Sunday’s starting line, Photo: Gustavo Pauletti
Report 1 (02/12/04)
A light wind was what we were up against just before the start of the first race of Volta do Itapua 3. A total of 46 miles is what we faced today, most sailors took out the big sails 12.0 and 11, I myself went with 10.7, we started at 1:30pm with winds really shifty about 8 knots, little did we know that was going to increase another 30 knots more.
Five miles out and in the first gate, Rodrigo Pozolo was leading after getting a good shift while almost everyone stayed floating waiting for the wind that was gone, I (Wilhelm Schurmann BRA999) rounded in second followed by Leonardo Magalhanes. The wind picked up to a steady 15 knots and we started having a long upwind that would take us all the way to the light house known as Farol do Itapua.
By the second gate I was leading and was followed by Ricardo Pretz, Gabriel Starosta, Rodrigo Pozolo, Renato Pozolo and Paulo Japa, by then the wind was a steady 20 knots and increasing.
By the third gate I started getting overpowered with my 10.7 and winds where up from 25 to 30 knots, as soon as I left the third gate, it was a one tack up wind all the way to the Light house and the final gate, this was the hardest part and probably the windiest I ever sailed in formula, there where gusts past 35 knots, and it was almost impossible to sail, in some gusts, the only way to go, was to hook out and hold it in the arms not to get slammed. By then there was a solid chop making it even harder. It was insane, challenging and really awesome.
I rounded the last mark at about 4 pm having another 23 miles to go back, and again struggled to get back to gate 3, on the way I saw Ricardo Pretz in second trying to make it to gate 4, but it turned impossible for everyone since the wind from gate 3 to 4 was gusting, by now, over 40 knots and the water was one white spray.
I saw Gabriel Starosta at gate 3 and that was the last sailor I saw. From gate 3 to gate 2 the wind was a bit litter, around 25-30 knots and it was a fast and fun downwind, especially after having been through 40 knots of wind.
I arrived at 5:15 pm, a total of 3:45 minutes. Some sailors headed back after gate 2 and where waiting on the beach, while 5 other sailors, who got to gate 3, where out being rescued, as it got to windy to make it to the lighthouse and back.
The fire brigade, managed by Major Locatelli, who was doing the water security, did a fantastic Job, and they rescued everyone before night fall.
The result were calculated as follows, as I was the only one who finish the race, the second place went to whoever got to the farthest gate before 6 pm, and that was Ricardo Pretz followed by Gabriel Starosta.
Schürmann pass through gate 1 to win the race, by the third year in line, Photo: Gustavo Pauletti
Report 2 (04/12/04)
Saturday
The winds were light coming from the west, which is not a normal direction for this area, by 1:30pm we started on a straight downwind to gate 1, 2, 3 and the final 4.By gate 1, three sailors separated from the rest of the field, Gabriel Starosta in third, Ricardo Pretz in second and I (Wilhelm Schurmann) in first.
We carried on downwind to gate 2 and 3, merely a few meters separated us. Pretz with his 12.0 was going fast down wind, while Gabriel and I were struggling a bit in the light winds. We rounded gate 4 all close together and started upwind for the 23 miles back. Coming back through gate 3, I had a comfortable lead over Gabriel Starosta and he over Ricardo Pretz.Suddenly the wind just stopped, and we all floated for about 30 minutes, I then looked back and saw Starosta, Pretz and Rodrigo planning with a gust of wind coming from the southeast, which meant that it was going to be a downwind again to the finish, the wind had turned almost 180 degrees.
For my desperation they all came planning while I waited for the wind to reach me, when it did, we where all together again, the time was 5:45 and we were getting close to gate 2, which meant that it would be the last gate counted for today’s results since we wouldn’t make it in time (6pm dead line) to gate 1.
We all started pumping like crazy to try to get to gate 2 in first, I managed to win followed very close by Ricardo Pretz just 10 meters behind, in third came Rodrigo Pozolo who had a great come back and also arrived a few meters behind us followed closely by Gabriel Starosta in fourth. It was amazing, after more than 4 hours and 30 minutes only 40 meters separated the 4 top finishers.
With the race for the day finished, we sailed back as far as we could and got towed in the last few miles, as the wind than dropped of completely.
After sailing for more than 6 hours straight, we were all pretty tiered, but still had some energy for Renato’s Pozolo traditional brazilian churrasco (BBQ) at Raia1 windsurfing club.
Report 3 (05/12/04)
Sunday
This was by far the best day, the wind forecast were for southeast 15 to 20 knots for the afternoon.
At 1:30pm we started again for another 46 miles, the only problem was that it was a straight upwind to gate 4, 23 miles away.
The wind was a perfect 18 knots and I crossed in first gate 1, 2, 3 and went around gate 4 at about 4:30, it was 3 hours upwind that in some points your arms and legs would start screaming, especially after sailing Thursday and Friday all the way and back.
In second was Gabriel Starosta followed by Ricardo Pretz and Renato Pozolo.
From gate 4 back through 3, 2, 1 and finish was an awesome and fast downwind. I crossed the finish line at 5:45pm, in second was Gabriel Starosta finishing at 6 pm and in third came Renato Pozolo finishing at 6:16pm, who was a bit unlucky in the first day after breaking his mast.
It was amazing racing, challenging, technical, hardcore, and above all a real fitness test.
In all, we raced more than 138 miles in 3 days, actually we probably sailed more than 200 miles, since we had 2 days of up wind and down wind, which meant zig zag and almost doubles the distance. This was the longest windsurfing race ever over a period of 4 days, and with out a doubt we’ll all be here again next year.
Starting line at thurday, Photo: Gustavo Pauletti
