Surf Cat

Jenna Gibson produced a dominant performance to win at the PWA World Tour Windsurfing season opener.

The 22-year-old former Folkestone School for Girls pupil claimed 13 straight slalom victories at the event in Croatia as the sport returned from the Covid-19 lockdown.

Gibson (Fanatic/Duotone) was racing off the island of Bol and she also clinched a comeback win in the foil, after a tentative start. She won the title thanks to victory in the last elimination of the week to pip Alice Read.

A member of hometown Hythe and Saltwood Sailing Club, Gibson went into the event as one of the favourites and didn’t disappoint, dominating the fin races to leave her competitors a long way behind with a perfect start.

Speaking after day two, the 22-year-old said: “We have had some really good racing and some of it has been super close, a load of different girls in different positions, perfect conditions and I am really enjoying it.”

Her dominance continued to claim a landslide victory. In the foil, Gibson was racing for the first time and she finished fourth in the opener but moved up to third overall after winning the second elimination. She eventually won that too.

Hydrofoil racing sees competitors take full three-dimensional control of their boats, with regards to the roll (tilting), pitch (up and down) and yaw (side to side).

Points gained didn’t go towards the World title but was a great chance to finally get back to action.

Gibson comes from a windsurfing mad family, with dad Andy a regular winner at Club Tuesday night racing in Hythe and also of the Sheppey Round the Island Race.

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