| Jesse Richman and Kari Schibevaag claim the Course Racing title of the 2009 KPWT Dunkerque in France |
| Monday, 17 August 2009 14:18 |
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The KPWT Dunkerque Kitesurf Pro has come to an end today. It has been a successful week for kitesurfing and we have witnessed some World Class Kitesurfing! Some new names from Belgium have impressed in the freestyle discipline and some very exciting course racing took place. We had a huge response from the city of Dunkerque and many spectators came to appreciate the kitesurfing and the festivities on offer. Course Racing started off the kitesurfing action today! The first race started at 14h07 and the course was set out over 2 laps that were roughly 10 minutes each. The wind was blowing over 20knots, which pushed the riders endurance rather than tactics. Jesse Richman (HAW, CABRINHA) reached the upwind buoy first, followed by Abel Lago (SPA, RRD), Olivier Dansin (FRA, NORTH) and Antoine Auriol (FRA, KITELOOSE). They picked up super speed on the downwind and charged the buoy for the second lap. Race was on and Richman reached the finish line in first place after 18 minutes of speedy racing! In second place, not too far behind was Lago. Dansin seemed to have third place in his sights, but on the home straight he crashed a couple of times allowing an excited Lukasz Ceran (POL, NORTH) through. Richman: "What a fun race, the wind was quite strong and it was quite tricky to know where the sand banks are. My fins are over 30cm long so you need to watch out for this!" A quick rest for the riders and the race director went straight into race 2 for the day. He moved the upwind buoy a little further away, but the wind had increased to 22 knots so the course time was relatively similar to the previous race. The second race started at 14h52 and off they went! Jesse Richman once again charged the upwind buoy in first place, followed tightly by Antoine Auriol and Abel Lago! Downwind was certainly exciting, as the wind was strong and the riders were using every bit they could to build up good speed! Richman crossed the finish line first after 18 minutes on the water, followed by Julien Kerneur (FRA, NORTH) and Pierre Romain (FRA, NORTH). Antoine Auriol raced well and was looking good, but third place seemed to be a curse for the riders today and he crashed just before the finish line! He recovered well and managed to still place fourth. For the women, Kari Schibevaag (NOR, OZONE) did tremendously and held strong to place first in both races and show her dominance here in the Course Racing in France. The Course Racing stopped at 15h21. A quick adjustment to the buoys and off went the freestyle juniors just before 16h00. The race director ran 7minute heats with 3minute transitions. The juniors were riding well in the conditions they were handed, but unfortunately the final and losers final was unable to be completed due to dangerous conditions. The wind was shifting onshore to offshore and gusting between 6 and 20 knots. Etiennes Freydrich (FRA, CABRINHA) looked good with some solid rotations, as did Danilo Nacarato (POR, SLINGSHOT) who performed a really cool Blind Judge 3. The day ended at 18h00, and prize giving took priority on the main stage! Spectators gathered closely to see the Champions of the KPWT Dunkerque Kitesurf Pro 2009 receive their trophies! Thank you to Christophe Hugoo and his team for a highly successful event on the KPWT 2009. They have been nothing, but helpful, extremely well organized and professional in every aspect of the event. The next stop on the 2009 KPWT is in Canada at the Shippagan Kitesurf World Cup, starting the 23rd September 2009 with registration. MEN RACE ONE: 1. Jesse Richman (HAW,CABRINHA) WOMEN RACE ONE: 1. Kari Schibevaag (NOR, OZONE) MEN RACE TWO: 1. Jesse Richman (HAW, CABRINHA) WOMEN RACE TWO: 1. Kari Shibevaag (NOR, OZONE) JUNIORS: 1. Danilo Nacarato (POR, SLINGSHOT)
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