HydroFoil Pro Tour Mauritius – Day 1

by Robbie Dean on 18 Aug 2016 Parlier comes out swinging the first day of racing in the lagoon of Pointe d’Esny was what some might identify as ‘champagne sailing’.

Racers were treated with fifteen to twenty knot winds, flat water, blue skies, and the beautiful backdrop of Isle Mauritius in view. For Frenchman Nico Parlier today’s performance probably has him pondering certain thoughts of champagne. After coming off a regatta victory in San Francisco and then winning all five of today’s races Parlier looks to be the top gun on the tour at the moment.

But rivals Johnny Heineken (USA), Maxime Nocher (Monaco), Axel Mazella (France), and Oliver Bridge (Great Britain) will certainly respond in force to make sure Parlier doesn’t simply run away with another title. The top group was action packed with lead changes, big crashes, and tactical maneuvers as the racers work out this new international tour venue. With five races completed and a dozen left to go it is still anyone’s guess of who will be crowned champion.

The ladies category saw some great battles between USA’s Daniela Moroz, Elena Kalinina (Russia), Alexia Francelli (France), and Gina Hewson (New Zealand). Currently Moroz leads the group with a seventeen-point advantage but while sailing amongst the men there are big point swings between each of the female competitors.

Other titles on the line are the Youth (Under 21 years), Masters (35-44 years), and Grandmasters (45+) with the largest category participation in the Youth and Grandmasters divisions. The competition will continue tomorrow with four races planned at high tide.

The venue at Ponite d’Esny has a tricky tidal cycle which plays into the racing strategy and more importantly the cautionary awareness for the racers. They will try to catch the advantaged current but more importantly they will try not touch the sea floor reefs with their one-meter long hydrofoils. One false move and crash! You’ll not only be landing hard on the water but you’ll be mixing a batch of repair resin in your hotel that evening.

It’s all part of the game on the Pro Tour as the organizers and race management team try to manage the fine balance between beauty, competition, fun, and safety.

Rank	HelmName	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Total	Nett
1st	NICO PARLIER	(1.0)	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	9.0	8.0
2nd	JOHNNY HEINEKEN	3.0	(5.0)	2.0	2.0	2.0	3.0	3.0	2.0	3.0	25.0	20.0
3rd	MAXIME NOCHER	(5.0)	3.0	3.0	3.0	4.0	4.0	4.0	3.0	2.0	31.0	26.0
4th	OLIVER BRIDGE	2.0	2.0	(41.0 DNF)	5.0	8.0	2.0	2.0	4.0	5.0	71.0	30.0
5th	AXEL MAZELLA	(6.0)	4.0	4.0	4.0	3.0	5.0	5.0	5.0	4.0	40.0	34.0
6th	FLORIAN GRUBER	7.0	6.3 RDG	7.0	6.0	5.0	6.0	(8.0)	6.0	7.0	58.3	50.3
7th	TIOUAN GALEA	4.0	6.0	8.0	8.0	7.0	(41.0 DNF)	9.0	7.0	6.0	96.0	55.0
8th	ADRIAN GEISLINGER	8.0	7.0	5.0	10.0	10.0	9.0	10.0	12.0	(20.0)	91.0	71.0
9th	JEAN DE FALBAIRE	11.0	11.0	6.0	7.0	9.0	(16.0)	7.0	10.0	10.0	87.0	71.0
10th	MARVIN BAUMEISTER	12.0	14.0	(15.0)	14.0	6.0	10.5 RDG	6.0	8.0	8.0	93.5	78.5
11th	THEO LHOSTIS	9.0	(13.0)	9.0	11.0	11.0	8.0	11.0	9.0	11.0	92.0	79.0
12th	ALEX CAIZERGUES	15.0	18.0	10.0	12.0	12.0	11.0	(19.0)	11.0	9.0	117.0	98.0
13th	KIERAN LE BORGNE	13.0	10.0	16.0	(17.0)	14.0	15.0	12.0	16.0	13.0	126.0	109.0
14th	JEROME BONIEUX	(16.0)	12.0	14.0	13.0	16.0	13.0	13.0	14.0	14.0	125.0	109.0
15th	MATEO MOUQUET	(23.0)	16.0	13.0	16.0	19.0	10.0	18.0	19.0	17.0	151.0	128.0
16th	ALEXIS DELQUIE	14.0	19.0	18.0	18.0	18.0	14.0	14.0	(33.0)	18.0	166.0	133.0
17th	DANIELA MOROZ	17.0	17.0	22.0	(27.0)	13.0	12.0	16.0	15.0	22.0	161.0	134.0
18th	MARTIN TURBIL	10.0	15.0	11.0	9.0	17.0	41.0 DCT	(41.0 DNS)	18.0	15.0	177.0	136.0
19th	BENJAMIN PETIT	(41.0 OCS)	9.0	12.0	15.0	41.0 DCT	19.0	15.0	13.0	12.0	177.0	136.0
20th	KARI EISENHUT	19.0	20.0	19.0	21.0	(41.0 DSQ)	17.0	20.0	21.0	19.0	197.0	156.0
21st	VICTOR BACHICHET	18.0	41.0 DCT	17.0	19.0	15.0	(20.2 RDG)	17.0	17.0	16.0	180.2	160.0
22nd	ELENA KALININA	20.0	22.0	21.0	(25.0)	20.0	18.0	21.0	23.0	23.0	193.0	168.0
23rd	MANI BISSCHOPS	21.0	21.0	20.0	20.0	(41.0 RET)	23.5 RDG	23.5 RDG	20.0	21.0	211.0	170.0
24th	ALEXIA FANCELLI	22.0	23.0	23.0	(33.0)	23.0 RDG	20.0	22.0	24.0	25.0	215.0	182.0
25th	HECTOR PATURAU	26.0	25.0	25.0	24.0	21.0	(29.0)	23.0	22.0	24.0	219.0	190.0
26th	GINA HEWSON	25.0	25.8 RDG	24.0	26.0	24.0	22.0	25.0	26.0	(27.0)	224.8	197.8
27th	RICHARD BATES	24.0	24.0	27.0	(30.0)	27.0	21.0	26.0	25.0	26.0	230.0	200.0
28th	JEAN-PIERRE VALESA	29.0	26.0	26.0	28.0	23.0	25.0	(31.0)	28.0	28.0	244.0	213.0
29th	PHILLIP ROWLANDS	28.0	(41.0 DNF)	29.0	29.0	22.0	26.0	29.0	32.0	32.0	268.0	227.0
30th	JEREMIE RAFFRAY	30.0	27.0	30.0	(32.0)	26.0	24.0	32.0	29.0	30.0	260.0	228.0
31st	JAN PATRICK	(41.0 RET)	28.0	32.0	36.0	31.0	31.0	27.0	27.0	29.0	282.0	241.0
32nd	JULIEN DE FALBAIRE	34.0	32.0	(35.0)	23.0	28.0	30.0	34.0	31.0	34.0	281.0	246.0
33rd	REMI DEAHAYE	31.0	30.0	31.0	35.0	(41.0 RCT)	28.0	30.0	30.0	33.0	289.0	248.0
34th	MAX BONIEUX	36.0	34.0	33.0	31.0	25.0	27.0	28.0	(41.0 DNF)	41.0 DNS	296.0	255.0
35th	GAEL VUILLEMIN	33.0	29.0	28.0	34.0	34.0	32.0	(35.0)	34.0	31.0	290.0	255.0
36th	JEAN-YVES FIEVET	(41.0 RET)	8.0	41.0 DNF	22.0	32.0	41.0 DNF	41.0 DNF	37.0	37.0	300.0	259.0
37th	PETE MORGAN	32.0	31.0	34.0	(37.0)	29.0	33.0	33.0	35.0	35.0	299.0	262.0
38th	RON GROENEWEGEN	35.0	33.0	(41.0 DNF)	38.0	33.0	34.0	36.0	36.0	36.0	322.0	281.0
39th	RICHARD BARBER	(41.0 RET)	41.0 DNF	41.0 DNF	41.0 DNF	41.0 DNF	35.0	24.0	41.0 DNF	41.0 DNF	346.0	305.0
40th	RUI POMBEIRO	27.0	(41.0 DNF)	41.0 DNF	41.0 DNF	41.0 DNF	41.0 DNF	41.0 DNF	41.0 DNF	41.0 DNF	355.0	314.0