My 6th Slalomevent at Sotavento

The third PWA Slalom of the 2010 season here at Fuerteventura saw a lot of different conditions while 5 days of competition. From 40 knots down to 15 knots, which are relatively unusual for Sotavento at this period of the time.

It´s over for 3 days already. We sailed 10 full rounds. I finished 36th in my 6th Fuerteventura Slalom, where I started my Racing career 2005. It was my best result since the last years event at Fuerte. My start into the this years competition here at Sotavento was also not the best. I went on too big gear in my first heat, crashed at the first inside jibe in race 2 and got sailed down at the starting line by an opponent in the third race of day 1. Later with the bigger gear I could fight back from position 46 to 36, but believe that I could be placed a bit better. Anyway I used all my gear in the competition I brought to Fuerteventura: the iSonic 111 and 86, Reflex in 5,6, 6,2, 7,0 and 7,8

The level of slalom racing was by far the best I´ve ever seen live and I was happy to make into several quarter finals. Besides we were 4 Austrians starting here: Max Schanda, Manuel Zugsbratl, Marco Lang and myself. That felt cool, that younger sailors from my country found motivation to compete on international level.

In the this years event we saw 4 sailors, who were outstanding: Antoine, Finian, Björn and Cyril. Antoine, who won the event, took the overall lead. Looks like Antoine and Björn will battle it out for the 2010 title. But behind it´s super close. 7 riders are within 600 points. Anything can happen.

My jibing has improved, but must work on setting the jibe much better. Now I am looing forward to Alacati. The event in Turkey will start on the 9th of August. Until the 5th of August I will stay on Fuerte to do some training and get the updates about the freestyle event done plus get some stuff filmed sailing by myself.

Action in the jibe (Pic:Kerstin Reiger).

At the jibemark in a quarter final (Pic: Kerstin Reiger).