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WINDSURF JAPAN FOIL SLALOM PREDICTIONS!

WORLD TITLES AND WINDSURF TOWERS REUPTATION ON THE LINE

The action has been coming thick and fast across the globe! The Aloha Classic in Maui is finally starting to deliver, despite a forecast that has been keeping everyone guessing. Over in the UK, back-to-back named storms have been battering the south coast, with windsurfers enjoying some epic Autumnal conditions. Meanwhile, the world’s finest foil racers have been steadily flying into Japan for one final showdown!

That’s right, it’s time for the final racing event of the PWA season, with two world titles still up for grabs and plenty of unfinished business on the cards. Our finest scouts are heading to Japan to witness the action first-hand, but before they boarded their flights, the pundits at Windsurf Towers gathered around the crystal ball for one last roll of the dice.

After spectacularly flunking our predictions at Tiree, we’re hoping to restore some credibility before the season is out. No pressure, then! Can we pick the winners, nail the podiums and finish the year with a few full houses? Or will our crystal ball need sending back for a refund?

Here goes… the Windsurf Japan Foil Slalom Predictions!

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MEN

1: MATTEO IACHINO

2: FABIEN WOLF

3: AMADO VRIESWIJK

WILDCARD: PIERRE MORTEFON

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1: MATTEO IACHINO

Since making the move to NeilPryde, the Italian has been flying around the racecourse with the sort of pace that makes the opposition sit up and take notice. Matteo clinched the Slalom X world title in Fuerteventura and followed it up with victory in Sylt, where he survived a nail-biting battle with fellow Starboard rider Fabien Wolf. Wolf looked to be in with a serious shout until Nico Prien brought him down in the final race. Ouch!

Matteo also appears to have secured himself the VIP treatment on the way to Japan, courtesy of his second place here last year. We can only assume Johan Soe has passed down his Business Class ticket, given that he isn’t competing on the PWA this season. Either way, it’s a long way to Japan, and arriving refreshed and traveling in style certainly won’t have hurt!

With the Slalom X crown already in the bag, Matteo will be hungry to add the Foil Slalom world title and potentially complete a remarkable PWA season. He has the experience, the speed and the temperament to get the job done. We’re backing the Italian to go all the way…but with Wolf breathing down his neck, he’ll need to keep the pressure on right to the final gybe.

2: FABIEN WOLF

Fabien Wolf emerged as something of a dark horse in Sylt, delivering a seriously impressive second place and coming agonisingly close to taking the event victory. That final-race crash will no doubt still be haunting him. There’s nothing quite like watching a potential win disappear when it is an unforced mistake!

Rumour has it Wolf has added a few much-needed kilos, which seems to have given him an extra edge on the speed front. Whether that’s the secret weapon or he has just improved his race skills, we’ll leave you to decide!

One thing is certain: Fabien has the pace to challenge Iachino, and if he can keep his cool when the pressure mounts, he has a genuine shot at the world title. He’ll need to find that same blistering form he showed in Sylt, but after coming so close, he’ll be arriving in Japan with unfinished business.

Could this be the event where Wolf gets his moment in the spotlight? Our crystal ball says he’ll be right in the mix.

3: AMADO VRIESWIJK

This was a tricky one. We spent some time juggling Pierre Mortefon and Amado Vrieswijk around the Windsurf Towers prediction table before eventually giving the nod to the man with the outright pace to upset the established order.

Amado has the speed and raw ability to win races, but the trouble is that blistering speed needs to be backed up by consistency. A handful of bullets is great, but they need to be accompanied by enough seconds and thirds to keep the overall score ticking in the right direction.

If Amado strings together a solid week and keeps the mistakes to a minimum, he could make a serious assault on the podium and potentially even the world title. That would, of course, mean getting the better of both Wolf and Iachino, who were absolutely flying in Sylt.

Can he deliver when it matters most? We’re taking a punt on Vrieswijk, but don’t be surprised if our crystal ball starts wobbling before the week is out!

WILDCARD: PIERRE MORTEFON

You can never rule out Pierre Mortefon when it comes to picking the podium at a major racing event. The Frenchman has the experience and the ability to turn up when it matters, so writing him off would be a dangerous game.

He didn’t quite seem to have the pace to match the front-runners in Sylt, which is why we’ve reluctantly handed our third podium spot to Amado. But Pierre is hardly the sort of sailor to roll over and accept his fate. After finishing fourth in Sylt, he’ll be keen to put things right in Japan.

If the conditions suit and he finds that extra gear, Pierre could easily upset our carefully arranged predictions. And let’s face it, after Tiree, we could probably do with a few surprises going our way provided we pick the right ones!

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WOMEN

1: JUSTINE LEMETEYER

2: LINA ERZEN

3: BLANCA ALABAU

WILDCARD: MARION MORTEFON

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1: JUSTINE LEMETEYER

Last year’s final day of women’s Foil Slalom racing was an absolute rollercoaster for Justine Lemeteyer. She went into the decider with the event title seemingly wrapped up, barring a complete disaster. And then… disaster struck!

A nightmare final day opened the door for Lina Erzen to come agonisingly close to snatching the title, turning what had looked like a comfortable victory into a full-blown nail-biter. It was the sort of finish that has you reaching for the calculator, checking the scores twice and wondering whether anyone at Windsurf Towers can actually do maths.

This time around, we reckon Justine will be sharper, wiser and ready for whatever Japan throws at her. She’ll have learned some valuable lessons from last year and won’t want to leave the door open for another late charge from the chasing pack.

If she can keep her composure and deliver her usual speed, we think she’ll be the woman to beat. That said, if the women’s final day serves up anything like last year’s drama, we’ll be glued to the results until the very last race!

2: LINA ERZEN

Lina Erzen has been concentrating much of her attention on her iQFOiL campaign as she looks towards the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles. But that doesn’t mean she’s forgotten how to mix it with the PWA Foil Slalom elite.

Every year, Lina returns to the PWA circuit and reminds everyone that she’s more than capable of taking the fight to the established names. Last year, she came within touching distance of the title, only for the final calculations to leave her just short. Talk about a painful way to finish!

That near miss could be exactly the motivation she needs to go one better this time around. She knows the fleet, she knows what it takes to win, and she’ll be determined to make every race count.

If the cards fall her way, Lina has the ability to take the victory in Japan. Justine will be looking over her shoulder, and we wouldn’t be at all surprised if these two find themselves locked in another tense battle right to the wire.

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3: BLANCA ALABAU

Blanca Alabau was the woman who came out on top in Japan last year after that extraordinary final-day shake-up. So, if anyone knows how to keep their head when the results start doing somersaults, it’s Blanca! She also travelled in business class on the way to Japan courtesy of that victory last year and once Blanca gets a taste of the high life, we are sure she will be hungry for more.

There’s absolutely no reason why she can’t repeat the trick this time around and potentially add another world title to her collection. She’s a fighter, she knows how to handle the pressure, and she certainly won’t be travelling all the way to Japan just to admire the scenery.

With Matteo Iachino on hand to help her get dialled in and fine-tune her preparation, Blanca will have plenty of support in her corner. Whether that translates into another victory remains to be seen, but you certainly wouldn’t want to bet against the feisty Spaniard when the racing gets serious.

The women’s fleet is looking dangerously competitive, and if the front-runners start trading mistakes, Blanca could be perfectly placed to pounce. Never mind the crystal ball we might be on the edge of our seats in Japan as the ladies battle it out for the title!

WILDCARD: MARION MORTEFON

With the pressure perhaps a little less intense these days, Marion Mortefon seems to be approaching the racing with a greater emphasis on enjoyment, alongside the demands of being a full-time mum and juggling other priorities.

But don’t mistake that for a lack of competitive fire. Marion remains one of the most talented female racers on the planet, with years of experience and a trophy cabinet that speaks for itself.

Sometimes, taking a step back from the pressure can be just what a racer needs. If she finds her rhythm in Japan and gets a sniff of an opportunity, Marion has all the tools to upset the favourites and throw a spanner into the title battle.

She may not be carrying the same expectations as some of her rivals, but that could make her an especially dangerous wildcard. Keep an eye on Marion… she could yet have a say in how this one unfolds!

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THE FINAL ROLL OF THE DICE!

One way or another, the Foil Slalom showdown in Japan is shaping up to be a fitting finale to the racing season. With two world titles on the line, a fleet packed with talent and last year’s dramatic finishes still fresh in the memory, there’s plenty of scope for fireworks.

Will Iachino complete a dream season? Can Wolf turn his Sylt heartbreak into Japanese glory? Will Justine keep her cool, or will Lina and Blanca have other ideas? And could Pierre or Marion throw our predictions into complete disarray?

We’re hoping for big racing, close finishes and a few unexpected twists…preferably the sort we’ve actually predicted!

The Windsurf Towers crystal ball has been polished, the picks are in and the scouts are on their way. Now all that remains is for the sailors to do their thing and for us to discover whether our predictions are inspired genius… or another spectacular forecasting disaster.

Japan, over to you. Let the final showdown begin!