Tenerife PWA World Cup – Day 2

Primi verdetti da Tenerife… con un epilogo per il single maschile, quando ho “abbandonato” il computer verso le semifinali per andarmene a spiaggia, su cui non avrei scommesso un “citto”.
Con Mussolini, Traversa, Fernandez e Marcilio Browne giocarsi la vittoria del primo tabellone, quello su cui avrei puntato meno per la vittoria era proprio il “pupillo” dell’amico Max, il brasiliano al quale di solito sono più “consone” le onde di Hookipa che non quelle del Cabezo.

Ed invece se fossi stato attento, come diceva tutti i giorni la mia maestra… mi sarei reso conto che Marcilio era proprio in formissima, avendo fatto secco, già nei quarti di finale, uno dei favoriti alla vittoria di tappa, quel Philip Koster che adesso deve stare ben attento alle prossime mosse, anche in ottica titolo wave 2016.
Eh si perche se il brasiliano, dopo aver “terminato” nelle semifinali anche un Traversa tornato ai livelli di due anni fa, ha vinto il single, con un battaglia all’ultimo punto (dove però ha prevalso sia nei salti che nele surfate) su un stratosferico Fernadez… è proprio lo spagnolo, già vittorioso a Pozo, che Koster deve marcare stretto.
Con il pensiero che neanche il vincitore del single Browne, più Mussolini e Traversa, autori di una finale perderti, tra amici di vecchia data, con i “botti”, vinta dal local… siano poi tanto da sottovalutare!
Tra le ragazze l’epilogo del primo single è sembrato più scontato, ma neppure poi troppo perchè tra le due sorelle Moreno si è “infilata” Steffi Wahl che è riuscita in semifinale ad aver ragione di Daida. Daida che nei quarti di finale aveva terminato a sua volta la corsa della nostra Caterina Stenta.
In finale si sono così ritrovate la Wahl e Iballa che aveva stoppato nelle semifinali le “aspirazioni” wave di Sarah-Quita Offringa, definitivamente placate anche da Daida nella finale perdenti.
Come da copione la finale è stata vinta da Iballa… che scrive il cognome Moreno nell’ennesimo single delle tappe canare!
La giornata si è poi conclusa con le prime due heats della double elimination maschile che continuerà oggi, condizioni permettendo… dato che il vento è previsto meno forte di ieri.

Foto © PWA/Carter
Repert Tenerife PWA World Cup – Day 2

Result Women’s Single Elimination Tenerife PWA World Cup:
1st Iballa Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd Steffi Wahl (Patrik / Sailloft Hamburg)
3rd Daida Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)
4th Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)
5th Lina Erpenstein (Patrik / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)
5th Justyna Sniady (Simmer / Simmer / Mystic)
5th Amanda Beenen (99NoveNove / Point-7)
5th Caterina Stenta (RRD / RRD / Maui Ultra Fins)

Result Men’s Single Elimination Tenerife PWA World Cup:
1st Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing / MFC)
2nd Victor Fernández (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC)
3rd Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD)
4th Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails)
5th Jaeger Stone (Starboard / Severne / SWOX / Shamal Sunglasses)
5th Philip Köster (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)
5th Ricardo Campello (Patrik / Point-7 / MFC)
5th Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / Mystic / SWOX)
9th Klaas Voget (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC)
9th Omar Sanchez (Angulo / KA Sail)
9th Moritz Mauch (Severne / Severne / MFC)
9th Adam Lewis (Fanatic / NorthSails / SWOX)
9th Leon Jamaer (JP / NeilPryde)
9th Jules Denel (JP / NeilPryde)
9th Dany Bruch (Starboard / Flight Sails / Shamal Sunglasses)

Close calls and upsets as Brawzinho and Iballa Moreno return to the top
The second day of the Tenerife PWA World Cup saw an incredible day of competition as the level of sailing continued to go through the roof — resulting in nail biting heats and a few upsets along the way. With lighter winds than yesterday the sailors were given an additional 2 minutes — 16 minute heats — to show what they are capable of and they certainly didn’t disappoint with impressive jumping and radical wave riding from the word go. Both the men’s and women’s single eliminations have now been completed and it is Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing / MFC) and Iballa Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins), who sit proudly at the top of the current rankings come the close of the play.

Marcilio Browne recpatures the winning feeling

Women’s Single Elimination
Steffi Wahl (Patrik / Sailloft Hamburg) delivered a wave riding masterclass against Daida Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) to cause the biggest upset of the day, and one of the biggest upset in recent years in the wave sailing world, who had been in imperious form on the previous day, to deservedly earn her place in the top two for the first time. The current world tour leader once again shone in the air, but failed to connect with her waves, while Wahl excelled by taking every opportunity she was presented with to deliver fluid, super vert hits to setup a tie against Iballa Moreno — after the reigning world champion had exacted revenge against Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) in the opening semifinal.

Steffi Wahl punching through the lip.

After the result had been announced Wahl wanted confirmation, but once it was officially confirmed there was jubilation on the beach.

Steffi Wahl revels in her victory

Winners’ Final
Iballa Moreno made a flying start to the winners’ final as she quickly landed a regular forward, followed by a tabletop forward to take an early lead. Iballa remained busy through out the heat working each wave fluidly from top to bottom to really transfer the pressure upon Wahl, who didn’t really get involved in the final until the second half of the heat, but she did eventually announce herself with a backloop. However, she couldn’t quite conjure up the magic she showed in the semifinals and Iballa deservedly secured a clear cut victor in the single elimination as she demonstrated why she has been crowned the world champion for the past two years with her dynamic wave riding really standing out.

Iballa en route to the top

Daida Moreno will no doubt have been extremely disappointed to lose in the semifinals, but she quickly put that behind her to claim victory in an extremely close battle for 3rd and 4th between herself and Sarah-Quita Offringa, which saw the lead swinging back-and-forth throughout. However, an amazing tabletop forward proved to be the difference as Daida claimed the final place on the podium, although Offringa will be happy to have edged ahead in the wave department. Offringa also suffered one of the wipeouts of the day as she went into an accidental double pushloop.

Daida Moreno recovers to take 3rd

Men’s Single Elimination
Marcilio Browne took down reigning world champion — Philip Köster (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) — with a proficient and tactical display in the opening quarterfinal. Browne almost matched Köster’s trademark double forward and the Brazilian then gained the lead by excelling in the waves with vert, crisp turns proving too much for Köster to overturn.

Browne upsets Köster

Brawzinho then faced Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails), who had earlier narrowly defeated Jaeger Stone (Starboard / Severne), and the two former world champions produced an epic battle as they exchanged wave 360s and stylish turns. TT produced the better the wave scores, but crucially Browne dug deep to pull the trigger on a third double forward, which turned out to be his best — earning 9.12 points — which gave him a one point victory to qualify for the final.

Marcilio Browne mid 360

Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC) had been in imperious form over the opening two days and the Spaniard deservedly earned his place in the winners’ final by defeating Aleix Sanllehy (Tabou / GA Sails), Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / Mystic / SWOX) and Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD) today.

Victor Fernandez

Winners’ Final
The final proved to be one of the spectacles of the day as Browne and Fernandez went all out for the win — leaving nothing to chance — and both sailors came flying out of the starting blocks quickly landing double forwards — Fernandez’s being higher and Browne’s being faster. With a solid jump on the board each they then proceeded to trade blows wave-for-wave in another heat where the lead repeatedly changed hands and they proved almost inseparable on the wave. However, a few minutes before the end of the final, Browne, hunted out on a ramp down by the bunker before stomping a superb stalled double forward, which proved to be the difference between the two of them as the 2013 world champion clinched victory by under a point — such were the fine margins between them.

Marcilio Browne clinches the single elimination

Local legend — Alex Mussolini — defeated good friend Thomas Traversa in the battle for 3rd and 4th with Mussolini gaining the upper hand in the waves by landing trademark frontside 3s and critical takas.

Alex Mussolini mid trademark 360

Double Elimination
The opening heat of the men’s double elimination has also been completed and Josep Pons (Simmer / Simmer) was able to dispatch of Eric Sanllehy (Goya Windsurfing), while Ben Proffitt (Simmer / Simmer) earned a hard fought win against Camille Juban (Quatro / MFC / MFC) to book a battle against fellow Englishman Adam Lewis (Fanatic / NorthSails / SWOX) in the next round.

Ben Proffitt

The forecast for tomorrow looks a little lighter than today and also sees the start of a long period south swell, so we will have to wait and see what happens. The skippers’ meeting has been called for 10:30am with the action commencing from 11am (GMT+1) if conditions allow.