat and claim the first single elimination ahead of 2009 vice world champion, Kiri Thode (Starboard, Gaastra).

Thode Steals The Show

The undisputed kono king, Thode fought off a challenge from the 2010 Podersdorf champion, Taty Frans (Starboard, MauiSails, Mystic) in the first double elimination allowing him the chance to battle it out with Estredo for the top spot. Thode continued to compete at the highest possible standard landing all of his tricks with his own unique style, whereas Estredo had crashed almost every move. With a couple of minutes still to go, Estredo sailed off into the distance and back to the beach to conserve his energy for the inevitable heat 52 (only sailed when the current winner gets beaten in the double).

Needless to say, the second battle for first double elimination honors wasn’t such a walk in the park for Thode. Estredo bounced back into action scoring masses of style points with the judges, but what he didn’t realize was that Thode was having an awesome heat too throwing his trademark konos, and huge air flakas. It went right to the wire, but Thode just took it to take the top spot after the first double elimination.

Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo

Gollito Bounces Back

The three times world champion and current tour leader, Estredo reaffirmed his dominance on the penultimate day of competition by taking down Belgian boy wonder, Steven Van Broeckhoven (F2, Gaastra) in an epic second single elimination showdown.

Estredo burst into his heat with a solid display of stunning trickery. Most impressively though, after launching around a myriad of flips and spins, he flung himself upside down with a tweaked push loop off the smallest piece of chop. It may not be the most difficult trick in the book, but to land it fully planing on near flat water is nothing short of a miracle! He then backed it up with more of the latest power freestyle moves to make sure he took down Broeckhoven.

Double Trouble… But Not For Gollito

Despite the final day of competition determining whether or not Estredo had done enough to secure his fourth world title with an event to spare, the day actually belonged to the born and bred styler from Bonaire, Tonky Frans (F2, Gaastra) who inadvertently handed Estredo the crown.

After going out the previous day to an on form Broeckhoven, Tonky was fired up and ready to fight his way back through the fleet on the last day of competition. Luckily for him, the conditions were fully firing too with some small swell lines creating the ultimate airtime playground. Tonky’s huge push loops, and awesome bongkas helped him to battle his way past freestyle’s finest including Anthony Ruenes (Tabou, Vandal), Aruban hotshot Quincy Offringa (Starboard), and Leo Ray (Naish, Naish), before taking the scalp off both his brother Taty, and fellow Bonairean Thode.

Tonky’s rampage through the fleet was finally halted by ‘Pop’ superstar, Broeckhoven. However, by taking out both Taty and Thode, Tonky had not only given Estredo an easy win in Fuerteventura, but he’d also helped him to secure the crown for the year!

Estredo didn’t actually need to sail the second double elimination final to win the event, but being the ultimate sportsman that he is, went out anyway and put on an amazing show for the crowds. Estredo claimed victory ahead of Broeckhoven, but it was his hard work in the two single eliminations that really won him his fourth title in Fuerteventura.

Tonky Frans

Results After Two Double Eliminations

1st Jose “Gollito’ Estredo (Fanatic, North) 2.7pts

2nd Kiri Thode (Starboard, Gaastra) 4.7pts

3rd Steven Van Broeckhoven (F2, Gaastra) 7pts

4th Tonky Frans (F2, Gaastra) 7pts

5th Taty Frans (Starboard, MauiSails, Mystic) 8pts

6th Leo Ray (Naish, Naish) 12pts

Life Through A Lens

As well as the awesome daily clips which can be found on our website, former world champion, Kevin Pritchard (Starboard, Gaastra, Dakine) captured plenty of behind the scenes footage from the freestyle. Follow the link here to watch all parts through youtube: www.youtube.com/user/pwaworldtour

Overall Rankings After Three Events

Three times world champion, Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo will be adding a fourth PWA world title to his trophy cabinet in Sylt having secured it with an event to spare this year. The remaining spots on the podium remain wide open with Kiri Thode, Steven Van Broeckhoven, Taty Frans, and Tonky Frans all capable of claiming second.

1st Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo (Fanatic, North)

2nd Kiri Thode (Starboard, Gaastra)

3rd Steven Van Broeckhoven (F2, Gaastra)

4th Tonky Frans (F2, Gaastra)

5th Nicolas Akgazciyan (Starboard, Gun)

Constructors Championship

Following on from the action in Fuerteventura, Starboard have consolidated their position at the top of the hotly contested board brand rankings, and NeilPryde have overtaken North to take the top slot in the sail brand category for now.

Board Brands

1st Starboard

2nd JP

3rd Tabou

4th Fanatic

5th Patrik

Sail Brands

1st NeilPryde

2nd North

3rd Gaastra

4th Severne

5th Simmer

Next Stop

The PWA World Tour moves on to Alacati, Turkey for the Pegasus Airlines World Cup where we’ll witness some more fast and furious racing with both the men’s and women’s fleets competing from 9th August through to the 14th. Be sure to check out www.pwaworldtour.com for live coverage, and daily updates from the event.