Terza giornata per la tappa conclusiva del tour PWA Slalom 2014 a Noumea. Vento dai 20 ai 25 nodi, finalmente! Tre tabelloni portati a termine per i ragazzi e 4 per le ragazze!
Cedric Bordes (GA Sails, Tabou) guida la classifica davanti a Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, Severne) attuale leader della classifica generale. Antoine Albeau (RRD, Neil Pryde) è quarto mentre il nostro super Matteo Iachino (Fanatic, North Sails, LSD Fins) è in quinta posizione (parziali 5°, 2°, 11°)!!! Andrea Rosati (RRD, Neil Pryde, Nissan) in 16° posizione.
Per domani le previsioni danno ancora vento forte… stay tuned!
Current Standings After Three Eliminations – Men’s
1st Cedric Bordes (Tabou / GA Sails)
2nd Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / Severne)
3rd Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / North)
4th Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde)
5th Matteo Iachino (Fanatic / North)
6th Taty Frans (Starboard / MauiSails / Mystic / MFC)
7th Ben Van Der Steen (Tabou / GA Sails / Mystic)
8th Pascal Toselli (Starboard / Point-7)
9th Julien Quentel (RRD / NeilPryde)
10th Josh Angulo (Angulo / Gun Sails)
1st Delphine Cousin (Starboard / Loft Sails)
2nd Lena Erdil (Patrik / Loft Sails / Mystic / AL360)
3rd Valerie Ghibaudo (Tabou / GA Sails)
4th Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins)
5th Maria Andres (Fanatic / Gun Sails / Mystic)
Antoine Albeau vince il secondo tabellone, alle sue spalle Matteo Iachino!
AIRWAVES NOUMEA DREAM CUP PWA
Day 3: Delphine Cousin and Cyril Moussilmani take significant strides towards respective titles
As promised the wind arrived on the third day of the Airwaves Noumea Dream Cup PWA to provide an enthralling day of challenging racing in winds ranging from 10-25 knots. After almost seven hours of racing three eliminations have been completed for the men, whilst four races have been completed for the women. Delphine Cousin (Starboard / Loft Sails) enjoyed a fine day – keeping her title charge firmly on track – as she scored two bullets, a second and a third. Meanwhile, Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard / Severne) continued to show fantastic consistency as he qualified for every winners’ final and finished in the top four or better in each of the three races as he too remains at the top of the rankings.
Elimination One
Winners’ Final
Elimination Two
Winners’ Final
Having been disqualified from the opening winners’ final – Antoine Albeau – responded in the perfect fashion as he crossed the start line in first place – together with Josh Angulo. After making a great start Albeau never looked back as he rounded the first buoy in the lead ahead of Angulo, Pascal Toselli (Starboard / Point-7) and Matteo Iachino (Fanatic / North). Over the remainder of the course – Albeau – opened up a substantial lead to claim his first victory of the week, but more importantly he struck back immediately to keep the pressure on Moussilmani. Behind him, Iachino, managed to out manoeuvre, Angulo, to take home second place, whilst Moussilmani leapfrogged into third place – having been outside the top four – after Angulo and Antoine Questel (Starboard / Loft Sails) both fell at the final mark, which also allowed Cedric Bordes to complete the top four.
Winners’ Final
Women’s
Elimination One
Delphine Cousin couldn’t have made a better start in her bid for the 2014 world title as she timed the start to perfection to break into an early lead. The reigning world champion safely rounded the first mark, as did Valerie Ghibaudo (Tabou / GA Sails), but the same wasn’t true for either Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Mystic / Maui Ultra Fins) or Lena Erdil (Patrik / Loft Sails / Mystic / AL360), who both fell. By the third mark Cousin had opened up a substantial lead, which proved unassailable as she claimed the first bullet of the week, whilst eighteen year old Océane Lescadieu (Starboard / Loft Sails) made a fine start by claiming second place. Behind the front two, Offringa, had managed to battle back into third place, but saw all of her hard work undone as she dropped her final gybe – allowing Erdil and Ghibaudo to pass as they finished third and fourth respectively.
Winners’ Final
Elimination Three
Winners’ Final
Delphine Cousin made another fine start to race three and she held top spot as the fleet rounded the first gybe. Behind her Sarah-Quita Offringa occupied second place followed by Maria Andres (Fanatic / Gun Sails / Mystic) and Valerie Ghibaudo. However, unlike the first race, Cousin, was unable to hold onto her lead as Offringa burst to the front of the pack to see three different winners in the opening three races. Cousin eventually claimed second place with Andres in third, before carnage unfolded behind them, which saw a pile up at mark three – allowing Lena Erdil to leapfrog into fourth place – having been sixth, whilst Ghibaudo had to settle for tenth – handing her Turkish rival the upper hand in the battle for second and third in the overall rankings.
Elimination Four
Winners’ Final
How Things Currently Stand
Men’s
Cyril Moussilmani still leads the way in the battle for the 2014 PWA Men’s Slalom World Championship after recording a second, third and fourth place today, which edges the Frenchman ever closer to a maiden world title. Moussilmani has given himself a bit of room to play with – with Antoine Albeau (RRD / NeilPryde) currently sitting in fourth place and AA currently trails Moussilmani by 8.7 points – however that could all change. After the fourth race tomorrow a discard will come into play giving Albeau the opportunity to drop a ninth place from race three. Plus with a solid looking forecast – which should enable at least two races a day to be completed – there is still plenty of racing to be had and plenty of time for things to change.
Women’s
Delphine Cousin sits comfortably at the top of the rankings after the first day of racing here in Noumea, which has seen her take a substantial step towards claiming back-to-back world titles. The twenty-three year old only needs to finish in the top four to secure the title and based on today’s performance it looks almost certain that she will do just that – having won two of the four races completed today.
Lena Erdil currently holds the advantage for second place in the overall rankings as the Turk sits second in the event rankings. However, only 0.3 of a point separates her from Valeria Ghibaudo, so there is still all to play for in the battle for second and third.