2007 Constructors’ Championship Rankings Released

As the dust settles after a mighty PWA season of Slalom racing, freestyle wizardry and hardcore wavesailing action the PWA constructors rankings have been finalised.

Albeau – Slalom domination
for Starboard / NeilPryde

Mistral / Gaastra’s top signing Brawzinho

Another world title for North
courtesy of Iballa Moreno

Team Fanatic’s Victor

Battle of the Boards

Thailand-based Starboard head the boards rankings after helping their riders fly into no less than 5 year-end podium positions including first and second places in the Slalom with Antoine Albeau (Starboard / NeilPryde) and Kevin Pritchard (Starboard / MauiSails) dominating the race courses.

Close behind were the Fanatic team, with wave series runner-up Victor Fernandez (Fanatic / Simmer) pushing hard all season including two key event victories in Guincho and Gran Canaria. Although Fanatic didn’t quite make the podium in the ladies rankings they were proud their leading lady Nayra Alonso (Fanatic / Severne) took the honours by winning her first event overall in Sylt.

In the freestyle Fanatic’s team was headed by 2006 champion Jose Estredo (Fanatic / North) who fought hard to finish in the runner’s-up slot after winning two out of the three top-level freestyle events.

Mistral rounded-off a fine season in third overall with their newest addition to the team Marcilio Browne (Mistral / Gaastra) giving them immediate return on their investment with an amazing freestyle world title aged just 18.


Sail Brand Skirmishes

The competition amongst the sail brands is no less intense. Limits were pushed more than ever before and the real winners are ultimately the consumers who’ll benefit from this form of high pressure testing.

North sails topped the leader board, including a clean sweep of the year-end podium in the women’s wavesailing tour, which was won for a second consecutive year by Iballa Moreno (North), and a second successive freestyle title for Daida Moreno (North). The famous twins have now won 17 world titles between them entirely using their long time sponsor’s sails. Elsewhere the famous white foils earned a third world title with Karin Jaggi (F2 / North) in the Slalom racing, 4 top-10 finishes in the men’s Slalom rankings including 3rd overall from Bjorn Dunkerbeck (T1 / North), and two event wins in freestyle courtesy of ‘Gollito’ in Lanzarote and Sylt.

There are no surprises to hear NeilPryde made the top 3 in the constructors rankings either, completing another trophy heavy season in second overall, and the Slalom world championship theirs to boast for two years in a row courtesy of Antoine Albeau. In fact Pryde can also show off that 4 of the top-10 in men’s Slalom overall for 2007 came from their racing programme. Pryde’s newest signing also gave them something to cheer about. Aruban teen freestyle prodigy Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde) finished second overall including a useful win to open the season with in Lanzarote.

Legendary sail brand Gaastra finish the season with their heads held high after cruising back into the top flight of the standings, this time in third overall. The highlight of the year for Gaastra is of course the world title Marcilio ‘Brawzinho’ Browne has brought home but also the domination they’ve experienced in the freestyle fleet. At the PWA Fuerteventura Grand Slam the team filled all of the top-5 finishing slots to drive their point home, and can flaunt that half of the riders in the top-10 overall in men’s freestyle for the season rode their equipment.

It’s also worth mentioning the most recent world title won by Kauli Seadi (Quatro / Naish) recently in Scotland. Quatro were new members to the PWA fold back in 2006 and their 6th place is highly impressive considering they don’t operate a slalom-racing programme. Kauli was powered by Naish sails too who finished in 4th overall in the sail brands rankings.