With a near record entry of 110 competitors and 4 races completed the 2013 Raceboard World Championships have had an impressive start. It is also the first major windsurfing championships to be hosted in the Czech Republic [more]and national riders have responded magnificently with the top 2 women in the overall ranking at the end of day 1, and 2 men in the top 8.
At the morning briefing the competitors were advised of difficult racing conditions, at least for the first part of the day, with strong winds and sudden gusts expected. That is exactly what happened during the morning session – two races ‘back to back’ in winds between 14 and 28 knots. A third of the men’s fleet remained ashore and only 3 women were able to complete the 2 races.
However, after the break the majority of the fleet were able to complete the 2 ‘back to back’ races scheduled for the afternoon.
The qualifying series for men has ensured that it is a close contest at the top, as the overall rankings at the close of the day illustrate. Leading the way are past and current world champions – Patrik Pollak ( Slovakia) and Max Wojcik (Poland) with 3 race wins each. Another race winner, Petr Kucera jr from the Czech Republic, is in 3rd place. But not far behind is the chasing pack of top raceboarders from Great Britain, Argentina, Spain, France, and Portugal – no less than 8 countries represented in the top 10. The mens fleet will be reseeded into new groups for racing on day 2.
Over in the women’s fleet Jana Silvova has a clear lead over fellow Czech Martina Hruba; however the last 2 races of the day were won by Vita Matise, also a world champion, who was able to master the lighter conditions later in the day, but struggled in the morning session.
Full results after 4 races: Men / Women
