Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam Day 7
by Chris Yates 25 Jul 08:02 PDT
Sarah-Quita Offringa earns a 16th Freestyle world title on Day 7 of the Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam © Inna Bru
Sarah-Quita Offringa survives Super Final scare to earn 16th Freestyle world title and 27th overall, while Yentel Caers powers to victory in Men's.
The second day of Freestyle (Day 7) at the 2025 Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam saw the Men's and Women's Double Eliminations completed to cap another explosive day of action in Sotavento as the world's best Freestylers put on another epic display to provide an enthralling conclusion to this year's official competition. Emotions ran high with the Women's world title on the line, while both fleets continue to raise the bar on what is possible in the Freestyle realm...
Freestyle
Women's
Less than a point separated Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) and Maaike Huvermann (Severne / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) in yesterday's Single Elimination Final and today Huvermann threw the kitchen sink at Offringa in the Final to force a Super Final.
With a heat break between before the Super Final, Offringa used that time to compose herself and the Aruban once again managed to up her game when it mattered most as she landed culos and burners on both tacks, while also stomping a big, clean forward loop to deny Huvermann a maiden world title by 1.8 points. Offringa started the event with the aim of adding two world titles to her haul, and she has managed to accomplish her goals again, meaning she has now won 27 world titles and counting.
Huvermann cut a dejected figure upon hearing the result as she dropped to the ground in disappointment, but ultimately she should take great heart from this performance as this is the closest anyone has ever got to stealing the Freestyle crown from the Queen's clutch.
Meanwhile, Lisa Kloster (MB Boards / Sailloft Hamburg) completes the event and overall podium as she reaches a new career high benchmark. The German produced several great performances as she has added some power moves to her weaponry and will be one to watch moving forwards.
Having been unlucky to draw Offringa in the opening round of the Single Elimination, Živa Batis (Flikka / GUNSAILS) was able to show her full potential today as she battled back from last all the way into fourth after winning three consecutive heats.
Men's
Yentel Caers (JP / NeilPryde) spent most of the day waiting to find out who he would face in the Double Elimination Final as the Belgian looked to regain his Fuerte crown having relinquished it last year to Lennart Neubauer (Starboard / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins). In the end, Caers would face Jacopo Testa (WeOne / GUNSAILS / AL360) and the former two-time world champion had too much firepower on this occasion as Caers starts the season unbeaten after producing a huge port tack display with a bongka, massive shifty and a pasko.
Testa did well to climb two places from the single as he first denied Takumi Moriya (Severne / Severne Sails) a maiden podium on the World Tour before also managing to take down Steven Van Broeckhoven (WeOne / GUNSAILS) to progress into the top two. The Italian actually almost matched Caers' port tack performance with a superb display of his own on starboard, which included a sick triple spock, but was heavily punished for not completing his port tack scoresheet - missing one move, while also counting a 3.2 point forward loop. Second place represents Testa's best finish ever in Fuerte - bettering his third place finish in 2019.
Van Broeckhoven slips one place to third from the single, but will still be delighted with his start to the season as the Belgian earns his first podium since Sylt in 2023.
Moriya may be a little gutted to have lost his place on the podium, but fourth place in Fuerte still represents a huge result for the 18-year-old. The hugely talented Japanese sailor almost staged a late come back against Testa in the battle for the podium, but his late flourish came a little too late on this occasion. Moriya leaves Fuerte with his best result to date on the World Tour, which equals the best individual result by a Japanese sailor after Takuma Sugi (Tabou / GA Sails / Black Project Fins) also finished fourth in Fiji in 2023.
Lennart Neubauer (Starboard / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) managed to fight back from ninth in the Single Elimination to fifth in the Double. The reigning world champion posted the highest scoring heat of the entire contest against vice-world champion - Adrien Bosson (Duotone Windsurfing / Maui Ultra Fins) - in Heat 30b as he became the only sailor to break the 40 point barrier - eventually posting a huge total of 42.5 points. Neubauer then suffered a slender half a point loss to Testa.
Elsewhere, Dieter van der Eyken (Severne / Severne Sails) also staged a great come back as the Belgian won four heats on the bounce to secure sixth place in the Double Elimination, which is his best result in Fuerte since 2019.
Adrien Bosson shares seventh place with Bodhi Kempen (Severne / Severne Sails), with the latter earning his best result to date on the World Tour after producing a standout performance against Gollito Estredo (Tabou / GA Sails) in Heat 28a when he posted 36.8 points, but could't reach those dizzy heights again as he bowed out against van der Eyken in the next round.
The top ten is completed by Niclas Nebelung (Duotone Windsurfing / Maui Ultra Fins), Antony Ruenes (Tabou / GA Sails), Gollito Estredo and Balz Müller (Severne / Severne Sails), who landed a cheeseroll into shaka today to continue his innovative ways.
That concludes the official competition at the 37th edition of the Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam, but that's not necessarily the end of the action as if there is wind over the next few days then we are planning to run some Super Sessions. There will be an announcement at 12:30pm (GMT+1) on Friday, so depending on the wind, there may be more action to come tomorrow.
You can stay up to date with all the latest developments from Fuerteventura— including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker via www.pwaworldtour.com
2025 Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam - Women's Freestyle Results:
1st Sarah-Quita Offringa (ARU | Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd Maaike Huvermann (NED | Severne / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins)
3rd Lisa Kloster (GER | MB-Boards / Sailloft Hamburg)
4th Živa Batis (SLO | Flikka / GUNSAILS)
5th Elena Dominick (GER | Severne / Severne Sails)
2025 Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam - Men's Freestyle Results:
1st Yentel Caers (BEL | JP / NeilPryde)
2nd Jacopo Testa (ITA | WeOne / GUNSAILS / AL360)
3rd Steven Van Broeckhoven (BEL | WeOne | GUNSAILS)
4th Takumi Moriya (JPN | Severne / Severne Sails)
5th Lennart Neubauer (GRE | Starboard / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins)
6th Dieter van der Eyken (BEL | Severne / Severne Sails)
7th Adrien Bosson (FRA | Duotone Windsurfing / Maui Ultra Fins)
7th Bodhi Kempen (NED | Severne / Severne Sails)
9th Niclas Nebelung (GER | Duotone Windsurfing / Maui Ultra Fins)
9th Antony Ruenes (FRA | Tabou / GA Sails)
9th Jose 'Gollito' Estredo (VEN | Tabou / GA Sails)
9th Balz Müller (SUI | Severne / Severne Sails)