THE 2nd DAY OF THE MASTER OF THE OCEAN 2024 WAS
AN EXCITING DAY OF WATERSPORTS ACTION!
CABARETE, Dominican Republic- 23rd of February, 2024
The second day of the Master of the Ocean 2024 started with tropical sunshine and crystal clear conditions. Waves were 3 to 5 feet with larger sets and very glassy. Spectators were eager to see more action as the day before wrapped up in fairly windy conditions with the exciting Expression Session Wing Foil Heat followed by the Team Wing Foil Heat. Professional wing foiler, Paula Novotna from the Czech Republic, executed some smooth wave riding yesterday on her wing foil placing first in the Expression Session followed by Frenchman Max Lhuillier and Florian Crausaz from Switzerland who both rode very consistently. The Team Wing Foil Heat was also very exciting yesterday with great maneuvers by the Dream Team coming in first place followed by the Edelweiss Team from Switzerland in a close second place to wrap up the day of the 22nd of February in style.
Today, there were some perfect A-Frame Waves which were ideal for wave riding and a delight for the spectators at the spectacular competition site. Nature brought better conditions than the day before for waves for the Team Surf and Overall Surf Heats of the morning after the Skipper´s Meeting.
There was an excited crowd as the Dream Team rode many glassy waves this morning finishing first in the Team Surf Heat followed by the We Love Kiteboarding Team and the Wind and Waves Team. Francis Gonzalez, overall watersports athlete from Cabarete and previous winner of the Master of the Ocean, also managed to snag first place in his Surf Overall Heat displaying some great cutbacks and bottom turns in the pristine conditions. Brian Talma from Barbados, a waterports pioneer in his homeland and defending Master of the Ocean Champion for 2023, also came in second in his heat showing the spectators that Barbados is a fertile training ground for world-class water sports athletes. Frenchman Max Lhuillier came in 3rd for the Surf Overall Heat showing consistent skill in all heats he has participated in. It is great to see around 45 registered world-class athletes from a dozen countries at the Master of the Ocean 2024 coming together in a spirit of companionship on the water!
The morning was filled with non-stop action and afterward, there was a pause to wait for the wind to pick up to keep running the windsurfing, kiting, and wing-foiling heat. The wind was not adequate until 3.40 pm for a series of Kite Overall Heats with Brian Talma from Barbados placing first in one and Max Lhuillier from France placing first in another despite very light and challenging wind conditions. Nature Rules!
Remember that the 24th is Community Day at Master of the Ocean 2024 with a myriad of community and environmental activities in conjunction with Happy Dolphins DR including ocean conservation talks for children with a marine science specialist from Beyond the Waves DR, recycling and waste management talks with Heroes del Medio Ambiente, coral nursery demonstrations with Iberostar/GIZ, lifesaving demonstrations with Inspire DR, wing foiling lessons with local athletes, Carnival on the Beach and other activities. It will be a day of fun and community spirit!
We want to especially thank our sponsors Ministerio de Turismo, Millennium Resorts & Spa, Corona, Digo Hispanic Media, Listín Diario & Zona N, Eucerin, Copa Airlines, Edelweiss Airlines, and the German Embassy in Santo Domingo for helping us make this second day of Master of the Ocean 2024 a success.
Stay tuned for more world-class watersports action on February 24th as well as Community Day!
For more information, please visit masteroftheocean.org and its social networks on Instagram and Facebook.