PWA Fuerteventura
Slalom Preview
After 5 days of freestyle the world’s fastest sailors will take their turn in the windsurfing spotlight for their 4th battle of the year. Last year Fuerte produced some of the best racing ever seen and by the looks of the forecast the wind machine should continue to do its thing meaning the next 5 days should be as exciting as ever. Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde) heads up the rankings coming into Fuerteventura after a great start to the season which saw him claim a convincing victory in Costa Brava and a 3rd place in Japan. The 23-time world champion was untouchable here last year as he tamed Fuerte’s ferocious winds and choppy waters to claim an emphatic victory and he’ll be looking to win his 4th successive event title over the next 5 days. Reigning world champion - Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Point-7 / Shamal Sunglasses) - and vice-world champion - Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / NorthSails / Chopper Fins) - are currently tied on points in 2nd and 3rd and will be eager not lose anymore ground to Albeau - otherwise it would look like a long way back to prevent AA from marching to a 24th world crown. Iachino looked slightly off the pace in Costa Brava and was delighted to make the podium, so it will be interesting to see if he has found the formula to unlock the blistering pace he has shown in the last few seasons. Ross Williams (Tabou / GA Sails / Mystic / Shamal Sunglasses) has an excellent record here over the last couple of seasons with a 2nd and a 3rd and the Brit comes into Fuerte perfectly poised in 4th place and ready to challenge for the overall podium again. Williams is usually one of the most consistent sailors and will be hoping to complete a hat-trick of podiums come the end of the event. Finian Maynard (99NoveNove / Gun Sails) won here in 2012 and he is seeing his hard work over the winter pay dividends already this season. The 42-year-old shred 10 kilos during the off season and has been rewarded with a 4th place in Japan, while a 13th place in Costa Brava sees him currently sitting in 5th place. If everything clicks into place then Maynard could well emulate the success which brought him that event title in 2012. Argentina’s Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (Starboard / Severne / Chopper Fins) has been very consistent so far this season with 8th and 11th place finishes and with a little more look things could’ve been even better. However, Costa Hoevel didn’t enjoy Fuerte last year as he recorded a disappointing 21st place and he’ll be keen to put those memories behind him. Julien Quentel (Patrik / Avanti) went from hero to zero in the blink of the eye as he experienced the highs and lows of racing. The man from Saint Maarten sailed brilliantly to win in Japan, but then had a bit of a shocker in Costa Brava where he could only muster a 20th place. Quentel comes into the event 7th in overalls. Can he recapture that form from Japan? France’s Antoine Questel (Starboard / S2Maui) sits in 8th place just ahead of Jordy Vonk (Fanatic / NorthSails) - who is another sailor to have produced in different performances. The 24-year-old earned his first ever podium in Japan before recording a disappointing 21st in Spain. The top 10 is currently completed by Germany’s Sebastian Kördel (Starboard / GA Sails). Also keep an eye out for Italy’s Andrea Cucchi (Starboard / Point-7), Bonaire’s Taty Frans (Starboard / GA Sails / Mystic), Israel’s Arnon Dagan (RRD / NeilPryde) and France’s Pascal Toselli (99NoveNove / Sails / Chopper Fins), who agonisingly missed out on the podium in Costa Brava by just one point. Of course there are a whole host of other sailors who are more than capable of breaking into the top 10 and as we have seen already this season there really are no easy heats and almost anyone has the potential to book their place in the winners’ final. To stay up to date with all the latest developments from Fuerteventura — including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply click HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page.