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Re:2008 Gran Canaria PWA Grand Slam - 2008/07/07 22:17
Daida Moreno - Ponch
Pic - PWA/John Carter
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Re:2008 Gran Canaria PWA Grand Slam - 2008/07/08 08:12
The 2008 Gran Canaria PWA Grand Slam – Day Four
07.07.08 -
Fighting to defend her first place finish from the previous day’s single elimination, Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, NeilPryde) successfully stood her ground in the double elimination to defeat Daida Moreno (North Sails) in the final, and cement her position at the top of the freestyle ranks.
Mammoth full fleet race action saw Antoine Albeau (Starboard, NeilPryde) add another victory to his run of first place finishes, ahead of Peter Volwater (North Sails) in second, and Kevin Pritchard in third (Starboard, Gaastra, Dakine, MFC).
Women’s Freestyle Double Elimination
Taking centre stage on day four, the women’s freestyle double elimination swung into action. First to fall were Olga Raskina (JP, NeilPryde) and Nina Tjernberg (F2, North Sails), who failed to match the routines of rivals Iballa Moreno (North Sails) and Silva Alba Orozco (MFC).
Gaining momentum, Moreno and Alba Orozco continued to dominate when they met Evi Tsape (Fanatic, NeilPryde) and Yolanda Freites De Brendt (Fanatic, North Sails) in the next round. Tsape had no reply to Moreno’s powerful forward and slick flaka, likewise Freites De Brendt couldn’t match moves like Alba Orozco’s fully planning spock 540. Moreno and Alba Orozco advanced to go head to head in the next heat, the victor meeting Laure Treboux (Fanatic, North Sails).
In the subsequent heat, the pair were closely matched. Moreno however, backed by a smooth spock 540 and forward loops on both tacks, eventually notched up more points on the judges score sheets and advanced to meet Treboux.
From the word go, Treboux unleashed her full repertoire, including a puneta 540, one handed spock 540, and a clew first spock 540. Moreno replied with creativity, landing a perfect clew first backloop and a high one handed forward, but it wasn’t enough to defeat Treboux, who went on to face Junko Nagoshi (Simmer Sails, Dakine) in heat 49.
The ensuing heat was arguably the best battle of the elimination, as both sailors pulled out all the stops. Nagoshi pressured Treboux from the start, with a flaka, spock and puneta all landed in quick succession. Defiant, Treboux delved into her bag of tricks to summon an eslider 540, clew first puneta and grubby diablo to condemn Nagoshi to fourth place.
Battling for third, Treboux challenged Daida Moreno. After delivering an awesome performance in the previous heat, the Swiss freestyler failed to maintain her high standard, leaving the door wide open for Moreno to take the victory with a mix of spocks, a flaka and huge forward loops.
Having won the single elimination, Offringa had been waiting patiently for her challenger to arrive, this being Daida Moreno. The final was a class act from Offringa, who landed virtually every move she attempted. Moreno played a high-risk game, attempting double loops, and ponchs. However, the gamble failed to pay off, when she crashed the majority of these high scoring moves.
Offringa continued on her mission, and at the end of the heat was crowned the victor, thanks to her super consistent sailing. Offringa now tops the freestyle ranks, with Daida Moreno in second, and Treboux in third.
Full Fleet Race Action
The afternoon witnessed the amazing spectacle of the entire 39 man race fleet battling it out around a mammoth down wind slalom course. A rabbit start kicked off a crazy race down the first reach as the mass of sailors battled to get clean wind at the first mark.
As the race progressed, the fleet spread out across the course and a pocket of sailors broke away from the trailing pack. Fronted by domineering Frenchman Albeau, and fellow tearaways Volwater and Prichard, they hurtled at breakneck speed towards the black stones of Pozo’s beach.
Extending their lead through to the shorter reaches at the downwind section of the course, Brits Ross Williams (Tabou, Gaastra) and Matt Pearch (Mistral, North Sails) also joined the leading three man formation.
Culminating with a frantic blast to the finish, Albeau held his lead to claim another first place, Volwater took second, Pritchard third, Williams fourth and Pearch ended in fifth. The race proved to be a stumbling block for Finian Maynard (RRD, NeilPryde), who failed to finish, and Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1, North Sails) didn’t help his cause, finishing 14th in a race that many had tipped him to be a favorite in.
Tomorrow’s skippers meeting times are; Women’s freestyle 9.00am, Men’s Wave 10.00am, Men’s Slalom 12.00 Midday. Depending on conditions, heats may commence from 9.30am onwards.
© PWA / Andrew Buchanan
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Re:2008 Gran Canaria PWA Grand Slam - 2008/07/09 07:35
The 2008 Gran Canaria PWA Grand Slam – Day Five
08.07.08 -
Multi discipline action sees the freestyle, slalom and wave fleets all hit the water for true Grand Slam competition on day five.
Women’s Freestyle Single Elimination
Following Sarah-Quita Offringa’s (Starboard, NeilPryde) victory in day four’s double elimination, the women hit the water to start the second round of freestyle in a solid 30 knot wind.
Advancing in the first round were Yolanda Freites De Brendt (Fanatic, North Sails) and Evi Tsape (Fanatic, NeilPryde), who went on to face Daida Moreno (North Sails) and Sarah-Quita Offringa in round two.
The underdogs had their work cut out, and despite spirited performances, they eventually succumbed to their more experienced rivals. Also in the second round, Iballa Moreno (North Sails) would fall victim to Japan’s freestyle sensation Junko Nagoshi (Simmer Sails, Dakine), who becomes more and more dangerous with every passing heat. On the other side of the draw Silvia Alba Orozco (MFC) was forced out the single elimination by Laure Treboux’s (Fanatic North Sails) switch stance trickery.
Taking their seats in the semi final, the four sailors began another chilling display for the Spanish crowds to marvel over. Offringa’s trademark silky smooth punetas and air flakas boosted her score sheet to a level that was just too much for Nagoshi, forcing the Japanese freestyler into the losers final. Joining her was Treboux, who lost out to Daida Moreno in the closest heat of the elimination.
Treboux turned up the heat in the losers final, landing a fully planning flaka, alongside her usual mix of effortless, clew first, switch stance moves. Chocking, Nagoshi struggled to find her form, and some moves late in the heat weren’t enough to change the outcome. Treboux took third position, Nagoshi fourth.
Offringa dominated the final with a determined and powerful performance. Her archrival Moreno, showed moments of genius, pulling a perfect ponch off the waves on the inside. It was a case of too little too late though, and Offringa, who’s still to finish lower than first in the 2008 season, added another victory to her name.
Men’s Slalom Race Six.
The sixth slalom race of the event saw cracks appear in Antoine Albeau’s (Starboard, NeilPryde) seemingly impenetrable defenses. Two falls and a ninth place finish in his semi final heat meant he failed to qualify for the race final.
Consistent American racer Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde, MFC) was another big name that stumbled along the way, finishing seventh in his quarterfinal heat. He joined Cyril Moussilmani (Fanatic, North Sails) a further shock entry to the losers final, and Albeau.
Signaling changing times, Britain’s Ross William’s (Tabou, Gaastra) and Holland’s Peter Volwater (F2, North Sails) lead the pack in a final depleted of many big name racers. The pair crept ahead of the main bulk of sailors, with Volwater looking like he had the final in the bag, but a nail biting drag race to the finish line saw William’s accelerate past Volwater and steal the victory.
Close behind, Josh Angulo (MauiSails, Dakine) took third, Bjorn Dunkerbeck fourth (North Sails, Thommen T1), and Benoit Moussilmani (F2, Simmer Sails) raced home in fifth.
Albeau’s break from the front of the fleet was short lived. Taking the lead at the first mark in the losers final, he flew ahead of his rival sailors to take a comfortable victory. Also returning to form, Cyril Moussilmani recovered the take second place, ahead of brother Sylvain (F2, Simmer Sails) in third.
Men’s Wave Double Elimination
The afternoon’s rising tide brought head high waves to Pozo’s shores. Seizing the opportunity, head wave judge Duncan Coombs called the wave sailors to the water for the first round of the double elimination, and a single heat of the second round, before the waves backed off.
Kevin Pritchard (Starboard, Gaastra, Dakine, MFC) showed his hunger to climb the ranks, defeating both Jose Estredo (Fanatic, North Sails, MFC) and Peter Volwater to help him clear a path through the double.
Kevin Mevissen (RRD, MFC) showed he’s not only a freestyle talent when he defeated Jules Denel (Naish Sails, Naish Boards) with a huge tabletop forward loop and an impressive backloop on the inside. He advances to take on Robby Swift (JP, NeilPryde) who also won his first round heat, aided by a massive double forward loop.
Ones to watch out for in the later stages are Jaeger Stone (Starboard, Severne), and Thomas Traversa (Tabou, Gaastra), who were ripping the onshore conditions to pieces, and clearly stood out above the rest.
The wave forecast for the latter stages of the week call for a big swell to hit, so the wave fleet will be back in action soon to finish up what they started.
© PWA / Andrew Buchanan
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Re:2008 Gran Canaria PWA Grand Slam - 2008/07/09 07:38
Aussie Jaeger Stone in Action
Pic - PWA/John Carter
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Re:2008 Gran Canaria PWA Grand Slam - 2008/07/09 07:42
Aussie Steve Allen , Slalom at full noise
Pic - PWA/John Carter
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Re:2008 Gran Canaria PWA Grand Slam - 2008/07/10 20:46
The 2008 Gran Canaria PWA Grand Slam – Day Six
09.07.08 -
Familiar faces return to podium, following a grueling day of race and freestyle competition in Pozo Izquierdo.
Three full slalom eliminations allowed Antoine Albeau (Starboard, NeilPryde) to lay rest any demons that may have haunted him, following his failure to qualify for the race six final the previous day.
Silencing criticism that his defenses were weakening, he towered above the opposition to win all three races in a commanding manor, and further stamp his authority on the event.
Following on from day five’s freestyle single elimination, Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, NeilPryde) once again defended her first position stronghold to walk away with her second double elimination win.
Race 7
Failing to make the cut in the qualifying heats, Ross Williams (Tabou Gaastra), Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde, MFC) and Josh Angulo (MauiSails, Dakine) all went out in the first rounds, denying them a chance to compete in the final.
Recovering in the losers final, Williams relinquished his previous error to take first place, ahead of Buzianis in second, and Angulo in third.
Returning to his domineering form, Albeau led the final from the start, with Kevin Pritchard (Starboard, Gaastra, Dakine, MFC) and Steve Allen (Tabou, Gaastra) left fighting for second position.
Pressuring the leaders, Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1, North Sails), and Moussilmani brothers Cyril (Fanatic, North Sails) and Sylvain (F2, Simmer) also made their presence known as they advanced through the fleet. At the finish line, Albeau won the race by a solid margin.
Race 7 Results: 1st Albeau, 2nd Pritchard, 3rd Allen, 4th Dunkerbeck, 5th Sylvain Moussilmani
Race 8
Nerves were spreading in the day’s second race, as a combined total of six false starts littered the winners and losers final.
Over early in the losers final were Cyril Moussilmani, Finian Maynard (RRD, NeilPryde), and Ben Van Der Steen (Exocet, Simmer Sails). Opportunist Steve Allen, took control of the under strength heat to seize victory, ahead of Taty Frans (Starboard, North Sails) in second and Jimmy Diaz (North Sails) in third.
Over eager starts for Pritchard, Williams and Volwater (North Sails) meant the final had to be restarted, minus the offenders. Rocketing down the first reach in the rerun, Albeau settled into his usual position at the front of the pack. Chasing him down were Dunkerbeck and Buzianis, who never let the leader out of their grasp, but failed to summon enough grunt to overthrow the French World Champion. Albeau walked away with another victory.
Race 8 Results: 1st Albeau, 2nd Buzianis, 3rd Dunkerbeck, 4th Angulo, 5th Benoit Moussilmani.
Race 9
Uncharacteristically departing in the first round were Buzianis and Van Der Steen, who started a trend of big names departing early in the elimination. Moving onto round two, Allen, Dunkerbeck and Volwater also slipped up and failed to qualify for the race final.
Regaining focus in the losers final, Volwater delivered an inspired performance to claim victory. Allen and Dunkerbeck also made amends for their previous mishaps, and recovered to take second and third respectively.
The final witnessed more of the Albeau show. The slalom machine methodically executed four perfect gybes combined with his astonishing straight line pace to notch up his eighth race win of the event. Pritchard snapped up another second place finish, and Cyril Moussilmani flew home in third.
Race 9 Results: 1st Albeau, 2nd Pritchard, 3rd Cyril Moussilmani, 4th Maynard, 5th Williams.
Overall So Far: 1st Albeau, 2nd Pritchard, 3rd Dunkerbeck, 4th Williams, 5th Cyril Moussilmani
Freestyle Double Elimination
Switching to freestyle in the afternoon, Offringa would have to prove herself one more time in the double elimination, to lay claim to the overall elimination win.
Yolanda De Brendt (Fanatic, North Sails) showed early form, knocking out Silvia Alba Orozco (MFC) and Iballa Moreno (North Sails). In her next battle against Junko Nagoshi (Simmer Sails, Dakine), De Brendt continued to shine, but cool headed Nagoshi banged out a diverse mix of switch and regular stance moves to stop De Brendt in her tracks.
Gaining momentum, Nagoshi went on to defeat Laure Treboux (Fanatic, North Sails) before falling victim to Daida Moreno (North Sails) who dealt out a harsh hand, which included a clew first puneta, a flaka and some monstrous forward loops. Moreno, in a repeat of the previous double elimination final, went on to challenge Offringa for first position.
Coming out all guns blazing, Offringa’s barrage was impressive to say the least, and Moreno had a tall order ahead of her, having to find a reply to a one handed puneta, a shaka, and funnel. Nerves seemed to overcome the local, and a last minute grubby, flaka and forward weren’t enough to match Offringa’s mammoth score. In a 5-0 decision, Offringa added another double elimination victory to her name.
© PWA / Andrew Buchanan
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