Topo                  

 
                        

                                                            FLASH

                                                              

                      Argentinian National Championships 2007

 Fonte : www.formulawindsurfing.org

Argentinian National Championships 07
Report by Gonzalo Costa Hoevel ARG-3


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