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Sebastien Cattelan and Charlotte Consorti (both France) take the overall lead. New USA kitespeed record by Robert Douglas.
Day four of the 2008 Fuerteventura Kitespeed Grand Slam saw one of the most thrilling kitespeed races of all times. The first leg brought some big surprises, but todays second heat outperformed everything looked at before.
The first heat started in winds averaging 20 knots, gusting 25, but on a much broader angle than yesterdays races. The favorites seemed to have not big enough kites for such conditions, and so it was up to Robert Douglas from the USA to get the victory. The favourites, first of all Alex Caizergues and Sebastien Cattelan struggeled with the conditions, and so it was up to Robert Douglas (USA) to snatch the victory ahead of Rolf van der Vlugt (NED) and Christophe Prin-Guenon (FRA).
The second heat was postponed for one and a half hour to get hold of the best wind conditions of the day in the afternoon. What followed now was a race in really tough conditions, 25 knots average wind gusting 30, and quite rough water. With a wind angle of app. 145 degree it was hard for most of the riders to make the course.
The lead was changing with almost every run of the top riders, as the conditions improved more and moe during the afternoon. It was mainly again Robert Douglas ruling the heat, crowned with a new USA kitespeed record (subject to WSSRC ratification). 39.05 knots was also the best speed of the day, but in one of the last runs of the leg Sebastien Cattelan managed to get a better average and steal victory. Alex Caizergues then in third.
The womens heats were a "one woman" show of Charlotte Consorti (FRA) again, although Sjoukje Bredenkamp (RSA) was able to defend the lead of the second heat for a long time. But in the end it was again Charlotte ahead of Sjoukje, Katja Roose (NED) in third.
After the first discard, Sebastien Cattelan has a razer-thin lead ahead of newcomer Robert Douglas, Alex Caizergues in third. A second discard is far away at the moment, but could change a lot.
In the womens fleet, Charlotte Consorti is clearly in the lead with all races won, Sjoukje Bredenkamp and Katja Roose safely in second and third.
Racing continues until the 23rd of July, the races are broadcasted live in the internet at
www.speedworldcup.com Speed:World:Cup is the officially sanctioned world tour of the International Speed Windsurfing Class (ISWC) and the Professional Kite Riders Association (PKRA)
The Speed:World:Cup events go from exceptional action in Namibia to more cosmopolitan spots such as Fuerteventura - the historical European Speedsurfing Capital, to huge shows of extreme conditions on small islands like Karpathos. In total, there are 200 to 300 competitors at the same time, from places like Australia or Brasil, to Germany or Norway.
The Tour has to offer: dynamic, thrilling action, and bring the most visually dynamic aquatic sports to the audience, making it a perfect vehicle to locate sponsors logos; a sport that is set outdoors, healthy and environmental friendly.
Superb action on the water, combined with an interactive and exciting life experience, that creates an atmosphere where the fans and the media are face to face with the most radical and intense competition and the biggest personalities of the sport.
Besides being a sport of radical action, Windsurfing and Kiteboarding is a way of life. This type of life is formed by several elements to which many aspire, but that few can really achieve. Most of, if not even all of these aspects of the sport are represented in the Speed:World:Cup.
The Speed:World:Cup is entitled to hold World, Continental and National Championships and is always looking for partners, local organizers as well as national associations, to propagate this exciting and thrilling discipline all over the world.
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