The spectacular kiteboarding competition here in Portimão, Spain dubbed the Kite Masters Portimão World Tour 2008 continues on its 4th day with the wind averaging 15-20 knots under clear skies with the temperature pegged at 24° Celsius. The course racing event got underway at 1:00 pm followed by the Freestyle tournament and one final race before concluding the day at 7:00 pm.

The Course Racing scoreboard is now a one-two North team on the top composed of Charles Deleau (FRA) in first place, who won today’s 1st and 2nd races and Sean Farley (MEX) now in second place after winning race #3 and coming in second in the other two races.

Farley overtook Best Kiteboarding’s Sami Gali (Spain) who is now in 3rd place overall after finishing 3rd in the first two races and coming in 4th in race #3. Another North racer – Dirk Hanel (GER) remains in 4th place overall while Takoon’s Bruno Sroka (FRA) completes the top 5.

No change in the women’s division racing scoreboard as North Kiteboarding’s Steph Bridge (GBR) still manages to cling onto the top position overall even after finishing 3rd in race #1 and 2nd in race #3. The North racer finished 1st in race #2 with a total of 11.2 points after 11 races. Best Kiteboarding’s Gina Esteva (Spain) is still in second place with 15.7 points after finishing 2nd in race #1 and #2. Cabrinha’s Fabienne D’Ortoli (FRA) occupies third place with 17.1 points overall.

In some of the highlights of the Kite Masters Tournament women’s division, Jalou Langeree (NED) defeated Johara Sykes-Davies in the 11th heat with a krypt to sent handle pass and an indy glide against Davies who broke her foot on a front roll kite loop rendering her to miss the next three Tour stops at least.

Meanwhile, powered by a Naish kite, Langeree moved on to out-seat Laura Fernandez (ESP) in the 13th heat with a raley, front to surface pass and front transition against the kiteloop and two front rolls of Fernandez. In the 15th heat, Fernandez managed to make a comeback by defeating Bridge via technical aspects landing a raley to surface pass, raley and kiteloop.

In the 12th heat, Angela Peral (ESP) outplayed Steph Bridge (GBR) in a show of technical moves that saw Peral landing a 1 footer and 2 front rolls, raley, downloop to blind and raley to blind. Bridge landed an indy tail grab, dead man and backloop kiteloop.

In the 14th heat, Peral again upgraded her bid to the podium by defeating Susi Mai (GER) with 2 one-footers, raley to blind, front to blind, downloop to blind and raley while Mai landed a front roll tail grab, one-footer, kiteloop, raley to toeside and raley to blind.

In the men’s Kite Master Tournament division, Fabio Martins (POR) lost to Rui Meira (POR) who landed a blind judge, back and tail grab against Martins’ front roll in heat #27. Martins clearly outclassed by Meira in this heat.

In the next heat, Tom Herbert (New Caledonia) defeated local boy Danilo Nacarato (POR) with power and variation. Herbert landed a rail flip board off, KGB, raley to blind and slim against Nacarato’s raley, s-bend, slim, blind judge with aerial handle pass, and tail grab board off.

In the last two heats before the semi-finals, Gonzalo Gomes (POR) lost to Sebastien Garat (FRA) who landed a superman, blind judge 3, mobe, hasselhoff, slim chance and 313. Gomes nevertheless landed a back to wrapped, s-bend and kung fu.

Meanwhile, Kevin Langeree (NED) added two more points to his scoreboard by simply outmaneuvering and outclassing Joao Fontainhas (POR) with a mobe, blind judge with aerial handle pass, front and tail board-off, KGB, and 313. Fotainhas landed a kiteloop, raley to blind, tail grab, slim plus one board-off.

Source: PKRA