The fleet were promised a marine wonderland, and the Azores delivered in abundance on day 2 of the event.
Even the ever-calm race officer, Michal Jodlowski, couldn’t keep the crackle of excitement out of his voice as he announced a short postponement to racing over the radio this afternoon.
The fleet were promised a marine wonderland, and the Azores delivered in abundance on day 2 of the event.
After Wednesday’s storm, the sun returned, bringing blue skies and a light breeze of around eight knots – a touch gentle for most riders, but perfect spectator weather for the pod of dolphins that gathered to watch the first day of racing.
Kiwi teenager makes his mark
A new star has emerged in the men’s fleet: 17-year-old Kosta Gladiadis from New Zealand, revelled in the light conditions at his first major WingFoil Racing competition. Gladiadis claimed an impressive six wins from eight races.
He may have added more to his tally had he not been caught in the aftermath of a start-line collision in race 5 which saw Poland’s Bartosz Peczka and Ukraine’s Platon Kuzmenko crash heavily .
Gladiadis arrived in the Azores fresh from training at the Red Bull Academy in Monfalcone, Italy, where he met fellow competitor Ernesto De Amicis for the first time. The Italian proved equally consistent today, finishing in the top three in all but one race to sit just behind Gladiadis in the standings.
Light airs for the girls’ fleet
The girls’ competition struggled to ignite in the lighter winds, and only three races were completed. Claire Tian Yu Tse of Hong Kong, the newly crowned Asian Youth Champion, handled the tricky conditions best, taking two victories to end the day at the top of the leaderboard.
Tight battle in the Masters
In the Masters fleet, it was a day of highs and lows for Alberto Cocchi, who dominated the morning session to take the overall lead but faltered badly in the afternoon. His misfortune opened the door for Great Britain’s Chris Rashley, who now sits just two points adrift of Cocchi. The rest of the fleet will need to find another gear if they are to close the 14-point gap separating Rashley from third-placed Enrico Tonon.
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As the dolphins disappeared back beneath the waves and the sun began to dip over the Atlantic, this day of racing in the Azores was proof, if ever it were needed, that nature and sport can make a perfect team.
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