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AlohaClassic day3 racing :(
– First race action at Ho’okipa –
10th November – day 3
Today at Ho’okipa the last racing event of the season begun. As in the wave contest the results from here will decide the overall champions for the season. The level of preparation can be seen on the beach. Equipment is finely tuned and the fleet are all focused on the job in hand. On the opening day of race at the Chilli Aloha Kevin Pritchard US-3 (Bic, Gaastra) has taken the first victory to keep him on track for the top place overall. Winning every heat he sailed in today Kevin looked comfortable, despite suffering a broken mast with the first pump of his sail as he left the beach today. The pressure on his rig is certainly more apparent than the pressure on Kevin as he remains cool and composed.
Kevin: ” I got a good clean start and that kicked things off. Then that was pretty much it. I had plenty of clean air all the way to the gybe mark and I was able to just put the hammer down and go for it.”
Kevin remained downwind of the fleet from the start, giving him clean water, maintaining sufficient board speed to make it to the gybe mark first.
Kevin: ” I wasn’t going for flat out top speed. I was just concentrating on keeping it together, avoiding the turtles! But I’m happy with that it was a good start.”
Behind Kevin in second place Micah Buzianis US-34 (Drops, North) gaining ground along the way, reducing the gap after a difficult start.
Micah : ”I caught the back of some swell right on the start. I looked down the line through my sail and saw Kevin had made a good start. I knew from then on that I was going to have a tough time passing him before the first gybe mark. But I was happy to be in second after the start I had.”
Micah made a good start in the second round; winning his first heat before competition was postponed. Bjorn Dunkerbeck E-11 (F2, Neil Pryde) finished in third place and showed the board speed and consistency that is expected from the twelve times overall champion.
The opening heats set a blistering pace and took the competitors across the width of Ho’okipa, finishing off the point that lies to the west of the beach. The third heat of the day resulted in a mass disqualification for crossing the line early. Competitors must hit the start line at full speed in order to get ahead for the first gybe mark. Nobody wants to be chasing from the back of the pack. However it is unusual to have so many competitors disqualified in one heat. One of those who made it through was Jamie Hawkins K-96 (Neil Pryde). He then went on to finish second in his semi final, recording a fifth place in the final.
Jamie: ”I was just behind Kevin in the semi and it felt pretty good. It’s a shame it’s not inside, if the wind was better that would be even more exciting.”
The course was set outside the reef, offering cleaner winds but everyone hoped the marks could be set further in, adding the element of pitching surf to the race course.
In the women’s racing Lucienne Ernst H-444 (Mistral, Arrows) maintained the level that gave her such convincing victory in Fuertevetura earlier this year.
Lucienne: ” It’s great out there and I’m really glad to be out in the lead from the start. My board speed is still good and I’m feeling comfortable, a win is always the best way to start!”
Last years race champion Karin Jaggi Z-14 (F2, Arrows) finished second and Japan’s Junko Nagoshi J-11 finished ahead of Daida Moreno E-64 (Mistral,North) in fourth and Colette Guadagnino V-711 (V2 Max, Neil Pryde).
Colette: ”It’s a little bit strange but I’m getting use to it. You have to try and start with the swell behind you. I f you hit the back of some large swell you just lose your board speed and if the wind dies your in trouble!”
Nikola Girke KC-17 had an unfortunate start to the day. Before competition began she was down in the water, obscured by the surf when Josh Angulo US-11 (RRD) came steaming in and collided with Nikola. Although both sailors escaped without injury Nikola’s equipment came off worse.
A second round of racing was started although it was abandoned at the semi final stage due to inconsistent winds. All of the current race leaders have shown that they are on form in the opening round of the Chilli Aloha Classic World Tour Final.
After a good result in the wave contest yesterday, taking him through to the semi finals Bjorn has made a good start in race. Although for Bjorn to win and claim the overall he must also rely on very disappointing results from both Micah and Kevin. Neither of them are about to roll over.
Tonight is ‘Jacks’ night when the so named local bar becomes the social hub of the north shore. Tomorrow the competition continues. Either waves or race depending on the morning conditions at Ho’okipa.
All the latest news from the Chilli Aloha Classic can be viewed on http://www.world-windsurfing.com together with pictures from Ho’okipa.
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