2011 Pozo World Cup - Day 5


10.07.11 - by: Ed Sinclair

2011 Pozo World Cup

Day 5: Radical wave riding, extreme jumps and colossal crashes ensured the emotions were running high as nuclear winds powered the sailors through the double elimination.

Fifty knots of wind and pounding waves provided the perfect conditions for an action packed double elimination. The judges announced the heats would be twelve minutes long, and the best three jumps and two wave rides would decide the sailor's fate. With the opportunity to improve their overall scores, the competitors were ready and waiting for the judges to drop the green flag and take to the water on their 3.3 meter sails.

The men were first to brave the challenging conditions, maxed out on their smallest equipment the sailors launched into their largest maneuvres at full speed. The world finest wave riders had to make sure each move was completed with faultless precision or they would suffer the consequences.

Men's Fleet

The major upset from the first round saw experienced wave sailor Peter Volwater (Fanatic / MauiSails) lose out to local ripper Jose Romero (JP / NeilPryde). Volwater fought hard with huge forwards and a backloop; however Romero superior wave riding ensured he was awarded the most points.

The standout move of the day came early on from Moroccan Boujmaa Guilloul (Starboard / Severne / Mystic) in his heat against Florian Jung (RRD / Gun). Guilloul caught a shoulder height wave and boosted into an incredible pushloop off the lip, landing straight back on the face allowing him to continue with his ride. The judges were blown away with his performance and awarded him maximal points for his efforts and a ticket into the next round.

Six exceptional sailors, Andreas Olandersson (Simmer / MFC), Guilloul, Aleix Sanllehy, Jamie Hancock (Tabou / Gaastra), Camille Juban (Gun Sails / MFC) and Jules Denel (Exocet) all stormed through their opening two heats raising their overall results significantly. However the big guns in round three all held their ground, putting a halt on their rampage through the double elimination.

The only sailor to break into the top sixteen's fortress from round two was Jaeger Stone (Severne). The young Australian defeated John Skye (RRD / RRD / MFC), Kenneth Danielsen (F2 / Simmer) and Klaas Voget (Fanatic / Simmer / MFC) with his enormous stalled forwards and aggressive cut backs earning him a place in round four.

Having held strong against their challengers in round three, it was time for Daniel Bruch (Starboard / Severne / MFC / AL 360), Marcos Perez (Exocet / Gun), Eleazar Alonso (Naish / Naish) and Stone to play the underdogs. The sailors moved on to face Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde), Kauli Seadi (JP / NeilPryde), Alex Mussolini (Tabou / Gaastra) and Dario Ojeda Simmer / Dakine / MFC) respectively in the fourth round. Swift and Bruch had a particularly close heat however Swift managed to squeeze passed with a perfect double forward. Seadi destroyed Perez with his seamless riding, Mussolini defeated Alonso with an enormous backloop and a clean wave 360, while Ojeda finished Jaeger Stones winning streak nailing a tweaked pushloop and a sensational double forward.