Advantage Johan Søe

11/11/2023

On a day full of twists and turns, the Fly! ANA Windsurfing World Cup provided an exciting spectacle, all in changing conditions, adding a new level of complexity and uncertainty to the competition. In the lead, Denmark's Johan Søe takes the psychological advantage, while France's Justine Lemeteyer leads the women's race.

Day 2 of the Fly! ANA Windsurfing World Cup lived up to expectations, with 4 eliminations validated. In the morning, competitors were greeted by winds in excess of 30 knots. As the day progressed, however, the wind dropped to between 7 and 15 knots. In these difficult conditions, which call for the right equipment at the right time, and strong nerves, the intensity of the competition means that there are significant changes in the situation at the end of the day, which could prove decisive in the race for the world title.
On the men's side, Johan Søe dominated the day, taking the lead in the event standings and in the battle for the world title. The 20-year-old Dane got off to a flying start, with an impressive 2nd place in the 1st race of the day, followed by 2 consecutive victories, asserting his supremacy. The story came to an end when Søe crashed out in the quarter-finals of Elimination 4. DEN-37 maintains its lead in the overall standings, but with a reduced margin for error, opening the door to its rivals.

Matteo Iachino is a serious contender for the title, level on points with Søe. The 2016 world champion qualifies for all the winning finals, putting the pressure on Søe. With solid results, Iachino can potentially take further risks to establish himself further in the next race. Amado Vrieswijk currently occupies 3rd place, but has had his ups and downs, winning the 1st elimination but failing to confirm in subsequent eliminations. Reigning world champion Maciek Rutkowski had a difficult day. Among the day's highlights was Will McMillan's victory in the last race of the day, a fine performance on his return to the PWA World Tour after his 3rd place in Italy last May. In 12th place after this 2nd day of racing, Frenchman Pierre Mortefon has no choice but to give it his all for the remaining 3 days of competition.

On the women's side, Justine Lemeteyer took the lead after an impressive day, but Blanca Alabau still leads the race for the world title. Slovenia's Lina Eržen made her mark with 2 consecutive victories, the 18-year-old being known primarily for her freestyle and iQFOil skills! Marion Mortefon didn't get off to the start she'd hoped for on Saturday. Currently in 5th place, the reigning world champion simply has to win the event if she is to have any chance of defending her world title.
The weather forecast for Sunday looks favourable, with a moderate north-easterly wind from the morning and a possible 1st start from 8.30 a.m. for what promises to be an exciting competition right to the end!