Press Release:

Perfect Start for the Formula Windsurfing Grand Prix Portimao 2007: World Champion Steve Allen dominates all four races +++ Portimao / Kiel, May 1st 2007.

The Formula Windsurfing Grand Prix Portimao had a perfect start today: 10 to 17 knots of sideshore wind transformed Alvor beach into a perfect formula Arena. In the best possible conditions the maximum of four races was run by Claudio lessandrello, the race director from Italy.

The current Formula Windsurfing Worldchampion Steve Allen (AUS-0, Tabou, Gaastra) from Australia fully dominated the day and won all four races. After day one he is leading the regatta with the optimum of 3,00 points.

The Argentinean Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (ARG-3, F2, Neil Pryde) had a bad start into the regatta. In the first race his mast extension broke so that he was forced to retire from this race. But than he had a strong come back. With three second places he managed to work his way up in the ranking race by race to finish in the second position with a total of 6,00 points at the end of the first day.

Fabio Melo from Brasil surprised the spectators and experts with his strong performance. Nobody had the young guy on his list of the favourites but with a second, a third and two fourth places he drew the attention on himself and forced the people to modify their opinion. He is currently save in the third position with a total of 9,00 points.

On the following positions the fight is very close between Alberto Menegatti (ITA-456, F2, Gaastra) from Italy on the fourth place with a total of 13,00 points, Michal Polanowski (POL-16, Starboard, Gaastra) from Poland on the fifth place with 15,00 points, Wilhelm Schurmann (BRA-999, Starboard, Neil Pryde) from Brasil currently sixth with 16,00 points and Hubert Mokrzycki (POL-25, Starboard, Gaastra) from Poland seventh with 17,00 points. All these racers are well in striking distance to attack the podium positions tomorrow.

As the racers achieved the maximum of the allowed four races today and the forecast for the next days is again excellent, the race crew decided to give the racers some time to recover. Therefore for tomorrow the Skippers Meeting is set for 12:00 with the first possible start at 13:00. The forecasts predict even stronger wind then today so the spectators at Alvor beach can again expect a great Formula Windsurfing show. The Formula Windsurfing Grand Prix Portimao will last until Saturday, May 5th.

The official website of the series with more information is www.euro-cup.org. The events are also covered on www.formulawindsurfing.org and www.internationalwindsurfing.com. Besides the reports and the results you will also find a live ticker on www.euro-cup.org. So check out the internet!


We wish our very best to another of our local hero Sean O’Brien in forth coming races. Sean is currently touring in Europe.

Watch out for the World’s Championships to be held in Brisbane next January.

Steve Allen is sponsored by Gaastra & Tabou. We have the full range on board. Anyone wishes to test the latest range please contact us or visit our website (link on left).

Padi , It,s fantastic to see Steve doing great, but just to clarify the event was a Euro Cup , not the Worlds . The FW world championships are in Brazil in November .
Also the championships in Brisbane are the Oceanics , not the World Championships . Should be a great event and I am really looking forward to it .

yeah - footy sux, windsports rool

hi mr love, years back i remember polakow getting a fair bit of coverage on wide world of sports. they used to cover a fair bit of windsurfing from time to time. these days we get nada.

i laughed when i read your post about getting lapped by steve. he used to lap all of us right at the beginning before he went away overseas, only leo was in his league.

i remember one slalom race at Caloundra he got abused for sailing on the course by the organisers. he was so far in front that they thought he was not in the race. while we were all still trying to get planing after the beach start, steve was rounding the first mark 200m away.

he was the first to forward loop, first over the line and first to help others out with their gear and technique.

true champion!

Hi Gesalt , Seriously one of my aims at the Oceanics is not to get lapped !!!! It happened to me at a Sail Melb a few years ago , and I was mid fleet !!!!! Steve and the other pro,s are just amazing , especially in the marginal planning stuff . When old fart weekend warriors like me can,t get going and these guy,s seem to be able to race in no wind .
Much respect to them .

Yep , I do recall seeing wave sailing on the box a bit ,but it would be 10 years ago . It urkes me that you see all these extreme sport shows and no windsurfing !!!!what it,s not extreme???? Mainly a load of dudes on snow boards with their baggy dacks flapping in the wind .Seeya Martin