Page 7 - FUND LOTTO

locAl SPoRTS Friday 1 december 2017
A17

Final Foil Flourish as Offringa and Albeau Are Crowned World Champions

After five fairly solid windy here as well. Sylt we were
days in a row, the wind only able to complete 2
machine, unfortunately, eliminations, but overall
decided to take a slight I think we’ve had a very
break on the final day of good year.”
the 2017 Airwaves Noumea Matteo Iachino and Pierre
Dream Cup - meaning that Mortefon were both per-
the rankings for the slalom fectly poised to attack
remain unchanged from Albeau at the top of the
overnight. event rankings with just 1.6
However, while the wind points between the top 3,
may have been too light but the wind didn’t play
for further slalom, it was still ball to give them that op-
possible to complete three portunity.
more foil eliminations, That means Iachino finish-
which resulted in 3 different es 2017 as the vice-world
winners - Amado Vrieswijk, champion, while Mortefon
Antoine Albeau and Alex- was able to pip Ross Wil-
andre Cousin. liams to the final place on
Slalom the prestigious overall po-
Women’s dium.
With the rankings remain- We’ll have a full rundown
ing the same from over- Sarah -Quita Offringa in action in Noumea of this year’s event and
night and with the sailors Delphine Cousin Questel, like Matteo, who is capa- and when you know your overall top 10 in the event
being released at 3:30pm who ends the season as ble of winning every race speed is good you feel a summary on Tuesday.
it was official that Sarah- the vice-world champion and if I’d have made some lot safer. The year before Foiling
Quita Offringa is the 2017 after maintaining her win- mistakes then it’s easy to was a little bit hard for A further three foil races
Women’s PWA Slalom ning ways in New Caledo- miss out on the top 10. me because I wasn’t su- were completed on the
World Champion - de- nia having previously won I was a little bit stressed for per fast, especially in light final day with the wind re-
spite a superb effort from here in 2014 and ‘15: “I’m sure because until it’s of- winds, which then makes it maining too light for slalom.
Delphine Cousin Ques- very happy. I came here ficial you can’t rest easy. difficult. Amado Vrieswijk was able
tel - who claimed a clear to win, so I’m glad to have Now it’s done and it’s Is it getting easier or harder? to win the first race of the
cut victory here, but with reached that goal. I had a great to win it by winning “Hmmm… you know every day, but was later injured
Offringa securing a solid very good battle with Sar- the last event of the sea- year is different. There are in a collision with Malte
second place the former ah [Quita Offringa] and it son. I started okay, but not a lot of variables. How you Reuscher and was lucky
2-time world champion will turned out to be a perfect to walk away relatively un-
have to wait until next year week with great condi- scathed from a potentially
for another shot at the title. tions, organisation, every- lethal incident.
Sarah-Quita Offringa: on thing was perfect.” Round the Island
winning her 3rd slalom ti- Elsewhere, Marion Morte- The remaining two foil rac-
tle in a row - 4 slalom titles fon, breaks into the overall es of the week were long
overall: “I’m actually re- top 3 for the first time in her distance round the island
ally happy about it. I don’t career - at the expense of competitions and with
have so much to say, but of the injured Lena Erdil who shifty, gusty winds there
course I’m happy it worked finishes 2017 in 4th - after was an element of luck
out, but in the end, I’m su- earning her 3rd podium fin- involved. Antoine Albeau
per happy that I came to ish of the year. won the first round the is-
New Caledonia because Men’s land race ahead of Mat-
it was a good chance for Just as in the women’s di- teo Iachino and Vrieswijk.
me to learn some new vision the men’s ranking Gonzalo Costa Hoevel
things as I’m not used to remained the same, which looked to have the sec-
sailing slalom in these kind meant that Antoine Al- ond race sewn up after,
of conditions. Every day I beau signs off the season but after tacking in a wind
improved a bit, so it was a in style by winning the final hole the Argentine was
win-win situation… I man- event of the year, while unable to get back onto
aged to bring the title also earning an incredible the foil, which allowed Al-
home, gained experience 24th world title. exandre Cousin to swoop
in these conditions and I Antoine Albeau - 24-time in and snatch the victory.
got to see the whole tour world champion: “It feels However, Costa Hoevel’s
again and say a proper super good because it event victory was never in
goodbye to everybody. wasn’t over coming into danger after a dominant
Overall it was just a great the event here - even set of performances, while
way to sign off for the year. though I had a bit of an the podium is completed
We had some really close advantage over Matteo by Maciek Rutkowski and
racing and I’m really hap- as you know - it was like Sarah -Quita Offringa poses with trophy Thomas Goyard.
py that I was able to win 7 places difference be- as well as Matteo, but I was start the year, how strong The closing ceremony
a couple of races in these tween us - so when you very consistent and even is the wind going to be? was held at 5pm in front
conditions because I know arrive like this you know it’s when I broke my harness This year we were unlucky of a packed out beach
Delphine is dominant in almost in the pocket, but hook in the semifinal I was with the conditions at the as the event and world
these conditions, so it’s I didn’t want to think like then still able to win the los- two first events (South Ko- champions were crowned
good for me to know that that because you never ers’ final quite easily. I was rea and Japan), but in the in Noumea to bring the
it’s possible to win a cou- know what can happen. super confident because I end, we scored Costa Bra- curtain down on the 2017
ple.” Especially with someone knew my speed was good va, Fuerte, Denmark and PWA World Tour.q