I just did manage to make it to Turkey in time, with the week before spent in cold and windy Latvia for the formula worlds I had one day to make it to Alacati in time for registration day.  It was a long day, left Liepaja at 9:30 in the morning and finally arrived at my hotel in Alacati at 2 in the morning the following day.  The distance was really not that far but time was it felt like a very long day.  Thankfully Pieter Bijl took all my slalom equipment to Turkey for me and I left all of my formula gear in Lativa so I didn't have the worries of traveling with gear.

After a good night sleep I went down to the beach and sorted through all my gear, making sure all my boards were in one piece, I had all the right sails and masts and got all my sail stickers on.  It didn't take to long and by the time registration started I was all ready to go, we just needed some wind.  The wind didn't come on this first day and I was thankful for this as it meant I had a full day to rest and recover from the worlds and the long travel.  The forecast however looked great for the week so we were sure to get a lot of racing in.

The next day the wind was up and it was looking like it was going to be one of the windier days ever in Alacati's PWA racing history.  I started out on my 7.6 TR-8 and my 66 JP slalom but after only a few heats I was down to my 7.0 and 59 and had plenty of power.  I didn't manage to make it to the first final but with a smoking start in the losers final I led from start to finish.  In the next round I turned it up a bit and made it to the final and finished a close second behind Antoine who just managed to get out of the first mark a little quicker than me after a tight gybe battle.  We started the third round but didn't get all the way through it before the wind started to get to gusty and they called it. 

The next day was supposed to be the windiest day of the event and when we got to the beach it was looking very windy but again a more onshore direction so still very gusty.  We ended up waiting around for  a while till the wind finally steadied out enough to get back to racing.  I was on my 7.6 and 66 for most of this day and started out with another final and a good 4th place finish.  In the second round of the day the wind started to get gusty again and it was really hard to make the right call on which sail size to go with.  I decided to stay on my 7.6 and 66 and this turned out to be the wrong call as I was underpowered from the get go.  I knew I would have to get a good start and be in the front at the first mark or I was going to be in trouble.  Well I had a hard time getting planning before the start and didn't not get off very good.  I battled hard to the finish but just missed out on fourth place by about half a board length, out in the first heat not a good move.  After waiting out the rest of the round on the beach they finally finished it late in the afternoon and ran the first eight heats of the next round and I would be in the first heat the next morning.

In the morning the wind was doing the same thing, quite windy onshore but still very gusty.  We waited around till about mid day and they decided to continue with the quarter final heats.  It was still very up and down with some strong gusts and some big holes.  I waited till the last minute to make a sail choice and went with my 7.6 and 66 again.  Unfortunately when I got out there to start the wind backed off again, I still new I could advance but would have to be nearly perfect from start to finish.  But again I had a poor start and was behind the whole heat, I made up a bit of ground but could only manage a fifth place and my second bad result of the the event.  The pressure was on now as I couldn't afford any more bad results as it was very unlikely we would get a third throw out.  They finished off the day with the first eight heats of round six, with only two days left I had some ground to make up to stay on the podium.

On day five the wind was looking a little better in the morning and we got started with the quarter finals right away.  This time I had plenty of wind on my 7.6 and 66 and cruised to the finals.  I had a good start and a good first mark but then got pushed very wide from someone on the inside and lost a few places.  I was stuck in 6th and couldn't make any moves so had to settle for this at the line.  Not the best but enough to hold me up near the top.  Straight into the next round where in my quarter final heat I was winning and had crossed the line and was walking back up the beach when I was told we would have to resail the heat.  I asked why and they said that due to lack of wind on one of the reaches they had to cancel it, well I planned the whole heat as did most of the guys but as I crossed the finish line Bjoern was standing in front of me talking to race director Juan and I guess since he had fallen at one of the marks and not qualified they decided to rerun the heat.  I very strange call I thought as did most of the people on the beach who saw it.  Well back out there we went and this time a boat sailed through the course and they had to cancel it again.  So finally the third time they got the heat off and I made it through to the semis along with Bjoern this time.  In my semi's I was second at the first mark and did a wide gybe to try and get out of there with clean wind but somehow Bora came inside with a little to much speed and aggression and dropped his sail on my and I lost all my speed.  Of to the losers final for me.  I was feeling very pumped up and was charging hard in third pushing Steve at every mark and going for broke at the last mark I spun out half way through my gybe and went down.  I fell all the way back to 7th place which gave me a 15th for the round, a very frustrating finish.  The wind had steadied out so the race crew went for another round and it looked as if we could finish it before the end of the day.

This round I was gunning for a good finish as I really needed it.  I was on my 7.6 and 66 again after a short stint on my 8.4 and 78 and cruised into the semi's.  With another poor start at a critical time I was trying to come back to make it to the final but couldn't do it, having to settle for another losers final and probably losing my chance at a podium finish for good.  I went hard though in the losers and had a great start and lead from the first mark to the finish line, a good 9th place finish but to little to late.  One more day left and one more round to do on the final day, it would have to be a good one.

The wind was a bit lighter on the final day but was looking steadier than most days so far.  I went out on my 8.4 and 78 looking to have a good last result.  I had a tough first heat so wanted to have a good start and not look back, well I guess I should have looked back a little as I went a little to early at the start.  I guess everyone was a bit anxious as three other guys went over with me as well.  A quick exit for me and surely a few lost spots in the overall for the event.  A very frustrating way to end an event that had started quite well for me.  I went back in and straight to packing as I had a long day and night ahead of me to travel back home to Maui.  I would have to leave my Hotel in Alacati at 1230am to catch my 3:50AM flight to start my long journey for home, it would be a very long night but at least I would be home at the end of it.

In the end I only managed a 6th place finish, after starting off on the podium after the first couple of days to drop back so far was very frustrating.  So close so many times but just couldn't break through.  With one final event remaining in Sylt, Germany I have a lot of work to do if I am to make it on the podium for the overall for the year.  Lets just hope that this year in Sylt we get wind.

Aloha
Micah Buzianis

Photos : PWA/Carter