Round 3 saw Xavier Huart (F-33, Mistral/North) advancing at the cost of John Hibbard (K-007, Starboard) and Klaas Voget (G-4, Fanatic) taking out Jonas Ceballos (E-40, Fanatic) in spite of Ceballos’ huge backside aerials. Yannick Anton (F-8) proceeded to the next round by beating fellow Frenchman Yann Sorlut (F-60), while Nik Baker (K-66, Mistral/North) showed Matt Pearch (K-16, F2) how it’s done with some radical table top forwards. Vidar Jensen (N-44, North) came out the stronger man against Greg Allaway (KA-38, Mistral/North) and Thomas Traversa (F-3, Tabou/Gaastra) won from Peter Volwater (H-24, F2). In the next heat, Boujamaa Guilloul was terminated by Andy Wolff and Cyril Moussilmani continued his rise to the top by knocking Kai Katchadourian out of the game.

In the next round, the big names that were taken out in the single elimination ware waiting for today’s winners. Xavier Huart provided the first surprise of the day by sending off Jason Polakow (KA-1111, JP/Neil Pryde). Meanwhile Bjorn Dunkerbeck (E-11, North) showed Klaas Voget exactly why he has won the overall title thirteen times in a row and advanced. Ross Williams (GBR-83, Starboard/Gaastra) was sailing strong against Yannick Anton, but not strong enough to make it through. It was a close heat between Francisco Porcella (US-69) and Nik Baker, with Porcella riding it hard and sticking a radical pushloop, but in the end it was Baker with his tabletop forwards and strong waveriding who moved up the ladder.

Diony Guadagnino (V-69, Neil Pryde) went all out against Vidar Jensen with a radical pushloop and an audacious double forward attempt, which proved to be enough knock out the Norwegian. In the same heat Thomas Traversa threw in a massive tabletop and some powerful backside aerials to shake up Kevin Pritchard (US-3, Starboard/MauiSails). But Pritchard wouldn’t have it, as he was in form with long waverides and a tabletop forward that brought him the favor of the judges. Josh Angulo blocked Cyril Moussilmani’s path to the podium with his trademark one-handed backloop and solid backside and frontside riding. Levi Siver (USA-0, Starboard) impressed judges and spectators alike with big backloops, tabletops and radical backside riding, advancing at the expense of Andy Wolff (G-9, Tabou/Gaastra).

In heat 58, Xavier Huart hit the Dunkerbeck-wall and was knocked out by the legendary E-11 who put up a strong and steady performance with long rides and a clean big backloop. Nik Baker sent Yannick Anton home empty handed with his big backside airs and forwards and backloops. Next heat was an all American duel between Josh Angulo and Levi Siver. Siver went in hard with a big backloop, which Angulo responded to with a tabletop and a backloop of his own. Both sailors were charging the waves aggressively, but as Angulo stuck a perfect one-handed backloop, he took the win over Siver. On the other side of the heat, Kevin Pritchard took out Diony Guadagnino. Pritchard scored valuable points with a high forward, while Guadagnino couldn’t seem to find any waves in the beginning. While he recovered later on with a big backside aerial, the damage was done and Pritchard moved on.

First heat up was another young vs old with Julien Taboulet (F-100, JP/Neil Pryde) having a go at Kevin Pritchard and Victor Fernandez (E-42, Fanatic) comparing skills with Josh Angulo. While the wind started to pick up, Taboulet started off with a stalled forward. Pritchard’s reply was a backloop, but he didn’t quite stick the landing. Both Taboulet and Pritchard then landed a clean tabletop forward on the same wave, keeping the suspense right up. Taboulet pulled off a nice backside air, while Pritchard made a forward on the wave to boost his waveriding scores. While it was close, at the sound of the horn it was Pritchard who was still in the game at the expense of the Frenchman.

In the other half of the heat, Victor Fernandez turned some heads by beating Hawaii Pro winner Josh Angulo. Fernandez started off with a pushloop, followed shortly after by a super late forward and a twisted one-handed tabletop. Angulo had a big tabletop and a massive backloop attempt, which wasn’t enough to beat Fernandez’s jumping score. In the waveriding department the Spaniard made a forward on the wave and had a good frontside aerial considering the conditions and while Angulo went for a frontside 360 at the horn, it was the young generation in the form of Victor Fernandez that took the victory this time.

On the other end of the ladder, it was a clash of the titans as Scott McKercher was up against Bjorn Dunkerbeck. Dunkerbeck opened up strong with a forward followed by two backloops. McKercher crashed out on his first tabletop, but redeemed himself with a forward, a pushloop and a spectacular one-handed tabletop. Dunkerbeck went for the frontside 360 twice, but didn’t make it both times. When the smoke cleared, McKercher was the one to advance. In the same heat, Robby Swift (K-89, JP/Neil Pryde) beat fellow Brit Nik Baker. Baker was still on a role, standing two perfect tabletop forwards, but it was Swift who added more variation to his jumping repertoire with a backloop, a tabletop, a pushloop and a radical double forward attempt. Combined with some high backside airs, Swift moved on to meet McKercher in the next round.

In that next round, McKercher and Swift amazed the crowds by doing a simultaneous pushloop of the same wave. Both riders caught some good waves riding in, but McKercher finished Swift off with another pushloop, a tabletop and a backloop. Kevin Pritchard claimed the other half of the heat by beating Victor Fernandez in one of the closest heats of the contest. Both sailors were riding hard, making the most of the onshore conditions. Fernandez then showed the world he is a force to be reckoned with by pulling off the move of the day and possibly the contest ; a sick and super radical pushloop tabletop combination. Pritchard in return went big with a huge one footed backloop, which would in the end prove to bring him the win.

As John Skye (K-57, F2), Scott McKercher (KA-181, Starboard/Severne), Alex Mussolini (E-30, JP/Neil Pryde) and Kevin Pritchard (US-3, Starboard/MauiSails) hit the water to battle it out for a spot in the heat against Kauli Seadi (BRA-253, Quatro/Naish), the wind instantly died never to return again, leaving the double elimination unfinished. And so Matt Pritchard (US-10, Tabou/Gaastra) keeps the 2005 Guincho crown, with Kauli Seadi (BRA-253, Quatro/Naish) in second place, Alex Mussolini (E-30, JP/Neil Pryde) in third and John Skye (K-57, F2) in fourth. Source : PWA/Axel van Weel