Stronger winds than yesterday were forecast, and it looked to be building in strength during the morning as competitors were preparing and testing. However the wind eased off a little, but remained gusty, tempting most racers to take big sails.
Race 11, the first of the day, started without incident – no one crossed the line early! Willhelm Schurmann (BRA999) and Victor Melo (BRA2497) got the best start, but at the first windward mark they were joined by Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (ARG3) and Ross Williams (GBR83). By the end of the first lap Paulo Dos Reis (BRA3333) and Gabriel Browne (BRA50) had caught up with the leading bunch , and it was this group that were to fight to the finish for top 5 places. Gonzalo was forced to retire with a broken fin, leaving Willhelm to claim first place – his first of the Grand Prix.
Race 12 and Willhelm looked unstoppable …a great start and leading at mark 1 on first lap.. then he crashed on the downwind, allowing Gonzalo (1st) and Gabriel (2nd) to overtake, positions they held onto until the end of the race.
Approaching the last gate before the finish Ross Williams (GBR83), under pressure from Paul Dos Reis, took a different route which saw him squeeze past the mark into 3rd position ahead of Paulo (4th) and Willhelm (5th). These top 5 finishers were to find themselves in exactly the same positions in the overall rankings after 12 races!
Race 13 and tensions were clearly mounting; many sailors very close on points, and few opportunities left for others to mount a challenge for a top 5 position! No surprise that a general recall was signalled by the race officer, Bertrand Colfort; and with the restart, an individual recall. Pawel Hlavaty (POL11) was over the line early, a big mistake, as he was to lead the race from start to finish. However, chasing him all the way were Fabio Melo (BRA74) and BRA999. Fabio held off the challenge from Willhelm until the last gate – only to see him cross the finish line first and claim another win. It was an exciting finish with the top 5 separated only by a matter of seconds.
Gonzalo did not have his best day -but seems to have done enough to clinch the Grand Prix title. Meanwhile it is even closer beteen 2nd and 5th as we head into the last day of the Wind Brasil Grand Prix and the last 2 races of the 2008 Formula Windsurfing World Tour.
