With early signals that racing would get underway bang on schedule, the majority of the sailors chose to hit the registration desk as soon as it opened. By midday, the entry list read like a who’s who of world cup windsurfing, which included the return of Valerie Arrighetti nee Ghibadou (Tabou, Loft).

On the first day of competition in Costa Brava the crowds watched on as one full elimination of high octane slalom was completed for both the men’s and women’s fleets. The men started a second elimination, but the wind began to moderate as the sun dropped lower in the evening sky, forcing many to wait for another day.

Awesome Arrigheti

With a star-studded cast, the women’s final of race one was always going to be interesting. But, they had to get there first! And, this meant a battle of the titans in heat two with arch rivals, Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) and Valerie Arrighetti lining up together from the word go. Arrighetti put on a spectacular show with great speed on sails that she’d only just unwrapped. Jaggi fought hard, but couldn’t quite match the 2009 World Champion.

The final was a similar affair for Arrigheti and Jaggi but with the addition of many more furiously fast females, including Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra), Lise Vidal (Exocet, North), Sarah Hebert (Naish), and Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North). This is one of the toughest fleets the women’s division has seen for a while, which makes for some extremely exciting racing. Arrighetti dominated from start to finish, proving she still has what it takes to win a world cup.

The Worlds