Ok seabreezers im going to try and do an event report now from Fuerteventura for the World cup slalom event.
It took me 12 hours on the ferry from Tenerife to Fuerteventura for the Canary Islands round of the world cup slalom event. I arrived on the 20th in time for registration and spent the afternoon getting my equipment ready. It's amazing how long it takes to put a few stickers on your sail and get them all rigged and ready. I've got 5.5, 6.3 and 7.1 ready to go as it looks like it's going to be on for young and old.
The conditions here yesterday were pretty bloody tricky, howling full power winds blowing more offshore with choppy water and slight rollers coming in makes it dam hard to gybe and sail in a straight line. You have to have 100% trust in your setup and fins.I Spent a fair bit of time in the drink today struggling to get comfortable. I think the winner will be the one who can make all the gybes clean and it could be a case of slow and steady wins the race. The hardest part is actually slowing down.
The event setup is pretty unreal with huge tents on the beach and people all around. The opening ceremony had media and camera's everywhere and each sailor got called onto the stage and introduced to the screaming crowd. After that was over there was a musical fiesta complete with dancing girls!
racing is about to start today hopefully with the wind gusting from 8-23 knots. this will be fun!!
some pics from opening from my dodgy phone camera.
currently 4 aussies involved steve allen, myself, jesper orth and sean obrien
i think the live stream is on here
www.pwaworldtour.com/index.php?id=920
well paint me green and call me gumby.
by the time i posted the first post logged off and went out of the tent.
the wind had totally switched off. its like a lake out there now.
windsurfing events.. cancelling the wind for 25 years
had a slight chance to race yesterday as the wind filled in around 5:30, i quickly went out to test my 6.3 after a few runs the wind shut off and i was the first to get rescued in front of the whole beach. who were all watching to see what the wind did. not my gybing technique.
no wind here again today the big tent on the beach like a sauna so hopefully some of the big guys have shed a few kg's and get down to my weight class!
here are some pics from day from around the event. no actual sailing shots
there are some more shots and interviews on the pwa website
www.pwaworldtour.com/index.php?id=920
and here www.continentseven.com/2012/07/21/pwa-fuerteventura-2012-day-1/
Boy those mug shots make you boys look good!
For anyone that doesn't know them they are no where near that pretty in real life!
Fingers crossed for some wind! Both there and here![}:)]
I'll think of you watching the scenery while I am at the W word
looks like maybe the 3rd day of no wind in a row here in Feurte. some pics from the hotel this morning . you can see the dust in the air. apparently this is a good sign or a bad sign depending on who you listen to. lots of guys sitting around with the thousand yard stare going on.
the big tent is a shaking,
latest wind readings 14-22 really gusty on the inside
ive got my 6.3 and 7.1 ready to go on the beach.
allready 2 heats done but then postponed due to the gust factor.
live stream should be streaming on pwa website.
Just watched Sean O'Brien come 4th in his heat. Angulo had a big off leading the race. Looking forward to Ben's race.
Argh, Troppo just had a collision on the first mark and ended up 5th in his heat. Next heat Jesper just got pipped on the line for forth - tight finish won by Allen. Watching it live is pretty good apart from the staggered streaming.
Edit - Where'd the wind just go to?
what a day. the wind here is all over the shop before my race i was nicely lit on 7.1 and 115. then as im sailing out for the start it picked up quite a bit and i struggeld to keep the thing down.
missed the countdown sequence as no one was at the boat i didnt no what was going on. seems they all waited on the beach for it then sailed out. as i sailed in to find out what was going on. managed to figure it out eventually and didnt get to bad of a start considering. was a little behind at the first gybe but managed to take chris as he went way wide. nearly fell though and as i got going again he clipped the back of my noggin with his boom or something and went down as he tried to pass upwind.
i managed to hold on to 5th and just took it slow and steady as the leaders by now were well gone.
wishing i was on the small board the whole race. would have been much better.
i didnt get to see jesper or sean's race but jesper got done by a meter by jimmy diaz at the finish putting him in 5th.
winds gone now and the spaniards are pumping up the fully sick stereo. only 2 hours until beer oclock.
tomorows another day
good to see some fresh faces on the podium today round one completed just after 6 pm local time.
ben full heada steam 1st
antoine elbow 2nd
peter bongwater 3rd
some pics from todays action
racing about to get under way in 15m.
red bull and burger for breaky time to race.
jesper is in heat one, im in heat number 5.
will see what i can do about the good looking men here but i'll have to ask jesper or sean to point them out for me.
Whoo ha, go Benny and Jesper!!!! Danny through too so puts a smile on my skull!!!
woohoo, told you all i'd pull of a bradbury!
made it through the first round and got 8th in the second was fun chasing and nipping at the heels of those in front like a rabbid blue heeler.
was using my 7.1 ka race and 92 patrik board.
jesper got through also and placed 6th in the second. not sure how sean went.
heaps more fun when its blowin!!
finals about to start
Ben, Thanks for the updates - really enjoying the first hand accounts.
Great to see Jesper Orth with a second in the Slalom round 3 loser's final won by Buzianis. I also see Finian performing much better than earlier events and is top on the leaders board.
Theres a great pic of Ben rounding the mark on the PWA site. 5th page of pics I think.
Couple of Jesper too. Go the Aussies!!!!!!!!!!!
Keep it up, team AUS!!
Wonder whats speeds people are achieving in a race, certainly going for it in this vid!! Van Der Steen did 45knot run, a few days before the event there.
great fun days racing yesterday
in the last round I got the perfect start full power fanging down wind at the pin 6.3m and 92 l board.
think i had an ok lead until i bounced outta the harness and had to muscle the rig for a few hundred meters while doing my best impression on a spanish dance to hook back in. ended up in 5th with a close battle which was good.
had my gps on in this race and the peak 2 second was only 30 knots. surprising as it feels a lot faster.
jesper going well and is nearly in the money im placed 38 at the moment hoping to crack the top 30 today but the wind is flukey!
We are just on standby for heat 4 in round 4. The wind dropped suddenly.
Ben is taking a snooze next to me and asked me to post something,, :)
Yesterday was great fun and more like the "real" Fuerte wind with a full day of slalom using 7.1 and 6.3.
Ups,,, they just told us to get on the water and they will try to race in 8kts-12kts.
Better get the 7.9 ready..
Will be back later..
still waiting so hear are a few pics from yesterday
jesper in chase
ready to go
built for speed
current leaders
get me a pie!
thank you
obrien gets a feel for things
flying man
rough outline of the course including a few reches to and from the boat and then back into shore after the race
@AUS120 - surely some sort of 'thats what you call hooking in' joke is warranted!
