The wind refused to play ball here on the final day of the Costa Brava 2002 PWA qualifier but did fill in enough to allow an unofficial freestyle expression session this afternoon. In a thrilling final held right in front of the crowds Tati Frans (Gaastra, AHD) took first place followed by his brother Tonki (Gaastra, AHD) in second with Andrea Rosati (Neil Pryde, RRD) of Italy finishing in third.
Despite the lack of an official result, organizers and competitors are still heralding this years event as a major success. Sailors have been out on the water everyday and the hospitality and festival feel of the event has been received well by the crowds.
Gusty winds were the reason for race director Frank Roeget’s decision not to allow official competition to start this afternoon. With time running out he opted to run an un-official freestyle expression session and which was run as two semi finals followed by a ten man fifteen minute final. The occasional 15-knot gust was enough for sailors to pump up onto the plane and scram in towards the waters edge to bust out some incredible moves.
Todays winner, Tati Frans (Gaastra, AHD) amazed the crowds with a dynamic display of slick freestyle manoeuvres and won the final despite fierce opposition from the likes of his brother Tonki (Gaastra, AHD), Andrea Rosati (Neil Pryde, RRD), Josh Stone (JP, Neil Pryde) Vidar Jensen (North) and Bruno Andre (Gaastra, AHD). Amongst the moves, which earned him victory here today Tati pulled of a smooth willy skipper back wind gibe, a scintillating one handed spock 540 and lots of push tacks and tricky transitions. Tati just managed to squeeze ahead of his brother Tonki who was also nailing a wide variety of moves. Andrea Rosati Rosati of Italy who took third place here today was out to impress the judges and pulled off some sick Swazzies, smooth grubby’s and sensational spock 540’s.
The PWA world tour will now move onto Lake Garda in Italy for a freestyle special where 58,000 Euro., will be up for grabs.
Sotavento once again delivered the goods for the 37th edition of the Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam, as we were treated to some of the best racing on the World Tour over the opening five days in Slalom X, while the Freestyle fleets continued to raise the bar on what is possible on flatwater over two intense days of competition.
The 2025 iQFOiL World Championship wrapped up in Aarhus with a spectacular Medal Series showdown that saw Emma Wilson (GBR 7) and Andy Brown (GBR 360) rise to the top and secure World Championship titles. In the Women’s fleet, Tamar Steinberg (ISR 216) claimed silver, with Theresa Steinlein (GER 799) completing the podium with bronze. On the (…)
The #1 iQFOiL International Games in Lanzarote came to an exciting conclusion with the Medal Series crowning Johan Søe (DEN 37) and Emma Wilson (GBR 7) as the first champions of the 2025 season. Hosted by Marina Rubicón, the event brought together 100 of the world’s best iQFOiL athletes from 26 nations, kicking off the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic (…)
The iQFOiL Youth & Junior World Championship concluded in Sa Ràpita, Mallorca, crowing its new talented champions among 375 young sailors from 35 nations. These athletes displayed skill and resilience both on and off the water, when the weather conditions put forced stops on their way, earning their places on the 2024 iQFOiL Youth & (…)
The 2024 iQFOiL European Championship in Cagliari, Sardinia, came to a spectacular close today as Daniela Peleg (ISR) and Pawel Tarnowski (POL) were crowned the new European Champions after a week of intense competition. The championship, hosted by Windsurfing Club Cagliari, saw 120 athletes from 28 nations push their limits in varying (…)
Tom Reuveny picked up a gold medal for Israel in the Men’s Windsurfing with a phenomenal performance in the Final.
Reuveny had not won a race in the Opening Series, but saved his best for last by crossing the line ahead of the pack.
Bruno Peyron, skipper of the maxi-catamaran Orange with Gilles Chiorri (boat captain) and Yann Penfornis (one of the boat’s designers) and Eric Mas (Météo Consult) at his side has just announced at a press briefing in Vannes that he will be casting off this afternoon at about 1800 setting course for Ushant to cross the starting line of the (…)
Bruno Peyron, skipper du maxi-catamaran Orange entouré de Gilles Chiorri (boat captain), Yann Penfornis (architecte du bateau) et Eric Mas (Météo Consult), a annoncé lors d’un point presse à Vannes qu’il appareillera aux alentours de 18h00 pour mettre le cap sur Ouessant et prendre à nouveau le départ du Trophée Jules Verne demain dans la matinée.
Il y a un tout juste an, le 3 mars 2001 à Marseille, le maxi-catamaran Club Med franchissait en vainqueur la ligne d’arrivée de la première édition de The Race, au terme de 62 jours, 6 heures, 56 minutes et 33 secondes d’une navigation hors-norme. 27 408 milles (soit 50 760 Kms) avalés à la moyenne hallucinante de 18,3 noeuds... du jamais vu !
While the shore teams beaver away in the never-ending heat, preparing the race boats for the next leg of the Volvo Ocean Race to Miami, the race crews have been resting and relaxing. Some have returned home, but those remaining in the city of Rio de Janeiro have been out and about and making the most of this lively city.
The maxi-catamaran Orange’s capshrouds and shrouds, which they were still waiting on wednesday to be returned from the USA, have arrived and have cleared customs. Philippe Peche and Vladimir Dzalba Lyndis dispatched to Paris to collect them are now on the way back to Vannes with their precious load !
Early yesterday afternoon, the Cap Gemini Ernst & Young Schneider Electric trimaran was already heading for the north-west point of Brazil, thanks to the light trade winds now blowing from the east-south-east.
Hier en début d’après-midi, le trimaran aux couleurs de Cap Gemini Ernst & Young Schneider Electric, grâce à des alizés légers d’est-sud-est, pointait déjà par le travers de la pointe nord-ouest du Brésil à environ 550 milles nautiques du continent sud-américain et glissait alors majestueusement sur les vagues de l’Atlantique sud à plus de (…)
Depuis plus d’une semaine, les équipages, après quelques jours d’un repos bien mérité, ont repris le collier pour préparer leur bateau pour la prochaine manche, l’étape Rio de Janeiro – Miami, dont le départ sera donné le samedi 9 mars.
En un temps record, le chantier naval Multiplast, constructeur des Jet Services, des sister-ships Club Med et Orange / Innovation Explorer ou encore de Geronimo et des deux derniers Class America français, a réparé le mât brisé du catamaran de Bruno Peyron.
Two weeks after a breakage of the masthead prematurely interrupted Orange’s adventure in the Jules Verne Trophy, Bruno Peyron, his crew and the technicians from the Multiplast yard have pulled off the improbable gamble of reconstructing and assembling some 4 metres of mast in record time.