| GP Sines - Day 4: Steve Allen gets closer to Gonzalo Costa Hoevel! | 10.05.2008 |
According to the fourth day of race, only a big catastrophe can get Gonzalo Costa Hovel out of the way to the victory in the 2008 Portugal-Sines Windsurfing Grand Prix. But Gonzalo is only eight points ahead Steve! In spite of the unstoppable recovery of the Ausie Steve Allen – World Champion in this modality, in the last races of the day, Steve didn’t manage to stop the overwhelming rage of the young Gonzalo, who keeps on choosing the best tacks and getting the best winds in order to achieve the excellent scores he got.Today’s skippers meeting took place around 10:00 a.m., as usual, under some drizzling rain that threatened to thwart the weather reports. However, the current technology used to forecast the weather don’t fail and around noon, as expected, the sun was shining and the wind begun to clear the grey clouds, making way to a breeze that arrived in the afternoon and even got over the 14 knots.
Due to the wind that settled in the regatta field, Claudio Alessandrello – the Race Director, chose to draw a course especially for the Formula Windsurfing. And today, by the end of the day, the 2008 Portugal-Sines Windsurfing Grand Prix already had achieved not less than nine races, allowing the sailors to get rid of their two worst results.
Jesper Vesterstrom from Denmanrk, who maintains the 4th position in the event, was fairly regular, but a virosis that torments him since yesterday tossed him to the 10th position, which puts him two points ahead the Poland Michael Polanowski.
Definetly, today was not the Schurmann day, as the week achievement of two 6th positions didn’t allow him more than the 5th position in the general score. Although Wojtek Brzozowski has attained good results today in every race accomplished, his weight turned out to be a disadvantage, and has prevented him to achieve his natural position.
In spite of the lack of regularity showed during all the event, managed to keep the 8th position, but this Portuguese sailor’s ambition goes far beyond this score, as he is an athlete who is currently at the top of the world ranking, which includes more than 900 athletes.
Today, the judges gave the Sloalom a day of’ rest, as the wind that visited Sines during the day oscillated between the 8 and 14 knots and the discipline has already three devastating results.
In the Slalom, Steve Allen leads the ranking, separated by 1.3 points from his most direct rival - Gonzalo Costa Hovel. But tomorrow, Saturday, a lot will remain to be discussed, as long the weather conditions respect the forecast. It will be the best day of race!
In the meantime, by now the Race Office is getting in self-management and the competitors, judges and the organizing team get ready for the closing dinner, followed by a big party in the town, offered to the sailors by the Municipality of Sines.