The second day of competition at the Slalom X event of the 2026 Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam brought extreme conditions with wind gusts exceeding 40 knots. Although the waves were slightly smaller than the previous day, the combination of fierce gusts and the jump – incorporated into the course for the first time – pushed the athletes to their absolute limits. Sotavento confirmed its reputation as one of the most demanding spots on the World Cup circuit. In the women’s event, the field completed four further heats, whilst the men also finished four eliminations. Jenna Gibson started the day with a 6.6-point lead over Justine Lemeteyer, but the French foil slalom world champion fought her way back into the title race with two consecutive wins in heats seven and eight. In the men’s event, Matteo Iachino initially dominated with a hat-trick, before Pierre Mortefon struck back in the fourth heat to secure his first victory of the week.
Lemeteyer fights his way back after a equipment failure
Justine Lemeteyer got off to the worst possible start on the second day of competition. A broken mast forced the 23-year-old to sit out the fifth elimination entirely. However, the Frenchwoman showed a remarkable response to this setback. In heats seven and eight, she finished first in each, securing her second and third elimination wins of the week. With this comeback, Lemeteyer reduced the gap to Gibson from 6.6 to 4.3 points. Although the British rider managed to secure another victory in elimination six and added a second and a fourth place, minor inaccuracies crept in compared to her flawless first day. The jump proved to be the decisive factor and cost several riders valuable placings.
Three-way battle for third place
Behind the two leaders, an exciting three-way battle has developed in the women’s event. Bobbi-Lynn De Jong, Mae Davico and Femke van der Veen are tied for third to fifth place, each on 19 points. The 16-year-old De Jong from the Netherlands once again secured two second-place finishes and put in a particularly strong performance in the extreme wind conditions on Fuerteventura. Davico from France got off to consistently good starts and looked set for her first World Cup victory in the day’s final heat. At the third mark, she was leading by a wide margin after Lemeteyer had capsized. However, the 23-year-old approached the jump too hesitantly and became the next victim of the obstacle, whilst Lemeteyer managed to overtake her. Van der Veen, who finished third in last year’s world rankings, finished outside the top four only twice in eight races and thus remains firmly in the running for a podium place.
Alabau celebrates her first victory on the Fin
Blanca Alabau put in a strong performance on the second day. The Spaniard won the fifth elimination race, securing her first victory on the Finn class at a World Cup event. Alabau and the French athlete Marion Mortefon are separated by just 0.3 points. Both sailors repeatedly produced moments of brilliance in the challenging conditions and are battling it out for the top spots in the overall standings. The jump proved to be the decisive factor, separating the wheat from the chaff. Those who tackled the obstacle aggressively gained time, whilst those who hesitated lost positions or crashed.
Iachino dominates with a hat-trick
Matteo Iachino continued his dominance from the first day and won the first three heats on the second day of competition. The 36-year-old Italian extended his lead over Pierre Mortefon to 9.9 points at one stage and appeared to have the event firmly under control. After three heats, Iachino had a flawless record and had already secured a second-place finish. However, reigning world champion Mortefon came under pressure after he was surprisingly knocked out in the quarter-finals of the third elimination round. This defeat saw the Frenchman drop back to sixth place on 21 points. Mortefon realised the danger that Iachino might pull away from him for good and put in a brilliant performance in the fourth elimination round.
Mortefon strikes back at the crucial moment
In the final Winners’ Final of the day, Pierre Mortefon showed his true class. With an outstanding second gybe, the Frenchman slipped through beneath Iachino on the inside lane and took the lead. Mortefon then controlled the race with ease right to the finish line and celebrated his first victory of the week. This success came at the perfect time and reduced the gap to Iachino to 2.6 points. The significance of this victory was evident in Mortefon’s celebrations on the beach. Despite Iachino’s brilliant performance – securing three wins and a second place from four races – the title race remains wide open. The Italian may currently boast a perfect record and be able to discard a second-place finish, but Mortefon has a sword of Damocles hanging over his head following his quarter-final exit.
Changes in the mid-table: Prien climb to third place
Nico Prien overtook Taty Frans to climb into third place. The German secured a second and a sixth place, whilst Frans failed to make the top eight on both occasions. However, with a ninth and an eleventh place, the Dutchman limited the damage. There are just four points separating fourth and eighth place. Jordy Vonk is in fifth place, whilst Benoit Merceur remains sixth. Amado Vrieswijk moved up three places from tenth to seventh. Jimmy Thieme staged the strongest comeback of the day. The Frenchman started in 22nd place, qualified for both Winners’ Finals and finished fourth and sixth respectively. With this jump of 14 places, Thieme now sits in eighth place.
Jules and Martini round off the top ten
Bruno Martini and Lohan Jules are tied for ninth place, each with 24 points. For Jules, the second day marked his best performance to date on the World Cup Tour. The 24-year-old from Guadeloupe achieved his career highlight so far with a third-place finish in the third elimination and followed that up with a solid seventh place in heat four. Cedric Bordes dropped four places to eleventh, but remains within striking distance of the top ten. Maciek Rutkowski bounced back from his quarter-final exit in the third elimination round with a strong third place in the day’s final race. For the Pole, it was his first appearance in the Winners’ Final at this event. Brendan Lorho deserves a special mention. The 21-year-old won the B Final in the fourth elimination round, securing his best-ever World Cup result. Lorho produced a masterclass in jibbing, taking the lead and defending it against Bordes and Vonk, despite being significantly lighter. The Frenchman leads the under-80kg standings and is 14th in the overall rankings.
Results:
Women (after eight elimination rounds, with two results discarded):
- 1. Jenna Gibson (GBR | Duotone Windsurfing)
- 2. Justine Lemeteyer (FRA | PATRIK / PATRIK Sails)
- 3. Bobbi-Lynn De Jong (NB | Starboard / NeilPryde)
- 3. Femke van der Veen (NED | Starboard / Severne Sails)
- 3. Mae Davico (FRA | PATRIK / PATRIK Sails)
Men (after four rounds, one result discarded):
- 1. Matteo Iachino (ITA | Starboard / NeilPryde / Z Fins)
- 2. Pierre Mortefon (FRA | FMX Racing / North Sails)
- 3. Nico Prien (GER | JP / NeilPryde)
- 4. Taty Frans (NB | Future Fly / Point-7)
- 5. Jordy Vonk (NED | Duotone Windsurfing)
- 6. Benoit Merceur (FRA | Starboard / Severne Sails)
- 7. Amado Vrieswijk (NB | Future Fly / North Sails / Z Fins)
- 8. Jimmy Thieme (FRA | FMX Racing / Point-7)
- 9. Bruno Martini (ITA | WeOne / S2Maui / Z Fins)
- 9. Lohan Jules (GPE | AV Boards / S2Maui)