Raceboard World Championships - Nail-biting finish in Blanes

by International Windsurfing Association on 2 Oct 2014 Drama and excitement prevailed over the final two days of the Raceboard World Championships in Blanes.

Ivan Pastor (ESP-7), dominating the final series of races by taking the bullet each time ahead of defending champion, Maksymillian Wojcik (POL-7), was forced to retire from the third race of the penultimate day with a broken boom. The two Latvian ladies, Vita Matise and Ilona Grinberga, were certain to take the gold and silver places but in the end it came down to the discard to separate them.

As every other day, patience was a virtue, as everyone waited for the wind to appear on the final day. However, Ivan Pastor knew he could not afford a slip-up today since he was carrying a DNF into his final results. Eventually race 13 was under way in 11 knots, POL-7 was leading by five seconds and Wojcik took the win! Game on and into race 14! Pastor pulled one back, finishing ahead of Wojcik and then it appeared the wind was dropping, the wind gods were packing up and going home - no more racing.

In the women's fleet, Latvian Ilona Grinberga had an amazing finish to the championship with two bullets to add to her arsenal, and ending on equal points with her team mate Vita Matise. However, she lost out on the top spot with her race 11 DNC coming into IWA website