With the possibility that the wind would be more suitable for the discipline of freestyle today, the world's most tricked up windsurfers arrived at the beach at dawn, only to be greeted by almost exactly the same conditions that had prevented them from taking to the water the past few days.

After a couple of hours of trying to make the most of what the weather had brought, the organisers decided to switch over to slalom. Many of the more experienced sailors in the fleet opposed the decision having been tested to their limits over the past few days in the brutal conditions dealt out by the North Sea. However, once the heats were in full swing, and the sun came out, they were happier than ever battling in the gusty 12-24 knots for the final time in 2010.

An Exciting Finale

The first winner's final of the day was arguably one of the most exciting seen this season. All too often, we witness the newly crowned world champion, Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde) or the legend Bjorn Dunkerbeck (Starboard, Severne, Mystic) leading from the start, controlling the pack as they hammer their way round the course at full throttle, and then crossing the line with a fist in the air. Race six however was completely different!

Both Albeau and Dunkerbeck were buried at the beginning allowing the PWA's president, Jimmy Diaz (Starboard, North) to have his moment of glory. Diaz lead the pack around the first mark, but unfortunately for him, his team mate, Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North) was hot on his heels, and halfway round the race managed to sneak his way past to take line honours.

Meanwhile, Albeau and Dunkerbeck were having their own battle out the back. And, despite those battles not being with each other, their final finishing positions would none the less determine their overall event standings. Dunkerbeck fought his way through the fleet, using his outstanding speed to eventually be within touching distance of Diaz, and finished a split second afterwards to take third. Albeau battled hard throughout the heat, but was fighting a lost cause with Dunkerbeck out in front. A fifth for the current world champion saw him comfortably in a top two position, but the thirty-five times world champ had already secured the Sylt crown.

The Race For Third Place

With the event results, and the overall rankings already decided for Dunkerbeck and Albeau, the real battle in race seven was for the final spot on the podium. Two sailors had the possibility of claiming third place in Sylt, and the same two third overall. And to top it all off, they both happened to be lined up next to each other in the final race of the season!

The two in question were 2009 runner up, Finian Maynard (RRD, Gaastra), and flying Frenchman, Cyril Moussilmani. Moussilmani happened to be on a roll having claimed victory in the previous elimination, whereas Maynard was recovering from a complete shocker after a broken fin saw him exit the last race in the quarterfinals.