Day 5 of the 2018 Tenerife PWA World Cup produced the best day of action so far as waves up to logo high, during the morning and early afternoon, plus stronger winds than yesterday allowed the Men’s and Women’s Single Eliminations to be completed – although unfortunately the finals didn’t quite live up to expectations with the conditions slackening off just at the wrong time.
Women’s
Iballa Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) has won the Tenerife PWA World Cup for the last two seasons and today the reigning world champion took a step towards completing a hat-trick of event victories here by taking down the single elimination by defeating Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) in the final.
The final itself didn’t have the best conditions with the wave quality dropping, but even so Iballa made the most of the conditions on offer to land a high clean backloop – 6.5 points – while impressing with her fluid wave riding once again to earn the top spot on the podium.
Offringa ends the day in second place – just like last year – and although the Aruban earned the highest single wave score in the final – 6.75 points, which was half a point better than Iballa’s highest – Offringa couldn’t find the second wave score or better jump that she needed to trouble Iballa on this occasion. However, Offringa has looked more dangerous than ever at this event and you wouldn’t bet against her in the double if the forecast allows it to be completed.
Daida Moreno (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) won’t be happy with having to settle for 3rd place in the double elimination – after narrowly losing out to Offringa in the semifinals. Both women landed excellent jumps – a high backloop for Daida and an almost planing tweaked pushloop for Offringa – but both struggled on the wave with their respective highest wave score being a lowly 3.38 points. Daida then made no mistake in the battle for third and 4th against – Justyna Sniady (Simmer / Simmer Sails / AL360) – as she quickly racked up 20.81 points in the first few minutes, while also attempting a double forward. Expect to see Daida on the charge in the double – if given the chance.
Justyna Sniady, meanwhile, was delighted to earn an excellent 4th place in the single elimination – just as she did in Pozo Izquierdo – which is also her best result in Tenerife (in a single). The Pole will be delighted to have gained the upper hand against Lina Erpenstein (Severne / Severne Sails) again and sailed well throughout landing big clean backloops, while looking smooth and consistent on the wave.
Lina Erpenstein has to settle for joint 5th place in the single alongside Caterina Stenta (RRD / RRD Sails / AL360 / Maui Ultra Fins), Arrianne Aukes (Fanatic / Duotone / Maui Ultra Fins) and Steffi Wahl (Sailloft Hamburg).
Men’s
Any thoughts that – Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / Duotone / Shamal Sunglasses) – may have been rattled, having missed out on the podium in Pozo Izqueirdo for the first-time in 11 seasons last month, were firmly dispelled today as the vice-world champion produced his usual slick and almost faultless display to return to winning ways in the single elimination. Fernandez landed perfect doubles and a stalled double, while showing excellent variety on the wave to come out on top and made the most of the quite poor conditions in the final. With the way the rest of the results worked out today, if things were to remain as they are at the moment, then Fernandez would assume control of the title race in a total change of events.
Adam Lewis (Fanatic / Duotone / SWOX) was in inspired form today as the Brit qualified for his first Winners’ Final on the world tour – which guarantees him a first podium whatever happens. The 30-year-old produced the highest scoring heat of the contest so far – 24.88 points – to defeat Ricardo Campello (Brunotti Boards / Point-7) in the semifinals. Lewis was one of the standout sailors yesterday with his explosive wave riding catching the eye, and his wave riding was a cut above again – earning the first 10 point wave of the contest with a sick frontside 360 off of a pitching section before backing it up with a solid cutty. It then looked as though Lewis may earn a perfect wave heat score as he pinged another frontside 360, but his back up turn ended a little bit messy – 8.93 points. Lewis will perhaps be a bit gutted with the conditions in the final as the waves had backed off and there were none of the bowly sections that he had been hitting against Campello and he struggled to find scoring opportunities – while he couldn’t find a ramp for a decent jump. However, he will still be delighted with today’s performance and result.
Having taken down Philip Köster (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) in the quarterfinals, Ricardo Campello may have felt that today was going to be his day. However, he met the aforementioned, Lewis and there wasn’t much he could do. The 33-year-old produced a solid enough display in the semifinals but was powerless to stop the Brit on this occasion. Campello then won the battle for 3rd against Jaeger Stone (Starboard / Severne / Shamal Sunglasses), but will be eager to try and climb higher in the double elimination in order to not lose ground o,n the title race.
Jaeger Stone finishes 4th for the single elimination and for a while it looked as though he may go further than that after defeating Moritz Mauch (Severne / Severne Sails) and Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing) with two fine performances. However, the Australian then went slightly off the boil at the crucial moments. Stone is now guaranteed to better any of his results from last season with the worst he can finish being 5th – but he’ll be looking up rather than down.
Neither of the world’s current top 2 – Philip Köster and Marcilio Browne) made it into the top 5 on a day which saw a bit of a mix up in the results. Köster looked a little bit out of sorts for him in Heat 22 against Campello as the 4-time world champion really struggled on the wave, while Browne came out on the wrong side of an enthralling battle against Jaeger Stone.
However, there are couple of different faces currently in joint 5th. Firstly, the exciting youthful talent of Marc Paré (Simmer / Simmer Sails), who breaks into the top 5 for the first time in his career, which guarantees the 20-year-old his best result yet. While, Jules Denel equals his best performance in a single elimination after recording an impressive victory against Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD Sails) with several powerful gouges. Denel is now guaranteed his first top 10 result since 2016.
The top ten is currently completed by Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails), Julian Salmonn (Bruch Board / Gun Sails), who was only denied a spot in the top 5 by Browne producing a buzzer beater, Leon Jamaer (JP / NeilPryde), Josep Pons (Simmer / Simmer Sails), Klaas Voget (Fanatic / Duotone), Moritz Mauch (Severne / Severne Sails), Dany Bruch (Bruch Boards / Flight Sails / AL360) and Alex Mussolini.
