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World's best slalom windsurfers open the PWA World Tour
Thursday, 19 April 2012 09:17

PWA World Tour: the windsurf race returns

The 2012 PWA World Tour is about to unfold. The first pro windsurfers to hit the waters are the Slalom rider, between 19th-24th April, in Reggio Calabria, Italy.


Already regarded as one of Southern Italy’s premier windsurfing locations, this popular seaside resort will be hoping to continue to build it’s reputation on the world scene, with it’s reliable thermal winds provided by the Straits of Messina, combined with stunning beaches and picturesque scenery.

Eighty male and female sailors are looking for the €55,000 prize purse, as well as those all important world tour ranking points. In the Men's feet, all eyes will be on reigning world champion and windsurfing legend Bjorn Dunkerbeck, as he looks to make a strong start in defense of his title.

"I am really happy to say that the Reflex 3 is best Slalom sail ever made, the rig is all around a hole lot faster than the 011, better low end and acceleration out off the jibes. Not to forget my Starboards are also a nice step easier again and the combo will very hard to beat", says Dunkerbeck.

After his recent move to RRD everyone will be keeping a careful watch on his archrival Antoine Albeau. It will be interesting to see how he fares on his new boards but we still expect him to be right at the forefront of the competition, as he so often is.

Expect another colossal battle between these two heavy weights in the upcoming season.

"My training was the same as the years before, I was in Maui and I was sailing a lot, I am really looking forward for the Italian event in Reggio because I have a new board sponsor RRD and I want to see how my speed is going on the tour", says Albeau.

In the Women's title race, Sarah-Quita Offringa is unable to attend the opening event of the season, so her rivals will be looking to capitalize on this opportunity and take a strong hold at the top of the rankings, temporarily at least.

Former world champion Karin Jaggi was in contention for the whole of last season, and she will be keen to go one better this year. With a wealth of experience and a skill set to match, Jaggi is a serious contender for the women’s slalom title.

"I have spent the last 6 months in Western Australia – my second home. It was probably not one of the best seasons over there – which made me head out on slalom gear more often than usual. But still wave sailing was the priority over the winter months – apart from spending a lot of time in front of the computer to keep our Patrik Board brand business growing", says Jaggi.


 

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