Day 1 – Mercedes-Benz Sylt PWA Grand Slam – 2016

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Published on October 1, 2016 by Windsurfing.TV

September 30, 2016 created by Chris Yates

Day 1: A day of close calls and upsets produces a wave result for the first time since 2012

The opening day of the 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sylt PWA Grand Slam saw the wave fleet take centre stage as the wind and waves arrived as predicted. The conditions proved tricky at times and the infamous Sylt shorebreak claimed several victims along the way — resulting in several broken masts — but ultimately for the first time in 4 years a result was gained for both the men’s and women’s wave fleets with Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD Sails) and Iballa Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) claiming respective victories.

Wave

Women’s

Winners’ Finals

Both Iballa Moreno and Daida Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) looked to be in their usual clinical form in the early stages and they both deservedly qualified for the winners’ final after defeating Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) and Amanda Beenen (99NoveNove / Point-7) in the semifinals — setting up another all Moreno twins final, which saw a duel of few opportunities with the wind dropping back meaning execution . Daida made the better start opening a 2 point lead in the jumps after stomping a radical tabletop forward to earn 7.5 points, but Iballa hit back in the waves to secure the No.1 spot — for now at least.

Meanwhile, Sarah-Quita Offringa claimed a clear-cut victory against Amanda Beenen in the women’s losers’ final to take home 3rd place.

Men’s

Winners’ Final

Alex Mussolini defeated current world tour leader — Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC / Shamal Sunglasses) — in the semifinals to set up a tie against Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails), who claimed a narrow victory over Jaeger Stone (Starboard / Severne / SWOX / Shamal Sunglasses). Mussolini opened proceedings with a perfectly executed one-footed backloop, but Traversa soon took the lead after linking a decent wave a clean backloop of his own. However, Mussolini hit back with the best wave of the heat consisting of a smooth taka and a backside air to secure victory. Both sailors end the opening day knowing that they have guaranteed themselves their best results of the season no matter what happens.

Last Chance Saloon

Both Jaeger Stone and Victor Fernandez made last minute escapes today to avoid earlier than anticipated exits. Stone hit back in the dying seconds of Heat 9b to defeat John Skye (RRD / RRD Sails / MFC), while Fernandez repeated the same escape against Dany Bruch (Starboard / Flight Sails / AL360 / Shamal Sunglasses) in Heat 14b. The two sailors then met later in the elimination, in the battle for 3rd and 4th, and it was Stone who claimed the final place on the podium after producing more trademark aggressive wave riding.

Elsewhere, the opening heat of the single elimination saw last minute comebacks as well with Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde / Mystic / SWOX) edging past Pablo Ramirez (Patrik / Sailloft Hamburg) by just 0.01 of a point, while Moritz Mauch (Severne / Severne / MFC) produced an outstanding last wave to turn the tide on Jules Denel (JP / NeilPryde)

Upsets

Heat 3 produced a couple of big upsets with Adam Lewis (Fanatic / NorthSails / SWOX) and Ricardo Campello (Patrik / Point-7 / MFC) both being dumped out of the first round by Dieter Van der Eyken (Starboard / Severne) and Kenneth Danielsen (Simmer) — with the Dane advancing with the highest single wave score after he and Campello finished tied on 14.62 points. Danielsen then defeated Van der Eyken in the next round to end the day in joint 5th place.

Klaas Voget (Fanatic / NorthSails / MFC) produced the other main upset of the day as he took down the 2013 world champion — Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing / MFC) in Heat 11a — which was well received by the home crowd. Voget then bumped into Mussolini, who was in unstoppable form, but after a disappointing couple of events — he returns to the top 5 alongside Danielsen, Swift and fellow countryman Bruch, who clocked up the highest scoring wave of the day against Camille Juban (Quatro / Simmer / MFC) — earning 8.5 points.

The forecast for looks as though there’s the possibility of cross shore winds tomorrow morning so the wave and freestyle fleets will meet at 8am with a first possible start at 8:30am. Meanwhile, the slalom fleet will meet slightly later at 10am with the action commencing from 11am (GMT+1) — if conditions allow. Tomorrow also shows a lot of rain, so we will have to wait and see how that affects the wind. Make sure you tune into www.pwaworldtour.com to follow all of the action as it happens via the PWA live stream.

Result 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sylt PWA Grand Slam — Women’s Wave Single Elimination

1st Iballa Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)

2nd Daida Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)

3rd Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)

4th Amanda Beenen (99NoveNove / Point-7)

5th Lina Erpenstein (Patrik / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)

5th Alice Arutkin (Fanatic / NorthSails)

5th Steffi Wahl (Patrik / Sailloft Hamburg)

5th Justyna Sniady (Simmer / Simmer Sails / Mystic)

Result 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sylt PWA Grand Slam — Men’s Wave Single Elimination

1st Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD Sails)

2nd Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails)