Ten epic days which sees Sylt deliver results in every discipline

by World Sailing on 13 Oct 2016 The 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sylt PWA Grand Slam saw an epic 10 day of action as results were gained in all three disciplines - making this year's addition one of the most successful in recent years as the men's slalom, men's and women's wave title races continued to gather pace, while the 2016 PWA Men's Freestyle Champion was crowned after a dramatic final day.

Wave

Women's

The women's title race once again looks as though it's going to go all the way between - Iballa Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) and Daida Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) - after another all Moreno twins final in Sylt. Daida came into the third event of the year leading the title race, but victory for Iballa here sees the twins tied on 6,234 points with Iballa edging ahead on count-back - having won the last two events. The title race is balanced on a knife-edge with two events to go.

Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) fought off Amanda Beenen (99NoveNove / Point-7) in the losers' final to claim her second wave event podium of the season, which sees Offringa consolidate her place in the current top three with her advantage extending over Beenen in fourth.

Men's

With Germany's very own Philip Köster (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) forced to retire for the season through injury, Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD Sails) came into the event as current world tour leader - Victor Fernandez's (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC / Shamal Sunglasses) - closest rival. Mussolini had experienced the taste of victory in Sylt in 2009 and after defeating his good friend, Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails), in the winners' final, the Spaniard was once again standing proudly at the top of the podium.

Mussolini's success here keeps the pressure firmly on Fernandez, who sees his lead at the top of the rankings reduced for the first time this season after finishing fourth. However, the former world champion is still in the driving seat with two events to go as he looks to add to his sole world title in 2010.

After finishing second Traversa rises to fourth in the overall rankings from sixth, while Jaeger Stone (Starboard / Severne / SWOX / Shamal Sunglasses) returns to the overall top three after defeating Fernandez here to claim the final place on the podium. Stone was slightly aggrieved with his narrow 0.13 point defeat to Traversa in the semifinals, but is still in an excellent position as the season heads towards its climax - particularly if he can discard his seventh place finish in the next event when the discard comes into play.

Local boy, Klaas Voget (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC), recorded his best result of the season so far as he fought his way into joint fifth alongside - Kenneth Danielsen (Simmer), Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / Mystic / SWOX) and Dany Bruch (Starboard / Flight Sails / AL360 / Shamal Sunglasses), who suffered a buzzer beater at the hands of Fernandez, with the Spaniard sneaking through the quarterfinals with his last minute wave.

Freestyle

Men's

Heading into the final day - Amado Vrieswijk (JP / Severne) - already had one hand on his first world title after a tremendous display in the single elimination, which saw the 20 year old claim an emphatic victory with double air culos and air kabikuchis making him look unstoppable.

However, on the last day the wind arrived and Jose 'Gollito' Estredo (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC) had clearly not given up hope of overturning the deficit. The six-time world champion drew upon all of his experience to produce an inspired display, which forced the title race into a Super Final, with the winner ultimately being crowned the champion of the world. The pressure was unfathomable on the beach, but it's in this sort of environment that Gollito really comes into his own and Venezuelan produced another brilliant performance to deny Vrieswijk, while securing an incredible seventh world title.

Vrieswijk maybe a little disappointed to have missed out on this occasion, but it looks as though there will be plenty of opportunities in the future as the Bonairean continues to emerge as one of the most exciting talents in the sport.

Yentel Caers (JP / NeilPryde) may have only just completed his second full season on tour, but the Belgian is another sailor with an incredibly bright future. The 21 year old ends 2016 in third place overall - his first top 10 finish - and he looks set to be one of the top title challengers in years to come.

Last year's world champion - Dieter Van der Eyken (Starboard / Severne) - finishes 2016 in fourth place overall, while Canada's Phil Soltysiak (Starboard / Sailworks) records the best result of his career in fifth.

Caers is not the only new addition to the overall top 10 as the same is also true for Balz Müller (Patrik / Severne) and Adrien Bosson (Fanatic / NorthSails / Maui Ultra Fins), who finish the season in sixth and seventh place respectively - with the Frenchman completing the podium here with a fine display, which saw him claim impressive victories over Caers and Van der Eyken on the final day.

This year's overall top 10 is completed by 2011 world champion - Steven Van Broeckhoven (JP / NeilPryde / Shamal Sunglasses, Taty Frans (Starboard / GA Sails / Mystic) and Nicolas Akgazciyan (99NoveNove / Challenger Sails / Maui Ultra Fins).

Men's

Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Point-7) was in a league of his own as the Italian destroyed the rest of the field to record three bullets and second place in the four races completed. The 26 year olds latest performance has seen him increase his lead at the top of the rankings over Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / NorthSails) - who could only muster a ninth place here. Iachino held the lead going into the final event of last year and he will be in the same position again with just one event to go in 2016, but he will be hoping for a different outcome this time around. Mortefon still has a shot at the title, but Iachino now has a little bit more room for error in France.

Ross Williams continues to hold third place in the overall rankings, but has seen his advantage over Julien Quentel (Patrik / Avanti) reduced after Quentel pipped the Brit to the final place on the podium here. The battle for the last place on the prestigious overall podium should see a nail-biting showdown with just one place separating the two sailors.

Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (Starboard / Point-7) and Finian Maynard (99NoveNove / Gun Sails) both recorded their best results this season with the Argentinian taking home second place, which sees him rise to seventh in the overalls, while Maynard claimed fifth place.

Meanwhile, Bruno Martini (Starboard / Point-7 / AL360) and Marco Lang (Fanatic / NorthSails) achieved the best results of their careers so far with Martini finishing in sixth place, while Lang secured seventh - with a second place in the second race proving pivotal in the Austrian's success.

Foiling

Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde) had an event to forget in the slalom, but he softened the blow slightly by winning the exhibition foiling contest ahead of Gonzalo Costa Hoevel and Sebastian Kornum (JP / NeilPryde).

Where's Next on the PWA World Tour?

The wave and slalom fleets will be returning to action in La Torche, France, between the 20th-30th October. The wave fleet will take centre stage on the opening five days in their penultimate event of the year, while the men's slalom world champion will be decided during the following five days. La Torche produced epic conditions two years ago and hopefully, it can produce world class conditions again. Make sure you tune into event website to follow all of the action as it happens via the PWA live stream.

Result 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sylt PWA Grand Slam - Women's Wave

1st Iballa Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd Daida Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)
3rd Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)
4th Amanda Beenen (99NoveNove / Point-7)
5th Lina Erpenstein (Patrik / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)
5th Alice Arutkin (Fanatic / NorthSails)
5th Steffi Wahl (Patrik / Sailloft Hamburg)
5th Justyna Sniady (Simmer / Simmer Sails / Mystic)

Current Ranking 2016 PWA Wave World Tour - Women's

1st Iballa Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd Daida Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)
3rd Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)
4th Amanda Beenen (99NoveNove / Point-7)
5th Steffi Wahl (Patrik / Sailloft Hamburg)

Result 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sylt PWA Grand Slam - Men's Wave

1st Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD Sails)
2nd Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails)
3rd Jaeger Stone (Starboard / Severne / SWOX / Shamal Sunglasses)
4th Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC / Shamal Sunglasses)
5th Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / Mystic / SWOX)
5th Kenneth Danielsen (Simmer)
5th Klaas Voget (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC)
5th Dany Bruch (Starboard / Flight Sails / AL360 / Shamal Sunglasses)
9th Moritz Mauch (Severne / Severne Sails / MFC)
9th John Skye (RRD / RRD Sails / MFC)
9th Dieter Van der Eyken (Starboard / Severne)
9th Antoine Martin (JP / NeilPryde / MFC)
9th Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing / MFC)
9th Leon Jamaer (JP / NeilPryde)
9th Camille Juban (Quatro / Simmer / MFC)
9th Alessio Stillrich (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC)

Current Ranking 2016 PWA Wave World Tour - Men's

1st Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC / Shamal Sunglasses)
2nd Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD Sails)
3rd Jaeger Stone (Starboard / Severne / SWOX / Shamal Sunglasses)
4th Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails)
5th Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / Mystic / SWOX)
6th Dany Bruch (Starboard / Flight Sails / AL360 / Shamal Sunglasses)
7th Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing / MFC)
8th Leon Jamaer (JP / NeilPryde)
9th Alessio Stillrich (Fanatic / NorthSails)
9th Antoine Martin (JP / NeilPryde / MFC)

Result Mercedes-Benz Sylt PWA Grand Slam - Men's Freestyle

1st Gollito Estredo (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC)
2nd Amado Vrieswijk (JP / Severne)
3rd Adrien Bosson (Fanatic / NorthSails / Maui Ultra Fins)
4th Dieter Van der Eyken (Starboard / Severne)
5th Yentel Caers (JP / NeilPryde)
6th Balz Müller (Patrik / Severne)
7th Philip Soltysiak (Starboard / Sailworks)
7th Matti Fabrizi (Fanatic / NorthSails)
9th Nicolas Akgazciyan (99NoveNove / Challenger Sails / Maui Ultra Fins)
9th Sam Esteve (JP / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)
9th Steven Van Broeckhoven (JP / NeilPryde / Shamal Sunglasses)
9th Davy Scheffers (Tabou / GA Sails)

Overall Ranking 2016 Men's PWA Freestyle World Championship:

1st Gollito Estredo (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC)
2nd Amado Vrieswijk (JP / Severne)
3rd Yentel Caers (JP / NeilPryde)
4th Dieter Van der Eyken (Starboard / Severne)
5th Philip Soltysiak (Starboard / Sailworks)
6th Balz Müller (Patrik / Severne)
7th Adrien Bosson Windsurfing (Fanatic / NorthSails / Maui Ultra Fins)
8th Steven Van Broeckhoven (JP / NeilPryde / Shamal Sunglasses)
9th Taty Frans (Starboard / GA Sails / Mystic)
10th Nicolas Akgazciyan (99NoveNove / Challenger Sails / Maui Ultra Fins)

Result 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sylt PWA Grand Slam - Men's Slalom

1st Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Point-7)
2nd Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (Starboard / Point-7)
3rd Julien Quentel (Patrik / Avanti)
4th Ross Williams (Tabou / GA Sails / Mystic / Shamal Sunglasses)
5th Finian Maynard (99NoveNove / Gun Sails)
6th Bruno Martini (Starboard / Point-7 / AL360)
7th Marco Lang (Fanatic / NorthSails)
8th Vincent Langer (Fanatic / NorthSails)
9th Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / NorthSails)
10th Taty Frans (Starboard / GA Sails / Mystic)

Current Ranking 2016 PWA Slalom World Tour - Men's

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)

Overall Ranking 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sylt PWA Grand Slam - Men's Foiling Exhibition

1st Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde)
2nd Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (Starboard / Point-7)
3rd Sebastian Kornum (JP / NeilPryde)
4th Mateus Isaac (JP / NeilPryde)
5th William Huppert (Fanatic / NorthSails)