Women’s elimination ladder.  Men’s elimination ladder.

Wipe out of the day!

The final report from the end of racing from Sean O’Brien:

The final day of racing here in Alacati. One last chance to mix the places up as only one slalom elimination was planned for today. That was unless you were Antoine Albeau or Ben Van Der Steen, who had already stitched up 1^st and 2^nd place respectively without even needing to sail their heats this morning.

Antoine Albeau takes the win. Image credit PWA/JC.

A later skippers meeting, 11am this time, as the forecast was for relatively sketchy for the morning and that proved to be the case as when it gets light here, the wind is VERY shifty and unstable, making you think you want to rig 9.5m but actually you could be ok on 7.0m!

Ben van der Steen joins Ben Proffitt in the commentary booth! PWA/JC.

Ben Van Der Steen was the first casualty when racing began, sailing underneath the startline fighting for the pin and realising he was going to be over-early. Next was Micah Buzianis, Taty Frans then Pieter Bijl all over-early in the next heat and sent back to the beach. The quarters and semi finals were relatively ‘usual business’ until the winner’s final came along and being ‘OCS’ was the name of the game once again. Ross Williams, Julien Quentel and Peter Volwater all hit the line early and left only five sailors in the winner’s final, including event leader Antoine Albeau and tour leader Bjorn Dunkerbeck.

Josh Angulo. Credit PWA/JC.

This time it was the man-in-black, Josh Angulo’s time to shine. Josh led out of the starting blocks, dominating to the first gybe mark and never looking back; taking the last final of the event ahead of Dunkerbeck and Cedric Bordes in 3^rd. Albeau finished 4^th but he didn’t even need to sail this final to win the event, with 6 wins from 9 starts he was nearly 10 points clear of Ben Van Der Steen in 2^nd overall.

With that race, the 2012 Pegasus Airlines PWA World Cup in Alacati, Turkey, drew to a close. Another amazing event – this time with plenty more wind than is usually expected here in Turkey, with a lot of races done on the small boards and even on 6.3m!! This win for Albeau, his first event win of the year after a less than exciting start on his new board sponsor RRD, has completely opened the door for the overall slalom World Title, as he is now only 33 points behind 2011 World Champion Bjorn Dunkerbeck; and 33 points is a VERY small margin when you consider you get 2,100 points for winning an event!

PWA Alacati winners. Image credit PWA/JC.

From the rumours floating around, it looks like the proposed slalom World Cup in Vietnam at the end of the year may be cancelled, which leaves the final event of the year in Sylt, Germany to decide who will be 2012 Slalom World Champion. Everything is up for grabs; and Sylt is one of those places you can never be sure what the conditions will be. 4 knots and warm sunshine all week like we had last year, or 30 knots offshore and 9 degree air-temps like we had the year before – who knows! All I know is, it’s going to be fun watching what happens up the front.

Tuning out from Turkey now. A bunch of us are hanging around in Alacati for a few more days, testing next year’s boards and taking part in the Redbull Downwind Dash-For-Cash tomorrow against the best of Turkey’s kitesurfers; should be fun!

Check out Sean’s previous reports below… 

Sarah-Quita Offringa

The 2011 Pegasus Airlines PWA World Cup Alacati Turkey – Day five: A nervous day in Alacati as Dunkerbeck inches closer to the world title and Sarah-Quita Offringa sticks two more bullets in the bag.

The wind continued to blow for the penultimate day of racing in Alacati, allowing the slalom fleet to take to the water on their 7.8m sails from the word go. A Consistent breeze of around eighteen knots powered the world’s fastest slalom sailors through two and a half more dramatic eliminations.

Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Gaastra / Mystic) dominated in the women’s fleet with two more bullets, taking her back into second place. Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails) took advantage in men’s elimination eight and Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde) claimed his second win in elimination ten.

Men’s Fleet

Despite having a tough day on the water, Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear) retains his position as the event leader in Alacati. Dunkerbeck sailed his way into the winners’ finals today, but on both occasions he was caught amongst the pile-ups at the marks. He managed to recover a fourth place finish in elimination eight but he was only able to make sixth in elimination nine, opening up the door for Maynard to creep up behind him on the results table. Dunkerbeck will have to be on form tomorrow to retain his position in first place.

Maynard had a mixed day on the water as he was disqualified in the quarter finals of elimination eight due to a premature start. However he made his comeback in elimination nine with an incredible race where he finished second place in the final.

Volwater was the man in charge throughout elimination eight, he sailed an almost perfect set of races and always made it to the mark first. The winners’ final saw his main rival Dunkerbeck go down at mark one, Albeau had a significant lead on the fleet all the way to the final gybe when disaster struck and he too went down. Volwater was able to close the gap and overtake Albeau along with four other members of the fleet and steal his first bullet of the season. Having won the first heat followed by a second place in elimination nine, the tough semi-final line-up featuring all the big names caught Volwater out and forced him into the losers’ final.

Volwater:
“I have had a great day, I have finally sorted out my starts, I was struggling a little earlier in the week but now I have worked out the right routine and it seems to be working. In the semi-final of elimination nine I really wanted to change my equipment but I didn’t have time, so I was caught out at the first mark, but I came back and won the losers final. I am super-stoked about winning the race before, I was happy in second but then Albeau fell and I was able to take the opportunity and as long as I stayed on my board I was fine.”

Having suffered a heavy blow in elimination eight, Albeau returned with a vengeance in elimination nine. The French world champion stormed through the opening heats and the dreaded semi-final featuring Dunkerbeck, Maynard, Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde), Volwater, Alberto Menegatti (Starboard / Gaastra), Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde) and Andrea Cucchi (Patrik / Point-7).  Albeau nailed his start putting him ahead of the fleet and free from any crashes taking place behind him, he managed to build up a significant lead on the rest of the pack and he charged his way over the finish line to claim his second win in Alacati, moving him into fourth place and a step closer to the podium.

Other standout sailors from today’s racing included Jesper Orth (RRD) who continued with his superb starts. The light-wind master, Alberto Menegatti (Starboard / Gaastra) who blitzed his way into the winners’ final alongside flying Dutchman Peter Bijl (JP / NeilPryde).

Elimination 10

With the wind still blowing the race crew were eager to press ahead with the opening half of men’s elimination ten. The first round of heat was completed in quick succession. However a number of key players failed to shine through.

After a fantastic day of starts and a sixth place in the elimination nine losers’ final, Kurosh Kiani (Angulo / Simmer) was unable to match the pace of his opponents, seeing his early exit from the elimination.

Unfortunately for Arnon Dagan (Tabou / Gaastra) he suffered at the extremely busy first mark in his heat, he was caught amongst a pile up, rendering him unable to complete the race.

Having had a run of bad luck on the water here in Alacati, Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra) was caught out once again in his heat, seeing him unable to qualify. Williams was pressured into making mistakes both on the start-line and the final mark where he went down on both occasions.

Credit has to go to Greece’s Jean Mark Fantis (JP / NeilPryde) for winning his first heat; Fantis dominated from the start-line and from then on there was no catching him. Fantis cruised over the finish-line ahead of the fleet and into the next around.

Women’s Fleet

Offringa was back on form for the fifth day of racing, after a few dropped gybes in the high winds yesterday Offringa was meticulous with her corners today. The Aruban freestyle and slalom maestro timed her starts to perfection to lead the fleet in both finals, ensuring that she claimed two first places.

Offringa
“I was a little scared the wind was going to be as strong as yesterday, but it ended up being a really good day. I was using my medium board, as it’s a little easier to control. I had some really solid starts today, and once you’re at the front it so much easier to race as you don’t have to worry about passing people. I had a catapult in the elimination nine qualifying round but I managed to finish in fourth. I think I had the best start of my life in the winners’ final and that allowed me to go ahead and win the race.”

The current event leader, Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne) performed a two great races in the qualifying rounds, however two dropped gybes in the winners’ final saw her finish slightly lower down the fleet than usual in 4^th and 8^th, however Jaggi still maintains a significant lead on the rest of the fleet with overall consistent scores.

Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic), Greta Benvenuti (Patrik / Point-7 /AL360) and Fanny Aubet (JP /NeilPryde) were the standout women of the day. The three sailors were fighting for the top spots throughout the day and hitting the starts with perfect timing.

With one more exciting day of racing to go, everything is to play for, the tension is mounting and the results are sure to go down to the wire. Dunkerbeck, Maynard, Van Der Steen, and Albeau are all in with a chance of taking the 2011 Pegasus Airlines PWA World Cup for themselves. With the results so tight none of the top five can afford to make any more mistakes, otherwise their results could plummet. Out of the top five Maynard has the most breathing space with a consistent set of results and no major mistakes. If Dunkerbeck wins the competition tomorrow he will walk away with the 2011 world slalom champion title, overthrowing the five-year stronghold of Albeau. If Dunkerbeck finishes lower down the ranks tomorrow, then the world champion title will be left open, with everything coming down to the final event of the year in Sylt.

Make sure you tune into the live ticker for the final day of action. Will Dunkerbeck take the title? Will Albeau fight back? Will Maynard throw a spanner in the works? The final day of racing will kick off at 11am tomorrow morning with the skippers’ meeting, with the first possible start to racing at 11:30am.

Results:
Men’s results (after 9 eliminations)

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

2^nd Finian Maynard (RRD)

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

4^th Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde)

5^th Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde)

6^th Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North)

7^th Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun / Dakine)

8^th Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde)

9^th Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails)

10^th Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North)

Women’s results (after 9 eliminations)

1^st Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne)

2^nd Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Gaastra / Mystic)

3^rd Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic)

4^th Lena Erdil (Patrik / Loft / AL360)

5^th Fanny Aubet (JP / NeilPryde)

6^th Marion Mortefon (AL360)

7^th Delphine Cousin (JP / NeilPryde)

8^th Lise Vidal (Exocet / North)

9^th Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North)

10^th Cagla Kubat (Starboard / North)

Scope the action

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

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

Check out the awesome photos on the dedicated website at www.surfnsound.org

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

Karin Jaggi

The 2011 Pegasus Airlines PWA World Cup Alacati Turkey – Day four: Thirty knots of wind hammered Alacati for the fourth day of racing leading to explosive starts, dangerous gybes, ferocious straights and a mixed bag of results.

The PWA’s elite slalom fleets were treated to a day of extreme winds for the fourth day of competition allowing the race crew to power through three dramatic eliminations. Gusts reaching up to thirty knots tested the sailors to the edge of their ability as they struggled to hold onto their equipment as they battled down the race course. Edge of your seat racing, full throttle crashes and aggressive action, the fourth day of racing had it all.

The race crew were on the water straight away for a 10am start to the racing, picking up the action from men’s elimination five at heat number eight.

Men’s Fleet

The man on top Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear), had a mixed day on the water scoring a fifth place in elimination five due to a crash at an early mark. He claimed his fourth bullet in elimination six by sailing an incredible race, but unfortunately he was taken out in the semi-finals of elimination seven and he was unable to recover a qualifying position.

Bjorn Dunkerbeck:
“Everything went well today apart from being taken out in the semi-finals. I was entering my gybe in second place with loads of speed, but then I was wiped out so I couldn’t make the final. I am still in the lead with two days to go so there’s plenty more races to come.”

Finian Maynard (RRD) kicked off the day’s proceedings on top form and he claimed first places in his first two races, showing the crowds what he was really made of in the stronger winds. Maynard continued all the way to the winners’ final. However he was caught out by his own determination to succeed and he went over early. Maynard continued with his stellar performance throughout the day scoring fifth and sixth places in the following winners’ finals, allowing him to keep his hands on second place.

Another sailor obviously enjoying the high winds was Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde). Buzianis was pushing the start-line hard all day and it paid off as he scored second place finishes in two winners’ finals and a second place in the losers’ final knocking his score up a notch, into third place past Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft / Mystic).

Elimination five witnessed the many times world champion Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde), claim his first race win in Alacati. Albeau went on to score fourth in elimination six but an enormous catapult in the elimination seven semi-finals forced him into the losers’ final, he went on to dominate leading the fleet the whole way around the course. After a successful day Albeau made his way from ninth into fifth place.

Antoine Albeau
 “Today was good fun it was really windy, I was sailing on my 7.0m and my small board. The course was flat and the first reach was really fast. I won a race, finished in fourth and I catapulted in the next race because I was pushing it a little too hard, but it’s part of the game. I hope tomorrow is the same so that I can keep going and make the podium.”

Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun / Dakine), Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North) and Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails) all took the stronger winds in their stride and they each made it into the finals in all the eliminations with Volwater claiming a second place and Angulo stealing third.

The third race win of the day came from Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North). Without Albeau and Dunkerbeck present Cyril was free to take control of the race. Right from the first mark Cyril was in the lead and he made sure that he didn’t make any mistakes around the course to secure his first win in Turkey bumping him up into thirteenth place.

Having had a great start to the competition in the lighter winds, Steve Allen (Starboard / Severne), Alberto Menegatti (Starboard / Gaastra) and Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (Fanatic / North) struggled to make it through their heats in the stronger winds, and each sailor dropped a few critical places as a result.

Women’s Fleet

An outstanding day on the racecourse for Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne) saw her claim her third and fourth bullets and a second place finish in elimination six, putting her well ahead of the rest of the fleet. The elimination five winners’ final saw Jaggi take advantage of Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Gaastra / Mystic) and Delphine Cousin (JP / NeilPryde) at the third mark to gain a significant advantage. She lost control in elimination six but managed to recover quickly and make her way into second place, and in elimination seven she had a tough battle with Fanny Aubet (JP / NeilPryde) but she managed to steal the win at the finish-line.

Karin Jaggi: 
“I had a great day, I won two of the races and I also came second so it couldn’t get much better. It has been a really windy day, especially for Alacati. I don’t think many people expected that. I didn’t have my smallest sail, I was on my 5.5m but that felt great, it’s hard to sail but everyone was falling so it was ok.”

Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North) dominated women’s elimination six, she nailed her gybe at the second mark and sailed past Offringa and Jaggi who had gone down. Arutkin managed to build up a big lead allowing her to happily cruise over the finish line and win her first race in Alacati. Arutkin finished in tenth place in the winners’ final of elimination five and seven but it was enough to take her into seventh place on the overall scores.

The current tour leader Offringa, sailed some amazing heats to earn her a position in the winners’ finals. Offringa was the standout starter of the day and always led the charge to the first mark, but she went down on a few critical gybes allowing the rest of the fleet to overtake. She looked to be seriously over-powered sailing on her 6.2m sail when the rest of the fleet were on around 5.2m; however she still scored ninth, third and fifth position.

Consistent sailing from Lena Erdil (Patrik / Loft / AL360) in all conditions allowed her to keep her third place on the overall scores. Erdil charged for the top positions throughout the day and displayed superb gybes and blistering speed on the straights.

Aubet claimed exceptional positions in every elimination to see her rocket into fifth place. With a fourth, a fifth a second place finish to her name Aubet really shone through in the stronger winds, if she can maintain the same scores she will certainly be able to make her was onto the podium.

After an exhilarating three races the sailor were released for the day. The wind is forecast to be blowing for the fifth day so fingers crossed. The skippers’ meeting will kick off at 10:30am with the first possible start to racing at 11am.

Results: 
Men’s results (after 7 eliminations)

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

2^nd Finian Maynard (RRD)

3^rd Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde)

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

5^th Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde)

6^th Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North)

7^th Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde)

8^th Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun / Dakine)

9^th Antoine Questel (Loft)

10^th Steve Allen (Starboard / Severne)

Women’s results (after 7 eliminations)

1^st Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne)

2^nd Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic)

3^rd Lena Erdil (Patrik / Loft / AL360)

4^th Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Gaastra / Mystic)

5^th Fanny Aubet (JP / NeilPryde)

6^th Lise Vidal (Exocet / North)

7^th Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North)

8^th Delphine Cousin (JP / NeilPryde)

9^th Marion Mortefon (AL360)

10^th Marianne Kaplas (Starboard / Severne)

Finian Maynard nails a start

The 2011 Pegasus Airlines PWA World Cup Alacati Turkey – Day three: Alacati continues to serve up outstanding slalom conditions allowing Finian Maynard and Delphine Cousin to claim their first victories on the testing waters.

Another day in paradise for the world’s fastest sailors, crystal clear water, glorious sunshine and winds blowing fifteen knots over the four mark downwind course provided the perfect conditions to complete elimination four and the opening round of the men’s fifth elimination.

After a relaxed morning spent tuning their equipment the sailors took to the water at two o’clock for the fourth action packed elimination.

Men’s Elimination 4

From the world go elimination four was full of surprises, premature starts from five sailors in the first round saw their early exit from the race, including big name Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun / Dakine).

The first round also witnessed the current event leader, Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear) lose out on a qualifying position. Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra) sailed an exceptional heat to fend off the master. Dunkerbeck tried all of his tricks to take fourth place, but Williams was quick to defend his position and faster down the final leg.

Dunkerbeck explains all: 
“I have had a great start to the competition and I have been sailing really fast on my largest board and 9.2m & 9.7m sails. This morning the wind picked up just as the heat started and my equipment was too large for the conditions. The other guys had swapped down to their medium boards and I couldn’t catch them, so it shows that you have to be really on it in Alacati as anything can happen. I have won three races and a today I had pretty bad race, but I am confident for the week. The wind is forecast to pick up tomorrow so we will see what happens.”

After a successful day yesterday Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North) suffered in the quarter-finals as he failed to complete his race due to an equipment failure resulting in his overall score being knocked down into tenth place.

Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (Fanatic / North) was performing exceptionally well in all of his heats, claiming two first places, however his luck ran out in the semi-finals when he pushed the start too hard and went over early.

The many times world champion Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde), made it to his first winners’ final in Alacati where he claimed a fourth place finish, raising him into ninth place.

We caught up with Albeau after the days racing to find out about his week: 
“The conditions here are completely different to the other events as the wind is very light here, even in Korea we had more wind. I had some bad luck in the first three eliminations, I am sailing fast and I made the final today, it will be hard to fight for first place now, but it will depend on how many races we complete.”

Winners’ final

Finian Maynard (RRD) was the man on fire in Alacati today, Maynard sailed the perfect elimination, scoring first places all the way through the race and finishing the heat with an incredible display of speed.

Maynard timed his start to perfection hitting the line at full speed right on the buzzer, however big guns Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde), Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft / Mystic) and Albeau were charging hard behind him. Two slick gybes from Maynard saw him gain a significant lead putting him well ahead of the rest of the pack. The real battle came from Buzianis and Van Der Steen as they were fighting for second place.

We caught up with Maynard to find out how he was feeling after an excellent start to the week. 
“I love Alacati, and I really enjoy the flat water. I feel like I’m on really great form after a tough start to the year, my boards feel fantastic and I am just trying to have a lot of fun on the water. I am looking forward to the next few days of racing.”

Women’s elimination 4

The women’s elimination kicked off with an over early from Fanny Aubet (JP / NeilPryde), and she was quickly placed in the losers final. Once the race was underway, Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic) stole the show; she nailed the start and took the early advantage. Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North) and Marion Mortefon (AL360) tried to catch her but Arrighetti sailed the perfect race.

After a tough day on the water yesterday, Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Gaastra / Mystic) was back on form and flying down the straights as she claimed first place in the second heat. Lise Vidal (Exocet / North), Delphine Cousin (JP / NeilPryde), Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne) and Marianne Kaplas (Starboard / Severne) brought in the remaining qualifying positions.

Aubet made up for her premature start in the losers final. She dominated on the start-line and held the lead the whole way around the course, fending off the likes of Dilara Uralp and Greta Benvenuti (Patrik / Point-7 / AL360).

Winners’ final

Jaggi flew over the start-line to take the lead in the women’s winners’ final; however by the first mark Cousin was leading the fleet. The pair held the top positions followed by Arrighetti and Offringa for the following two gybes. Jaggi made her move at the third mark and cut inside of Cousin, but Cousin was quick to get back to full speed. The pair dueled the whole way down the final leg but Cousin hit the finish line first claiming her first race in Alacati.

The PWA caught up with current event leader Jaggi to find out about her week: 
“I had a successful day yesterday as I won two races which I am really pleased with, and today I finished in second with my main competitors behind me so I am really happy. We have had light wind for the last two days so everything could change tomorrow if the strong wind arrives.”

Men’s elimination 5

As the afternoon progressed the wind began to drop off, however the race crew were eager to press ahead. They advised the sailors to go out on their largest equipment for the first round of men’s elimination five.

The opening heats saw superb racing from Arnon Dagan (Tabou / Gaastra), Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde), Costa Hoevel, Alberto Menegatti (Starboard / Gaastra), Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North), Albeau and Dunkerbeck as each sailor dominated in their heats and claimed an easy pass into the next round.

Unfortunately for Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / North) he snapped a mast at the first gybe mark, rendering him unable to complete the race. The bad luck also rubbed off on Cyril Moussilmani as he failed to qualify for the next around as well consistent sailors Kurosh Kiani (Angulo / Simmer), Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails) and Chris Pressler (Starboard / Severne).

Heat eight was started and Maynard led the charge, however a wind hole at the second mark ensured the race was abandoned. With the conditions deteriorating the sailors were released for the day at 6pm. There is an extremely promising forecast lined up for the fourth day of competition so skippers meeting will kick off at 9:30 with the first possible start to racing at 10am.

Result
Men’s results (after 4 eliminations)

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

2^nd Finian Maynard (RRD)

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

4^th Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde)

5^th Steve Allen (Starboard / Severne)

6^th Antoine Questel (Loft)

7^th Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (Fanatic / North)

8^th Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North)

9^th Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde)

10^th Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North)

Women’s results (after 4 eliminations)

1^st Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne)

2^nd Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Gaastra / Mystic)

3^rd Lena Erdil (Patrik / Loft / AL360)

4^th Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic)

5^th Delphine Cousin (JP / NeilPryde)

6^th Lise Vidal (Exocet / North)

7^th Cagla Kubat (Starboard / North)

8^th Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North)

9^th Marion Mortefon (AL360)

10^th Marianne Kaplas (Starboard / Severne)

Scope the action

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

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

Check out the awesome photos on the dedicated website at www.surfnsound.org

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

Bjorn Dunkerbeck

The 2011 Pegasus Airlines PWA World Cup Alacati Turkey – Day two: Dunkerbeck stamps down his authority in Alacati with two more bullets and Karin Jaggi sails two faultless finals to secure her place in the lead.

Golden sunshine beamed down onto the event site and combined with a gentle breeze providing the perfect conditions for an extremely relaxing morning for the second day of competition in Alacati. The sailors spent their time chilling out to the tunes from the main stage, in between tweaking their equipment for the races ahead.

By the time the clock struck two, the wind had built up to around ten knots, allowing the sailors to plane around comfortably on their largest equipment and the races to go ahead.

The race crew picked up the action from where they had left off yesterday, at men’s heat number nine of elimination two. Fluctuating wind throughout the elimination led to a fairly stop start affair, ensuring the sailors had to maintain their concentration for long periods of time and tactics were essential on the racecourse.

Men’s Elimination 2

After two attempts to start heat number nine it was eventually underway on the third, the sailors flew down the opening reach; however the extended starting period had obviously had an adverse effect on the mind-sets of Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (Fanatic / North) and Ross Williams (Gaastra / Tabou) as they both suffered from poor starts and they were unable to recover qualifying positions in the lighter winds.

The upsets continued throughout the round, Arnon Dagan (Tabou / Gaastra) lost out early on due to a premature start, as did Benoit Moussilmani (Tabou / Simmer). Reigning world champion, Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde) suffered his second major blow of the competition; after a slow start he went down at the first mark, and was unable to catch the fleet for the remainder of the race, causing his overall score to plummet.

Finian Maynard (RRD) continued to wow the crowds in the semi-finals and the remainder of the afternoon. Maynard’s precise timing on the start-lines, blistering speed down the straights and his faultless cornering allowed him to retain his second place in the competition.

The second semi-final saw the former world champion, Micah Buzianis (JP /NeilPryde) cross the start-line early. However he quickly redeemed himself in the losers’ final with an incredible display of speed, fending off Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North) and Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde), to earn ninth place in the elimination.

Winners’ final

Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear) and Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft /Mystic) hit the start-line at full speed putting them ahead of the fleet on the first leg. By the first gybe Alberto Menegatti (Starboard / Gaastra) had worked his way in-between the pair and Steve Allen (Starboard / Severne) was in fourth. The top four held control all the way to the fourth mark, when disaster struck for Van Der Steen and he lost control of his equipment, allowing Allen to slip into third and Antoine Questel (Loft) to finish in fourth. Dunkerbeck cruised over the finish line claiming his second win in Alacati.

Men’s Elimination 3

The breeze really kicked in for the third elimination, clean wind gusting up to fifteen knots provided plenty of power for the sailors to plough through the opening round of heats in quick succession, however they weren’t without their upsets.

Big names, Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails) and Buzianis missed out on qualifying positions due to exceptional sailing from Benoit Moussilmani and Damien Le Guen (Exocet). The pair both finished in fifth place, marking their early exits from the elimination.

Costa Hoevel and Allen were the standout sailors of the elimination as both sailors cruised through their heats with ease, challenging for the top spots with every opportunity to finish in fifth and seventh place in the winners’ final.

Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North) shone through his heats to earn his first entrance into the winners’ final in Alacati, where he was able to secure a fourth place finish.

The semi-finals brought another shock for Albeau as he was forced to slam on the brakes at the start-line to prevent him from going over- early. Whilst Albeau was at a standstill the rest of the fleet were able to pull away from him and Albeau had to settle for a place in the losers’ final. A super-fast Bora Kozanoglu (NeilPryde / JP) stole the show in the loser’s final with Albeau coming in second.

Winners’ final

Maynard opened up the winners’ final with a perfectly timed start; however Dunkerbeck’s straight line speed saw him sail into first place by the first mark, with Cyril Moussilmani and Dagan in third and fourth. Two swift gybes later and Dunkerbeck controlled the fleet, with Maynard in hot pursuit in second place. Rapid Van Der Steen had made his way into third place by the fourth mark with his amazing board speed down the straights, knocking Cyril down into fourth. The current tour leader Dunkerbeck claimed his third consecutive win in Alacati, putting him in a great position to claim the 2011 world title.

Karin Jaggi

Women’s elimination 2

Women’s heat one kicked off with Fanny Aubet (JP / NeilPryde) dominating the start, providing her with the advantage straight away, followed by super consistent Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North). The pair held their positions the whole way around the course to guarantee their places in the winners’ final.

Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne) and Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Gaastra / Mystic) were the standout sailors from heat two. The pair launched off the start-line to secure a significant lead in front of the rest of the fleet.

The losers’ final witnessed a stellar performance from new girl to the tour Jo Wright. Wright nailed her start and fended off the fleet the whole way around the course. As much as Turkish sailors, Burce Vardarli and Unlu Fulya (Starboard / North) tried there was no catching up with Wright.

Winners’ Final

Lena Erdil (Patrik / Loft / AL360) was first off the start-line; however Jaggi came from behind with amazing pace to make it to the mark first. The pair dueled down the second leg with Offringa following. Jaggi and Erdil went around the second mark with ease but unfortunately for Offringa she went down and she was unable to recover her position. By the fourth mark Jaggi held a huge lead on the fleet to claim her first race in Alacati.

Women’s elimination 3

Erdil nailed her second start of the day to open up heat one, but once again she was beaten to the mark this time by Cagla Kubat (Starboard / North). Kubat charged around the course to claim her place in the winners’ final.

After a great start from Jaggi she led the fleet however Offringa was back on form and she barged her way into first place. Delphine Cousin (JP / NeilPryde) sailed a slick heat earning a third place finish and a place in the final.

Winner’s final

Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic) was the one to watch in the women’s winners’ final. Arrighetti stormed down the first, second and third leg in the lead with Jaggi, Arutkin and Erdil following behind. Jaggi chose her moment and went for the overtake at the final mark however a small mistake saw her go down, however Jaggi was determined to take her second win of the day and quickly caught up with Arrighetti overtaking her on the final leg, putting her into the event leading position.

After a particularly eventful afternoon on the water the sailors were released for the day at 6:30pm. The action will continue tomorrow morning, kicking off with the skippers’ meeting at 11am, with the first start to racing at 11:30am.

Results:

Men’s Fleet (after 3 eliminations)

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

2^nd Finian Maynard (RRD)

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

4^th Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North)

5^th Steve Allen (Starboard / Severne)

6^th Antoine Questel (Loft)

7^th Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North)

8^th Bora Kozanoglu (JP / NeilPryde)

9^th Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde)

10^th Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (Fanatic / North)

Women’s Fleet (after 3 eliminations)

1^st Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne)

2^nd Lena Erdil (Patrik / Loft / AL360)

3^rd Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Gaastra / Mystic)

4^th Lise Vidal (Exocet / North)

5^th Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North)

6^th Delphine Cousin (JP / NeilPryde)

7^th Marion Mortefon (AL360)

8^th Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic)

9^th Jo Wright

10^th Cagla Kubat (Starboard / North)

Scope the action

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

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

Check out the awesome photos on the dedicated website at www.surfnsound.org

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

Dunkerbeck across the startline

The 2011 Pegasus Airlines PWA World Cup Alacati Turkey – Day one: Alacati provides standout slalom conditions for the opening day of competition allowing Bjorn Dunkerbeck and Sarah-Quita Offringa to take charge.

Fifteen knots of wind and blazing sun provided the perfect conditions for the opening day of competition in Alacati. The enormous sixty-three man and nineteen women slalom fleet spent the morning registering and preparing their equipment for an action packed week on the water.

Once the formalities were complete, the race crew wasted no time in sending the sailors out onto the turquoise sea to battle through the first elimination and opening round of the men’s second elimination.

The current tour leaders Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear) and Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Gaastra / Mystic) were on fine form, charging their way through their heats to secure first place in the winners’ final and an early advantage over their opponents.

Men’s Elimination 1

A smooth set of heats saw the big names of the series quickly advance into the second round, alongside super-charged Emirhan Kolburan (JP / NeilPryde), Fred Morin (Starboard / NeilPryde) and local legend Bora Kozanoglu (JP / NeilPryde). Kozanoglu sailed an incredible set of heats and continued with his winning streak all the way through the elimination to earn him a position in the winners’ final.

Superb racing from Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft / Mystic), Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun / Dakine), Finian Maynard (RRD) and Dunkerbeck allowed them to claim first places in the second round and continue with their paths through the elimination.

The semi-finals brought with it a dramatic twist, Angulo was first to lose out on a place in the winners’ final as he went over early. Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde) was next to follow, Albeau was caught by a hole in the wind at mark three, causing him to drop off the plane allowing the rest of the fleet to fly past. Desperate to rectify the situation Albeau quickly picked up speed and tried to undercut the pack, however he was unable to control the corner and he went down rendering him unable to complete the race.

The upsets continued into the second semi-finals when Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North) failed to qualify for the winners’ final as did speedster Ludovic Jossin (Loft). After a tough start Dunkerbeck wowed the crowd with an incredible display of speed as he unleashed everything down the third leg seeing him move from sixth into third position.

Winners’ Final

With a number of the major contenders out of the way Dunkerbeck was free to speed his way through the winners’ final without any attacks from the rest of the fleet. Dunkerbeck took control from the start-line enabling him to build up a whole legs lead on the rest of the pack by the time he hit the finish line. The real battles came further down the pack; Finian Maynard and Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North) managed to fend off rapid racer, Van Der Steen and super-consistent Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde) to claim their places on the podium.

Men’s Elimination 2

With the Meltemi wind still blowing and the crowds on the Alacati hillside hungry for more action, race director Juan Antonio Aragon decided competition would continue until the opening round of the men’s second elimination was completed.

A super set of starts from Kurosh Kiani (Angulo / Simmer) and Jesper Orth (RRD) allowed them to blitz their way past the rest of the fleet securing, third and first place respectively and their places in round two.

The big upsets from the first round arose from heat three. A premature start from Matteo Iachino (JP / Gaastra / Mystic / AL360), guaranteed his early exit from the elimination, and a tough heat for Ludovic Jossin (Loft) put him in fifth place and out of the race.

Obviously enjoying the conditions, Dunkerbeck closed the days racing with another spectacular race, guaranteeing his pass into the second round.

Women’s Elimination 1

The women’s opening heat kicked off to a dramatic start, with three sailors going over early. Fanny Aubet (JP / NeilPryde), Great Benvenuti (Patrik / Point-7 / AL-360) and Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North) were all too eager to make an appearance in Alacati, putting them straight in the losers’ final.

Once heat one was underway, Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne) and Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic) stole the show. The pair swapped first and second place the whole way around the course until a smooth gybe from Jaggi at mark four allowed her to push ahead and take first place.

A smoother start to heat number two saw, Lena Erdil (Patrik / Loft / AL360) cross the starting line first, followed by Offringa and Cagla Kubat (Starboard / North). By the first mark Offringa had taken the lead and she held onto it the whole way around the course, alerting the rest of the fleet she meant business.

Arutkin made her come back in the losers’ final, hitting the start-line ahead of the rest of the fleet and charging down the first leg. Arutkin flew around her gybes without fault to secure her win.

Winners’ Final

Offringa hit the start-line as the starting horn was sounding, providing her with the best possible chance of winning the first elimination. Erdil and Kubat weren’t far behind by the first gybe; however a small mistake from Kubat sent her flying, causing a small pile-up at the mark. Unaffected by the rest of the fleet Offringa made her getaway and she secured a huge lead on the rest of the pack allowing her to cruise over the line and claim the first elimination of the event. A clean set of gybes from Erdil ensured the rest of the fleet was unable to catch her and she was able to secure second place.

After a fantastic opening afternoon of racing the sailors were released for the day at 5:30pm. The action will continue tomorrow morning kicking off with the skippers’ meeting at 11am with a first possible start to racing at 11:30am.

Results:

Men’s Fleet (after 1 elimination)

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

2^nd Finian Maynard (RRD)

3^rd Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North)

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

5^th Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde)

6^th Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (Fanatic / North)

7^th Bora Kozanoglu (JP / NeilPryde)

8^th Pierre Mortefon (North / Fanatic)

9^th Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde)

10^th Ludovic Jossin (Loft)

Women’s Fleet (after 1 elimination)

1^st Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Gaastra / Mystic)

2^nd Lena Erdil (Patrik / Loft / AL360)

3^rd Lise Vidal (Exocet / North)

4^th Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne)

5^th Marion Mortefon (AL360)

6^th Cagla Kubat (Starboard / North)

7^th Marianne Kaplas (Starboard / Severne)

8^th Jo Wright
9^th Fulya Unlu (Starboard / North)

10^th Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North)

Scope the action

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

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

Check out the awesome photos on the dedicated website at www.surfnsound.org

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

PWA Turkey

The 2011 Pegasus Airlines PWA World Cup Alaçati Turkey – Event Preview: The tension is rising in Turkey as the PWA’s elite slalom fleet head to Alacati for the seventh Pegasus Airlines Surf ’n’ Sound Sport and Music Festival.

The Aegean shores of Western Turkey are set to light up as the world’s slickest slalom sailors head to the picturesque town of Alacati, for the penultimate event on the men’s 2011 slalom tour and the women’s final showdown.

The historic town of Alacati is famed for its, chic boutiques, stunning restaurants, crystal clear waters and consistent breeze. The relaxed town leaps into action for the summer months and plays host to thousands of the world’s windsurfers and PWA stars that travel to the windsurfing Mecca to take advantage of the incredible conditions.

Throughout the whole summer, the coastline is blessed with a northerly wind known as the ‘Meltemi’ that blows consistently above 15 knots. The moderate winds increase throughout the morning, peaking in the afternoon, and often reach speeds of over 20 knots. The combination of flat turquoise water and the building wind makes it the perfect location for windsurfers of all abilities to hone their skills.

Beachside

There is a jam-packed line-up planned for the 2011 Surf & Sound Sport and Music Festival. The event site will be kept rocking all week to the sounds of the Power FM DJs. Co-Sponsor, Rowenta will be spoiling the women with beauty treatments and a dance party. Budget car rental will be hosting their own stand full of fun and games. BMW will be putting on a late night beach party, as will Red Bull with their night ride and freestyle show. Alongside all of that there will be paddle boards to test and surf simulators to ride.

What’s the deal?

A six day slalom extravaganza will take place between 8^th-13^th August, marking the men’s sixth round of competition in 2011, and the women’s fourth and final battle. The world’s full throttle slalom sailors will be hurling themselves around the racecourse for a taste of the €55,000 prize purse alongside critical world ranking points.

Who to watch out for?
Men’s Fleet

Having competed in five out of seven events on the 2011 men’s slalom tour, the points are looking incredibly tight at the top of the table. The windsurfing sentinels Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear) and Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde) have had an intense battle throughout the season, as both sailors have fought tooth and nail for the 2011 world title.

Windsurfing legend, Dunkerbeck has led the charge on the 2011 season seeing him win three spectacular events. However a tough run of races in Fuerteventura left him in fourth place allowing his arch rival, Albeau to catch up with another event win of his own. Albeau sits in second place however there are barely any points separating the pair. Expect to see both sailors going all out in Alacati for those critical points.

In third place sits an extremely on form, Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft / Mystic). Van Der Steen has been charging around the race course all season to earn himself podium finishes at the past three events. Van Der Steen will be undercutting the rest of the fleet at every opportunity to continue with his winning streak.

After a dramatic end to the racing in Fuerteventura, Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North) has his hands on fourth place. Moussilmani’s consistency around the racecourse regularly puts him head to head with the top guys.

Fighting for fifth place, the speed demons, Finian Maynard (RRD), Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails) and Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde) have been pushing the starts hard in 2011 to earn themselves essential positions in the winners’ final. These three will be powering their way through the opening rounds to secure their places in the top ten in Turkey.

Tactical racing from Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde), Steven Allen (Starboard / Severne), Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun / Dakine) and Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North) has put these four all in with a chance of finishing the season in the top ten. The sailors will be trying everything they can to make their way to the end of the course in qualifying position.

Also in the mix, a whole host of rapid-racers such as Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra), Arnon Dagan (Tabou / Gaastra), Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / North) and Ludovic Jossin (Loft).

Women’s Fleet

With three events under their belts and just one more to go, the women will be fired up for an action packed week in Alacati. Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Gaastra / Mystic) has dominated the women’s slalom fleet with two first places, putting her ahead of the rest of the pack. Offringa will be looking to make it a hat trick and claim her second world title in 2011.

Super-consistent Alice Arutkin (Fanatic / North) sits in second having finished in 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th place respectively this season.  The French youth star will be looking for another podium finish in Alacati to confirm her place in second.

Having won their first races in Aruba, Fanny Aubet (JP / NeilPryde) and Lena Erdil (Patrik / Loft / AL360), are likely to be extremely fired for the racing in Alacati and ready to win their next races. Expect to see Erdil blitzing her way around the racecourse as she takes advantage of her local knowledge.

Cagla Kubat (Starboard / North) currently holds fifth place, Kubat will be looking to work her way onto the podium and she will be keen to impress in front of their home audience. Watch out for Kubat’s perfectly timed starts and stunning gybes.

With two second place finishes in the bag, former world champion Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne) will be looking to reinstate her position at the top in Turkey, as will Korea’s winner, Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic).

Keep your eyes peeled from the 8^th-13^th August as the 2011 Pegasus Airlines PWA world cup promised blistering speed from the world’s slalom elite, alongside incredible parties and beachside entertainment from the events sponsors. Registration will take place 10am-12pm on Monday 8^th with the skippers’ meeting kicking off at 1pm and the first possible start to racing at 2pm.

Scope the action

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

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

Check out the awesome photos on the dedicated website at www.surfnsound.org

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

SB Family Freeride

Dads, daughters, mums and sons – make your move! WindWise visits Turkey in late July for a summer holiday for the whole family, packed with extra fun activities for all ages and levels. Based from the Suzer Hotel in Alaçati, the week includes top-class coaching, all-inclusive accommodation, spa, childcare and a nice sandy beach. There’s a fabulously safe, shallow sailing area within Alaçati Bay, evening visits to Alaçati town, great restaurants, sailboat trips and much more to make this a week to remember. For the ultimate family windsurfing holiday, make your move by contacting WindWise via www.windwise.net

The launch at Alacati

Sportif have the following limited availability offers for 1 and 2 weeks to PWA venue and family holiday destination of Alacati, Turkey. Alacati Bay offers perfect flat water conditions for slalom or freestyle. The PWA will be visiting this year from 08 – 13 August. It’s a great place to learn and very safe because of being an almost landlocked back so perfect for children. Simon Bornhoft will be running a series of Clinics 9-16 and 16-23 June for Improvers & Intermediates and his Family Freeride week for all family members to sail together. The Club Mistral centre offers a full rental and instruction service with Board hire fro £199 for week. The beautiful, unspoilt local countryside is worth exploring with many vineyards, olive groves and ancient archaeological sites. Visit the thermal springs or colourful markets at nearby cosmopolitan Alacati town or sample the fresh produce in chic restaurants and fine wine selection in the local bars.

2* Ileri Hotel BB 7 nights £599pp in twin, 14 nights £849pp in twin. Depart Gatwick 21 July 2011.

Prices include flights, hotel & transfers, Single room supplement £99pp per week.

3* Suzer Sundreams ALL INCLUSIVE, 7 nights £899pp in twin (child sharing £499), 14 nights £1429pp in twin (child sharing £599)

Depart Gatwick 21 July 2011. Prices include flights, hotel & transfers. Sea View Room supplement £20pp per week.

4* Solto Hotel HALF BOARD, 7 nights £925pp in twin (child sharing £699), 14 nights £1499pp in twin (child sharing £995).

Depart Gatwick 21Jul11. Prices include flights, hotel & transfers. Sea View Room supplement £20pp per week.

LAST MINUTE MAY 7 nights BB from £399pp or 2 weeks ALL INCLUSIVE from £799pp in JUNE

Flights are limited so call 01274 844919 or email info@sportif.travel

More at www.sportif.travel

Micah Buzianis

EVENT SUMMARY – MICAH BUZIANIS AND VALERIE ARRIGHETTI CLAIM VICTORY IN TURKEY AFTER A TENSE FEW DAYS ON STANDBY SAW THEM COUNTING DOWN THE SECONDS UNTIL IT WAS ALL OVER.

The beautiful Aegean town of Alacati blessed the world’s fastest racers with an action packed few days of racing at the beginning of the week, followed by a couple of wind less days on hold, leaving those in the lead to endure a nerve racking time before they could finally claim their crowns.

A full fleet of sixty-four professional sailors competed on the crystal clear waters in the men’s fleet, and twenty-one fast and furious females in the women’s. With a strong Meltemi breeze blowing, both the men and women completed two full rounds of racing on each of the first two days in perfect conditions. During the middle of the week a gentle southerly wind put a halt to proceedings, and on the final few days the Meltemi returned late in the afternoon, but with insufficient force to complete any further eliminations, leaving the four completed rounds to count.

Men

Buzianis Bounces Back

Following a fairly rough ride in Fuerteventura, former world champion Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde) was back on form in Turkey with some amazingly consistent results normally reserved exclusively for his team mate, Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde)!

Right from the word go Buzianis shot off the line and straight into the leading pack in every single heat. In the first race of the event he appeared to be far more comfortable in the lighter winds and flatter waters of Alacati, and a string of top two results saw him qualify for the winner’s final with ease where he dominated despite a star-studded line up.

The second race of the series saw a new format with the top 20 automatically seeded through. The intention being that the less experienced sailors get more chances to race, and the top guys don’t have to go through the formalities of the first round. Once again Buzianis sailed well despite the extra number of competitors in the heats and qualified for the winner’s final without a glitch. However, plenty of other big players failed to do the same. Of the top five ranked sailors in the world, only two made it through the first mark carnage. Many times world champion, Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic), 2009 vice world champion Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra), and flying Frenchman Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North) all fell at the first hurdle in the new elimination procedure! This left a fairly clear path for Albeau and Buzianis to take the top two spots in the final, but after a mediocre start, Albeau was left to play catch up allowing Buzianis a straight run for another bullet – the American had finished the first day with the best possible start to the contest.

For the third race in Alacati race director, Juan Antonio Aragon decided to switch back to the tried and tested 8-man heat format due to the short course, and lighter winds that the sailors were experiencing. Buzianis played it fairly safe to ensure he qualified for the winner’s final, and Albeau followed suit. When it came to the final however they both hit the water with all guns blazing. Albeau was back on unstoppable form, and surely hungry to seal the deal for his fifth consecutive slalom world title, leaving Buzianis to settle for second.

Race four saw another slalom giant with an appetite for success going by the name of Finian Maynard. His results thus far had been less than consistent, which surely psyched him up for the final. With a point to prove, he flew out of the blocks and straight into the lead where he remained for the duration. This left Buzianis to settle for another second, whilst Albeau fought hard for third.

Buzianis didn’t quite match his perfect first day, but it wasn’t far off! Two seconds had secured his place in the lead with Albeau and Maynard trailing in his wake.

Micah Buzianis

Tense Times

The forecast didn’t look too promising after the first two days, but the Meltemi was supposed to return in time for the weekend crowds, which left Buzianis comfortably leading the fleet and expecting more racing. However, after a long stint on standby on Friday, it became apparent that the racing might not recommence after all, and Buzianis could possibly win his first world tour crown of 2010.

Saturday dawned with a light Meltemi breeze firmly ensuring the sailors were on the edge of their seats for the entire day. It was a nerve-racking time for those at the top of the fleet who could only lose out by racing any further. After a gruelling six hours on standby the first few heats finally began, but the pressure had already been lifted. With the possibility of only completing one race, Buzianis had the event in the bag. And, as it turned out the fifth race didn’t get any further than the first round anyway before the wind disappeared causing it to be obsolete.

Albeau Secures 2010 Title

Despite not winning in Turkey, the 2009 world champion, Antoine Albeau has secured his fifth consecutive PWA slalom world title with an event to spare. He’s consistently finished in the top two this season, and is now untouchable at the top – he doesn’t even need to step on his board in Sylt! However, Albeau being Albeau he certainly will race in Germany, not only to stamp his authority on the fleet, but to also claim as much prize money as possible. Congratulations Antoine!

What About Dunky…

Following a mediocre start to the week due to his kit not arriving on time, and therefore having to beg, borrow, and steal for the first day – even though he arrived three days in advance to ensure it would all be there – he began the second day of competition with a discard under his belt already. He then ended up in an early round heat on the second day with five of the top eight ranked sailors in the world, leaving absolutely no room for error. Poor old Dunkerbeck got buried at the start with no way of coming back, and therefore had to count a terrible result. Worst case scenario, he’ll need a top three result to maintain his second place ranking for the year in Sylt.

Standout Sailors

Frenchman, Julien Quentel (RRD, NeilPryde) had an excellent event, being one of only three sailors to qualify for the finals (winner’s and loser’s) in every single race to finish the competition in fifth place. Now that a discard has come into effect in the overall rankings, and having not entered Korea, he’s shot up to eleventh, and could easily break into the top ten if he repeats such a performance in Sylt.

Italian, Alberto Menegatti (Starboard, Simmer) also had one of the best events of his career to date, with a second place in the first race making him one to watch throughout the week. His seventh place finish in Alacati has lifted him into twelfth overall.

Julien Quentel chases Buzianis

Event Results

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)

Overall Rankings

1st Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde)

2nd Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic)

3rd Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde)

4th = Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra)

4th = Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North)

Women

Outstanding Arrighetti

The 2009 world champion, Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic) sailed the most consistently out of all of her rivals on the first day of racing to place herself ahead of the pack, with a third in the first race behind current tour leader, Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) and transatlantic hopeful, Sarah Hebert (Naish, Naish). And, a bullet in the final race of the day.

During day two, Arrighetti consolidated her position at the front of the fleet with yet another first place, and a second behind the 2010 freestyle world champion, Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra). The freestyle world champ was firing on all cylinders on the second day of competition, and had there been any more races could have been a real threat to those ahead of her, but she was desperately in need of a further discard after a less than ideal first day.

With just two days of racing, Arrighetti endured the same stress as Buzianis, with four nerve racking days on hold before she could finally claim her first crown of 2010.

What About The Women’s World Title?

With four events now on the calendar, and more importantly a discard, most people believed that Arrighetti would have a shot at claiming the 2010 world title despite not entering Korea. However, close scrutiny of the PWA general rules (section 1.15.5 – Ties) has revealed that even if Arrighetti were to win in Almanarre and therefore match the current tour leader’s counting results she would not be able to take the world title from her, as long as Jaggi actually enters Almanarre. This is because the tiebreak would go down to the sailor with the greater number of firsts, seconds, and so on. Which, at a glance looks like they’d have the same, but in actual fact Jaggi would have one higher score simply for entering the final in Almanarre compared to Arrighetti’s non existent score for not entering Korea. Therefore, Jaggi’s 2010 slalom world title is well within her grasp, and would only slip out if she fails to turn up in France!

Valerie Arrighetti

Event Results

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)

Overall Rankings

1st Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne)

2nd Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra)

3rd Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North)

4th Sarah Hebert (Naish, Naish)

5th Cagla Kubat (Starboard, North)

Constructors Championship

Following on from the action in Alacati, Starboard have consolidated their position at the top of the hotly contested board brand rankings, and NeilPryde remain in the top slot in the sail brand category.

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 Almanarre, France for the women’s slalom final from the 4th to the 8th September. Be sure to check out www.pwaworldtour.com for live coverage, and daily updates from the event.