| Micah Buzianis shows off at the 2010 PWA Alacati |
| Wednesday, 11 August 2010 09:40 |
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On the second day of racing in Alacati the PWA’s fastest were greeted with wall-to-wall sunshine and a gentle breeze. Luckily the wind swiftly strengthened throughout the morning allowing the competition to commence in glamorous conditions by midday. Two races were completed for both the men’s and women’s fleets, giving everyone the opportunity to prove their worth. Over the course of the day the wind varied between ten and twenty knots causing the sailors to swap gear on a constant heat by heat basis. 9.5s and big boards were the order of the day when the wind was down, and 8.5s and medium boards were preferred when it was up. Due to the gusty conditions race director, Juan Antonio Aragon made the decision to revert back to the standard 8 man heat format for the men’s fleet. Men The Buzianis Show Former world champion, Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde) once again posted two consistent results to remain at the front of the fleet. He may not have scored quite the perfect day that he had yesterday, but two seconds firmly consolidates his lead, and makes him the man to beat here in Turkey. He played it safe throughout his heats to ensure his place in every final. There was no racing for glory, but also no stupid mistakes, which is a sure fire way to lead the fleet. The Real Albeau Race one saw the return of the 2009 world champion and current tour leader, Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde). After a consistent start to the event, he stepped up his game and began to destroy the fleet. A string of firsts saw him happily into the final, and a perfect start had him leading the way. Needless to say, with Albeau in a commanding position he was completely untouchable, and flew to victory in race 3. Unfortunately race 4 didn’t go quite the same way, but another consistent finish sees him strong in second overall. Finian’s Back After his shock exit in race 2 yesterday, Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra) came back with renewed motivation and a score to settle. In the first race of the day he made partial amends by qualifying for the final. But, a sixth was all he achieved. With the knowledge that he could better his last result, he headed out to race 4 with work left to do. He shot off the start line and screamed into the first mark with seven sailors bearing down behind him. After the gybe he pulled ahead, not once needing to look back, leaving everyone else to fight it out behind. A first and a sixth see him climb the ranks with only Albeau and Buzianis left in his way. Standout Performers Aside from Buzianis, Albeau, and Maynard there were a few other sailors that stood out from the crowd. In the first race Australian, Steve Allen (Starboard, Severne) sailed extremely well to launch himself into the final. Following an outstanding first gybe, and plenty of speed, he finished just behind Buzianis to claim third. Unfortunately, his second race didn’t go quite the same way due to an enormous collision at the first gybe with Ludovic Jossin (Starboard, Loft). Italian shaper, Patrik Diethelm (Patrik, North) also sailed an awesome first race to claim fourth behind Allen. However, his second race went the same way as Allen’s when Ertugrul Icingir (Starboard, NeilPryde) fell off directly in front of him. With nowhere to go, he sailed straight over Icingir’s sail, resulting in a swim. Still, a fourth for Diethelm has improved his ranking, and reminds him that he’s capable of fighting it out with the best of them. Flying Frenchman, Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North) also stepped up his game today qualifying for both winner’s final. A seventh and a fifth see him climb into fourth, and keep him in with a chance of a podium finish. Another sailor to step up to the mark was Dutch racer, Ben Van Der Steen (JP, Mystic) who had a taste of things at the top with a fourth place in race 4. This sees him move into the top twenty, but with two bad results he’s desperately in need of a further discard. Results After Four Races (Men) 1st Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde) Results After Four Races (Women) 1st Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic)
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