Behind The Scenes: Ross Williams Reports from Costa Brava
Ross Williams joins Boardseeker to give a unique look behind the scenes of the PWA in Costa Brava….
Ross Williams, image credit PWA/JC.
Thursday 13th:
“The wind changed pretty quickly yesterday, so everyone was left running around for the smaller gear. I didn’t get a good start to the my semi final but the sea state was pretty choppy so finally it was possible to over take at the gybe marks. I felt my speed was competitive and I was gaining a place at each gybe mark to secure my spot in the final.
I will head into the final pretty confident as I have sailed in a range of conditions in my heats: 9.5m, 8.6m, and 7.9m and both big and medium boards; all combo’s seem to be delivering the goods. I will focus on getting a good clean start and bring it on to the rest of the guys.
So far, I think that Antoine F192 has been the most consistent and has the all round package in any winds. Also Alberto ITA 4 has been one of the fastest, Antoine F99 also in the lighter wind has been impressive. I think Maciek Rutkowski has shown that he is coming of age finishing 7th in the first race and now he is in the losers final, if he can continue to put in results like this he should fine himself in the top 10 at the end of the event.
I didn’t touch my equipment settings, as I know I am going fast enough to compete.
Hopefully we will finish this elimination today and also complete another, it’s hard to tell what the sea breeze will do but I think for sure there will be more ups and downs to talk about.”
Matteo Iachino, image credit PWA/JC.
Boardseeker catches up with Matteo Iachino Ita-140, who placed second in the first round of racing in Costa Brava. At just 23 he is much younger than most of the top racers, though he hasn’t yet shown the consistency to win an event, surely he is a name to watch both now and in the future?
My best result in a single race has been a 3rd place in Korea this year. My best result out of a complete event has been a 11th in Sylt last year.
This is my 4th year on PWA, but it’s just the 2nd year that I’m doing all the events.
My weight is 91kg.
I used F2 SX 2013 82 and 69 in Korea and Challenger Sails Aero+ 9.4, 8.7, 7.9 in Korea and F2 SX 2013 82 and Challenger Aero + 9.4 here in Costa Brava.
This year I have more speed, and more of everything compared to last year due to the hard training I did this winter. My only problem is to be consistent in the results without doing a super good one and then a bad one… But little by little I will do it.. That’s what I hope.
The conditions here are really hard, super light wind a bit gusty and onshore. If you make a mistake and you are out. I did really good yesterday but today I got the worst start ever and I went out.
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Clarification of the racing rules for 2013, regarding lower wind limits, from the PWA:
The wind needs to be a minimum of 7 knots. But now instead of the race being cancelled when 1 sailor stops planing, there must be at least 6 sailors not planing, from the moment the leader stops planing and within a ten second period. So, sailors need to pump more if needs be rather than just complaining about the wind – we’re trying to stop people who aren’t qualifying from deliberately stopping planing to try and get the heat cancelled!
The race director doesn’t have as much control of deeming suitable conditions anymore, if it’s not dropping below 7 knots then the sailors should be racing.
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Ross Williams on the first two days of racing:
Ross Williams. Image credit PWA/JC.
The conditions for the first 2 days have been pretty light, most of the fleet were sailing on their biggest gear. I think the conditions were on the edge for good racing and maybe some heats could of been abandoned, but generally the race crew did a great job. I was in heat 7 in the first race and the wind died before I got to sail my heat on the first day. So I was one of the first to go onto the race course on the second day. I won my first heat on 9.5m and big board and 46cm fin, pretty sure everyone was using their big stuff. Then for my quarter final I took my 8.6m and big board, but unfortunately i sailed the wrong course like an idiot. I had done the hard work, I got a clean start and was leading the race, but for some reason I decided to gybe the wrong second bouy!!!! At least I know now I have good enough speed, but i just need to find my brain.
Personally I think the conditions were fine to race. I think some of the bigger guys need to trim down a bit, and go sailing more in 7 knots, take the biggest fins and sails possible. When it’s windy you don’t see the smaller sailors getting any favours, so it shouldn’t be that these beasts of 105 to 115 kgs get let off in the lighter winds, when they already have a size advantage when the wind picks up. Antoine always seems to be tuned for every wind strength, so the other should as follow his example.
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BS: You didn’t compete in Korea, why not?
RW: I had just come back from a broken ankle and was not really ready to go straight into a world tour competition.
BS: What do conditions look like they could be in Costa Brava?
It’s looking pretty light, maybe some sea breezes depending on the temperature. CB can throw anything at you, so it’s best just to be ready for anything even if the forecast isn’t great.
BS: What equipment are you most likely to use?
RW: I would say my 8.6 and big board will be the most used combo.
BS: Who are the names to watch out for at the top? Aside from the big names, who else could sneak a good finish?
RW: Here there are a lot of pretty good guys, I think the Gaastra and Tabou team will put in good performances though.
Ross Williams. PWA Costa Brava 2012. Image credit PWA/JC.
BS: Do you think Alberto can produce another win?
RW: Sure he can, it will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure. I think he has the gear to win and he is working hard. But on the race course anything can happen.
BS: What finish are you aiming for?
RW: 1st place.
BS: Who’s looking the most determined to improve on their previous results? And how much slalom training have you been doing?
RW: Everyone has the fire to do well. A lot of us have been here for 4 or 5 days already so that shows the commitment, I feel I am pretty ready now to race again too. I am fit, my ankle is fine and my gear is fast. I just want to get out there and race.
Make sure you check back soon for more details from the PWA Costa Brava.
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PWA Racing: Is It Really Still Production?
The PWA slalom tour is strictly for production equipment only, providing a level playing field between the top pros and those making their first steps onto the international scene. But is this really the case? Or are some sailors and brands now customising their equipment in the hunt for glory?
It goes without saying that every sailor, whether it be racer, freestyler or recreational sailor, wants to get the most out of their equipment. Racers in particular will continuously be tuning and tweaking their race set-ups for optimum performance, but anything over and above this is strictly prohibited.
Previously this rule had been adhered to, however now we are led to believe that some sailors and brands are taking the next step and making physical changes to their equipment. Should this be allowed? Is it giving riders that are altering their equipment an unfair advantage? Where should the PWA draw the line? Where does careful tuning, become unfair adjustment?
Have adjustments been made to the bottom of Arnon’s board?
As new equipment is put into production and the top racers get their new quivers dialled in, many would like to change aspects of their boards and sails but who is actually doing it? As you can see below, it appears that Arnon Dagan has made adjustments to the bottom of his board – rumour has it that the double concaves used to plant the board on the water are in fact hindering the performance; riders are chosing to fill in and then sand the bottom of their boards to loosen it up and give it a slightly livelier feel.
Should this be allowed? What do you think? Answer our poll and share your thoughts in the comments below…
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
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What Does It Take to Win a PWA Title?
The PWA and its sailors are evolving. 2013 is set to be a year like no other; new names and new locations are already mixing up the tour, could this be the year we see the previous domination from certain riders disappear? A new generation of riders are ready to pounce and more willing than ever to do exactly what it takes to reach the top.
One event down on the PWA slalom tour and already we have a new face to watch out for: Point7’s Alberto Menegatti. We say new face, but is he really? Surely someone cannot come in and land straight at the top of the rankings? Of course not. Alberto is a very talented racer that has taken youth world titles and been in the top ten for over 10 years, so what has changed? How did 28 year old Alberto (or Bambi as he is, or maybe now was, known on tour) go from top 10 to leading from start to finish in Korea?
As you can see here it’s all about the winter training.
Like many other competitors Alberto is a natural on the water, always known for his incredible early planing and smart tactics, plus at 194cm tall he’s built to race. This alone maybe enough to win a race, but taking an event win is a whole other matter. Alberto obviously decided at the end of the 2012 season to re-evaluate his training and take an even more serious look at exactly what he needed to do to win. In came more dedicated off water training, whilst on the water El Medano bay became THE slalom training ground with bouys, starts and many, many races held in all manner of conditions.
This wasn’t just some equipment tuning with a training partner, this was day in, day out, fully focussed racing on the water complimented with a completely structured, functional training programme off the water.
In short, putting the hours into a structured, focussed training plan has clearly worked wonders.
This begs the question, if more racers adopted an increasingly serious attitude to all aspects of their training could we see some further new faces at the top of the rankings?
Alberto Menegatti
Alberto Menegatti
Antoine Questel
Julien Quentel
Bjorn Dunkerbeck
Antoine Albeau
Ben van der Steen
Just windsurfing isn’t enough anymore to win you need to be a true athlete, which obviously Alberto has come to realise. Who else could be at the top if they followed in his footsteps? Did the lighter winds of Korea play into Alberto’s hands, or was it a fluke win? Will Antoine and Bjorn reign supreme as the season continues?
Who do you think has the talent and determination to make it onto the podium in 2013?
And which riders have the potential but need to take a closer look at exactly how to make it to the top?
Share your views in the comments below!
Next time Boardseeker will take a look at how the 2013 PWA Wave tour is shaping up and how a whole host of new events could really shake things up at the top.
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UKWA Freestyle and BSA 2013 Dates Confirmed
The UK windsurfing calendar is already hotting up, with a whole host of BSA events now confirmed, along with the first three dates for the freestyle tour. These along with the BWA and further racing events make up one of the most successful national tours, bringing international talent as well as the best of British along to compete.
BSA racing
If you haven’t entered an event before, why not make this year your first? Check out the calendar of events below and head on over to the UKWA events section here for full information.
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Boards Windsurfing » Windsurfing News
Title Winner: Iballa Moreno
The 2012 World Champions have now been crowned and Boardseeker catches up with some of them; finding out more about the title winners with a series of quick fire questions. Next up, women’s wave champion Iballa Moreno.
Name: Iballa Ruano Moreno
Date of Birth: 1/December/1977
Born in: Gran Canaria
Currently living: Gran Canaria
Sponsors: Roxy, Starboard, Severne, Baker &Mckenzie, VW Comerciales, Flying Objects
Disciplines: Wave
Top results: 5 times world champion
Nicknames: Princess Ib
Describe your style on the water: Fluid
Describe yourself off the water: Open minded, friend of my friends and funny
Favourite spot: Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Tenerife
Current favourite board and sail: 70L Starboard QUAD and 4,2 Severne Blade
Iballa Moreno
at home
Best memory from 2012:
Being able to organise the world cup in GC and save the event together with my sister and our club Morenotwins…..
in Pozo,
Gran Canaria
What do you think helped you win the title? Training all year in different conditions. Also when there was no wind, I did a lots of training with my Stand Up Paddle board.
How did you celebrate? We had a little celebration on our birthday recently 
What are your plans for the winter? Staying around the islands for surf and windsurfing….keep training
Who do you admire the most on and off the water? My sister Daida for being a champion in the water and off the water!!! Life give us hard times but only you can make it change and go through it…So I’m thankful she is doing well now and has recovered.
What are your strengths and weaknesses? My strengths are the surfing and weaknesses jumping probably…I would like to learn some new jumps!
What skills would you like to have from another competitor? Daida´s jumps
Image credits PWA/John Carter
Iballa, with her sister Daida.
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Club Vass FB Comp
Competition time at Club Vass!
Its one of the easiest competitions on the internet with one of the best prizes in the world…
Simply LIKE AND SHARE on to your profile one of the 3 competition pictures that you see here.
The Prize:
A holiday for 2 to Club Vassiliki on the 2nd June 2013, including flights, accommodation, airport transfer, the best windsurf tuition in the world, equipment hire of windsurfs, SUP’s, mountain bikes, awesome Apres Surf & loads of sunshine.
Good luck and spread the word, 2013 will also see us celebrating 25 years of perfecting the ultimate in windsurf and active holidays.
Head over to the Facebook page here
LIKE Club Vass
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Boards Windsurfing » Windsurfing News
Win a Club Vass Holiday!
According to Club Vass they will soon be running a very exciting competition on their Facebook page where you can win a holiday for two in 2013….
“Coming to this page on the 1st December is the easiest online competition to date…. With the greatest prize in the world. A FREE holiday for two to ClubVass on the 2nd June 2013 includes flights, accommodation, the best windsurf tuition in the world, SUP’s, Mountain bikes, BBQ’s, awesome Apre Surf, Professional photos, fancy dress parties, & the celebration of ClubVass 25years !!!!! Stay Tuned 
”
For more info stay tuned to all Club Vass news here on Boards, or head to the Club Vass Facebook page here.
This could be you in Club Vass! Image credit Global Shots
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[Daily schedule]: Day 4, KIA Cold Hawaii PWA World Cup
10:00: Skippers meeting LIVE
10:20: KIA Cold Hawaii PWA World Cup (first possible start: 10:20)
10:00 – 22:00: Cold Hawaii Boathouse Café is open
Follow LIVE
www.twitter.com/coldhawaii
www.facebook.com/coldhawaiipenguin
http://www.youtube.com/user/coldhawaiiworldcup
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coldhawaiiworldcup/collections
Win great prizes: Every day during the KIA Cold Hawaii PWA World Cup, we’ll be running a Facebook competition. There are great prizes in store. If you haven’t already done so: LIKE us to be a part of the fun. Today the prize will be a GoPro Camera.
First possible start means that the competition will start, if there’s enough wind. We will keep you posted every 30 minutes or every 60 minutes depending on the conditions.
In case of no wind: There will be lots of fun events to experience during the 2012 KIA Cold Hawaii PWA World Cup. In case the wind lets us down, we have planned a series of side-events that will involve the competitors in exciting and challenging activities …
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KIA Cold Hawaii PWA World Cup » news 2011
Tales From The Ever Expanding Middle
Nick Icke (GBR 85) reports from the Stena Line Formula Cup at Herne Bay last weekend.
Interested in formula racing? Check out ‘Formula Windsurfing Can Change Your Life’ by Chris Bond.
Welcome to all, the title; tales from the ever-expanding middle comes from the fact that normally these reports tend to be a little bit more race orientated, (this is however not meant to be a dig in any way to the normal report writers who do a marvelous job) and hopefully I can now get the chance to tell the story from a little bit further back down the fleet and sometimes from just over the lip of a pint glass.
So here goes, Friday began with, little, if not no prospect of any wind materialising at all. Considering the latest forecast dribbled out by my bookmarks menu on the Mac, which meant that the numerous phone conversations earlier in the week arranging a Friday pre event training session for the formula fleet was rapidly being replaced by the prospect of a cold beer and a sunset on the beach (my kind of training session any day).
The pre bank holiday weekend drive down went pretty smoothly with just a little bit of M25 mayhem, But I still managed to arrive in good time to claim a pretty peachy spot on the beach front within crawling distance of the club house and the race office, “sweet”, also parked with us were
- Tim (I’ll only give up when I’m dead) Gibson,
- Dave (the Dolphin) Coles,
- Chris (A.K.A the Bondage) Bond,
- James Briggs (A.K.A Briggsy)
- Jason (A.K.A Does this look like the face of concern,,,,,,,,,,I didn’t think so) Clarke.
- Keith Atkinson
Herne Bay
So let’s paint a picture the sea is as flat as glass, the suns out in all of its Sunday best the company is fine the Cool boxes is full and the food is beginning to appear on the tables along with the first signs of BBQ building. All was looking fine…until, the wind arrived.
In the space of 20 minutes Herne Bay went from being a relax chilled out evening on the sun drenched beach to, seven frantic formula sailor all trying to rig two to three sails on a relatively small beach with limited area, the Residents of Herne bay must of wondered if this was some sort or budget opening ceremony that the UKWA puts on to entertain the locals pre event what with all the commotions unfolding before there eyes.
First on the water was the Bondage followed by just about everyone else in a matter of minutes some of us had opted for12m’s, that was a big mistake as wind carried on building, Jason (GBR 1515) and me soon found ourselves back on the beach collecting the 10m’s, this proved to be a pretty mighty move on both of our behalf’s as it turned out, because even though we only got to tune one sail in the Friday Practice Session. As it turned out it would be the only sail we would end up needing for the entire weekend.
Herne Bay
Saturday Morning arrived all to soon, and so had the wind, it was now blowing a steady 15 knots and forecast to build throughout the day. The thin wedge at the top end of the fleet were already busying themselves with the Three R’s, Rolling, Rigging, and Registering. I however along with a number of other riders who had only decided to Rig one (Very well tuned I’d like to add) 10m sail were chilling with Owen Gibson a young sailor who had come down to the event to try some Formula Experience kit that had been leant to the formula fleet by a few Riders that could not make the weekend, Graham Baster, just to name one.
Registration over, the first race began at around 11.30ish, (not one hundred percent sure because I was underwater when the race started thanks to Tim who had obviously singled me out as a threat, and had taken me out with a skillful gybe amidships leaving me with a face full of clue,) After recovering from the depths I set about analyzing the field ahead, From what I could tell there were a hell of a lot of windsurfs out there and that could only mean one thing,,,I was defiantly not winning. So after a number of pretty funky moments and a lot of fear I found myself after a couple of laps fighting hard with the likes of Adrian Wallis (GBR328) and Jason Clarke (GBR1515).
Up front Tim (GBR40) was riding Dolphin (GBR69) pretty hard in first and second with the Bondage (GBR98) tying up Briggsy (GBR91) and Keith (GBR 56) to hold down a solid 3rd. As for me, what was looking like a sound recovery to 7th only got better when on the last down wind leg Jason Clarke (riding the Black Exorcet Beast death machine) got chucked out the front door, in a spectacular fashion, handing me sixth place, sweet.
Herne Bay
The rest of Saturday’s racing carried on with lots of different moments for everyone involved, we had awesome wins, mental crashes and some brilliantly tight racing, leaving everyone more than ready to hit the showers.
Later that night, thanks to: the North Sea Cup Organizers, the UKWA and last but not least the wonderful Herne Bay sailing Club, we all had a great meal laid on for us before hitting the Bar for a few drinks and then Bed (at one, O clockish ish).
Sunday dawned, and it was harsh cold raining and rough. Still, the hardcore had already woken rolled and rigged. The not so hard, core on the other hand, cruised around laughing and joking at the expense of the organized hardcore few lol…..
First Race of the day started (I missed this because unfortunately I wasn’t rigged :-/ oops) and the fun resumed with Jay the Race officer opting for a windward leeward course which consisted of one upwind mark and a gate downwind near the committee boat which had a number 3 displayed on it telling us there would be 3 laps.
Owen Gibson Braving some of the gnarliest shore dump I’ve seen in a while and managing to coupe with it fine, was nailing the course which was pretty cool for a first timer because even after 7 years of Formula I still sometimes get it wrong (figure that one out with a windward, leeward!).
Herne Bay
Everyone else seemed to be taking a bit of a beating with the conditions at high tied getting fairly mighty with some mixed results for riders, the finish line ending up set to far downwind after you came through the last Gate meaning places got lost right on the line depending on who gybed for the finish or not,” Chris”.
All of this finish line excitement However did not effect me because cunningly Tim had managed to hide up my Ratchet, meaning I was unable to bolt my fin into my board,,,,, (Wow Tim is beginning to make Michael Schumacher look like an amateur when it comes to skullduggery,, lmfao).
As the days racing progressed the formula fleet slowly increased in size as Bob (the Boss) Ingram (GBR 164) joined us from the beach along with Martin Allman (GBR206) and I finally managed to get afloat after Tim finally stopped Hostage-rising my Ratchet at Lunch time, (Again I’d just like to add that the reason I missed the first two races on the Sunday had nothing to do with the fact that the shore dump was massive and scary, but because my ratchet set had been Hostage-rised Lolz).
Once the racing got underway, after Lunch, the competition was hot with everyone jostling for position. Pretty much everyone had their own private little battles-taking place. Adrian Wallis (GBR328) had a blinder ripping into third just behind Tim (GBR40) and the Dolphin (GBR69). This moment of brilliance by Adrian was unfortunately short lived when his boom snapped, putting him out for the next couple of races. Other people on a flyer, notably ringing the hell out of their kit, was Jason Clarke (GBR1515) who was somehow pointing like a beast and flying off the wind like he had managed to find a sixth gear. After chatting with Jason about this he revealed that he was using a NEW experiment F-HOT Formula fin. These fins are under development but once the trials are completed later this year they will be released, along with a brand new F-HOT Slalom Fin range,,, one launch to keep a close eye on I think.
Throughout the rest of the afternoon of racing, different fortunes fell upon different riders with some suffering from OCS and other finding themselves (like Brigsy (GBR91)) in their own little puddle of pain with clumps of sea weed rapped around his fin, at one point whilst traveling past him I did briefly wonder why he was sailing his Board backwards but just put it down to a Guernsey Pro Rider thing.
One moment, which seems to really stick out over the weekend was a moment on the downwind in pretty maxed out conditions on 10’s involving me, Jason and up until now unmentioned Benoit Chauvin (FRA179) Who had been solidly finishing in the top 3 for most of the weekend.
What happened was this; Jason and me were fully loaded down the back straight heading for the downwind Gate with nothing more than two meters separating us, whilst launching off the backs of waves when suddenly from straight between the pair of us Traveling at least 8 knots quicker was Benoit absolutely on the ragged edge rinsing it like a poor guy chasing a cheese burger, however again this moment of brilliance was also short lived when it ended in the most awesome over the handle bars a little while later, still on reflection this balls to the walls approach by Bonoit had paid Dividend over the weekend with the fact that even if he fell off, he would soon fly past you again either way.
Finally, racing finished on the Sunday with 9 races having been completed. Dolphin, Tim, and Brigsy (having cleared every piece of seaweed on the course) divided up the top places with the Bondage (GBR98) holding down forth positions like his life depended on it. Meanwhile the rest of the fleet shared out the rest of the positions.
One person that does deserve a mention is Zak Page who after beating me to the line in one race managed to cut his fingers quite badly at the beach carrying his board and take a short trip to A&E for some stitches. “Get well soon Dude, I need to make amends”.
Later that night just about the entire Formula Fleet went for curry and beers,,, the food was great and the company was awesome. The night ended up with a few more beers back at the Herne Bay sailing Club where RSX, Raceboard, Race Crew and Formula Riders finished up the night playing guitars and singing with the staff at the club until the last few made it back to their beds at about 3ish.
A perfect end to a perfect day.
Through the night the wind blew its socks off meaning that the following days racing had to be cancelled for safety reasons. This meant the event was over and time to go home. A sweet weekend was had by all. Herne Bay sailing club has to be by far one of the friendliest we’ve visited in recent years and as for the Formula Racing, well what can I say apart from YOLO Formula Rocks!
Overall results
1) Dave Coles
2) Tim Gibson
3) James Briggs
For more information on racing in the UK head to the UKWA website – www.ukwindsurfing.com
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Last Chance to Enter The Chase
There’s still time left! The final participants for the upcoming Red Bull Storm Chase are yet to be decided. Don’t miss your chance and create your personal sailor profile before June 28th at www.redbullstormchase.com.
So far, more than 100 windsurfers from 21 countries have already applied to participate in the global hunt for three storms beyond wind force 10.
With the likes of Kenneth Danielsen – - check out his Boardseeker interview – Dany Bruch, Brawzinho, Robby Swift and Josh Angulo now signed up the competition will be tough!
Among them true legends, past Red Bull Storm Chase participants, prominent PWA professionals and hot-shot amateurs – all ready to kick ass and hungry to make the top-50 shortlist selected by the expert jury panel headed by windsurfing legend Robby Naish. Those amateurs and pro storm specialists that make the cut after the rider registration closes on June 28th will advance to the public online voting stage starting July 2nd.
For further information, rider registration and spot submission please visit www.redbullstormchase.com
Red Bull Storm Chase 2012
May 1 – June 28: Rider registration: www.redbullstormchase.com
July 2 – July 15: Top 50 Online Voting for the 10 finalists
August 1 – November 30: Contest, 3 storms
Check out the Boards feature with the British and Irish guys hoping to win your vote….
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