Fonte : www.formulawindsurfing.org
The event took place in Peru Beach
Club in Buenos Aires, where Gonzalo
ARG3 normally sails.
We had 88 competitors from different
parts of Argentina and some
foreigners: from England, Ross
Williams GBR83, from Belgium on RSX
Hercules and from Colombia on RSX as
well Nicolas.
We did 6 Formula races, 8 for
Raceboard and 12 for RSX at the same
course. Beginers were run close to
the beach and they did 5 races.
Summer started in ARG so the water
was really warm and the wind
normally never fails at this time of
the year.
The Formula fleet , 44 competitors,
raced on the afternoon when the
breeze pick ups normally. The course
was an upwind-downwind with gates at
the downwind marks.
The first day of racing we did three
races with side offshore winds from
10 to 15 knots. Ross who was on his
new weapons (Gaastra formula board
and Gaastra new sails protos 08) won
the first one having a big lead
after he port started the fleet. On
second with a great start on port
aswell rounded Raul Saubidet ARG0
but it was Gonzalo ARG3 who passed
him at the second upwind leaving him
on third.
The second race it was the left side
of the course which paid off and it
was Gonzalo´s turn to take the lead.
Ross that had taken same tactics as
before had to comform himself with a
2nd but he didnt see the flag of
short course and went for one more
lap!! So it was Sergio Melh ARG21
and Raul Saubidet ARG0 placing 2nd
and 3rd.
The third race and last for the day
same thing happend, left side payed
off. Gonzalo took the lead and was
followed by Negro Diez ARG43 and
Ross GBR83. Ross manage to pass
Negro and that was it for the day.
Provisional results were Gonzalo,
Ross and Raul ARG0.
On the second day of racing the
river was gone!! There were offshore
strong winds and the water seemed to
be pulled away from Uruguay! We went
out and the wind had increased 5
knots on the last 20 minutes so
everyone were using 10.7s and 11s
and it was blowind 20 to 28 knots.
We had three races aswell. The first
one Gonzalo chose the pin end and
had a clear advantage off the start.
After the first gust that headed
quite a lot Gonzalo tacked and took
advantage of it. Ross and some other
guys which went a little bit more
missed it and got knocked all the
way to the upwind mark. On this
stronger winds ARG3 and GBR83 showed
there were hard to be followed. It
was Sergio ARG21 on third and Fissu
on 4rth.
Second race Ross decided to go down
the line and Gonzalo stayed higher
closer to the race comitee. Seemed
that Ross was leading after we got
headed a little bit but it was Gonz
which stayed longer on the gust
which took the lead after they tack.
Second Ross and third it was Fissu
now which was showing a consistant
performance.
Last race of the day and hardest.
The wind was on 25 average picking
to 28…the race director had the
great idea of making the longest
course now. Ross and Gonz went for
the pin end. Fissu had a good start
at the boat and manage to stay with
them. Ross who had always tacked too
late now decided to tack earlier.
Gonz and Fissu went 50 mts more and
tacked on the gust…straight to the
mark. Gonz made an early jybe
planning to come out of the gates on
starboard looking for the same shift.
But it was Ross who passed Fisu at
the downwind and going out on port
from the gates which end up getting
the shift. Gonz tacked straight away
trying to recover from his mistake
and manage to get ahead of Ross on
the layline and tacked on top of him
and still quite ahead. He made the
mark and Ross which straggle to make
it got the rope and fall. Fissu came
close to him but couldnt follow Ross
speed after he recover.
So it was Gonzalo again on first ,
Ross 2nd and Fissu 3rd.
On the last day of the event the
wind teased us all day long. We did
5 starts and after getting all the
way to the upwind mark the wind
would stop. The wind was enough but
only for periods of 10 minutes…and
then would drop for 20…The tide was
really strong so it was hard to stay
upwind.
So after all day in the water and
wathcing the RSX and Raceboards the
best decition was to come back to
the beach and enjoy the bands that
were playing alive at Peru Beach.
The price giving was at 6 pm and
everybody enjoyed some Doctor Lemons
which were sponsoring the event.
HArd Wind, the biggest local shop,
had put some great prices: two
starboards 08 and some severne sails
so the racers were all really
excited! It was the Arguello
brothers which were deffinetly the
luckiest! They won the Phantom board
and a Severne sail. The formula
board went to Hercules, the Belgium
kid which was training and racing
RSX here in ARG.
Final Results Overall top 10
1st Gonzalo Costa Hoevel ARG3 (NeilPryde-F2-Peru
Beach)
2nd Ross Williams GBR83 (Gaastra-Tabou-Deboichet)
3rd Fissu Barzizza ARG52 (Starboard-
North- Hard Wind)
4rth Sergio Mehl ARG21 (Starboard-Gaastra
and NeilPryde)
5th Raul Saubidet ARG0 (Peru Beach)
6th Marcos Galvan ARG9 (Starboard-North)
7th Jose “Negro” Diez ARG43 (NeilPryde-F2)
8th Matias Bonomi ARG51 (F2-Gaastra)
9th Fede Muller ARG23 (Starboard-NeilPryde)
10th Marcos Murgio ARG81 (Starboard-NeilPryde)
The event was a great success.
Finally after many years i manage to
race my national championship at my
local club with all my windsurfing
friends. Every day after racing
everyone would stay and have lunch
at the club and talk about the races
or gear…or any hottie that would
walk by..haha..There were many young
kids racing aswell which shows there
is a lot of future on the class.
Four local Grand Prix in Argentina
are planned for next year and
probably one of them will be big
enough to count as a Grand Prix for
the Formula World Ranking on the
future South American tour.
11th Dez
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