The final qualifier
57 competitors from 8 countries have come to Cancun in Mexico to compete for the final spots at the Youth Olympic Games and Pan-American Games.
This is one of the most important windsurfing events in the country for some time and you can see the organisers are doing their best to make it happen. Miguel Angel Pani Can, president of the Mexican Windsurfing Association explained just how important the event is – “This championship is very important for us and bringing this event to our country creates a better interest, especially here in the peninsular, where most of the sailors live.
Events like this one also increase consciousness among the authorities, that windsurfing in Mexico can be done internationally at a high level. The next step for us, I hope, will be to make an even bigger event.”
The weather did not cooperate on the first day of racing though and the race committee had to wait for a storm to pass before racing could commence in the morning.
“We are already in the tropical season. So thunderstorms, like this morning are not something strange. But after the problems in the morning the weather cleared up. We have to make a ceremony to the Mayan Gods and I think we’ll have even better conditions tomorrow with plenty of wind.” - Miguel commented.
All in all, we almost have a full schedule with only the T293 class trailing with one race. It is the local sailors leading after the day – so Miguel is hopeful for the final results - “The Mexican sailors are doing pretty well. Both in RS:X and TechnoPlus, so hopefully we can earn our places both for the Youth Olympic Games and Pan-American Games.”
Three races are planned for tomorrow with the first possible warning signal at 10:00.