14COMPSPEED WINDSURFING
Jim Crossley
ISWC world championships hosted by the
Dunkerbeck speed Challenge. mobile and experience this new secret spot about as far south
as you can get and only accessible via 19km of dirt roads
The ISWC Speed World Championships were held again this
June on the island of Fuerteventura. The World
Championships have been held here for the last two years
and the European Championships the two years before that.
This year the plan was to move the event site from Mattas
Blancas to Sotovento Beach a few kilometres down the
coast, which was the site from back in the day that set the
world records in the 80s and 90s.Unfortunately the day
before the event started the organisers were told they
couldn’t hold the event there due to an administrative error.
This however turned out to be a huge stroke of luck! Usually
for this time of year the wind strength and direction is strong
and from the north – northeast which causes the wind to curl
slightly and be in a perfect direction for the beach at
Sotavento. It was not playing ball, the wind was blowing from
a mainly NE direction but too much east, not strong enough
and gusty which meant that Sotavento and Mattas Blancas
would’ve been unsuitable with light and side shore winds
forecast all week. The Dunkerbeck Speed Challenge is a Pro Am event that
hosts the ISWC Speed World Championships and is a great
competition that allows competitors of all ages to take part;
this year the youngest was 11 and the oldest 61. As well as
giving a stage to some of the world’s fastest windsurfers like
last year’s winner Twan Verseput from Holland, Andy Laufer
PWA star from Germany, our own Zara Davis and of course
the legendary Bjorn Dunkerbeck.
Bjorn Dunkerbeck, the event organiser, and his team sprang
into action and came up with an alternative location on the
very southern tip of the island. Where the wind was stronger
and offshore giving the perfect flat water location in a very
remote and beautiful part of the island: Punta de Jandia. The
competitors all bought into the idea and were happy to go
uk
WIND
SURFING
As usual a good British contingent was taking part, Zara
Davis, world record holder and current world champion, Jim
Crossley – a regular at this event, who came fifth last year –
Nigel Spriggs who got off to a slow start last year but was
pushing Jim by the end and first-timer Gavin Furmenger.
The wind gods threw everything at the competitors from light
winds on the limit for competition and riders using their 7m+
sails and medium slalom boards to extreme 40 knot rounds
using full on speed needles and 5m sails. The men’s fleet
was dominated by Twan Verseput who was out to prove that
winning last year wasn’t a fluke and was peaking at over 43
knots and 250m runs of over 40 knots. Andy Laufer the very
experienced slalom racer showed that he could turn his hand
to speed coming second and pushing Bjorn into third place.
Zara Davis showed why she is queen of speed with wins in
every round. She was kept honest by Annie Schindler who