Whiteair 2006 - Slalom Series Final
30 October 2006
One day of racing, Saturday, and 5 rounds of slalom racing completed for both Top Flight and Challenge fleets.
The wind gods prevailed yet again.. if only for one day, and tame in comparision to some of the previous years offerings! However conditions were not easy - gusty and shifty winds challenged all competitors, and the Race Crew!
Clearly Alan Jackson found the conditions more to his liking than reigning champion Xavier Ferlet. Alan won 4 out of 5 Top Flight rounds and emerged victorious from this encounter against the "master" of slalom.
Xav had to be at his consistent best to fend off the challenge of Harry Solven and a re-invigorated Scotty "Rat Rigs" Harrison.
This years event had an increased international flavour- Alex Buch (NOR22) won one race and but for a series of mishaps may well have finished on the podium ; Leszek and Maciek Rutkowski (POL 1 & 23 ) mounted a serious challenge to the youth division dominance of Dan Simpson. Leszek emerged victorious from a tie break with Dan , counting a second place in Round 4.
In the Challenge fleet 3 bullets from Rob Stack ensured top billing on the podium.
Liam Round, first Junior, emerged victorious from his tie break wih Paul Raven, first Master, to take a well deserved 2nd place overall.
Over half the fleet comprised of junior (under 17 ) racers, which augers well for the future of slalom racing. A well deserved 4th place overall (2nd junior ) to John Leonard; and first Techno (yes, he completed all races on his Techno 293) to Matthew Brown.
And, finally, a record! Krafty finished every race and had to discard 2 completed races.
Roll on 2007!
- Ceri Williams