2023 PWA World Cup Japan Tag 5

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Das Drehbuch für den Finaltag des 2023 Fly ANA Yokosuka, Miura Windsurf World Cups hätte man nicht spannender schreiben können, denn was als wunderschöner sonniger Morgen begann, wurde schon bald von einer gewissen Spannung abgelöst, als sich herausstellte, dass es einige Unstimmigkeiten bei der registrierten Ausrüstung eines bestimmten Fahrers gab, die nicht innerhalb der erlaubten Fehlertoleranz lagen, Dies führte leider zur Disqualifikation des zu diesem Zeitpunkt Führenden der World Tour - Johan Søe (FMX Racing / Point-7 / F4 Foils) - eine Erklärung zur Disqualifikation von Johan finden Sie am Ende dieser Seite. Women’s Lina Eržen’s (Starboard / Severne Sails) debut on the PWA Slalom World Tour couldn’t have gone much better with the 18-year-old winning 4 consecutive bullets to deservedly earn her first win on the World Tour. The young Slovenian won 4 out of the 6 eliminations completed and that could’ve even been five if it wasn’t for her dropping her final gybe when leading Elimination 2 and she looks an exciting prospect for years to come.  With no further racing being completed on the final day in Japan that means that Blanca Alabau (Starboard / Severne Sails) walks away from 2023 as the Women’s PWA Slalom world champion for the first time in her career. The Spaniard has enjoyed a fantastic year - winning one event and finishing on the podium in all the other events and she can now relax and enjoy her achievements.  Justine Lemeteyer (FMX Racing / S2Maui) finishes the season as the vice-world champion for the second consecutive year, while Marion Mortefon (Duotone / Duotone Sails) completes the prestigious overall podium.  Men’s Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Severne Sails) has come so close to winning a second world title on numerous occasions since earning his first world crown in 2016 and it looked like he may cruelly miss out on another world title on countback. However, with the developments which followed later today, that means that the Italian’s wait for a second world title is now over and no-one could begrudge Iachino a second world title. The Italian was tied on points with Søe at the end of the season and he has been incredibly consistent - earning 3 podiums from 5 events, while his worst result was a 6th in Italy at the start of the year, so he deservedly earns his second world crown after so many near misses.  Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / Severne Sails) backed up his event victory in Sylt with another victory in Japan to sign off the season in style, which sees the Bonairean finish 2023 as the vice-world champion as his racing continues to go from strength-to-strength, while Maciek Rutkowski (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails) completes the overall podium. We'll have a full round up in the event summary later this week. Official Statement Regarding Johan Søe’s Disqualification Following equipment inspection of the top riders at the PWA Slalom Finals in Japan, Danish sailor Johan Soe, DEN-37, was unfortunately found to have been using a sail that had been modified from its original factory specification and that did not meet the registered specification for the sail, including allowances for all measurement tolerances. As such, under the rules regarding production equipment on the PWA Slalom World Tour, the protest committee had no choice but to disqualify Johan from the final event in Japan. Whilst we sympathise with Johan to have lost the World Title under such circumstances, the rules are clear and the facts surrounding the modification of the sails, and the discrepancy between the registered specifications of the sails, and the sails Johan was using, are not in question.  The PWA takes the rules surrounding production equipment seriously and respects the efforts of the vast majority of brands and riders to adhere to the rules and compete fairly. As such, to ignore the use of equipment that had been physically modified and that did not meet the registered specification would have been unacceptable with respect to the fundamental principles of the rules. Offizielle Erklärung zur Disqualifikation von Johan Søe Nach der Ausrüstungskontrolle der Top-Fahrer beim PWA Slalom Finale in Japan wurde leider festgestellt, dass der dänische Segler Johan Søe, DEN-37, ein Segel benutzte, das gegenüber der ursprünglichen Werksspezifikation modifiziert worden war und nicht der registrierten Spezifikation für das Segel entsprach, einschließlich der Toleranzen für alle Messungen. Daher hatte das Protestkomitee keine andere Wahl, als Johan gemäß den Regeln für Serienmaterial auf der PWA Slalom World Tour vom letzten Event in Japan zu disqualifizieren. Obwohl wir mit Johan mitfühlen, dass er den Weltmeistertitel unter diesen Umständen verloren hat, sind die Regeln klar und die Fakten rund um die Modifikation der Segel und die Diskrepanz zwischen den registrierten Spezifikationen der Segel und den Segeln, die Johan benutzte, stehen nicht in Frage. Die PWA nimmt die Regeln für Serienausrüstung ernst und respektiert die Bemühungen der großen Mehrheit der Marken und Fahrer, sich an die Regeln zu halten und einen fairen Wettbewerb zu führen. Daher wäre es im Hinblick auf die grundlegenden Prinzipien der Regeln inakzeptabel gewesen, die Verwendung von Ausrüstung zu ignorieren, die physisch modifiziert wurde und nicht der registrierten Spezifikation entsprach. Result 2023 Fly! ANA Yokosuka, Miura Windsurf World Cup - Women’s Slalom 1st Lina Eržen (SLO | Starboard / Severne Sails) 
2nd Blanca Alabau (ESP | Starboard / Severne Sails)
3rd Justine Lemeteyer (FRA | FMX Racing / S2Maui)
4th Marion Mortefon (FRA | Duotone / Duotone Sails) 
5th Helle Oppedal (NOR | Starboard / Severne Sails) Result 2023 Fly! ANA Yokosuka, Miura Windsurf World Cup - Men’s Slalom 1st Amado Vrieswijk (NB | Future Fly / Severne Sails)  2nd Matteo Iachino (ITA | Starboard / Severne Sails) 3rd Daniele Benedetti (ITA | FMX Racing / Challenger Sails / F4 Foils)  4th Maciek Rutkowski (POL | FMX Racing / Challenger Sails) 5th Bruno Martini (ITA | JP / NeilPryde) 6th Michele Becker (GER | Patrik / Patrik Sails / Patrik Foils) 7th Cedric Bordes (FRA | Severne / Severne Sails)  8th Nico Prien (GER | JP / NeilPryde)