The opening three days of pro competition at the 2016 NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic have seen unbelievable conditions, but today Ho’okipa was at its all-time greatest as winds of 30-35 knots and waves of mast to double mast high provided a day of windsurfing at its ultimate best — with many considering today as one of the finest days ever witnessed on the world tour, such was the world class level of the conditions and action on offer. Men’s Double Elimination Ross Williams (Tabou / GA Sails / Mystic / Shamal Sunglasses), who has just finished 3rd overall in the slalom, staged one of the comebacks of the double elimination. The Brit used to be a regular in the top 10 on the wave tour and he showed his prowess in the waves today with critically late hits, aerials and powerful, carving turns to win four heats on the spin and also played a pivotal part in deciding the title race as he and Ricardo Campello (Patrik / Point-7 / MFC) eliminated Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD Sails) in Heat 41. Mussolini was the only man who could deny Fernandez, but in order to do so would have to stage a colossal comeback and win the event. The Spaniard made his intentions clear in Heat 38, that he had not yet given up hope of winning the title with a superb display to win the heat, but couldn’t quite find the scores he needed in Heat 41 as he missed out by just 0.16 of a point — meaning Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC / Shamal Sunglasses) is officially the 2016 Men’s PWA Wave World Champion. Fernandez was a cut above in the opening two events of the year in Pozo, Gran Canaria, and El Medano, Tenerife, where he comprehensively dispatched of his rivals and after a long and agonising wait he deservedly collects his second world title — adding to his previous title from 2010. Over the course of a simply epic day of action, there were so many outstanding performances it's almost impossible to list them all.  However, having said that Kai Lenny (Naish / Naish Sails / MFC) stole the show with the performance of the day. Lenny is the complete waterman and he drew upon all of his local knowledge and supreme talent to produce a simply outstanding heat — with local Rob Funk classing Lenny’s performance in Heat 42 as the best he’s ever seen at Ho’okipa, which saw Lenny earn the first 10. The 24-year-old was in such fine form that in just 10 minutes he was able to record the highest scoring heat of the day — 18.88 points — and had he not fallen on a final aerial on one of his waves he could’ve very well been awarded a perfect heat. In the final heat of the day, Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / Mystic / SWOX) was on fire as he too recorded a 10 point wave — the second of the contest. The Brit opened with a massive aerial, before unleashing a gouging turn straight into an explosive frontside 3 and then tagged the end section. Through the heat Swift delivered vert powerful, gouging turns and deservedly won Heat 43 ahead of Camille Juban (Quatro / Simmer / MFC).   Juban was one of the standouts during the single elimination again showed his class with the massive head throw aerials, frontside 3s and gouging turns and the Guadeloupe airlines is now guaranteed at least 9th place here, but it would be hard to bet against him not going a lot further.  In the same heat, local boy Graham Ezzy (Tabou / Ezzy) was understandably disappointed not to progress after posting scores of 8.62 and 8.12 points — which would normally be more than enough to carry you through — but he saw his hopes ended by Swift and Juban who were simply in supreme form. Ricardo Campello (Patrik / Point-7 / MFC) is always one of the most exciting sailors to watch and you never quite know what he is going to do and he turned Heat 39 around in the dying minutes. Campello first raced down-the-line to land a sick air taka, before combining a bucket spraying hack and a frontside 360 to progress. Elsewhere, Jason Polakow (JP / NeilPryde) produced two of the turns of the day, but unfortunately after each of those turns the wave shut down on him, which resulted in his exit from Heat 37, while Klaas Voget (Fanatic / NorthSails /MFC) won three consecutive heats with an impressive display of sailing. Kauli Seadi (99NoveNove / Hot Sails Maui / MFC) returned to his dynamic best today after looking a little out of sorts in the days prior as he showed off his unique, flowing, surf-esque style, but he then ran into Lenny and Morgan Noireaux (JP / Hot Sails Maui), who ended the Brazilian’s hopes. The forecast for tomorrow varies between models , but the wind is expected to be lighter and the wave smaller than today — however, there is still the possibility of competing tomorrow and the skippers’ meeting will be held at 10am tomorrow morning with the action commencing from 11am (GMT-10) onwards — if the conditions are suitable. Make sure you tune into www.pwaworldtour.com to follow all of the epic action as it happens via the PWA live stream.  To stay up to date with all the latest developments from Maui — including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply click HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page.  

The world’s best sailors took Ho’okipa to pieces again on finals day of the 2016 NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic as the sizeable swell and trade winds continued, although there were a more than a few victims along the way as Ho’okipa’s infamous rocks took more than its fair share of victims today, after not fulfilling their quota yesterday. After an intense set of finals, Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / Ezzy  / MFC) and Sarah Hauser (Tabou / Simmer / MFC) sit proudly at the top of the vent rankings after the single elimination. Women’s Sarah Hauser used her big wave knowledge and experience to her maximum advantage today as she consistently selected the biggest waves she could find, while effortlessly negotiating her way back out, which as the downfall of many others today with the channel frequently closing out. The New Caledonian beauty combined stylish bottom turns with fluid top turns to earn wave scores of 8.5 and 6.38 points to earn victory in the single elimination and she was clearly delighted with her efforts — as this also puts her on course to win the AWT title.  Japan’s Junko Nagoshi secured second place on the podium as she consistently attacked the lip to be rewarded with two 7 point waves by the judges, while her fellow compatriot Motoko Sato (Starboard / Severne) completed the top four.  Top seed, Fiona Wylde (Starboard / Sailworks) won her semifinal in style, but after a bright start to the final, things, unfortunately, ended sourly with the 19-year-old landing an aerial awkwardly, which resulted in three broken bones in her foot. Wylde has finished the last two seasons in second place and even after sustaining a serious injury she stills currently holds third place. Everyone from the PWA would like to wish Fiona a speedy recovery. Men’s Kevin Pritchard produced a buzzer-beater in the semifinals to book his place in the final at the expense Kai Lenny (Naish / Naish Sails / MFC) by just quarter of a point. Pritchard looked to initially struggle slightly with wave selection in the semifinal but got things together just in the nick of time with his last two waves to advance.  In the final KP continued to consistently pick out the biggest bombs he could find and with his timing now he in sync he unleashed several trademark super late hits off the lip to keep himself firmly in contention. The 40-year-old saved his best wave until his penultimate effort as he opened with two raking turns before tweaking a sick aerial, before jamming another solid hack in the pocket to earn 9.45 points, which saw him overtake Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing / MFC) and with almost no time to respond KP earned a hard-fought victory in the single elimination as his fearless approach paid off.  Marcilio Browne finished second in the final, which now means the Brazilian is guaranteed third place in the overall rankings as he leapfrogs Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails) and Jaeger Stone (Starboard / Severne / SWOX / Shamal Sunglasses). Browne almost earned a perfect score in the final after landing a massive aerial straight into a gouging rail turn, but couldn’t quite sail away from an air taka to complete the wave. The 2013 world champion was leading for much of the heat, but was unable to put the contest to bed with a couple of air game crashes off the end bowl, which left him vulnerable and with 6 minutes to go Pritchard turned the tables. However, Brawzinho will still be delighted with his efforts and still has a shot at the Aloha Classic title in the double elimination. Browne also wins the award for wipe out of the day after almost replicating Boujmaa Guilloul's emergency exit yesterday. Levi Siver’s (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing / MFC) day began less than ideally as he broke a mast on his opening wave in the semifinal after bouncing out on his bottom turn and getting sucked over the falls on a set wave. Luckily for the American, Diony Guadagnino (AHD / Loft Sails / MFC) was on hand, as he has so many times over the last four days, to supply Siver with a new set of gear and the American soon responded with a 9.43 point wave as he combined a vert snap in the pocket before stalling and waiting for the wave to steepen up again before executing a perfect frontside 360. Siver went on to win his semifinal before finishing third in the single elimination. Bernd Roediger (Naish / Naish Sails / MFC) was in superb form in the semifinals and he opened his account with one of the waves of the day as he linked two slashy cutty’s straight into a textbook goiter to earn 9.43 points, which set the 20-year-old firmly on the road to winning the second semifinal. In the final, Roediger, made another flying start as he quickly racked up a 9 point wave after linking two or three snappy turns before somehow wrestling a goiter free of the whitewater when it looked for all the world as though he should crash. Over the remainder of the heat, Roediger didn’t look quite as relaxed as he had done throughout the contest and seemed to try and force the issue a little more and eventually finished the single in 4th place. Double Elimination  After a one heat break, the men’s double elimination began and the first four heats were completed. Josh Angulo (Angulo / S2Maui) was the standout sailor in the opening heat as he earned two waves in the excellent range with a combination of ultra late hits off the lip and aerials.  In the same heat, Loick Lesauvage (Goya Windsurfing / Shamal Sunglasses) was unlucky as after a strong first wave the 16-year-old got caught out on the inside and with no immediate caddy he, unfortunately, ended up on the rocks.  Antoine Martin (JP / NeilPryde / MFC) won Heat 25 ahead of Julien Taboulet (Goya Windsurfing / MFC). For a while there was some discrepancy of an interference by Martin against Zane Schweitzer (Starboard), but after much discussion it eventually led to nothing and Martin and Taboulet will now face the legendary figures of Jason Polakow (JP / NeilPryde) and Robby Naish (Naish / Naish Sails) in the next round after they safely passed through Heat 26 Meanwhile, Bryan Metcalf-Perez (JP / S2Maui) claimed a comprehensive victory in Heat 27, while Kevin McGillivray (Tabou / GA Sails) claimed the remaining qualifying place in the next round despite his board and rig separating. The wind and waves are set to continue tomorrow and the skippers’ meeting will once again be held at 10am with the action commencing from 11am (GMT-10) onwards. Make sure you tune into www.pwaworldtour.com to follow all of the epic action as it happens via the PWA live stream.  To stay up to date with all the latest developments from Maui — including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply click HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page. Result Women’s Single Elimination Maui Aloha Classic:  1st Sarah Hauser (Tabou / Simmer / MFC Hawaii) 2nd Junko Nagoshi (Goya Windsurfing) 3rd Fiona Wylde (Starboard / Sailworks) 4th Motoko Sato (Starboard / Severne) 5th Ingrid Larouche (Fanatic / Ezzy) 5th Alice Arutkin (Fanatic / NorthSails) Result Men’s Single Elimination Maui Aloha Classic: 1st Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / Ezzy / MFC) 2nd Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing / MFC) 3rd Levi Siver (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing / MFC) 4th Bernd Roediger (Naish / Naish Sails / MFC) 5th Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins / SWOX) 5th Kai Lenny (Naish / Naish Sails / MFC) 7th Morgan Noireaux (JP / Hot Sails Maui) 7th Graham Ezzy (Tabou / Ezzy) 9th Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD Sails) 9th Camille Juban (Quatro / Simmer / MFC) 9th Leon Jamaer (JP / NeilPryde) 9th Ricardo Campello (Patrik / Point-7 / MFC)

For the second year running the NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic has been blessed with exceptional waves as a new swell pulsed through during the night to turn Ho’okipa into an XXL playground — or nightmare depending which side you were on — with solid double mast high walls rolling in. The start had to be slightly delayed with the whole of the North shore closing out first thing, but once Camille Juban (Quatro / Simmer / MFC) volunteered to be the first guinea pig, Head Judge Duncan Coombs soon made the decision to resume the men’s single elimination, while the women were released for the day.  Given the size of the swell the Ho’okipa rocks didn’t claim as many victims as they were possibly expected to as the world’s best wave sailors tamed the huge swell to deliver a day of epic action — although there were some monster wipeouts along the way — and wave selection was crucial with some set waves being a bumpy, choppy mess ready to air drop you into a pit of doom, while others were butter smooth and opened up to offer the real scoring potential. Wave Men’s Title Race Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC / Shamal Sunglasses) is another step closer to being crowned the 2016 Men’s PWA Wave World Champion despite being eliminated in the second round today as Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD Sails) — who is the only man who can deny Fernandez — was later eliminated in the quarterfinals. In order to deny his fellow countryman, Mussolini has to win the event and it will now take a monumental effort to battle back through the double, although mathematically the title race is still alive. The opening heat of the day — Heat 11 — produced a blockbuster start to the action as Camille Juban took on Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing /MFC), Jason Polakow (JP / NeilPryde) and Pascal Hardy (Sailworks). Juban stole the show with one of, if not the performance of the day as he continually attacked the lip with critically late turns and massive aerials to deservedly win the heat, while posting the highest scoring heat of the day — 18.5 points. Once back on land Juban added that it was pretty scary out there, but you wouldn’t have known given the way he assigned himself to the task at hand. Meanwhile, Browne secured second place with two 7.12 point waves. Polakow linked together a 7.88 point wave, but was unable to find a backup score as the Australian took an early than anticipated exit given the conditions on offer. Heat 12 saw reigning two-time Aloha Classic Champion Morgan Noireaux (JP / Hot Sails Maui) in action for the first time and the Hawaiian did enough to advance into the quarterfinals without doing anything exceptional — given the exceptionally high expectations he has set for himself over the last few years. Moritz Mauch (Severne / Severne Sails / MFC) also progressed at the expense of Bryan Metcalf-Perez and Aleix Sanllehy (Tabou / GA Sails). Graham Ezzy  (Tabou / Ezzy) picked up where he left off yesterday to claim a commanding win in Heat 13 as he mixed powerful turns and aerials to post a heat score of 15.88 points. Meanwhile, Alex Mussolini edged out Klaas Voget (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC) by less than a point to keep the title race alive. Heat 14 was one of the heats of the day featuring — Kauli Seadi (99NoveNove / Hot Sails Maui / MFC), Robby Naish (Naish / Naish Sails), Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / Ezzy / MFC) and Ross Williams (Tabou  / GA Sails / Mystic / Shamal Sunglasses). Over the course of the heat, KP staked his claim as a serious contender for the event title as the numbers are slowly whittled down. The 40-year-old was rewarded with 9.25 points for one outstanding wave, consisting of a gouging first turn, before punting a massive aerial off the lip and then finishing it off with a fully engaged rail turn, which deservedly resulted in him winning the heat. However, behind him, there was a colossal battle between Seadi and Williams with the places swinging back-and-forth on several occasions. With two minutes to go it looked as though the Brit had done edged the duel, but Seadi produced a buzzer beater to advance by just 0.14 of a point. Just like Seadi, Campello produced a buzzer beater in the very next heat — Heat 15 —  and will be thankful that Diony Guadagnino (AHD / Loft Sails /MFC) was on hand to sail him a new set of equipment after his board and rig separated upon landing an aerial mid-way through the heat. Campello made an excellent start to the heat with an 8.38 point wave, but left it incredibly late to eventually win the heat ahead of Kai Lenny (Naish / Naish Sails / MFC), who as predicted excelled in the massive swell. The final heat of the second round saw current world tour leader — Victor Fernandez — eliminated as John Skye won the heat after stomping a critically late aerial to earn 9 points. Meanwhile, Bernd Roediger continued to look dangerous as the 20-year-old qualified for the quarters in second place. 16-year-old Loick Lesauvage (Goya Windsurfing / MFC) also held his own and looks to be one of the brightest talents for the future. 2013 Aloha Classic Champion — Levi Siver (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing / MFC) — continued his march through the single elimination by making it three wins out of three in the heats he has sailed so far. Siver looks to be in top form and will now be one of the favourites heading into the semifinals. Also qualifying from Heat 17 was Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / Mystic / SWOX) after the Brit responded immediately to Leon Jamaer’s (JP / NeilPryde) 9 point wave, which consisted of one of the biggest aerials of the day. Swift retaliated with an 8.12 point wave and with Jamaer carrying a 5.75 point wave as his backup swift advanced by 0.8 of a point. Morgan Noireaux burst into life on his penultimate wave in Heat 18, which proved to be the difference between advancing and not advancing. The 22-year-old hadn’t looked quite in sync with the conditions throughout the day, but finally pulled out a vertical late aerial and a powerfully slashy turn to book his place in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Juban, who had been the standout up to that point narrowly missed out to Browne by just 0.13 of a point. Ezzy teammates Kevin Pritchard and Graham Ezzy were in a different league in Heat 19 as they continued to rip the conditions apart, while Alex Mussolini and Kauli Seadi appeared to struggle in the tricky conditions. Both Ezzy and Pritchard continued to punt massive aerials, while taking maximum risk which was deservedly rewarded by the judges.  The final heat of the day saw the winds ease back, but as a result, the waves cleaned up  and local boys Kai Lenny and Bern Roediger delivered a masterclass at their home break to end the hopes of Campello and Skye. With his final wave, Lenny, recorded the single highest scoring wave of the day — 9.88 points — as he worked a bomb from the outside all the way to the inside with a combination of super fluid turns and a monster aerial and both he and Roediger will be well fancied for the title. Wipeout of the Day Throughout the day there were several big takedowns as the Pacific Ocean unleashed its raw power, but Boujmaa Guilloul (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / MFC / Shamal Sunglasses) takes the award for the wipeout of the day after being ejected upside down from his kit after attempting an aerial too late off the lip. The forecast looks solid again for tomorrow, which should ensure another action packed day and both the men’s and women’s draws are now at the semifinals stage. Skippers’ meeting tomorrow will be held at 10am with the action commencing from 11am (GMT-10) onwards. Make sure you tune into www.pwaworldtour.com to follow all of the epic action as it happens via the PWA live stream.  To stay up to date with all the latest developments from Maui — including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply click HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Erstmals kamen die Teilnehmer aus allen fünf Kontinenten und machten die Veranstaltung zum größten One Design Wettkampf aller Zeiten. Auch 19 deutsche Teilnehmer waren am Start, von denen Stephan Hecker mit Platz neun in der BIC Techno 293 Plus Kategorie am erfolgreichsten war.

Der Gardasee und der Veranstaltungsort Torbole sind weltbekannt als idealer Spot für Windsurfveranstaltungen. Diesem Ruf wurde das Revier auch bei den BIC Techno 293 OD Weltmeisterschaften gerecht. Trotz einiger Herausforderungen aufgrund von Windmangel, dem ein Wettkampftag zum Opfer fiel, konnten alle Finalrennen mithilfe cleverer Planung und positiver Einstellung der Teilnehmer wie geplant stattfinden. Pünktlich zur Austragung der entscheidenden Wettkämpfe verbesserten sich auch die Wind- und Wetterbedingungen, so dass spannende Rennen und spektakuläre Action auf dem Wasser geboten werden konnten. Die BIC Techno 293 Junior Boys Kategorie (U15) bot mit Abstand die spannendsten Rennen der gesamten Regatta. Hier wechselte die Führung in der Gesamtwertung bei nahezu jedem Rennen. Am Ende hatte Mathis Ghio aus Frankreich die stärksten Nerven und siegte in dieser Altersklasse.

Einen ähnlich knappen Kampf um die Spitze erlebten die Teilnehmerinnen der Junior Girls Klasse (U15). Hier lieferten sich die Französin Mathilde Garandeau und Linoy Geva aus Israel spannende Zweikämpfe. Am Ende jedoch siegte eine glückliche Dritte, Mak Cheuk Wing aus Hong Kong, die die beiden Konkurrentinnen hinter sich lassen konnte.

Die Wettkämpfe in der Youth Girls Kategorie (U17) waren derweil in italienischer Hand. Beflügelt vom Heimvorteil konnte die Favoritin Giorgia Speciale fünf von sechs Rennen in der Vorrunde für sich entscheiden und setzte diesen Erfolg auch im Finale fort. Hier konnte sie sich gegen ihre Landsmännin Enrica Schirru durchsetzen und souverän den Sieg davontragen.

Die Wettkämpfe der Youth Boys Kategorie (U17) sorgten ebenfalls für Stimmung in Torbole. In den einzelnen Vorläufen konnte kein Favorit ausgemacht werden, so dass es bis zum Ende mehrere spannende Kopf-an-Kopf Rennen unter den Teilnehmern gab. Schlussendlich konnte Tom Garandeau aus Frankreich den ersten Platz auf dem Podium für sich verbuchen. Weitere hartumkämpfte Rennen sahen die Zuschauer von den Teilnehmern und Teilnehmerinnen in der BIC Techno 293 Plus Klasse, die ebenfalls während der Weltmeisterschaften ausgetragen wurden. Bei den Männern siegte der Italiener Antonino Cangemi nach spannenden Vorläufen mit wechselnden Führenden. Das etwas kleinere Frauenfeld zeigte ebenfalls erstklassige Windsurfaction. Hier konnte sich Clementine Le Joliff aus Frankreich über den Titel als Weltmeisterin der Techno 293 OD Plus Klasse freuen.

Alles in allem waren die BIC Techno 293 OD Weltmeisterschaften 2016 ein voller Erfolg und schon jetzt schauen alle gespannt auf nächstes Jahr, wenn die Wettkämpfe in Salou in Spanien ausgetragen werden. ERGEBNISSE

Alle Ergebnisse der verschiedenen Altersklassen findet man auf der offiziellen Eventwebsite: http://worlds2016.techno293.org/

FOTOS

Alle Impressionen zum Anschauen und Download gibt es hier.

VIDEOS

Alle Highlights der BIC Techno 293 OD WM 2016 findet man hier.

Weitere Infos zur Veranstaltung gibt es ebenfalls auf der offiziellen Eventwebsite:
http://worlds2016.techno293.org/

Gegen alle herbstlichen Hoffnungen war der Oktober, was Zeiten angeht, eher sparsam. Insgesamt gab es leider nur fünf Verbesserungen, was angesichts des hohen Niveaus, das alle in diesem Jahr schon erreicht haben, eigentlich nicht verwunderlich ist. Dafür tat sich wieder etwas auf der Website: Ein neues Ranking wurde eingeführt, dazu weiter unten mehr. Den Start in den Oktober machte Jörg Frodl, der mit seinem Warp am Ammersee 28,037 Knoten erreichte. Leider war es dann, was Wind angeht, eher mau und so kamen die nächsten beiden Updates erst am 23. wo Florian Seitz sich am Weissensee verbesserte. Florian erreichte 26,570 Knoten und kletterte damit auf Platz 57. Selber Tag, anderer Spot. Christian Rak nutzte den starken Föhn am Kochelsee um eine Zeit zu platzieren. Er setzte sich mit 30,122 kts auf Platz 18. Der letzte Eintrag der zwei starken Kochelsee-Tage kam von Ralph Kruse, der sich auf den 21. Platz schob. Der Walchensee ist um diese Jahreszeit oft noch ein sehr guter Spot zum Gas geben. Mit Karl Heumann haben wir Teilnehmer 87 erreicht. Karl stieg mit 24,724 kts auf Platz 66 in die Wertung ein. Die nächste Verbesserung kam von Tobias Ehrenthaler, der am Walchensee nachlegte und sich mit 29,232 kts auf Platz 20 hocharbeitete. Ein weiterer Neueinsteiger setzte den Schlusspunkt im Oktober. Der Holländer Nico Dam erreichte am Walchensee 28,455 kts und stieg damit auf Platz 38 ein. Somit haben wir dieses Jahr schon 88 Teilnehmer. Nur noch vier Wochen !!! Auf geht’s Leute! Wie anfangs schon erwähnt, haben wir für euch ein neues kleines Detail zu der Seite hinzugefügt. Das Brand Ranking!!! Das Ranking ergibt sich durch folgende Faktoren: Die ersten 30 Platzierungen der aktuellen Rangliste zählen für das Brand Ranking. Das Equipment des ersten Platzes erhält 30 Punkte, des zweiten Platzes 29 und so weiter. Die Summe dieser Punkte eines Brands ergibt die Platzierung des jeweiligen Brands. Schaut es euch einfach mal an!! Viel Spaß damit!

Nach zwei entspannten Tagen ohne Wettkämpfe in Hawaii, begann Tag drei der 2016 NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic richtig gut. Der Swell gewann deutlich an Größe und produzierte Logo- bis Masthohe Setwellen, die es den Damen und Herren erlaubten die jeweilige Single-Elimination zu starten. Day 3: The battle begins to decide the champions of this year’s Aloha Classic After two lay days in Hawaii, day three of the 2016 NoveNove Maui Aloha Classic saw the swell size increase (logo to mast high in the sets), which allowed the men’s and women’s single eliminations to begin. At the close of play only the top eight women remain standing, while the first, ten heats of the men’s single have been completed.  Wave Women’s Motoko Sato (Starboard / Severne) was the standout sailor in the women’s division today as the 44-year-old won both of her heats in style with a combination of excellent wave selection and execution — even attempting a frontside 3 as she set the tone early on.  In Heat 17, Tatiana Howard (Starboard / NeilPryde) came out on top, while Junko Nagoshi (Goya Windsurfing) did well to recover from her board and rig separating in the opening few minutes. Nagoshi remained composed and eventually ended the hopes of Amanda Beenen (99NoveNove / Point-7) and Colette Guadagnino (JP / NeilPryde) as she secured second place to advance. Ingrid Larouche (Fanatic / Ezzy) delivered a comprehensive display in Heat 18 to easily book her place in the semifinals as she linked powerful turns to deservedly win the heat ahead of Sarah Hauser (Tabou / Simmer). Heat 19, which was won by Sato, saw a terrific battle for the second qualifying place between Alice Arutkin (Fanatic / NorthSails), Lena Erdil (Starboard / Point-7 / Mystic), who was making her debut in the waves and Shawna Cropas (JP / NeilPryde). For a long time, it looked as though Erdil was going to make a winning start to life in the waves but just missed out with Arutkin finding the wave she needed on her penultimate ride to advance with Sato. The final women’s heat of the day featured one of the hotly fancied favourites Fiona Wylde (Starboard / Sailworks), but it wasn’t plain sailing for the 19-year-old. After getting her initial wave in the bag, Wylde then went over the falls on a set wave which resulted in a trip to the rocks, but luckily her kit survived unscathed and after a bit of help she was soon back out and safely securing her place in the next round. Meanwhile, Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Neilpryde / Maui Ultra Fins) looks to have progressed her Ho'okipa sailing again and the Aruban gem also advances into the semifinals.  Men’s The opening heat of the men’s single elimination saw a stacked heat featuring the 2013 Aloha Classic Champion — Levi Siver (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing / MFC) — former two-time world champion Josh Angulo (Angulo / S2Maui) and PWA ripper Leon Jamaer (JP / NeilPryde) as well as Michi Schweiger (Naish / NaishSails). Siver came out firing on all cylinders and quickly racked up an 8.88 point wave after landing a radical frontside 3, before going on to win the heat ahead of Jamaer, who just edged out Angulo. In Heat 2 Keith Teboul (Quatro / Goya Windsurfing / MFC) showed off his effortless, vertical top to bottom wave riding to comfortably win the heat ahead of Jake Schettewi (JP / Hot Sails Maui) — the 15-year-old won the Youth’s division yesterday and held his own today in the company of his more experienced peers to advance. Meanwhile, in Heat 3, Jason Polakow (JP / NeilPryde) unleashed some of his trademark under the lip hits to safely progress, while Moritz Mauch (Severne / Severne Sails / MFC) secured second place. Pascal Hardy (Sailworks) and Bryan Metcalf-Perez (JP / NeilPryde) advanced from Heat 4. Local boy, Graham Ezzy (Tabou / Ezzy Sails) produced an eye-catching performance in Heat 5  as he combined dynamic, fluid turns with aggressive cutbacks and even added a silky smooth taka to send out a few warning signals as the contest progresses. Britain's Ross Williams (Tabou / GA Sails / Mystic / Shamal Sunglasses) also booked his spot in round two with an accomplished display, but now faces a stern test against Kauli Seadi (99NoveNove / Hot Sails Maui / MFC), Robby Naish (Naish / Naish Sails) and Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / Ezzy / MFC) in the next round. Robby Naish may have only been back on the water for a couple weeks after breaking his pelvis in May, but you would never have known given the way he sailed today as he went on to make a winning return to action in Heat 6 ahead of Connor Baxter (Starboard / NorthSails), who caused an upset by ending the hopes of Kai Katchadourian (Simmer / Simmer). The penultimate heat of the opening round saw waterman Kai Lenny (Naish / Naish Sails / MFC) in action and the 24-year-old looked to be in dangerous form as he went on to win Heat 7 in convincing fashion ahead of Loick Lesauvage (Goya Windsurfing / Shamal Sunglasses). Lenny finished eighth here last year and you’d have to feel the bigger it gets the more dangerous he will become — the same can also be said for Polakow.  Bernd Roediger (Naish / Naish Sails / MFC) showed why he has triumphed at Ho’okipa before and why he finished second here in 2013 at the PWA Aloha Classic as the 20-year-old produced one of the highest scoring waves of the day — 9.38 points — after combing a sick turn in the pocket with a goiter off of the critical section. Roediger could well be one to watch very carefully over the coming days and no-one will fancy facing him. Also advancing from Heat 8 was Julien Taboulet (Goya Windsurfing / MFC). Into the second round and Levi Siver continued his excellent form to win Heat 9, while Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / Mystic / SWOX) — currently 5th in the overall world rankings — also made a successful start as Diony Guadagnino (AHD / Loft Sails / MFC) and Jake Schettewi were eliminated at their expense.  Heat 10 proved to be the final heat of the day and only featured three sailors with Jaeger Stone (Starboard / Severne / SWOX / Shamal Sunglasses) unfortunately forced to withdraw this morning after injuring himself while training yesterday. However, Antoine Martin (JP / NeilPryde / MFC), Leon Jamaer and Keith Teboul produced a fitting end with an extremely close battle for the top two qualifying positions.  Martin was awarded the highest scoring wave of the day — 9.55 points — after landing a one-handed aerial straight into a gouging turn, before finishing off with a goiter off of the end section. However, despite racking up the highest scoring wave, Martin was unable to find the second wave score he required as Teboul and Jamaer marched on after ultimately showing better wave selection. The action is set to continue tomorrow with a promising looking forecast which is predicting waves of 2.5 metres at 14 seconds, while the wind is expected to be similar to today. The skippers’ meeting has been called for 10am tomorrow morning with the action commencing from 11am (GMT-10). Make sure you tune into www.pwaworldtour.com to follow all of the epic action as it happens via the PWA live stream.  To stay up to date with all the latest developments from Maui — including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply click HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Julien gelang es in der ersten Saison auf Avanti Sails auf einen 4 Platz in der Gesamtwertung der PWA Slalom World Tour 2016 zu fahren. Von 18 Eliminationen schaffte er es bei 16 davon in die Finalläufe.
Eine erstaunliche Statistik und Konstanz während seiner gesamten Saison. Und eine Leistung die tatsächlich nur sehr wenige geschafft haben.  
Auf der Avanti Sails Webseite gibt es eine Sammlung von Fotos aus der Saison, zusammen mit einigen interessanten Statistiken. Hier geht’s zur Avanti Sails Webseite:

Der Aloha Classic 2016 startete schon mit reichlich Action – die letzten Startplätze für den offiziellen PWA-Worldcup-Event wurde von den Startern der Pro-Division der American Windsurfing Tour (AWT) ausgefahren. Daniele Di Rosa verdiente sich einen Platz unter den letzten Acht des AWT Finales, brach sich jedoch direkt vor dem Finale den Fuß. Im Worldcup mit dabei sind somit Zane Kekoa Schweitzer (Starboard), Chris Freeman, Michi Schweiger (Naish), Connor Baxter (Starboard), Laurent Guillemin (Simmer), Brian Talma (Naish / Naish Sails), and Pascal Hardy. Richtig los geht es nach einen „Lay Day „ am Dienstag dann erst am Mittwoch. Die Vorhersage sieht gut aus, es sollten spanende Wettkämpfe werden – keinesfalls verpassen, es gibt natürlich auf der PWA Webseite einen Livestream! Day 1: Final spots in the main draw decided after the official opening ceremony The first thing on the agenda this morning was the official opening ceremony, which is one of the traditions of the Aloha Classic. Shortly after the men’s and women’s fleets were released and they will meet again on Wednesday with an epic looking forecast. With the final spots in the men’s main draw up for grabs, today saw the AWT Pro Division battling it out. Daniele Di Rosa qualified for the eight-man final, but unfortunately suffered a broken foot prior to the final being sailed, meaning it was not necessary to complete the final with the top seven men already guaranteed a place in the main draw.  So that means Zane Kekoa Schweitzer (Starboard), Chris Freeman, Michi Schweiger (Naish), Connor Baxter (Starboard), Laurent Guillemin (Simmer), Brian Talma (Naish / Naish Sails), and Pascal Hardy all advance into the 48-man PWA single elimination after the opening day of competition at Ho’okipa Beach Park. Tomorrow will see another lay day for the Men’s and Women’s PWA Wave fleets with the current plan to begin the main contest on Wednesday with an epic looking swell on the horizon.  To stay up to date with all the latest developments from Maui — including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply click HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Auch am letzten Tag des PWA La Torche Grand Slam blieb der Wind aus. Um 13:45 beendete die Regattaleitung offiziell den letzten Slalom Worldcup der Saison. Somit ist Matteo Iachino der 2016er  PWA Slalom Weltmeister. Herzlichen Glückwunsch an den italienischen Racer zu seinem allerersten Weltmeistertitel! Rangliste der  2016  PWA Slalom World Tour der Herren: 1st Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Point-7) 2nd Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / NorthSails) 3rd Ross Williams (Tabou / GA Sails / Mystic / Shamal Sunglasses) 4th Julien Quentel (Patrik / Avanti) 5th Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde) 6th Taty Frans (Starboard / GA Sails / Mystic) 7th Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (Starboard / Point-7) 8th Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / Severne) 9th Andrea Cucchi (Starboard / Point-7) 10th Arnon Dagan (RRD / NeilPryde)

Leider spielte der Wind bis zum vorletzten Tag des La Torche PWA Grand Slam immer noch nicht mit. Auch die Slalomracer verbrachten die letzten Tage am Strand und warteten. Am heutigen Samstag ist der letzte Tag an dem – Wind vorausgesetzt – noch Rennen gestartet werden können. Nur noch zwei Fahrer können in diesem Jahr noch Weltmeister werden. Momentan führt die  Weltrangliste Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Point-7) an er muss in La Torche mindestens auf den vierten Platz fahren, dann wäre er Weltmeister. Sein direkter Verfolger, Vizeweltmeister Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / North Sails) liegt nach Punkten sehr nahe hinter Iachino und könnte ihm den Titel noch streitig machen und – wie Iachino – zum ersten Mal mal Weltmeister werden. Auf Rang drei liegt momentan Ross Williams (Tabou / GA Sails / Mystic / Shamal Sunglasses) gefolgt von Julien Quentel (Patrik / Avanti). Es wird auf jeden Fall extrem spannend, der Lifestream hält euch auf dem Laufenden! Bereits am Mittwoch ging der Event in La Torche für die Waver  - ebenfalls Wind- und somit Ergebnislos zu Ende. Freuen konnte sich auf jeden Fall Iballa Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins). Sie ist vorzeitig Weltmeisterin, da die beiden Führenden der 2016er WM-Wertung, sie selbst und ihre Zwillingsschwester und Daida Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) nicht beim finalen Wave Event 2016 auf Maui antreten werden. Nach Punkten liegen die beiden so weit vorn, dass sich die Dritte des 2016er Wave-Rankings, Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)  auf Maui sich nicht mehr verbessern kann. Die Trophäen wurden deshalb schon In La Torche übergeben.

Seit Tagen spielt der Wind beim Worldcup im französischen La Torche nicht mit. Große Wellen laufen schon die ganze Zeit und wenn der Wind stark genug, oder aus der richtigen Richtung käme, wäre für die vielen Zuschauer auch reichlich Action geboten. Einige Fahrer gingen bei ablandigem Wind in die Wellen und hatten auch einigen Spaß, für offizielle Wettkämpfe sind die Bedingungen jedoch nicht konstant genug. Am fünften Tag des Events wurde ein Tow-in Wettbewerb gestartet, der spektakuläre Action bot (und auch einiges an Material kostete) - Dieter Van der Eyken gewann hier die Qualifikationsrunde vor Leon Jamaer (JP / NeilPryde) und Amado Vrieswijk (JP / Severne) den letzten Platz der Qualifikation belegt Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins). Am Dienstag starten auch die Slalomracer, Einschreibung ist am Vormittag. Zumindest am ersten Tag wird es wohl keine Rennen geben, leider sieht die Wettervorhersage immer noch schlecht aus. Wir drücken die Daumen.

Der Eröffnungstag des 2016 La Torche PWA Grand Slam verlief, bei leichtem Wind über den ganzen Tag, sehr entspannt.  Am Vormittag haben sich sie Damen und Herren für die Wettbewerbe in der Welle angemeldet, anschließend wurde die Ausrüstung für die – hoffentlich windige - kommende Woche vorbereitet. The opening day of the 2016 La Torche PWA Grand Slam saw a relaxed start to proceedings with light winds throughout the day. First thing this morning the men’s and women’s wave fleets registered for their penultimate event of the year before preparing their equipment for the week ahead. With light offshore winds and a long period swell quite a few of the competitors took the opportunity to sneak a few waves during the afternoon after being released after the skippers’ meeting at 1pm. The Forecast Tomorrow looks like another lay day with similar winds as today being forecast, but after speaking to event organiser Christophe Boutet it looks as though Saturday, which shows 15-20 knot winds and a 1.7m swell at 14 seconds, has the potential to allow the qualification round to begin with purely wave riding to count. Meanwhile, Sunday predicts much stronger winds — 20-30 knots from the east-southeast — which could allow a jump to be included if the wind isn’t too offshore.  Qualification Round As usual, the qualification round will be the first thing on the agenda and it will see the following 12 sailors battling it out for the remaining 4 places in the main draw: Heat 1: Diony Guadagnino (AHD / Loft Sails / MFC) vs Alexandre Grand-Guillot (Fanatic / NorthSails) vs Justin Denel (Simmer / Simmer) vs Clement Bozec Heat 2: Julian Salmonn (Severne / Severne) vs Arthur Arutkin (Fanatic / NorthSails) vs Amado Vrieswijk (JP / Severne) vs Cedric Bordes (Tabou / GA Sails) Heat 3: Martin ten Hoeve (Simmer / Simmer) vs Philippe Mesmeur (Tabou / GA Sails / Mystic) vs Kilian Du Couedic (Fanatic / NorthSails) *Winner of each heat progresses followed by 1 lucky loser, who will progress from a final heat consisting of the 2nd place finishers.  The skippers’ meeting has been called for 10am tomorrow morning with a first possible start at 11am (GMT+1). Make sure to tune into www.pwaworldtour.com to stay up to date with all the latest news from the event.  To see all the latest from the event — including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply click HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page.