The PWA World Cup Guincho Wave Contest 2007 – Event Summary

It’s V for Victory as Spanish Stars Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / Simmer) and Daida Moreno (North) take the event titles after a week long waiting game.

The Podium

Daida and Victor ready to celebrate

Iberian talents Fernandez and Moreno kept celebrations on ice this week after winning the single eliminations of the Men’s and Women’s contests in tricky conditions.

Fernandez, aged just 23, displaced Kauli Seadi (Quatro / Naish) in a dramatic final against the 2005 World title holder from Brazil.

Top names fell by the wayside in this ruthless contest including reigning world champ Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / MauiSails), Aussie legend Jason Polakow (JP / NeilPryde), and long-time campaigner Nik Baker (Mistral / North).

A new era is definitely dawning as finally younger, newer talent emerged at Guincho to rock the boat, with Angulo the only one of the established old-guard left standing in the last 8.

In a red-hot ladies’ contest, Moreno defeated her long-time adversary Karin Jaggi (F2 / North) as both riders showed massive skill and composure to stay on top of the fast-rising standards in the women’s game.

The potential of some rare south wind gave an extra edge to the tension, but it never materialized and the single elimination results stood firm for the winners.

Fernandez, elated after his second career win, said ‘I’m super-stoked to win here. I didn’t expect to, and it’s a new location for me to win at. It’s special as I’ve now won one on starboard tack, and one on port tack now, which has given me more motivation for the rest of the year.

I felt good during the long wait for the rest of the week. We kicked back, relaxed, went surfing every day and generally chilled out. In fact it reminded me of waiting in Pozo last year before I took the event title there.

I would have been happy to compete as that’s what I came here to do for a full week, but it just never appeared.

My targets for the rest of the season are to finish in the top 3 now for this year. I’d like to improve and build on this performance, but that’s my goal for now’

Daida Moreno, now the 2007 tour leader, was positive too. ‘It feels really good to finish this week which was admittedly a long wait. We had two days of OK sailing at the start, and luckily a great result for me. But, I’m just stoked about starting the tour off on the right foot.

My goal for the rest of the season is simply to have fun – hopefully in some nice conditions- and to maintain a high level of performance’

The tour now rolls out of Portugal and on to Spain for The 2007 Cataluña Costa Brava PWA Slalom-42 World Cup.

Next on the wave series is Pozo in Gran Canaria in July, where this fascinating title race will be played out further.

As it stands now, Angulo leads the tour ahead of Seadi, and Fernandez’s key victory here nudges him up to third overall so far.

Now the women’s tour is out of the blocks, Daida Moreno leads ahead of Karin Jaggi in second, while Iballa Moreno, the present women’s world wave sailing champion must settle for third.

Our thanks go out to our Portuguese hosts and sponsors, Estoril Coast Tourism and Overpower for once more laying-on a spectacular event, and for their world-renowned hospitality.

You can check all the results, elimination ladders, photo and video galleries and more at www.pwaworldtour.com