Lithuanian Slalom Championship, Kintai

Aloha!

This weekend we had an astounding competition held in Kintai, where we had a successful slalom competition organised by extreme-sports.lt !
Not to mention the fact that the wind was really strong and we had very nice slalom conditions, the jury also made a really nice slalom course with good angles and length.

So, after the skippers meeting we were sent out to the water for the qualification race with the first group. The wind strength was just wonderful - 9-10m/s and a little bit more in gusts. I made an average start and reached the first mark in the middle of the group. Not a lot of time passed until I overtook some necessary guys and crossed the finish line in the top 6. That means I am going to the gold fleet or as it is called winners fleet! I was super excited about that!

In the first scoring race I made a really good start and avoided making stupid and sad mistakes. And here we go! I crossed the finish line 5th! I was really happy about this first race result but still remained focused because everything was still to come.




Second qualification. Again - gold fleet. At that moment I was really happy of the results I was showing and lets say I started expecting even more from the second scoring race.

After the short break on the shore we were sent out to the race field to show some magic speed, real racing skills and a tough character.
Unfortunately, this race was not so good and smooth for me as the one before as I fell down straight to the water near the second mark and couldn't regain my previous positions. Finished 7th. Anyway, it's still a top 10, so I was really looking forward to forthcoming races with enthusiasm and positiveness!





In the third qualification the wind picked up a little and that was the moment when I simply forgot what the word 'control' means. To my despair, I made even 2 superb dives straight from my board (like in olympics) and as a result I was the first one not to access the winners final. That messed up my concentration and mood for a while. Anyway, sometimes you have to lose to win again.

Just before the silver fleet start I turned my mind into a perfect concentration mode, saw my self doing everything extremely smooth, super fast and in control. I must say that helped a lot as I was the first one to cross the finish line in the silver fleet's race!

The day was going to the end and according to the competition NOR we had to make the last start until the 17:00.
So, that basically means we had one more race to go.





The last, 4th qualification race. Nothing to lose, I have to make it to the winners final. The wind again increased and then we had a really intense conditions with the wind reaching up to 32 knots in gusts. A lot of guys took smaller sails and boards but not me. It's simply because I don't have a smaller sail than a 7.0m2. But that's cool as my simmer 2010 7.0m2 really really works well in harsh conditions.

So, as far as the last race of the day is concerned, I crossed the starting line in full power and in the right timing. By going some distance further a few more experienced guys overtook me from above and below and I was for sure not the first one to reach the 1st buoy. I made a good jibe and approached for the second mark. Unfortunately, I don't know whether it was a strong wind, messy chop or dis-concentration but I fell off to the water while making a second jibe and that was a good opportunity for other sailors to overtake me. I tried my best until the very end and finished 9th.

The second day the judges didn't make any starts due to the lack of wind. So, that means the first day was also the last day of the competition. In overall, I took 9th place out of 25. I was expecting a little bit higher place but top 10 is also quite good I guess. I will basically have to train more and prepare well for the upcoming events.





I also noticed some other things during the competition.

For example, one of my best friends Rytis Jasiunas LTU 799 was a monster! Even though he is only a youth and hasn't sailed with his slalom equipment during the summer he was still more or less unstoppable. So fast and so precise during all 4 races. He took 4th place in overall and with no doubt surprised me significantly. So young and already a fully a loaded gun with a huge perspective and potential. Wonderful.





What is more, Karolis Sipavičius LTU 1001 second year in a row was crowned as the Lithuanian Slalom Champion! What a beast. In the race field he is super fast, making really good planning jibes and showing a really high class of performance. Keep going, bro!





Yup, I think that's it for now fellows.

HUGE thanks for the organizers who gave almost everything to make those races a staggering place to compete and show who is the best. I would also like to say thanks for all the competitors who made my day and created a spectacular racing atmosphere.

I am super excited about oncoming competitions and looking forward to it!

Results:




Take care,
See you soon!

Arnas Bušmanas LTU 191


A nice video made by www.burės.lt Check this out!!