GC Gloria World Cup - Tag 6

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Slalom X wurde am sechsten Tag des 2024 Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cups fortgesetzt, als weitere drei Eliminations für die Männer- und Frauenfleet bei 30 Knoten Wind und tückischen Wasserbedingungen absolviert wurden. Nach der gestrigen Einführung des Sprungs kam heute mit der Schikane ein weiteres neues Element ins Spiel, das die Meinungen weitgehend spaltete. Am Ende des zweiten Renntages haben die über Nacht führenden Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) und Pierre Mortefon (FMX Racing / Phantom Sails) ihren Vorsprung an der Spitze des Rankings weiter ausgebaut.

Women’s

Sarah-Quita Offringa held a 5.9 point advantage at the start of proceedings and after another three eliminations were completed today, the Aruban has extended her lead to a commanding 11.5 points. Offringa didn’t have the best start to the day after being disqualified for a premature start in the opening race - Elimination 5 - but recovered with a a second place in the next before signing off with a brilliant bullet to end her Birthday on a high after hunting down Jenna Gibson (Duotone Windsurfing). Offringa has been in dominant form thus far - winning 5 out of the 7 races - and looks as though she will be mightily difficult to stop.

Jenna Gibson leapfrogs Marion Mortefon (Patrik / Patrik Sails) into second place - gaining one place from the overnight rankings on countback. Both women are currently tied on 14 points, but Gibson is ahead by the narrowest of margins having beaten Mortefon on more occasions in the first seven races. Gibson recorded two second places and a sixth today, the latter she discards. Meanwhile, Mortefon didn’t enjoy her best day on the water today, yesterday, the former world champion only finished outside the top three once, whereas today she only secured one top three finish.

Femke van der Veen (Starboard / Severne Sails) will remember today for a long time after the 24-year-old secured her maiden bullet on the World Tour in Elimination 6. van der Veen enjoyed a terrific day on the water overall as she also recorded a third and a fourth to jump from eight to fourth by the end of the day.

Justine Lemeteyer (FMX Racing / S2Maui) slips from fourth to fifth in the overalls despite winning Elimination 6, which she was clearly pumped about - letting out a huge roar as she crossed the line. Unfortunately, after winning that race, the vice-world champion then marginally mistimed her start in the last race of the day to finish last.

Men’s

Overnight event leader Pierre Mortefon enjoyed another great day on the water as he recorded a bullet, a second and a third to cement his place at the top of the event rankings. Elimination 4, was the first and only time the 2019 world champion has finished outside the top three and he currently holds a 10 point advantage at the top of the rankings - while he currently discards a third, such has been his phenomenal level of consistency thus far. Things could’ve been even better for Mortefon as he was miles ahead in the last race of the day, only to be caught by Maciek Rutkowski (NeilPryde) at the chicane when he unfortunately found himself in a patch of lighter wind and failed to get away cleanly.

That small twist may seem insignifant at the moment, but it could yet still prove pivotal in the outcome of the event as Rutkowski has emerged as Mortefon’s main threat for the event title. The Pole made a few mistakes on the opening day of racing, but bounced back superbly today with results of a first, a second and a third to keep himself within striking distance. On paper, there is a 10-point gap between Rutkowski and Mortefon, however, after the completion of the next race, the second discard comes into play, which could potentially allow Rutkowski to drop an 11th place result.

As things stand, after the completion of the next elimination, the worst total Mortefon can be on is 7.4 points, but if Rutkowski was able to win the next race he would be on 7.1 points, so the next race is critical. Of course Mortefon has the luxury of being able to afford two poor results, which looks highly unlikely given his current level of performance, as he would simply discard them, whereas a poor result for Rutkowski would almost all but end his challenge for the event title.

Ingmar Daldorf (Tabou / GA Sails) currently completes the top three after another solid day on the water. The Dutchman is now the only other sailor to have qualified for every winners’ final aside from Mortefon as he continues to enjoy his best date to date. Daldorf started the day with two fourth places before finishing eighth in the half fleet elimination - which he currently discards - to keep himself firmly in contention for a maiden podium on the World Tour.

Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Severne Sails) started the day in fifth place and his day really couldn’t have started any better as he secured his first bullet of the event in Elimination 4 before backing that up with a solid second place in the next to climb into second, at that stage, in the event rankings. However, after his third premature start in seven eliminations, which is very unlike the Italian, the reigning slalom world champion now faces a mountain to climb if he still wants to battle for the event title as he basically cannot afford another error. In reality he can’t afford to finish outside the top two if he wants to contend. Iachino still gains a place from the overnight rankings - moving into fourth and is still only 1.7 points off of Daldorf in third, but he will be ruing that latest over early.

Twenty-two year-old Benoit Merceur (Starboard / Severne Sails) enjoyed another extremely consistent day on the water with two fifth places and a sixth, but due to how other results unfolded he slides two places to fifth. However, he is still only three points outside the podium positions.

Considering how much Jordy Vonk (Duotone Windsurfing) is battling his physical condition having been extremely ill before the start of the event, the flying Dutchman still finds himself ranked sixth at the close of proceedings, which is quite remarkable really. Vonk recorded a third, an eighth and a tenth today, but is clearly gutted to have gotten so sick just before the event as he would’ve been so desperately looking forward to a fin only event. Vonk has often been competing for first place down the opening reach before sometimes running out of power by the end of these extended courses.

Having signed off yesterday with a bullet, it felt like Bruno Martini (JP / NeilPryde) might have found his form, but things didn’t quite click today as the Italian, who is visibly one of the quickest sailors on the water, had to settle for a slightly disappointing fifth, an eight and a twelfth, which leaves the Italian ranked seventh.

Taty Frans (Future Fly / Point-7) breaks into the top 10 - eighth - by the close of play after recording sequentially better results today - an eighth, a seventh and a fourth, which is his best result of the event thus far. Frans will now look to build upon that solid platform by maintaining that progressive performance.

Having qualified for all three winners’ finals yesterday, Malte Reuscher (Tabou / GA Sails) couldn’t quite maintain that bright beginning. After such a bright start yesterday, the 34-year-old started the day level on points with third place - 18 - but after a quarterfinal exit to start the day, Reuscher then missed out on a place in the next winners’ final as well to unfortunately slide down the rankings - finishing the day ranked in ninth.

Nico Prien (JP / NeilPryde) started the day in 10th place and he finishes the day in 10th place, but the German did sign off with his best result thus far - 6th - in Elimination 6.

Fortunately the last few days of the forecast look like they will be Pozo windy rather then the lighter winds that were originally predicted earlier in the week, which should hopefully provide a naturally high octane finale to the '24 edition of the Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup. The skippers' meeting for tomorrow has been called for 09:30am (GMT+1), which gives a first possible start for Wave at 10am and 11am for the Slalom X.

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Current Ranking 2024 Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup - Women’s Slalom X *After 7 Eliminations (Two Discards)
1st Sarah-Quita Offringa (ARU | Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd Jenna Gibson (GBR | Duotone Windsurfing)
3rd Marion Mortefon (FRA | Patrik / Patrik Sails)
4th Femke van der Veen (NED | Starboard / Severne Sails)
5th Justine Lemeteyer (FRA | FMX Racing / S2Maui)
Current Ranking 2024 Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup - Men’s Slalom X *After 6 Eliminations (One Discard)

1st Pierre Mortefon (FRA | FMX Racing / Phantom Sails)
2nd Maciek Rutkowski (POL | NeilPryde)
3rd Ingmar Daldorf (NED | Tabou / GA Sails)
4th Matteo Iachino (ITA | Starboard / Severne Sails)
5th Benoit Merceur (FRA | Starboard / Severne Sails)
6th Jordy Vonk (NED | Duotone Windsurfing)
7th Bruno Martini (ITA | JP / NeilPryde)
8th Taty Frans (NB | Future Fly / Point-7)
9th Malte Reuscher (GER | Tabou / GA Sais)
10th Nico Prien (GER | JP / NeilPryde)