Wall to wall sunshine and strong winds paved the way for champagne sailing on the final day of the women's slalom season in Almanarre, allowing for the maximum number of eliminations to be raced in glamorous conditions.

The first few heats began in fairly light winds, but the rest were sailed like a white-knuckle ride, with plenty of crashes and hell raising top speeds. Races four, five, and six were the usual split fleet affair, with the top five from the first two heats going on to fight it out in the final. Race seven however was something special, which required a slightly different set of skills, to end the 2010 tour in spectacular style.

Arrighetti Holds All The Aces

The 2009 world champion, Valerie Arrighetti (Tabou, Loft, Mystic) began the day in the perfect way to keep her immaculate event record showing a fistful of firsts. However, her nearest rival and current tour leader, Karin Jaggi (Patrik, Severne) kept piling on the pressure finishing just behind her to remain in contention. In third Lise Vidal (Exocet, North) showed off her skills to walk away with her best result of the week.

The Young Guns Steal The Show

The second sensational slalom saw Arrighetti go over early in her first faux pas of the event, clearing the way for Jaggi to take the advantage. However, a handful of youngsters led by the rising French star, Alice Arutkin (Starboard, North) - who hadn't scored a bullet since Korea - stopped the legend in her tracks forcing her to settle for fourth. Following in Arutkin's wake was the 2010 freestyle world champion, Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard, Gaastra), and transatlantic hopeful Sarah Hebert (Naish, Naish) who both held off advances from the former world champion to finish in second and third respectively.

Jaggi Reaffirms Her Dominance

In the third race of the day, Jaggi pulled out all the stops, and with Arrighetti back in the winner's final battle, stamped her authority on the entire fleet. The Swiss national was obviously enjoying the stronger winds, gritting her teeth and closing the slot to claim a convincing victory. Olivia Piana (Exocet, Loft) also found her form, fighting her way to an impressive second place, whilst local hero Fanny Aubet (JP, NeilPryde) crossed the line just behind. Arrighetti may have only finished fifth in this race, but with her almost perfect previous scores she'd done enough to secure the final crown of the season.

A Final Full Fleet Showdown

Despite both the event crown and the title having already been determined, the all women's finale finished in fine style with a full fleet battle featuring the fastest females on the planet. Race director, Juan Antonio Aragon and his team set a huge first leg, forcing the racers to attack the course from a different angle. Speed and endurance proved key to success, as did the ability to keep the board on the water in the rough conditions. The start was spectacular with seventeen sailors pushing as hard as they could, but it didn't take long for the current tour leader to edge ahead and take the lead. Full of confidence from her previous win, Jaggi held her position ahead of Hebert and Piana to finish the season on a high at the front of the fleet.