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Bruce Trotter was second grand master and fifth overall heading into the final day of the Raceboard world championships in Salou, Spain.
Bruce Trotter leads the fleet off the line in Salou. Photo: Patrik Pollak.
Trotter won last year's world championships in the grand master category in Brisbane and was 11 points behind Spain Jorge Maciel heading into the final four races. Light winds have plagued the competition and last night's long-distance race was called off due to insufficient breeze.
"I've been having good upwind speed and height but have ha dto draw on all my strength to hang in downwind using pumping," said Trotter, who had recorded eight top-10 finishes in the 72-strong fleet.
Spain's Ivan Pastor holds the overall lead, having won six of the eight races but does have a U-flag disqualification for being over the start line hanging over his head so can't afford any slip-ups.
Trotter was one of New Zealand's leading windsurfers in the 1980s, but lost out to Bruce Kendall for Olympic selection by Bruce Kendall and stopped competing soon after. He returned to the sport earier this decade.
Raceboarding is a form of windsurfing that uses longer boards and sails up to 9.5sqm. For more, see http://worlds2017.raceboard.org/
