Fanatic and North Sails are proud to announce the signing of well-known Argentinean windsurfer Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (ARG-3) to their International Windsurfing teams…

Gonzalo is one of the top PWA racers and will for sure enjoy our range of Falcon Slalom boards and Warp sails, both in results and R&D!

Gonzalo Costa Hoevel: “I am very happy to be joining the North Sails / Fanatic teams for 2011 season! I have tried most of the gear during the 2010 season and always found it extremely easy and fast. I had my first sessions last weeks and everything goes super easy and fast! I can’t wait racing with it. I have a great relation with all boys and girls in the North Sails / Fanatic teams.”

Craig Gertenbach, Fanatic: “I’m very happy to welcome Gonzalo to our Fanatic team. I have been watching Gonzalo’s sailing over the last few seasons, he has improved a lot in slalom and was a little unlucky in the last seasons, but some top individual results showed his great top ten potential. Well known in South America, Gonzalo will certainly be a great brand ambassador for Fanatic both on and off the water. There is also a good chance Fanatic might renter the Formula market using Gonzalo’s input as a World Class Formula Racer”.

Raoul Joa, North Sails: “Over the last years Gonzalo has proven to be a no. 1 contestant in Formula Windsurfing as well as one of the few “younger” PWA Slalom sailors with top ten potential. Therefore we think that Gonzalo is a great addition to our Slalom-Formula team”.

BIOG:

Name: Gonzalo Costa Hoevel

Sail Number: ARG-3

Birthday: 12.02.1980

Country: Argentina

Favourite discipline: Racing, Slalom & Formula

Best results:

– 3rd PWA Austria ’09

– 2nd Formula Worlds Portugal ’08

– 2x 3rd Formula World Championships

(Australia ’06 and Brasil ’07)

-10x South American Formula & Slalom Champion

– 4x US Open Champion

Favourite spot: Maui

Favourite Fanatic board: Falcon 111

Favourite North sail: Warp 7.0m2

Favourite manoeuvre: Forward

How I started Windsurfing:

My father use to race in sailboats and one windy day saw some windsurfers flying pass him so he decided to take some lessons.

Luckily he ended up at the best school of the time and in very little time he started competing with my older brother. After that he

teach me.

Best windsurfing day in my life: Probably that day in Austria PWA when I scored three top three results in one day.

Other sponsors besides Fanatic: North Sails

My Goals: For this season my goal is to be top 7 in the PWA

My Slogan: No Limits!

Website: www.arg3.com.ar

INTERVIEW:

Welcome to Fanatic and North Sails! What were your reasons to join our teams?

After my 20110 seasonI I decided that I want to have the best gear out there to race in 2011. I tried almost everything and I

felt the best with this combo! As well since many years I had a great relation with both teams and I always had the illusion

to be part of such a great team.

What do you think of your new team-mates like our World Champs Gollito Estredo and Victor Fernandez?

I had always admired the skills of both of them but most of all I absolutely respect their hard work and determination to

achieve their goals. To see Victor getting his first world title this year was just great. It seems in my point of view that this

was the first of many more to come for Victor.

Did you get a chance to try any of our gear yet and what do you think?

I got the Falcon 111, 85 and Warp 7.8, 7.0 and 6.3m2. I sailed it all already and what impressed me the most was the huge

range that i get with this gear compare to previous years. Now I manage to go faster and with tons of control. The jibing of

the Falcon is sick too!

What are your plans? Which events are you doing in 2011?

I had a small training period in some windy spots of Argentina to try the gear and now I will go to Maui for an intense

training before the PWA in Vietnam which will be the first international event for me this year. After that I will go back to

Maui for more training and photoshoots. I plan todo all PWA events and also some events in the Caribbean.

Which goals do you want to reach in 2011?

I would like to finish top 7 in the PWA and hopefully get some podiums too.

What are your plans until the season starts?

I am working hard on the gym right now so later in the year I have only to concentrate on getting my gear tune and putting a

lot of hours on the water.

More at www.fanatic.com / www.north-windsurf.com