IWT X PWA World Cup: Relaxed kick-off under Puerto Rico's palm trees

The first laps were already completed despite the very light wind, and the Masters division was also already on the water. With clean waves combined with the light wind, the conditions demanded precision, skill and strategy and pushed the competitors to their limits. Both the international stars and the up-and-coming local talent put on a good show and delivered a fair contest, setting the stage for an exciting battle later in the event.

The first quarter-finalists have been determined, Bernd Roediger misses out on direct qualification

In heat one, Philip Newmarch put in a dominant performance and won ahead of Luis Santiago, Nelson Perez and Igor Mazza. In the second heat, Michael Fried secured his place in round three by beating Jean Seb Lavocat and Benjamin Perez.

When the third round began, the best riders in the world got involved and delivered explosive performances. Antoine Martin, Federico Morisio, Marc Paré and Morgan Noireaux proved their status as top riders, winning their heats and progressing directly to the quarter-finals (Round 5). Jean Seb Lavocat from Saint Martin and local Charlie Rovira from Puerto Rico caused a stir with strong performances and also secured their place in the quarter-finals.

One of the biggest shocks of the day was that Hawaiian Bernd Roediger missed out on direct qualification, but with the losers' bracket (Round 4) still to come, he and other competitors still have one last chance to secure a place in the quarter-finals.

Masters final is finalised, women wait for better conditions to start

In the Masters, three of the favourites from Puerto Rico - Nelson Perez, Jose Pla and Charlie Rovira - made it to the final, as did Vincent Beauvarlet from France. The showdown will take place on the next day of competition when the conditions are better.

In the women's pro division, two races were also supposed to take place, but the changing, weakening winds forced the organisers to cancel both races. The forecast for tomorrow looks promising, with the women's races taking priority.