Windsurfing World Championships: Alabau Triumphs While Mortefon Halts Iachino’s Streak
The second day of the Slalom X at the 38th World Windsurfing Championships in Fuerteventura saw fierce competition, with four women’s finals and two men’s eliminations in Sotavento.
The event kicked off under cloudy skies and lighter winds than the previous day. The first race started at 11:30, with the men’s third elimination underway shortly after.
As the day progressed, conditions improved, with increasing wind and challenging waves. Competitors faced a floating obstacle known as the “salchicha,” leading to numerous falls and mishaps.
Blanca Alabau Claims Victory
Spanish windsurfer Blanca Alabau secured her first win of the tournament in the fifth women’s final. Jenna Gibson from the UK initially took the lead but lost momentum after the first turn. Alabau and France’s Marion Mortefon moved ahead but Mortefon fell before the final stretch. Alabau successfully navigated the obstacle, finishing ahead of Bobbi-Lynn De Jong (Netherlands), Gibson, Mae Davico (France), and Femke van der Veen (Netherlands). Her performance marked a strong comeback after a previous disqualification.
In the sixth final, Alabau placed fifth, then finished fourth in the final race of the day, having to jump over a buoy after Mortefon’s fall.
Jenna Gibson’s Fourth Win
Jenna Gibson regained her form in the sixth final, leading from the start and extending her advantage to secure her fourth win in six finals. Femke van der Veen took second, followed by Justine Lemeteyer (France), Mae Davico, Alabau, and Mortefon.
After this round, Gibson held an 8.2-point lead, with van der Veen in second.
Justine Lemeteyer’s Recovery
Justine Lemeteyer bounced back after breaking her mast earlier in the day, winning the seventh race. She capitalised on Davico’s loss of speed at the third buoy to take the lead and secured hersecond win of the week.
Gibson finished second, followed by Davico, van der Veen, Bobbi-Lynn De Jong, and Mortefon. Lemeteyer then won the eighth and final race of the day, after taking advantage of another fall from Davico, confirming her strong performance.
Matteo Iachino’s Dominance Continues
Matteo Iachino from Italy maintained his winning streak by taking the third men’s elimination final. He overcame German competitor Nico Prien to claim his third consecutive victory, with Lohan Jules (GPE) and Benoit Merceur (France) finishing third and fourth, respectively.
Pierre Mortefon (France) exited early in the quarters, allowing Iachino to lead by 9.9 points in the overall standings.
Pierre Mortefon Bounces Back
In the afternoon, Pierre Mortefon rebounded with his first win of the week. He progressed through the semis and, despite Iachino’s efforts in the final, Mortefon seized the lead after a strong turn and held it to the finish.
Mortefon triumphed over Iachino and Maciek Rutkowski (Poland), with Jimmy Thieme, Vrieswijk, Prien, Jules, and Martini completing the final.
By day’s end, Iachino had amassed three wins and a second-place finish, while Mortefon’s comeback victory underscored a competitive day in Sotavento.
