PWA Fuerteventura Slalom

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Auch am siebten Tag des Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam und dem zweiten Tag der Slalomrennen funktioniert die Windmaschine in Sotavento wie ein Uhrwerk. Auch am heutigen Tag konnten drei Eliminations abgeschlossen werden. Das Niveau der Racer ist extrem hoch, in den drei Rennen des Tages gab es erneut drei verschiedene Sieger. Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / North) gewann die erste Elimination des Tages bevor ihm Ben van der Steen (Tabou / GA Segel / Mystic) in Elimination fünf die Show stahl. Im sechsten Rennen war es Taty Frans (Starboard / GA Segel / Mystic) der sich mit herausragender Performance im letzten Rennen des Tages behauptete und seine erste Elimination überhaupt gewann. Elimination Four/ Winners’ Final Nineteen year old - Benjamin Auge (RRD / RRD) - and seventeen year old - Ethan Westera (Starboard / GA Sails) - both qualified for their first winners’ final on the PWA Slalom World Tour as they sailed with expertise beyond their years and Auge made the best start of the pack. However, after screaming down the opening reach Pierre Mortefon moved into the lead with Matteo Iachino and Taty Frans also prominently placed. The top three raced clear of the rest of the pack as Ben Van der Steen caused chaos at the opening mark after dropping his gybe. From here Mortefon continued to put his pedal to the metal and he was soon taking the chequered flag to claim his first victory of the week. Behind him Frans was able to overtake Iachino to finish second and third respectively, whilst Antoine Questel (Starboard / GA Sails) recovered to finish fourth.
Alexandre Cousin (Patrik / Loft Sails / Mystic), Enrico Marotti (JP / NeilPryde) and Nick van dem Eerenbeemt (JP / NeilPryde) all received a bye into the quarterfinals after John Skye (RRD / RRD / MFC), Valentin Brault (Exocet), Alejandro Alcazar (Fanatic / North) and Fernando Martinez (Patrik / Point-7) were all disqualified from Heat 3.
Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde) was also disqualified from the round after being adjudged to have interfered with the start of Heat 8 as the man from Saint Maarten was preparing for the start of Heat 9.   Elimination Five / Winners’ Final The second winners’ final started in dramatic fashion as Ross Williams (Tabou / GA Sails / Mystic) jumped the gun and was disqualified for a premature start. Upon the restart Ben Van der Steen made no mistake in his second final of the day as the flying Dutchman opened up a decisive lead by the third buoy to win his first elimination of the year, whilst Pierre Mortefon and Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde) both benefitted from Josh Angulo’s (Angulo / Gun Sails) shaky gybe at the last as they moved up into second and third place respectively - with Angulo having to settle for fourth.
Tempers flared in Heat 11 after Cedric Bordes (Tabou / GA Sails) gybed into Maciek Rutkowski (Patrik / Point-7) at the final mark. Bordes attempted to gybe inside the Pole as he desperately tried to snatch the final qualifying place, but in the end neither man qualified as Antoine Questel (Starboard / GA Sails) was waiting in the wings to take advantage of any mistake.   Elimination Six / Winners’ Final Taty Frans had been looking blisteringly quick all day and in the winners’ final the Bonairean was able to link all of the pieces of the jigsaw together to claim his first ever elimination victory on the PWA Slalom World Tour. Frans led from start to finish as he burned away the rest of the pack with his pace and textbook gybing sending him clear and he was clearly delighted as he crossed the finish line. Matteo Iachino concluded another fine day with a solid second place, whilst Albeau finished third - which means there is just one point separating the two sailors at the top of the event rankings now. Meanwhile, Ross Williams was able to navigate his way past Sebastian Kördel (Starboard / GA Sails) to complete the top four.
Current Standings After Elimination 6 Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam - Men’s Slalom 1st Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde) 2nd Matteo Iachino (Fanatic / North) 3rd Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / North) 4th Ben van der Steen (Tabou / GA Sails / Mystic) 5th Taty Frans (Starboard / GA Sails / Mystic) 6th Ross Williams (Tabou / GA Sails / Mystic) 7th Micah Buzianis (JP) 8th Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / Severne) 9th Cedric Bordes (Tabou / GA Sails) 10th Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde)