Campello Dominates As Locals Challenge Hard In Stronger Winds!

Tuesday July 1, 2003

Ricardo Campello (JP, Neil Pryde) has clinched his second freestyle
victory here this afternoon in as the winds returned with a vengeance here

in Pozo Izquierdo. Sailing with his usual exceptional style Campello
defeated local sailor Victor Fernandez (Fanatic) in todays second round
freestyle final. Ex freestyle world champion, Antoine Albeau (AHD, Neil
Pryde) of France returned to form and took third place in the losers final

ahead of young Douglas Diaz (Fanatic, North) of Venezuela in fourth.
Meanwhile in the womens freestyle, Daida Moreno (Mistral, North) came
through seven heats today to secure victory over her sister Iballa
(Mistral, North) in the womens opening double elimination.

As predicted the winds have been far stronger than the previous two days
of light wind freestyle with gusts over 30 knots blowing across the course

area by the end of the day.

Todays winner, Ricardo Campello, was in devastating form this afternoon
and breezed through his heats on route to the final, defeating Julien
Taboulet (JP, Neil Pryde), Remko de Weerd (Gaastra, Fanatic), Greg Allaway

(JP, Neil Pryde) and Douglas Diaz (Fanatic, North). Moves in his
repertoire came thick and fast during his heats with flat water goitas,
switch stance one-handed flakas and his latest mind blowing move the duck

gybe forward loop featuring heavily.

On the other side of the draw local sailor Victor Diaz (AHD) was the
surprise finalist after a producing a series of inspiring heats. Fernandez

was faced with some tough opposition but pulled out all the stops against

Kristoffer Living (AHD, North), Mariano Estivill (Arrows), Tonky Frans
(Gaastra, AHD) and Antoine Albeau (AHD, Neil Pryde). Victors key maneuvers

today were his switch stance back loops, flakas and back loops off the lip

on the way in.

In the final Campello opened up with his trump card and landed a perfect
Shaka, Fernandez was not fazed and hit back a perfect switch stance back
loop. As the heat progressed Campello moved steadily ahead with his more
comprehensive routine of mind boggling technical tricks. Fernandez fought

back delving deep into his repertoire but on his current form it almost
seems that Ricardo has moved into a league of his own here in Gran Canaria

and took the victory with a convincing margin.

Americas Matt Pritchards (Gaastra) run of bad form continued today with a

second successive third round exit at the hands of local jump specialist
Orjan Jensen (North). Pritchard won here in the Canaries this time last
year but seems to be struggling to produce his normal rock solid
performances and after todays disastrous result will not be featuring on
the podium at the end of the week. At least he has the back up of still
being one of the six contenders left in the mens wave double elimination.

In the womens double elimination Daida Moreno (Mistral, North) fought her

way back courageously back through to the final defeating Claudia Rankel
(Starboard), Anne Marie Reichman (Naish), Nayra Alonso and Karin Jaggi
(F2, Arrows) on the way. With moves such as clew first spocks, huge push
loops and flakas, Daida Moreno was certainly in impressive form this
afternoon and despite a concerted fight from her sister Iballa in both
finals the judges were clear in their decision that Daida had won.

The forecast for Wednesday and Thursday is insane, with locals predicating

that it could get out of control here in Pozo with storm force trades
nuking down Gran Canarias north east coastline in the region of 50-60
knots! With the wave double eliminations in both mens and womens divisions

still to be decided it looks like we are going to wind up the week with
some insane radical action. As sailors bunker down amongst the boulders on

the beach the winds outside are already picking up to 40 knots plus this
evening. If the forecast is correct then Pozo could become a war zone both

on and off the water and the next two days could all be about the survival

of the fittest!

RICARDO CAMPELLO (JP, Neil Pryde)
Thats another one in the bank so I am pretty happy with that. The
conditions were very good and the wind picked up. It was tough doing the
moves coming in at high tide but on the way out there were some good
ramps. My move of the day was the shaka&I landed good ones in my two final

heats. I am pretty happy!

VICTOR FERNANDEZ (Fanatic)
Ricardo is sailing very well and I had fun sailing with him in the final.

I was super motivated in the final and did my best. I was happy with
second place, that was one of my best performances in a world cup so far,

I am stoked!

DAIDA MORENO (Mistral, North)
It was a very long day for me. I had to sail seven heats so I am pretty
tired right now. It was great to sail with Iballa again in the final. It
was a tough day for me, I sailed my best and I think the last final was
quite close!

TODAYS RESULTS

MENS FREESTYLE ROUND TWO
1. RICARDO CAMPELLO (JP, Neil Pryde)
2. VICTOR FERNANDEZ (Fanatic)
3. ANTOINE ALBEAU (Neil Pryde, AHD)
4. DOUGLAS DIAZ (Fanatic, North)

WOMENS FREESTYLE FIRST DOUBLE ELIMINATION

1. DAIDA MORENO (Mistral, North)
2. IBALLA MORENO (Mistral, North)
3. KARIN JAGGI (F2, Arrows)
4. NAYRA ALONSO

MENS RESULTS AFTER TWO SINGLE ELIMINATIONS

1. RICARDO CAMPELLO (JP, Neil Pryde)
2. TONKY FRANS (Gaastra, AHD)
3. ANTOINE ALBEAU (AHD, Neil Pryde)
3. KAULI SEADI (Naish, AHD).