Thanks to this year’s regatta LOTTO Windsurfing Cup we could recall a great regatta in Leba taking place here years ago. Well, it seems that due to a strategic sponsor LOTTO our Formula Windsurfing is back into favor.
But back to the events that took place in Leba beach in recent days. The regatta began on Thursday, July 31. Breakthrough two holiday months is not rich in strong winds but these fears proved to be unfounded. The first day was able to play three light wind races on large boards. The big loser was Steve Allen, who despite the huge determination was not able to overtake the eternal rival Michael Polanowski or Latvia Champion Janiss Preis. Of course, with good reason, and he was fully justified because a day earlier he participated in the PWA World Cup in the Canaries, traveled 4000km by plane and managed to reach the Polish coast have not even had time for a short nap. Steve struggles ended the day in 4th place, ranking respectively Janisse Preis, Michael Polanowski and Wojtek Mroczynski.
The next day was to be a day of thinking, bleak forecasts have proven themselves. Windsurfing was on hold but it was still a day of excitement. Competition in building sand castles, beach fitness, volleyball tournament and finally SUP racing. Unfortunately, it was impossible to try everything but no one regretted the challenge. The youngest built impressive works of art referring to the sea and windsurfing. The entire western beach warming up from time to time to the rhythm of music during fitness classes led by our instructor, the rest lacking adrenaline took part in the SUP competition. It was not easy, because it was accompanied with quite a wave that added spice to the whole competition. Sometimes someone was leading or in the top three then made one wrong move and landed in the water ending at the very end. Among men, the favorite was, arrived to Poland years ago from the land of kangaroos, Steve Allen, who apparently slept off the journey and yesterday’s defeat and won both races on Friday oars.
Although the women’s start list was a little shorter this rivalry among the fairer sex was even more fierce, and let no one say that the rivalry with the girls is less spectacular! For most of the first race Steve’s wife Agata Pokorowska-Allen leading easly, but apparently either fell from power in the finish or not noticed being tailed by Polish National Olimpic Team athlete Kamila Smektala that after pulling the board out of the water running as fast as she could, on the last meters Agata lost less than half the length of the board.
The last day was the culmination of windsurfing joy, the plan was fulfilled above the norm. Four Formula races on Diamond Course just at the eyes of thousands of spectators and two healthy Slaloms and all in the beautiful breeze that sometimes exceed twenty knots. The biggest job was done by Steve Allen, who immediately took to be up for the losses of the first day of Formulas, winning the first race of the day. Unfortunately, in the next race arrived fifth and as a result finally ended third overall even after he won the next two and at the same time last races. Janis Preiss also not credited on the last day the happiest in his life because of the loss of one point gave first place to Michael Polanowski.
Steve managed to forge in the slalom where he won both races. The second also with big lip ahead over the rest was Michael Polanowski. In a further competitors with the third place was more exciting and not without surprises. From the hands of Janis Preiss bronze snatched a young, black horse racer Artur Banach won the tie with a Latvian by occupation a better place in the last race.
Since in Sopot we didn’t manage to run the Polish Formula Championships due to the insufficient number of races it has been done in Leba. Of course, foreign players were not taken into consideration and so Polish Formula Windsurfing Champion in 2014 was Michael Polanowski. The title of Vice Champion of the country scooped Wojciech Mroczynski a bronze medal fell to Philip Korczycki.
Among women in both the Formula and Slalom won Kamila Smektala, which outpaced even the World Champion Agnieszka Pietrasik. Third place in the Formula took Kamila Tomkiewicz of YKP Warsaw, which in the slalom exchanged places with fourth Formula girl Monica Myszkowska. We are very pleased that at last we could see more of the beautiful face on the race course, probably just ran out of Nina
Szymczyk, which for next event in Rewa will probably show up.
Congratulations to all participants. Leba has, after all demanding seas more suitable for experienced riders than amateurs. This year, did not hit us heavy storm conditions like last year so it was a little easier and happily without any accidents on the water. We have a promise from our strategic sponsor LOTTO that next year Leba will be repeated and we can arrange an even greater event. Who knows where it will take place at next year’s World ranking event… Maybe just on the Polish coast?
