Dunkerbeck reigns supremte in Costa Brava. The 2012 PWA Catalunya Costa Brava Slalom World Cup was a huge success, with the beautiful white sands of the Golf-de-Roses producing wind on every single day. By the end of the event Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / Dunkerbeck Eyewear / Chris Benz) had managed to win three out of the six eliminations completed, as the most decorated sailor in windsurfing history dominated the proceedings.
This week though will stay in the mind of Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde) for the rest of his life, as the Frenchman claimed his maiden victory in race five, to take second overall. The French look a dominant force in the slalom world at the moment and Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde) completes the top three.
The first elimination saw a Starboard and Severne top two as Bjorn Dunkerbeck sailed faultlessly to take the opening race and in doing so, he firmly re-established his bid for the world title, having exited the event in Korea prematurely due to injury. Second place went to Australian Steve Allen (Starboard / Severne), who looked very dangerous in the light conditions, whilst Pieter Bijl (JP / NeilPryde) and Antoine Albeau completed the top four.
In the second race Antoine Albeau managed to hit back immediately to thwart Dunkerbeck’s perfect start, as the big Frenchmen reveled in the stronger winds on day three to claim his first elimination victory of the year. Steve Allen made the best start of the fleet, but Albeau was a man on a mission and he came flying out of his first gybe to move into second place. From here on Albeau went from strength-to-strength, his greater board speed and fluid gybes eventually saw him overtake Allen to finish first. Bjorn Dunkerbeck managed to squeeze past Allen on the final gybe to move into second as the Australian was left to settle for third place. Julien Quentel continued his super consistent form to finish in fourth.
On day four Costa Brava truly was a slalom sailors paradise as the wind kicked in early to allow six hours of high-octane racing. The winners’ final of race three started under dramatic circumstances as Antoine Albeau jumped the gun, to present Dunkerbeck with the perfect opportunity to reassert himself at the top of the rankings. The terminator made no mistakes as he opened up a clear lead by the end of the race to claim the first bullet of the day ahead of Julien Quentel. Meanwhile Ludovic Jossin (Patrik / Loft Sails) out maneuvered Bora Kozanoglu (Starboard / Severne) to move into third place.
Race four saw the wind build with gusts of up to twenty five knots being recorded. As the wind increased Dunkerbeck began look like he was in a league of his own as he combined his phenomenal top speed with beautiful planing gybes to dominate against the rest of the fleet. By the first mark Dunkerbeck had opened up a ten-meter lead and from here on no one could get close to him. The main significance of elimination four was the fact the Dunkerbeck became the first man this season to win back-to-back victories. Antoine Albeau and Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft Sails / Mystic) both fell during the winners’ final to leave the door open for Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / North), Julien Quentel and Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / Severne / Mystic) to all make the top four.
Bjorn Dunkerbeck speaking after becoming the first man this season to win back-to-back eliminations this season, to cap a simply brilliant day.
“It was the perfect day today, I made no mistakes. I started the day on the big kit, 9.6 then 8.6 before finishing on my 7.8. I felt really fast and good on all three sizes, which is a testament to my equipment. I have to say that that today was probably the best day of racing we have had this year. This gives me a lot of confidence and satisfaction for the future events. Today was great.”
Micah Buzianis (JP / MauiSails), who won the last event in Korea, won the final race of the 2012 PWA Catalunya Costa Brava World Cup. The winners’ final was missing a key name though, Antoine Albeau, after the Frenchman dropped his third gybe in the semi-finals to go from first to last. Buzianis sailed superbly in heat sixteen as he led from start to finish. The American flew across the line in first place and no one was able to catch him. Dunkerbeck was on Buzianis’ tail as they approached the third mark but the American exited his gybe with substantially more speed than Dunkerbeck to open up a clear lead. Dunkerbeck ultimately finished the race in second place with Britain’s Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra) and Australia’s Steve Allen completing the top four.
The sixth race witnessed a total of eleven false starts, which resulted in heats two and eleven not needing to be sailed, due to the fact four sailors crossed the line early to create a free pass to the next round for the remaining sailors. Elsewhere Brit James Dinsmore (Starboard / Severne) did well to qualify for his second quarter final of the event, having finished fourth in heat five. Despite everyone’s best efforts the losers’ final was unable to be completed as the wind began to deteriorate. The decision to end the event came shortly after six o’clock to conclude an epic event, which has seen warp speed-racing everyday.
After the conclusion of the action we spoke with our event winner Bjorn Dunkerbeck:
“We’ve sailed everyday, which is not normal for Costa Brava. We’ve had fully powered up 7.8 weather that I really enjoyed, but it was really good to have a variety of conditions this week. Having injured my foot in Korea this was the perfect comeback for me. I managed to win the first race of the week and obviously the two bullets on day four really helped to maintain my confidence. I feel really fast in all conditions and I’m super happy with my Starboard and Severne equipment. This week has been great.”
The 2012 PWA Catalunya Costa Brava World Cup Overall Standings : Men’s Slalom
1st Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / Dunkerbeck Eyewear / Chris Benz)
2nd Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde)
3rd Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde)
4th Steve Allen (Starboard / Severne)
5th Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / Severne / Mystic)
Where’s Next?
The next stop on the PWA Slalom World Tour will see the slalom fleet heading to howling Fuerteventura from the 20th to the 30th of July.
Crash in heat sixteen
For the fifth day in a row Costa Brava produced the goods as elimination five was completed. The racing commenced just before three o’clock in winds of eight to fifteen knots. However, today belongs to Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde), the Frenchman claimed his first ever victory after another hugely impressive performance, and he currently holds second place overall.
Winners’ Final
Heat sixteen saw Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / Dunkerbeck Eyewear / Chris Benz) come screaming across the line to take an early lead and by the first mark he had a clear advantage over Quentel in second. You wouldn’t have been blamed for thinking that Dunkerbeck would now cruise to victory, after the form he showed yesterday, however that’s not how the final unfolded. Quentel still harbored hopes of catching the terminator and by the the third mark he managed to do just that, as he stole the lead. Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde) also managed to squeeze past Dunkerbeck, to move into second place leaving Dunkerbeck in third.
As the leading pack headed into the final mark, Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / Severne / Mystic) gybed down the inside of Dunkerbeck to move into third along with Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North). Dunkerbeck was now stuck in a wind hole and struggling to get onto the plane, to add insult to injury his team mate Steve Allen (Starboard / Severne) then collided with him, which resulted in Dunkerbeck finishing sixth. Quentel, however, was clear of all of the commotion behind him and the Frenchman showed no sign of nerves to claim a memorable maiden victory. Albeau finished second ahead Jimmy Diaz and Cyril Moussilmani, who were the main beneficiaries of Dunkerbeck’s mishap.
Losers’ Final
Matteo Iachino (F2 / Challenger / Mystic / AL360) made the best start of the fleet in the losers’ final, but by the first mark his Italian counterpart, Andrea Cucchi (Patrik / Point-7) had marched into the lead with Ludovic Jossin (Patrik / Loft Sails) and Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins) in hot pursuit. Despite their best efforts Cucchi continued to extend his lead, and by the third mark he was cruising to victory of heat fifteen. Behind him though there was plenty of action as Patrick Diethelm (Patrik / Loft Sails) forced his way into the top four and managed to move all the way up to second, Frans still occupied third place but Iachino was now in fourth. This proved pivotal and the top four remain unchanged as they crossed the finish line.
Elsewhere in race five, Maciek Rutkowski (Patrik / Loft Sails / Maui Ultra Fins, sailed particularly well today and the Pole was rewarded with a place winners’ final after some superb sailing, Rutkowski showed his potential today and he’s definitely a sailor to keep an eye out for in the coming years. Taty Frans was unfortunate in his semi-final, the Bonaire man crossed the line in first place but Quentel clipped the clew of his sail, which saw Frans drop the back of the pack. Frans tried to stage a comeback but he didn’t quite make the final qualifying spot as he finished fifth.
At quarter past four the sixth elimination was started, however only one heat was completed as the wind soon started to deteriorate. In heat one Cedric Bordes (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic) nailed his start and the Frenchman held his lead into the first mark with Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra) and Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (Fanatic / North) just behind. Surprising Bjorn Dunkerbeck found himself in sixth place, but the terminator kept his composure and battled back to third by the finish line. Bordes lead from start to finish as Williams finished second. Costa Hoevel though was pipped to fourth place by a flying Taty Frans.
Tomorrow’s forecast has the gradient wind in the correct direction, but we’ll be needing the assistance of the thermal top up to see the completion of race six. The skipper’s meeting has been called for ten thirty tomorrow morning, with the first possible start being 11am.
Men’s Slalom Standings After Elimination 5
1st Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / Dunkerbeck Eyewear / Chris Benz)
2nd Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde)
3rd Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde)
4th Steve Allen (Starboard / NeilPryde)
5th Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / Severne / Mystic)
Costa Brava came to life early on day four as the wind arrived before twelve o’clock and an action packed day ensued. After six high-octane hours on the water, two and a half eliminations were completed. As the racing came to a close it was Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / Dunkerbeck Eyewear / Chris Benz) who stole the show, as he became the first man this season to win back-to-back eliminations after a brilliant display of sailing.
Winners’ Final
The first winners’ final of the day started under dramatic circumstances as yesterday’s race two winner, Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde), went over the line early. This left to door wide open for Dunkerbeck to hit straight back at the Frenchmen, and the terminator took full advantage of the opportunity presented before him to claim the first bullet of the day. Dunkerbeck led the pack into the first gybe and from here he just went from strength-to-strength as he flew down the course, without putting a foot wrong, to open up a substantial lead over his closer challenger, Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde). The Frenchmen managed to overtake Bora Kozanoglu (Starboard / Severne) and he held on for the remainder of the heat to claim second place. Eventually Kozanoglu had to settle for fourth after Ludovic Jossin (Patrik / Loft Sails) also managed to squeeze past the Turk.
Losers’ Final
In heat fifteen Wojtek Brzozowski (Starboard) just edged the start, but by the first mark Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra) had stormed into the lead. Just like Dunkerbeck in the winners’ final, the Brit went onto extend his lead throughout the heat to finish in first place. As the rest of the fleet approached the third gybe mark, Pascal Toselli (RRD / Point-7) occupied second place, but Micah Buzianis (JP / MauiSails) out maneuvered Brzozowski to move into third, with the Pole completing the top four.
In the opening round of elimination three, the majority of the big guys survived unscathed, however in heat one Patrick Diethelm (Patrik / Loft Sails) and Peter Volwater (Fanatic / Avanti) were the early casualties. Meanwhile in heat eight France’s Tristan Algret (Patrik / Loft Sails) did well to qualify from a tough heat.
The quarters saw a few of the big names fall. Finian Maynard (RRD / Avanti), who has been battling a leg injury for the duration of the event, qualified for the quarters but this is as far as he would be going on this occasion. Other notable names missing from the semi-finals would be Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North), who sailed so well yesterday just missed out in fifth after a battle with Ross Williams in heat ten. Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft Sails / Mystic / Different) also failed to not make the semis. The other notable sailor to be missing from the next round would be Antoine Questel (Starboard / Loft Sails).
Winners’ Final
Bjorn Dunkerbeck made a great start to the second winners’ final of the day and multiple world champion continued to look phenomenally quick, so much so that by the first gybe he had already opened up a ten-meter gap over Ben van der Steen, Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / North) and Matteo Iachino (F2 / Challenger / Mystic / AL360), who were his closest challengers, whilst Albeau was in fifth. However disaster soon struck for the Frenchmen as he fell upon entry of the second gybe to find himself bringing up the rear of the fleet. Albeau wasn’t the only one to go down though as Ben van der Steen suffered a similar fate at the final gybe. This saw the Dutchman drop from second all the way to the back as Mortefon, Quentel and Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / Severne / Mystic) all bypassed him to complete the top four. The glory was left for Dunkerbeck though, as he became the first man this season to win two eliminations in a row. The most decorated sailor in windsurfing's history looked almost untouchable as he combined his ridiculous top speed with flawless gybes to dominate again.
There were further upsets in the early rounds of race four. The first shock came as Questel failed to qualify for the next round after being hugely overpowered in heat six. The next big name sailor to fall was Ross Williams, who dropped his gybe to drop out of the qualifying positions. Unfortunately for the Brit he wasn’t quite able to recover as he narrowly missed out in fifth. As the competition headed into the quarter finals, the major story was that Finian Maynard was taken out by Pieter Bijl (JP / NeilPryde) in the gybe. This ultimately proved to be the beginning of the end, as neither of the two sailors were able to recover. Waiting in the wings were Mortefon, Brzozowski, Cyril Moussilmani and Iachino, all of whom went onto qualify for the semis. Julien Quentel sailed brilliantly to make yet another winners’ final as the Frenchmen continued his rich rein of form.
Elimination Five
With two eliminations already completed today the competitors took a forty-minute break before the fifth race began. Once the action was underway there was plenty of drama once again. In the second heat Questel collided with Kozanoglu. At that time Kozanoglu was qualifying for the second round, however, unfortunately for the Turk he was unable to recover from this unlucky mishap as both of them missed out. The next substantial sailor to fail to qualify was Ross Williams, who is usually so on point with his starts, crossed the line early to be disqualified from heat three. The quarter finals weren’t without their upsets either as Alberto Menegatti (Starboard / Gaastra) and Micah Buzianis both failed to escape from heat nine. Advancing would be the hugely impressive Quentel along with Andrea Cucchi (Patrik / Point-7), Bijl and Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails / Mystic / Ultra Fins) grabbed the crucial fourth spot. In the last quarter final of the day, heat 10, Antoine Albeau easily booked his place in the semi-finals with an assured display, finishing clear of the rest of the fleet. Joining him in second place is Pierre Mortefon, whilst Jimmy Diaz and Steve Allen had a tussle for third and fourth. Eventually Diaz came out on top to claim third.
Winner's Quote
Bjorn Dunkerbeck speaking after becoming the first man this season to win back-to-back eliminations this season, to cap a simply brilliant day.
“It was the perfect day today, I made no mistakes. I started the day on the big kit, 9.6 then 8.6 before finishing on my 7.8. I felt really fast and good on all three sizes, which is a testament to the kit. I have to say that that today was probably the best day of racing we have had this year. This gives me a lot of confidence and satisfaction for the future events. Today was great.”
Tomorrow’s forecast is very similar to today’s, which means at the very minimum we should see the completion of race five, but in reality we should have another day of perfect slalom. Tomorrow’s skippers' meeting has been called for 10:30 am, with the first possible start at 11am. Be sure to tune into the live ticker to follow another enthralling day of competition.
Men’s Slalom Standings After Elimination 4
1st Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / Dunkerbeck Eyewear / Chris Benz)
2nd Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde)
3rd Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde)
4th Steve Allen (Starboard / NeilPryde)
5th Ludovic Jossin (Patrik / Loft Sails
The third day of competition in Costa Brava didn’t kick off until twenty past five, as the wind continued to change direction and strength. Eventually after three and half painstaking hours on standby, the sailors' patience was rewarded and the whole of the second race was completed in fourteen to twenty four knots of wind. Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde) came out on top as the Frenchmen claimed his first elimination victory of the year with an assured display.
Winners’ Final
Steve Allen (Starboard / Severne) came flying out of the blocks in heat sixteen after a textbook start. The Australian held his lead into the first mark, as Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / Dunkerbeck Eyewear / Chris Benz) came roaring past Albeau to move into second place. However the terminator wasn’t in the top two for long as his archrival, Albeau, flew through his opening gybe and exited fully planing to move back into second place. The big Frenchmen looked like a man on a mission and he soon had Allen in his sights. He combined his blistering top speed and flawless gybes to take the lead by the exit of the second mark, and from this point on Albeau only extended his advantage to take a thoroughly deserved victory. Meanwhile, Starboard and Severne teammates, Dunkerbeck and Allen, battled it out for second and third place respectively. The Australian managed to hold onto second place until the final gybe, however at this point Dunkerbeck struck as he took the inside line to overtake his team mate. Allen tried to fight back on the final straight but Dunkerbeck used his wealth of experience to block him off, the Australian was left to settle for third. Completing the top four was the super consistent Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde), who finished ahead of Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / Severne / Mystic).
Losers’ Final
In the losers' final Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / North) made the best start of the fleet, and he took full advantage of his early lead to cruise to victory in heat fifteen. The race for second place was a much tighter affair, involving Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North), Ludovic Jossin (Patrik / Loft Sails) and Josh Angulo (Angulo / Point-7). As they left the third mark it was Jimmy Diaz who had managed to muscle his way into second, and he showed no signs of relinquishing it. Jossin won the battle for third ahead of Josh Angulo and Cedric Bordes (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic).
Prior to the finals the opening rounds of the second elimination saw no major upsets, as the top seeds all safely navigated their way into the next round. However the quarter finals proved to be a whole different ball game as the big names began to fall. In heat ten the winner of Korea, Micah Buzianis (JP / MauiSails), was extremely unlucky, as the American followed Cedric Bordes into the gybe, Bordes fell which left Buzianis no room to maneuver, meaning that the two sailors collided. This altercation saw both the sailors drop out of the top four and unfortunately Buzianis was unable to recover, however Bordes fought his way back through the pack to finish in second place. Buzianis wasn’t the only casualty from heat ten as Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft Sails / Mystic) and Arnon Dagan (Tabou / Gaastra) both failed to qualify as well. Heat eleven proved to be no different either as Finian Maynard (RRD / Avanti) was pipped to the crucial fourth spot by a flying Jimmy Diaz. Other sailors who failed to progress past the quarter finals, included Sylvain Moussilmani (Tabou / Simmer) and Alberto Menegatti (Starboard / Gaastra), who both made the winner’s final on day two, proving just how competitive the men’s slalom tour is.
Tomorrow promises to be another day full of action with a forecast similar to today's, be sure to tune in again to see how the competition unfolds. The skipper's meeting has been called for 10:30 tomorrow morning with racing commencing from 11am.
Men’s Slalom Standings After Elimination 2
1st Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / Dunkerbeck Eyewear / Chris Benz)
2nd Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde)
3rd Steve Allen (Starboard / Severne)
4th Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde)
5th Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North)
The second day in Costa Brava started very calm and overcast, but just after two o’clock the wind kicked in, enabling the completion of the first race. Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / Dunkerbeck Eyewear / Chris Benz) stepped up to the plate to win the opening elimination, as he kicked off his event with a perfect start. More importantly the victory firmly re-establishes his bid for the world title, and the terminator will now look to cement his place at the top of the rankings over the remainder of the week.
Winners' Final
Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde) crossed the start line first just ahead of his nemesis Bjorn Dunkerbeck, but by the first gybe Dunkerbeck’s blistering speed had taken him clear of the Frenchman. Whilst the terminator exited his gybe cleanly, further extending his lead, Albeau was caught in a melee of sailors, which cost him dearly as he struggled to get back onto the plane. Steve Allen (Starboard / Severne), Pieter Bijl (JP / NeilPryde) and a flying Alberto Menegatti (Starboard / Gaastra) all leapfrogged Albeau, who now found himself in fifth. Dunkerbeck held a commanding lead over his nearest rival, Allen, and the terminator made no mistakes over the remainder of the course to claim the first bullet of the week. By this point Steve Allen had built an unassailable lead over Bijl in third place to claim second. Despite Albeau’s best efforts he was unable to catch the flying Dutchman ahead of him, so he had to eventually settle for fourth. Menegatti had been right in the thick of the action from the start, but he crucially dropped his gybe meaning he dropped to the back of the pack.
Losers' Final
Heat fifteen needed to be restarted as Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails/ Mystic/ Maui Ultra Fins) and Josh Angulo (Angulo / Point-7) were both a little too eager with their starts. When the heat was re-sailed it was Benoit Moussilmani (Tabou / Simmer) that made the best start and he went on to lead from start to finish in an accomplished display. The Frenchmen combined his brilliant top speed with fluid and effortless gybes to leave the rest of the fleet in his wake. Micah Buzianis (JP / MauiSails) and Ludovic Jossin (Patrik / Loft Sails) were involved in a tight battle as they approached the first mark, but the American had enough in his tank to see off the challenge of the Spaniard, as they finished in second and third respectively. Jimmy Diaz (Fanatic / North) completed the top four ahead of Peter Volwater (Fanatic / Avanti).
Incredibly in the seven heats that were completed today, we witnessed no fewer than eight false starts. In heat eleven Bora Kozanoglu (Starboard / Severne) and Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra) were the first sailors to cross the start line early and from then on it proved contagious. In the very next heat a further three sailors all suffered the same fate, as they pushed a little too hard for the perfect start. Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft Sails / Mystic), Finian Maynard (RRD / Avanti) and Sean O’Brien (Starboard / Point-7 / Mystic) would all be missing from the next round as some big names exited the first elimination prematurely. The semi-final saw Taty Frans jump the gun, whilst Italian Alberto Menegatti eventually went on to win the heat ahead of Dunkerbeck, Sylvain Moussilmani (Tabou / Simmer) and Pieter Bijl.
After the completion of the first elimination the wind deteriorated, meaning that the start of race two shall have to wait until tomorrow. The forecast for Thursday offers considerable promise with stronger winds than today being predicted for the afternoon. Make sure you join us again for what should be an afternoon packed with high octane action. The skipper’s meeting has been called for 10:30 tomorrow morning with the racing commencing from 11am.
Men’s Slalom Results After Elimination One
1st Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / Dunkerbeck Eyewear / Chris Benz)
2nd Steve Allen (Starboard / Severne)
3rd Pieter Bijl (JP / NeilPryde)
4th Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde)
5th Sylvain Moussilmani (Tabou / Simmer)
The inaugural day of the 2012 PWA Catalunya Windsurf World Cup saw a quiet start to proceedings as sailors registered for the upcoming week of competition, between 10am and 12pm. It wasn’t long before the tranquil calm was replaced by a frenzy of activity on the beach, as the glorious sunshine kicked the thermal wind into action. The first elimination started just after quarter past two, and nine heats were completed before stormy clouds and rain brought a halt to the racing.
Elimination One
In the first heat of the day Turkey’s Ege Kurt (RRD / MauiSails) jumped the gun, enforcing a general recall. When the heat was re-started it was Josh Angulo (Angulo / Point-7) who crossed the line in first place, this proved pivotal as he went onto to win the heat in convincing manner. Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails / Maui Ultra Fins / Mystic) flew down the penultimate leg and he threw an audacious duck gybe around the final mark to claim second place, followed by Pascal Toselli (RRD / Point-7), Nicolas Warembourg (JP / NeilPryde) claimed the all important fourth spot.
Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / Dunkerbeck Eyewear / Chris Benz) was involved in the second heat of the day, and it was evident that he has fully recovered from his injury he picked up in Korea. The terminator safely navigated his way into the second round as he won his heat. Joining him are; Sylvain Moussilmani (Tabou / Simmer), Andrea Cucchi (Patrik / Point-7) and Maciek Rutkowski (Patrik / Loft Sails / Maui Ultra Fins).
Heats three and four witnessed the first upsets of the day. In heat three, Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (Fanatic / North) narrowly missed out on a place in the next round after finishing fifth, just behind Spain’s Pablo Ania (F2 / North). Also qualifying are Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / North), who led from start to finish, Pieter Bijl (JP / NeilPryde) and Alberto Menegatti (Starboard / Gaastra). Meanwhile in heat four, Antoine Questel (Starboard / Loft Sails), who sailed superbly in Korea, went over the handlebars and despite his best efforts the Frenchmen couldn’t quite recover as he finished fifth. Britain’s James Dinsmore (Starboard / Severne) grabbed the final qualifying spot as Damien Le Guen (Exocet), Ludovic Jossin (Patrik / Loft Sails) and Micah Buzianis (JP / MauiSails) completed the top four.
Heat five saw Ross Williams (Tabou / Gaastra) aim right at the pin and storm into the lead, however his lead was short lived as he dropped his gybe at the first mark. Luckily the Brit was able to recover from his mistake as he fought his way back through the field to finish fourth. Bora Kozanoglu (Starboard / Severne) returned to winning ways in his opening heat, whilst the ever consistent Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North) took second ahead of France’s Benoit Moussilmani (Tabou / Simmer).
In heat six, the first four to cross the start line all qualified for the second round. Steve Allen (Starboard / Severne) was first over the line, but the Australian was fourth going into the mark one. Cedric Bordes (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic), Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde) and Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / Severne / Mystic) all managed to overtake him. By the end of the heat it was Bordes who came out on top, whilst Quentel took second. Cyril Moussilmani and Allen were involved in a tussle for the remaining two spots, with Allen eventually coming out on top on this occasion.
Norway’s Sondra Sturla Krey (Fanatic / North) was a little too eager with his start and he paid the ultimate sacrifice as he was disqualified from heat seven, which also consisted of a number of big hitters. Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft Sails / Mystic), Finian Maynard (RRD / Avanti) and Peter Volwater (Fanatic / Avanti) all managed to successfully escape from round one unscathed along with Dennis Muller (F2 / Challenger / AL360), in what was arguably one of toughest heats of the day.
The final heat of round one featured the current tour leader Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde), and he looked in scintillating form as he dominated his heat to build a commanding lead by the finish. Albeau’s greater board speed, especially in the turns, was the real difference between him and his rivals. Arnon Dagan (Tabou / Gaastra) looked comfortable in second place, as Sean O’Brien (Starboard / Point-7), who made the best start of the bunch finished third. Patrick Diethelm (Patrik / Loft Sails) battled his way into the crucial fourth place in front of Dennis Littel (Patrik / Loft Sails).
Bjorn Dunkerbeck continued his winning start to the competition in Costa Brava as he took top spot in heat nine. Dunkerbeck once again demonstrated his superb straight line speed and effortless gybes to be the first man through to the quarter finals. Sylvain Moussilmani made a valiant effort to catch the terminator on the final straight but by this point Dunkerbeck had built a big enough lead not to worry. Josh Angulo continued to look dangerous as he and Taty Frans finished in third and fourth respectively.
Heat ten was started, but unfortunately the wind shifted during the race which left sailors unable to make the third mark, thus leading to the cancellation of the heat. The wind never re-established itself from this point on, and the sun was soon replaced by increasing cloud cover and rain.
Tomorrow’s forecast offers the opportunity for more thermal activity, with clear and sunny skies on the latest predictions, which should hopefully see the exciting conclusion of the first elimination, after an action packed hour on the opening day. The skipper’s meeting has been called for 10am tomorrow morning, with the first possible start at 10:30.
