Costa Teguise, on Lanzarote’s rugged east coast became the focal point of global windsurfing, as it opened its doors for the start the PWA Freestyle World Cup.
Sarah Quita in the Final/photo PWA Carter
First on the agenda was the registration of the women’s freestyle fleets, which was completed by early afternoon, leaving only a short lunch break before competition could launch into action.
Famed for consistent conditions, Costa Teguise brought ample servings of wind for the first single elimination, delivering 20-25 knots of cross-offshore perfection.
In the women, the eight woman fleet was quickly whittled down to a semi final consisting of Laure Treboux (Fanatic, North Sails) versus Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, NeilPryde), and Iballa Moreno (North Sails) against her sister Daida Moreno (North Sails).
Daida Moreno/photo PWA Carter
The strengthening conditions tested the semi finalists. As the heat progressed Daida Moreno and Offringa produced the greater hit rate of landed moves, defeating their rivals and advancing into the winners final.
With conditions getting ever more testing, the final pushed the sailors ability to the limit. Daida Moreno linked a flaka on the way in with huge one footed forward loop on the way out. This wasn’t going to be enough though, as Offringa steadily built up a base of moves before pushing for the more risky, higher scoring maneuvers. This tactical game rewarded here with the elimination win.
In the losers final, Iballa Moreno showed she was more suited to the howling wind than Treboux, who linked together some nice sliding moves, but failed to match Moreno’s presence in the air.
With a single elimination completed, the day’s competition was called to an end, giving the sailors a chance to recover before tomorrow’s double elimination.
Day two’s skippers meeting is scheduled for midday, with heats getting underway from 12.30pm onwards.
