Sevillan Blanca Alabau won the fifth women's Slalom X final at the Windsurfing World Championship taking place in Fuerteventura. The Spaniard overcame the feared 'sausage' and crossed the finish line in first position.
Spanish windsurfer Blanca Alabau achieved her first victory on Thursday at the 38th Windsurfing World Championship in Fuerteventura, held in the waters of Sotavento. The Sevillian triumphed in the fifth women's Slalom X final, one of the four events of the day for the female category, on a day marked by the inclusion of the traditional 'sausage' in the course.
The morning began with overcast skies and moderate winds, although conditions improved as the hours passed. The organisation started the first race at 11:30 and launched the third men's elimination shortly after. The wind intensity increased and the waves heightened the demands of the course, which included an elongated floating element that participants had to clear by jumping, causing numerous falls.
In the fifth women's final, the first of the day, Alabau staged a comeback. Jenna Gibson (UK) initially took the lead but lost speed after exiting the first tack. The lead then passed to Alabau and Frenchwoman Marion Mortefon, who reached the crucial part of the course together. Mortefon failed to clear the 'sausage' and fell before the final stretch. Alabau successfully navigated the obstacle and maintained her first position, while other competitors like Mae Davico (France) and Gibson also encountered problems.
The Spaniard crossed the finish line ahead of Bobbi-Lynn De Jong (Netherlands), Gibson, Davico, and Femke van der Veen (Netherlands). This result marked a significant comeback after her disqualification for a premature start the previous day. Alabau later finished fifth in the sixth final and fourth in the last event of the day, after being forced to jump over a buoy due to Marion Mortefon's fall.
British Jenna Gibson regained the top spot in the sixth women's final, opening a wide lead from the start and safely clearing the 'sausage'. This marked her fourth victory in the first six finals contested. Femke van der Veen came in second, followed by Justine Lemeteyer (France), Mae Davico, Blanca Alabau, and Marion Mortefon. After this race, Gibson led the standings with an 8.2-point advantage over Van der Veen and De Jong.
Frenchwoman Justine Lemeteyer, who had suffered a mast break and could not compete in the first final of the day, returned to win the seventh race. Mae Davico reached the third buoy in the lead but lost speed, allowing Lemeteyer to take the lead, clear the 'sausage', and secure her second victory of the week. Gibson finished second, ahead of Davico, Van der Veen, De Jong, and Marion Mortefon. Lemeteyer repeated her triumph in the eighth and final final, following Davico's fall before the jump. De Jong finished second, Davico third, and Alabau fourth. Lemeteyer's two consecutive victories reopened the battle for the women's world title.
In the men's category, Italian Matteo Iachino extended his dominance by winning the third elimination, completing a hat-trick. In the final, he faced Nico Prien (Germany), Jordy Vonk (Netherlands), Benoit Merceur (France), Amado Vrieswijk (Netherlands), Lohan Jules (Guadeloupe), Jimmy Thieme (France), and Tristan Algret (Guadeloupe). Prien took the lead after the first tack, but Iachino regained the lead before the third buoy, cleared the 'sausage', and achieved his third consecutive victory. Prien finished second, Jules third, and Merceur fourth. The early elimination of Frenchman Pierre Mortefon in the quarter-finals allowed Iachino to gain a provisional lead of 9.9 points in the men's standings. Prien moved up to second place, while Elton 'Taty' Frans (Netherlands) remained third.
Pierre Mortefon responded in the afternoon session with his first victory of the week in the fourth elimination. The Frenchman advanced past the quarter-finals and won his semi-final ahead of Lohan Jules, Jimmy Thieme, and Nico Prien. In the other semi-final, Polish Maciek Rutkowski finished first, followed by Bruno Martini (Italy). The competition continues this Friday with new events in Sotavento, where the wind and waves will remain key factors.
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