2010 Catalunya – Costa Brava (Spain) PWA Slalom World Cup - Day 5

by PWA/Paul Griffiths on 13 Jun 2010 2010 Catalunya – Costa Brava (Spain) PWA Slalom World Cup - Day 5.

The fifth day of competition started in the usual laid back Spanish style on the beautiful beaches of Costa Brava with plenty of time for gear tuning and tennis. This also gave the huge weekend crowds the opportunity to mingle with their windsurfing heroes and soak up the world tour atmosphere.

Early in the afternoon a light onshore breeze kick started the sailors into action, and with the hope that the finals of the men’s race 2 could be completed, the top seeds hit the water early. Despite the race crew making every effort to get the competition underway, the wind failed to strengthen enough to meet the minimum requirement for racing which leaves the event standings the same as yesterday.

The 2000 PWA overall world champion, Kevin Pritchard (Starboard, Gaastra, DaKine) was one of the first to grab his gear and prepare for the possibility of racing. We caught up with him when he arrived back onshore.

PWA: What gear were you using this afternoon?
Kevin Pritchard: 'I was testing my 9.3 Gaastra Vapor, with my Starboard iSonic 131, and a Deboichet 50cm fin. It would have been an awesome combination to use for the light wind racing if it had stayed at around 8-10 knots. I was out testing with my tuning partner, Ross Williams (Tabou, Gaastra) who was also on his 9.3 Vapor.'

PWA: What gear did you register for the tour this year?
KP: 'I registered the new Gaastra Vapors in 9.3, 8.4, 7.6, 6.7, 6.0, and 5.5. As for boards, they are Starboard iSonics in 131L, 111L, and 94L versions.'

PWA: Why did you choose those sizes?
KP: 'I chose all of those because they give me the best range for the places we compete at, and for my weight of 92kgs.'

PWA: Which combination do you like competing on the most?
KP: 'Well, my favorite is actually the iSonic 86, but with no slalom in Gran Canaria this year, I didn’t register it. The 86 is the one I train on the most in Maui. I love sailing that completely maxed out on my 5.5 or 6.0 at full tilt!'

PWA: What are the biggest changes to your gear from last year?
KP: 'Our aim was to make both the boards and sails more versatile for a wider wind range, and to be fast in a more diverse range of conditions, and I think we’ve achieved this.'

PWA: Seat or waist harness?
KP: 'Waist for more control. You can use your body weight more easily, and it’s faster to hook in and out of.'

PWA: If you could only have one set up, what would it be?
KP: 'The new iSonic 111 and the 7.6 Vapor. You could go out in a huge range of conditions with that gear.'

With the current forecast, the organizers remain hopeful that more dramatic racing will take place on the final day of competition in Costa Brava.

Men’s Results After Two Races (Race 2 counts despite being incomplete)
1st Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic) 5.2pts
2nd Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde) 6.5pts
3rd Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North) 7.5pts
4th Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde)13.5pts
5th Ross Williams (Tabou, Gaastra) 16.5pts

Women’s Results After Two Races
1st = Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic) 2.7pts
1st = Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) 2.7pts
3rd Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra) 7pts

www.pwaworldtour.com