With three outstanding victories Gunnar Asmussen (GER-88, Patrik, North) from Flensburg is the new IFCA Slalom Men’s World Champion. Vincent Langer (GER-122, Starboard, Severne) from Kiel, another German, clinched second place overall. In third place, the Dutchman Jordy Vonk (8.0 points) followed by the Dane Sebastian Kornum (13.0 points) in fourth. Maciej Rutkowski from Poland (14.0 points) completes the top five.[more]
The last day brought 5-6 winds, once again perfect conditions for the slalom discipline. This allowed two more slalom series to be completed, thus four full slalom eliminations contributed to the result of the World Championships – part of the Rollei Summer Openings presented by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. Five exciting days of slalom and racing competition with a total of 80,000 visitors drawn to the windsurfing elite battling on the rough waters of the North Sea island of Sylt.
In the third of the four eliminations the tide seemed to turn for the previously dominant Gunnar Asmussen. Surprisingly different in the quarterfinals, he cleared the way for Vincent Langer to emerge as the winner of the third elimination with Maciej Rutkowski (POL-23, Patrick, Point 7) and Jordy Vonk (NED-69, Patrik, loft) on the second and third places.
Prior to the fourth and final elimination the battle could not be more exciting. Four riders still had a shot at the world title. Gunnar Asmussen, Vincent Langer, Jordy Vonk and Maciej Rutkowski. The matching conditions were more demanding – ever higher waves and wind strength to seven.
Drama in the first round, as the favorite Gunnar Asmussen at the first mark, in the lead, had a spectacular catapult. From last place he started from a sensational comeback and eventually qualified in third place for the quarterfinals. Buoyed by this success, he made his way to the final. Vincent Langer and Jordy Vonk also qualified again for the final round, only Maciej Rutkowski didn’t make it.
Gunnar Asmussen had the best start and dominated the final field. Vincent Langer’s start was not his best but he still struggled forward and could finally pass the Dutchman Jordy Vonk. At the finish the order then was Asmussen, Langer and Vonk. In the overall standings, the 34-year-old sovereign Asmussen wins with the ideal score of 2.1, and so wins the official title “Slalom World Champion 2013”. He can also look forward to a cash prize of eur 3,000.00.
The date for the Rollei Summer Opening in 2014 already: From 28 May to 01 June 2014
:: Galerie Siegerehrung
:: Galerie Slalom-Action Tag 5
The fourth day of the event at the Rollei Summer Opening presented by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Westerland on Sylt started with 11-13 knots. This was enough for the race director to decide slalom would be the order of the day, especially as it was building and had reached 16-18 knots by the start of heat 1. 8 good heats were successfully in the bag – although three competitors were regretting jumping the gun in heat 6! – then adjustments were needed to the course before the start of heat 9, the quarter finals. Competitors returned to the beach, on standby.
After a suitable waiting period to see what the wind would do, a stubborn 10-12 knots on the course convinced the race director to make the decision to switch to course racing. Two more race wins for Vincent Langer (GER-122, Starboard, Severne) from Kiel means he is unchallenged after three races with the ideal score of 2.1. In second place Fernando Martinez del Cerro Delgado follows with 10.0 points and just one point behind is Matt Fabian.
Late in the afternoon the wind started to pick up and slalom competitors waited anxiously for rain and storm to pass before heat 9 was started early evening in 12-15 knots . . . but then cancelled. A second attempt failed as the wind dropped below the limit and reluctantly competitors were sent back to the beach – “no more racing for today”.
For the final competition day nobody knows with certainty whether there will be enough wind to complete the unfinished third slalom elimination, but for a few more races in the discipline of racing it should be enough. The winner of the Rollei Summer Openings presented by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will be honored in the afternoon.
