2024 Fuerte PWA WC Tag1

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Die 2024 Fuerteventura PWA World Cup hat mit einem explosiven Start begonnen, als die Windsurfer am ersten Tag des Wettbewerbs bei 30 bis 35 Knoten auf das Wasser gingen. In der Damenwertung gewann Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) als erste Führende des Events knapp vor Oda Brødholt (Starboard / Severne Sails) im Finale der Single Elimination. In der Zwischenzeit, griffen die Männer ins Geschehen ein, und bisher gab es keine Überraschungen in der ersten Runde die die Top-Favoriten alle unbeschadet überstanden. Freestyle Women’s

Sarah-Quita Offringa set the highest scoring heat of the contest in her opening heat - 28.5 points - to send out a warning to her rivals as she sailed with her usual flow and pizzazz. In the final, Offringa wasn’t at her usual free flowing best as she made a number of uncharacteristic errors and with just a couple of minutes to go the Aruban still needed a move on port tack to complete her scoresheet. In the end Offringa was able to land a forward loop, which proved pivotal as she won the winners’ final against Oda Brødholt by just 0.4 of a point. Victory in the single elimination puts the Lady from Aruba on the cusp of an incredible 15th Freestyle world title, and if anyone wants to deny her, they are now going to have to beat her twice in the double.

Meanwhile, Brødholt will be delighted to have secured her place in the top two in the single elimination after producing a solid display of sailing in tricky conditions. The Norwegian also achieved the same feat last season, but will be determined to hold on to it this time round. Brødholt was able to gain the upper hand against her nemesis, Maaike Huvermann (Severne / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) in the semifinals after landing a combination of shuvit spocks, burners and skopus.

Having finished fourth overall in 2023, Lisa Kloster (MB Boards / Sailloft Hamburg) proved she possesses the ability to challenge for the podium and the 24-year-old was able to do just that today as she secured a fantastic third place in the single elimination. Kloster didn’t perform at her best in the semifinal against Offringa, but in the b-final against Huvermann everything clicked together as she claimed the victory by 0.7 of a point.

This wouldn’t have been the way Huvermann would’ve wanted to start the event, but the 26-year-old will be able to take heart from the fact that last year she also didn’t make a flying start and she quickly improved in the double elimination to claim second place, so don’t rule out a fight back yet - especially as her defeats were by narrow margins and on the whole she sailed at a decent level.

Men’s

In the opening men’s heat, Sam Esteve (JP / NeilPryde) comfortably dispatched of Nigel Hart (Future Fly / Point-7), while Jose ‘Gollito’ Estredo (WeOne / GUNSAILS) faced a tough return to life on the World Tour as he was drawn against Belgian maestro - Steven Van Broeckhoven (Starboard / GUNSAILS). In the end it was Van Broeckhoven who would claim the victory, so it’s going to be a long way back through the double elimination if Gollito wants to make an impression here.

In Heat 2, Niclas Nebelung (Duotone Windsurfing / Maui Ultra Fins) looked to be in impressive form as the 26-year-old German posted the second highest scoring heat of the day to defeat Robin Van Linden (Severne / Severne Sails). Meanwhile, Jacopo Testa (WeOne / Point-7 / AL360) needed to produce a moment of magic to advance against Davy Scheffers (Tabou / GA Sails). With almost no time remaining the Italian landed an insane spock into kabikuchi, which was arguably the move of the day to pip Scheffers to a place in the round of 16.

Balz Müller (Severne / Severne Sails) wasn’t at his absolute best in his opening heat, but he still had enough in the locker to negotiate his way past Lucas Nebelung (JP / NeilPryde). On the other side of Heat 3, Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / Severne Sails) was able to defeat Yarden Meir (Goya Windsurfing) to also book his place in the next round.

Current U20 Freestyle World Champion - Takumi Moriya (Severne / Severne Sails) - made a proficient start to proceedings as he ended the hopes of Bodhi Kempen (Severne / Severne Sails), while on the other side of the heat, Adrien Bosson (Duotone Windsurfing / Maui Ultra Fins) made a confident start as he consigned Sebastian Gux (Tabou / GA Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) to defeat on his debut.

In Heat 5, Lennart Neubauer (Starboard / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) sent out a warning to his rivals as the young Greek posted the highest scoring heat of the day - 39.5 points. Neubauer was the only sailor to land a shifty, while he also landed excellent combos such as a spock into kono and a double burner. In the a-panel, Takuma Sugi (Tabou / GA Sails) came out on top against Tigo Kort (JP / NeilPryde).

Heat 6 saw the French duo of Nicolas Akgazciyan (JP / NeilPryde) and Antony Ruenes (Tabou / GA Sails), who finished third here last year, safely progress into the round of 16 as they dispatched of Nicolo Di Marco and Tim Gerdes (Severne / Severne Sails).

Heat 7b saw an extremely tight tussle between fellow Bonairean’s, Youp Schmit (Tabou / GA Sails) and Kiri Thode (Future Fly / GUNSAILS), who was making his come back. For the majority of the heat there was very little to separate them, but Schmit was crucially able to land a kabikuchi and a double culo late on to gain the upper hand, and more importantly, advance. On the a-side of the panel Antoine Albert (Goya Windsurfing) was able to end the hopes of Manolis Chrysopoulous (JP / NeilPryde).

The start of the event couldn’t have gone much worse for George Grisley (Duotone Windsurfing) as in the opening minute of his heat against Nil Bacon (PATRIK / PATRIK SAILS) the Brit snapped his rear footstrap while rotating through a ponch, which left him with little to no hope of advancing..That led to Bacon sailing for much of the heat by himself, so the Andorran obviously advanced. Meanwhile, in the last heat of the day, reigning world champion Yentel Caers (JP / NeilPryde) made no mistakes against Kango Iketeru (JP / NeilPryde) as the 29-year-old produced a powerful repertoire of manoeuvres to progress with the highlights being a double air culo and an air kabikuchi.

The forecast for Friday looks marginally less windy than today, but it should still be more than windy enough of the explosive freestyle to continue. The skippers’ meeting has been called for 10am (GMT+1) tomorrow morning with the action commencing from 10:30am onwards.

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Current Ranking Fuerteventura PWA World Cup - Women’s Freestyle

1st Sarah-Quita Offringa (ARU | Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd Oda Brødholt (NOR | Starboard / Severne Sails)
3rd Lisa Kloster (GER | MB Boards / Sailloft Hamburg)
4th Maaike Huvermann (NED | Severne / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins)