2010 PWA Cabo Verde World Cup day 3 - Traversa steals the show

by PWA on 18 Nov 2010 PWA Cabo Verde World Cup day 3 and Thomas Traversa steals the show by claiming victory in the only heat completed so far in Cabo Verde.

At first light the PWA’s wave scouts dispersed across the island in an effort to hunt down a reef break with both wind and waves. At eight o’clock the call was made for the entire fleet to head to Curral Jaoul, which reportedly had the best conditions available.

Most of the competitors drove down the dusty track to see Moroccan aerialist, Boujmaa Guilloul (Starboard, Severne, MFC, Mystic) shredding some glassy faces, along with 2008 Pozo wave champion, Philip Koster (Starboard, NeilPryde, Dakine) who was smacking some chunky lips.

It didn’t take long before former world champion, Jason Polakow (JP, NeilPryde) joined the boys in the logo-high waves, which was enough of a signal for head judge, Duncan Coombs to decide to start the contest.

Due to the light 8-10 knot winds and lengthy flat spells between the sets, the heat duration was set at 30 minutes, with just two wave rides to count from the two sailors out on the water.

First up was the all-French battle of featherweight Thomas Traversa (Tabou, Gaastra) versus Yann Sorlut (RRD, Simmer). Traversa is the master of light wind wavesailing having spent plenty of time seeking out similar wave perfection in Indonesia, and as such stamped his authority on Sorlut. Traversa caught three high scoring waves in the first half of the heat whilst Sorlut struggled with only one. In the second half, Sorlut found an impressive set-wave and boosted an immaculate aerial which saw him soar into the flats, but from there it was impossible for him to get back out. Traversa scored another two waves in the final fifteen minutes, and despite Sorlut’s best efforts, claimed the heat to advance through.

Heat two marked the return of the 2009 PWA wave world champion, Josh Angulo (Angulo, Gun, Dakine) to competition. But, minutes into the heat, after impressing the international judging panel with an amazing first wave, the wind died completely leaving Angulo and his opponent, Klaas Voget (Fanatic, Simmer, MFC) unable to catch even the steepest of sections. After waiting a further fifteen minutes to see if it was just a short lull, the wind failed to return, and the heat was eventually abandoned.

The wind refused to build for the rest of the afternoon leaving the sailors to endure another frustrating day in the heat of the dessert at Curral Jaoul. Those that surf spent their time wisely on the water, whilst everyone else took shelter in their vehicles. A final attempt at four o’clock saw Angulo and Voget back on the break, but once again the wind disappeared before the heat had even begun.

The skipper’s meeting for tomorrow has been set for eight o’clock, so if there’s any chance of the contest resuming, the sailors will be able to make the most of it.

* The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa. (source: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Verde)

Watch the action on PWA TV or at www.caboverdeworldcup.com.
www.pwaworldtour.com