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locAl sports Friday 15 September 2017
A17

Offringa survives major scare to be crowned world champion

Major drama unfolded on / Avanti) remain in 5th and
the final day of the 2017 6th place, while Maciek
Hvide Sande PWA World Rutkowski (Tabou / GA
Cup as the women’s event Sails) rises to 7th to earn his
and world title race saw best ever result on the world
the pendulum swung back tour. The Pole needed a
and forth in the favour of slice of luck in the final race,
Sarah-Quita Offringa (Star- which saw Amado Vrieswijk
board / NeilPryde / Maui (JP / Severne) drop his final
Ultra Fins) and Delphine gybe as Rutkowski secured
Cousin Questel (Starboard 4th - before going on to fin-
/ S2Maui). Meanwhile, An- ish 5th in the winners’ final.
toine Albeau (RRD / Neil- Rutkowski sailed solidly all
Pryde) earned his 3rd event week and deserves his just
title out of the 4 events reward!
completed so far to extend Antoine Questel (Starboard
his lead at the top of the / S2Maui) remains in 8th
overall rankings. with Tristan Algret (Star-
Women’s board / Severne / Mystic /
You couldn’t have written Chopper Fins) and Mateus
the script for the final day Isaac (JP / NeilPryde) com-
here in Denmark as the last pleting the top 10.
women’s race of the week The prize giving was held
took several dramatic twists Offringa action
and turns - meaning Sarah- the event and world title, Offringa - the 25-year-old point, which keeps him in
Quita Offringa (Starboard / but she didn’t know about earns her second podium second place in the overall
NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) what was unfolding be- of the season, while dis- rankings with two events to
and Delphine Cousin Ques- hind her… Cousin Questel lodging Erdil from the top 3 go.
tel (Starboard / S2Maui) raced into an expected for the first time in 2017. Ross Williams (Tabou / GA
endured an emotional roll- lead as they approached Men’s Sails / Mystic / Shamal Sun-
ercoaster. the first mark and it looked With the wind not kicking glasses) and Arnon Dagan
Offringa was involved in the as though she was going to in until after 2pm the men were embroiled in a battle
opening semifinal and ev- snatch the event title and already eliminated from for 3rd and 4th place on
erything looked to be going rain on Offringa’s parade. Elimination 7 were released the final day. The Brit held
just fine with the reigning However, as the former for the event meaning the advantage meaning
world champion holding 2-time world champion only one further race was Dagan would need to fin-
a comfortable lead and rounded the opening buoy completed, which meant ish in the top 2 and Williams
looking as though she was she dropped into the water that Antoine Albeau (RRD finish 4th or worse. The two
easily going to qualify for and with the light winds she / NeilPryde) had already entered the first mark in Sarah Quita on top
the winners’ final. However, struggled to recover, which wrapped up the without close proximity with Dagan
it soon became apparent let Marion Mortefon (Fa- even going on the water forcing Williams wide which shortly afterwards and the
that Offringa, and all of natic / NorthSails) to sneak today after a run of 4 con- saw the Israeli secure a solid men’s slalom fleet will meet
the other girls, had sailed through a take the lead. secutive bullets. second place, but unfortu- again in Sylt, Germany in a
the wrong course as they Meanwhile, Cousin Ques- Matteo Iachino (Starboard nately for Dagan, Williams couple of weeks time for
crossed the finish line in the tel went from 1st to 5th as / Point-7 / Shamal Sunglass- finished 3rd meaning he their penultimate battle
wrong direction, which led she watched her world title
to all 12 girls being disquali- dreams drift away for an-
fied from the heat. other year.
This swung the door wide A Rare Mistake
open for Delphine Cous- Offringa returned to the
in Questel (Starboard / beach and still didn’t know
S2Maui), who had reduced if she was the event and
Offringa’s lead to less than world champion. In her
a point after yesterday’s head she still doubted the
brilliant performance where outcome of the result and
she won both eliminations. needed to be reassured
Cousin Questel would still that a rare mistake on her
need to win the final race behalf had not been pun-
in order to deny Offringa ished - before being over-
the event and world title - come with emotion - a mix
while forcing the title race of relief and happiness at
into the season finale in being crowned the Wom-
New Caledonia, but the en’s PWA Slalom World
26-year-old couldn’t have Champion for the 4th time
wished for a better oppor- in her spectacular career-
tunity to deny Offringa as which is her 14th overall Albeau and Sarah Quita celebrate
only 5 women lined up for world title.
the winners’ final. Marion Mortefon went on to es) won the last elimination earns his second podium of of the season, while the
For Offringa, the tension win the 7th Elimination and of the event, which was the year - with Dagan finish- women will fight it out one
was unbearable and she with Lena Erdil (Starboard / his 4th victory of the week, ing 4th. more time this year in New
chose not to watch as she Point-7 / AL360) missing out but it wasn’t quite enough Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / Caledonia at the end of
thought she had blown her on the winners final - under to defeat Albeau as he NorthSails / Chopper Fins) November - together with
chances of wrapping up the same circumstances as missed out by just 0.3 of a and Julien Quentel (Patrik the men.q