In an incredible first day in Fuerteventura the flying Frenchman, Cyril Moussilmani (Starboard, North) sailed flawlessly in the tough conditions to create an amazingly consistent set of results which includes a first, second, and third. His nearest rivals failed to match his slalom prowess putting him 5 points clear at the top.

The idyllic racing conditions found on the southern shores of Fuerteventura today provided the perfect start to this very special 25^thanniversary grand slam. From first light, the wind showed great promise with the North Easterly trades guaranteeing the action. The course was set early enabling the sailors to commence battle on schedule at 10:00 in front of the many spectators lining the shore.

Throughout the morning the wind increased with gusts of around 30 knots sweeping across the course. Most of the competitors began the day on their 7.0s with a medium sized board. But, late in the afternoon many were holding on to their 6.2s and smallest boards often commenting that they should have been on something smaller.

Moussil-Mania

To say that today belonged to Moussilmani would be a complete understatement. The Frenchman not only qualified for every winner's final, but did so with immense style. Not once did he fall out of the top three during his qualification rounds, and neither did he during the finals, stamping his authority on the elite group of professional racers.

A second in the first race of the day behind the 2009 world champion, Antoine Albeau (JP, NeilPryde) put him in high spirits from the start. And, a win in race two had him as high as a kite, with little anyone could do to steal his glory. A third in race three was his worst result, but his consistency had paid dividends. And, in such a strong fleet, a third is hardly worth complaining about!

Cyril Moussilmani:

"It was a great day for me today because I'm in first place overall, and I've never led the slalom fleet before which is amazing, especially as it's such a windy venue. I'm not too bothered if the wind remains as strong as it was today, I'm just looking forward to getting out there again, and beating as many other people as I can. For now I'm really happy, and looking forward to the rest of the competition."

Albeau Explodes

Moussilmani's nearest rival is the modern day slalom maestro, Antoine Albeau who failed to put quite as consistent a set of results together. He was seen taking it easy in many of his early round heats, often letting people pass him which was surely part of his game plan of conserving energy for the all important finals.

After claiming victory in race one by leading from start to finish many thought it would be an Albeau white wash once again. However, an almighty explosion in the final of race 2 put him fully out of action for the rest of the race, and counting an eighth until a discard comes in. True to form, Albeau was back with a vengeance in race three, but after passing Moussilmani, couldn't quite catch his team-mate Micah Buzianis (JP, NeilPryde) who stopped the legend from putting two bullets in his bag.