PWA World Cup Alacati Turkey - World titles to Dunkerbeck and Offringa

by Ed Sinclair on 14 Aug 2011 On the final day of the PWA World Cup Alacati Turkey the tension could be cut with a knife as the sailors prepared their equipment for the final showdown.

As the men entered the final day, the event title was in reach of any of the top five. However having led the fleet for the whole week, Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear) was in the most secure place to take the win, as was Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne) in the women’s fleet.

Race director Juan Antonio Aragon announced just two more eliminations separated the sailors from their final results and that racing would commence at 11:30am.

Men’s Fleet
With the pressure still on, Dunkerbeck shone through the initial races of the day, sailing a slick set of heats to earn his position in the winners’ final. From the outset of the final Dunkerbeck looked like he meant business as he raced down the opening leg and into the lead. Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde) and Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails) challenged him to the second mark, but from then on Dunkerbeck was away, all he had to do was stay on his board and the race was his.

Having won five races in Alacati, Dunkerbeck secured a significant lead that could not be matched therefore granting him the event win prior to the finish of the competition. With four events under his belt and second place to his name Dunkerbeck has earned himself the 2011 world slalom title with one event to spare.

Bjorn Dunkerbeck: 'It has been a very successful year for me, my Starboards and my Severne Reflexes have been going really fast. We have been working for three years on a sail that can win competitions, and so far I won four firsts and a second so its mission accomplished. With one competition to go I am the world champion, it’s been a while. This is my fourth sail maker, I won my first title in 1988 with F2, I won lots with NeilPryde, then a couple with North and this is my first victory with Severne sails so that makes me really happy. It has been a tough week, but the fast course has suited me really well, I had a few crashes but overall it went smoothly. The wind has been fantastic this week and Alacati has shown itself to be an amazing spot.

Having sailed an incredible week in Alacati, Finian Maynard (RRD) had his hands on second place throughout the competition. However the last day of racing saw Maynard go over early in the semi-finals of elimination ten and he was unable to qualify for the winner’s final in elimination eleven. Unfortunately for Maynard, a very on form Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft / Mystic) and Albeau secured the top spots in the last finals, causing Maynard’s result to plummet to fourth place.

Albeau started the week in twelfth, however a stellar set of races from the many times world champion allowed him to plough his way through the ranks and onto the podium. Albeau secured a third and a fourth place finish in today’s racing, but it wasn’t enough to block Dunkerbeck from taking the title.

Antoine Albeau: 'The first day was a total disaster, I fell a lot and some people crashed into me and I think that really affected my overall result. In the end I managed to make every final but, even in the last finals I spun out at the last gybe and that never happens. I have missed out at this event, I made the podium but I am not sure how. But overall I am pretty happy I have been going fast and I had some great starts and I have been competing.'
Elimination eleven, the final race of the competition saw early exits from key players Alberto Menegatti (Starboard / Gaastra), Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North) and Volwater as they failed to qualify past the first rounds.
A swift set of heats allowed the big names to shuffle themselves into their respective finals. Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun / Dakine) dominated in the closing winners’ final of the competition to raise himself into sixth position. Angulo opened the heat with a blinding start, and ripped his way down the first leg. Having won the contest and the title a relaxed Dunkerbeck teased the rest of the fleet winding his way down the first two straights. Albeau was pushing hard along with Van Der Steen for the top positions but Angulo and Dunkerbeck were well ahead by the third mark. With clean wind the pair cruised around the remainder of the course, with Angulo fending off an elated Dunkerbeck down the final straight.

Women’s Fleet
Jaggi opened the day’s competition with a huge lead on the rest of her opponents on the results ladder; she would only need to qualify for the winners’ final to secure the competition win. Eager to finish on a high Jaggi stole the show in the elimination ten winners’ final with an amazing gybe at the third mark, allowing her to overtake a flying Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Gaastra / Mystic) who had led the fleet up until that point.

Jaggi took the victory in Turkey but Offringa claimed the slalom world title.

Karin Jaggi: 'I had an easy last day out here, I knew that I only needed a sixth place finish to win the event. I managed to win the very first race so it was a relaxing day from then on. I am really stoked to have won here; it’s my second time that I have won in Alacati. It’s not my favorite conditions as it’s so flat and often really light but we have had some great wind this week, I am really happy with the results.'

A rough ride for Offringa throughout the week saw her drop some critical gybes on the high wind days. However it all came together for the final day. Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic) led the fleet the whole way around the winners’ final with a charging Offringa in close second. Arrighetti displayed a smooth set of gybes to control the pack all the way to the final mark when disaster struck as she carved her way around the final gybe and she went down, opening up the door for Offringa to slip into first place on the final straight. Having won two of the four women’s slalom events and claimed podium positions at the remaining competitions, Offringa has posted the most consistent scores allowing her to win her second world title of the year.

Sarah-Quita Offringa: 'I am happy I have had a great season competing. I wanted to have a good ending here in Alacati. I didn’t have the best week but I managed to come back yesterday and today. Lena, Valerie and I were really close for three days we were only separated by a point, but today I won so I managed to finish in second. It’s a great way to end the year.'

The day also witnessed Greta Benvenuti (Patrik / Point-7 / AL360) and Marion Mortefon (AL360) sail two amazing losers finals as they both nailed their starts and take control from the very beginning to win the races.

The 2011 Pegasus Airlines PWA World Cup Men’s results:
1st Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear)
2nd Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft / Mystic)
3rd Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde)
4th Finian Maynard (RRD)
5th Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde)
6th Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun / Dakine)
7th Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North)
8th Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde)
9th Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails)
10th Pieter Bijl (JP / NeilPryde)

The 2011 Pegasus Airlines PWA World Cup Women’s results:
1st Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne)
2nd Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Gaastra / Mystic)
3rd Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic)
4th Lena Erdil (Patrik / Loft / AL360)
5th Delphine Cousin (JP / NeilPryde)
6th Fanny Aubet (JP / NeilPryde)
7th Lise Vidal (Exocet / North)
8th Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North)
9th Marion Mortefon (AL360)
10th Cagla Kubat (Starboard / North)

The 2011 Men’s Overall Slalom Results (after 6 events):
1st Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne / Mystic / DunkerbeckEyewear)
2nd Antoine Albeau (JP / NeilPryde)
3rd Ben Van Der Steen (Starboard / Loft / Mystic)
4th Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / North)
5th Finian Maynard (RRD)
6th Micah Buzianis (JP / NeilPryde)
7th Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails)
8th Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde)
9th Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun / Dakine)
10th Jimmy Diaz (Starboard / North)

The 2011 Women’s Overall Slalom Results (after 4 events):
1st Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Gaastra / Mystic)
2nd Karin Jaggi (Patrik / Severne)
3rd Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou / Gaastra / Mystic)
4th Alice Arutkin (Starboard / North)
5th Fanny Aubet (JP / NeilPryde)
6th Lena Erdil (Patrik / Loft / AL360)
7th Delphine Cousin (JP / NeilPryde)
8th Lise Vidal (Exocet / North)
9th Cagla Kubat (Starboard / North)
10th Greta Benvenuti (Patrik / Point-7 / AL3360)

The men’s wave fleet are next up on the PWA world tour, as they embark on their third stop on in 2011 taking place in Klitmoller on the 12th-18th September. Denmark promises insane stunts, aggressive wave rides and radical action.

PWA World Tour website
Dedicated website