Formula Windsurfing European Festival Portimao

The first skippers meeting of the event started at 12.00, and was the time for the jury explain everything to the competitors, and also to tell them that the first possible race will be at 14.00 (always depending of the wind). The target for today was to make 3 races, 2 races back to back a break and finally another race. The program is to do 15 races in the 5 days of event.

The forecast for today, was very good and was supposed to be the strongest day, stronger than the day before that we had gusts around 20 knots, but this time the forecast was wrong. The 14.00 hours pass and without wind, the competitors only went to the water around 15.30 with a good breeze of West 09 to 11 knots.

In the first Race of the championship we had a little problem because is very very hot, more then 30º degrees, and was impossible to have the sails rigged and the jury only give 20 minutes after the AP flag going down onshore and only almost half of the fleet could do the first Race. Apart from this the first race was very good with the wind picking up to 13knots with amazing sunshine.

We had two races back to back, and the second race the wind change a little and the upwind mark was very near the shore, and the wind much lighter than the first race, that was very difficult for all competitors.

After the second race we had a break of 45 minutes to relax, and when everyone was hoping that the wind getting much stronger like yesterday, continue light but a little stronger than the second race.

All the 3 races was won by Miguel Martinho that is very fast right now with is new Starboard and the new severne Sails, the second and the third place is very dispute between, David Coles and Vasco Chaveca, but finally in the last race of the day Vasco Chaveca stay in front and take the second place.

For the second day, the program is to do 4 races, with also light to medium wind, lets see whats happen.