The strong northwest wind has contributed to the attractiveness of the World Windsurfing Cup on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Until Wednesday, spectators and tourists have the opportunity to watch the competition of the world’s best slalom windsurfers who run through the regatta from Zlatni rat to Bol at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour.
During a total of six days of competition, 39 men and eleven women will compete in a total of 15 separate regattas. Although this is not the first regatta in Bol, it is the first time to score points for the championship with the highest number of points, and therefore the first time that we are watching the cream of world windsurfing in Croatia.
After the first three days in the men’s competition, the fastest was Maciek Rutkowski, a distinctive Polish surfer and winner of last year’s Bol PWA regatta, ahead of 2019 world champion Basile Jacquin and Dutchman Jordy Vonk. Enrico Marotti, the best Croatian slalom surfer, is currently fourth.
In the women’s competition, the fastest is the Dutch Sara Wennekes ahead of the Dutch Fabienne Hoogendam and the French Tuesday Lou-Judd, while Palma Čargo from Split was the fourth and best placed Croatian competitor.
Clive Bevan
All competitors are delighted with the conditions in Bol and the strong, stable wind ideal for competition. And while the winners won’t be known until Wednesday, July 7, the competitors shared their impressions of the competition so far.
“Excellent conditions in Bol; I hope it will stay like this for the following days,” said Jordy Vonk, a Dutchman, otherwise a driver for windsurfing equipment manufacturer Duotone.
Clive Bevan
“It was difficult to choose the right equipment, but this winter, I worked very hard to reach top speed with less equipment, and I knew it would pay off. I knew that a lot would depend on the start, and I was careful to be good, and I succeeded. I hope it will continue to be so, but it is definitely not easy. It is a long week, and there will be more eliminations,” said Rutkowski.
“The equipment was fast; I’m looking forward to the competition in the coming days,” said Enrico Marotti, from Volosko, a multiple Croatian champion, amateur world champion in 2018, and probably the best slalom surfer of all time. Palma Chargo had a similar opinion: “I had great decisions about the equipment; it was just right for me, I am satisfied,” she said.
Clive Bevan
Last year’s Bol PWA regatta was the only one held in 2020 due to the pandemic. Therefore, PWA (Professional Windsurfing Association) decided that this year’s regatta in Bol, organized by Zoo Station Bol, will be scored on an equal footing with other well-known competitions, such as the one in Israel in June, and in Sylt in Germany and South Korea. This decision is also why we are currently watching the elite of windsurfing in Bol, which we have not yet had the opportunity to host in our region, and our competitors stand out.
“I am extremely pleased that the world’s best surfers have come to us, and it is nice to see them fighting for the title in Bol,” said Toni Bulić, regatta organizer, longtime windsurfer, and owner of Bol Zoo station – the cult “station” for sailing on boards in Croatia.
Photos: Clive Bevan @clivebevanphoto
Subscribe to our newsletter
the fields marked with * are requiredRelated posts:
2021 Zoo Station Bol PWA World Cup Comes to an End, Croatian Competitors 2nd and 3rd!
WTA Croatia Bol Open To Host 15 Top-100 Players!
Bringing First Class Tennis Back to Brač: Meet Feliks Lukas of WTA Croatia Bol Open
WTA Croatia Bol Open: Despite Lack of Support, Professional Women’s Tennis To Be Played this Summer
