Ghibaudo’s quest to win began last spring when we decided to work together- again!
It was back in the early 90s when Valerie and I last worked together… the ART Blades were well established as super-competitive racing designs. Valerie was winning events back then with my old Blades, and I looked forward to such results again with Ghibaudo on The Loft Blades.
Valerie visited The Loft in Tarifa last spring… she was taking care of her shoulder and so she was not able to train as hard as she would have liked! In any case, Valerie did windsurf with us for photoshoots and her potential on the water was easy to see… Valerie rigged her new Blades on rdm Loftmasts and carbon Loftbooms, and she experimented with Blade trim in collaboration with the Tarifa Loft team.

Her week spent with us paid off- she took the win at the first ISA event in Karpathos! I was not expecting this… she was still not quite 100% with her bad shoulder, and her time on our new Blade 2007 designs was limited. Her battle with Karin Jaggi was very close- Karin is the 12 x PWA Windsurfing World Champion, 9 x IFCA / IWA Windsurfing World Champion and 2 x ISA Speed World Champion. Valerie stated that her objective for the 07 season was to beat Karin… a very demanding task indeed! Her win at the ISA Event in Karpathos was a surprise- and a vision of future results.
Check the link
http://www.speedsurfing.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=69&Itemid=34  

The 2nd ISA event in Fuerte produced extremely close racing between Valerie and Karin… they both won 3 of the 6 heats. Karin took the win as Valerie was discarding a 3rd while Karin discarded a 2nd- just .56 points separated them in the final Fuerte results.
Surf the link
http://www.speedsurfing.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=86&Itemid=34  

The 3rd ISA event at Walvis Bay Namibia proved to be Valerie’s moment to shine… she won all but one of the 7 legs to take a convincing event win, and the ISA World Speed Championship title. Valerie dominated!
See the results at the link
http://www.speedsurfing.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=101&Itemid=34  

The Loft Blade designs are in their first year… to have our new cammed designs take a World Championship in their rookie year is this designers dream come true!
Valerie’s win demonstrates that our Blades- and rdm masts- are fast! The Loft Blade designs are specific for rdm masts- all the way up to 8.5m2 (rdm 490). I firmly believe that rdms in cammed designs will become “the norm” as their liveliness and durability prove that ndms are “fat” and from the past!… and who wants two mast sets? Use your rdm wave masts in your slalom/speed sails- and smile!

Congratulations to Valerie for her Speed 07 victory!

Valerie and I look forward to further ISA and PWA wins working together in 2008.
Monty Tarifa Sept 24 07

ISA link:
http://www.speedsurfing.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=101&Itemid=33