DEFI WIND 2025
Summertime has arrived in the south of France. After 8 days of non-stop Tramontana, the spot of Gruissan well known for high octane blasting on flat water became silent. Amateurs and pros still hope for some breeze to battle over the long distance runs. but today was a day of rest.
This year at Defi the focus is on the comeback of fin slalom sailing even if the foil will without a doubt will dominate the races. The organiser’s have decided to celebrate two winners, one for the Fin category or Unlimited (riders are free to adapt their gear accordingly to the wind strength between fin or foil), for both men and women. As seen on the market, the cards are redistributed: yes, Fin Slalom is back! The Defi which is run in windy condition is a guaranteed place for a solid competition at max speed on a fin - if the Tramontana shows up. Out of the 1,402 registered entrants, 1,014 are on Fin, 348 are Unlimited, and 40 are ready to complete the course on a Windsurfer LT. Let’s see what the professional windsurfers choose.
It is interesting to see that top PWA riders such as Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Severne Sails), Pierre Mortefon (Phantom / Phantom Sails / Phantom Foils), Alexandre Cousin (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils) and Jordy Vonk (Duotone Windsurfing), all top four in the current foil ranking, have chosen to compete on fin! This choice is not only tactical, but it shows how much love those guys have for an unleashed ride on a fin.
In the ladies division, surprisingly, the top four chose to go Unlimited. Justine Lemeteyer (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils), Lina Eržen (Starboard / S2Maui), Blanca Alabau (WeOne /Severne Sails) and Femke van der Veen (Starboard / Severne Sails) opted for foiling as long as they can hold it in strong wind. The option is wise for the comfort the foil gives in the low end of the wind range on a course that can be tricky in gusty, shifty conditions. While in nuclear conditions, they can adjust their gear to feel safer and under control on a fin.
On the other hand, the equipment choice decision will be simple for riders like Nicolas Goyard (Phantom / Phantom Sails / Phantom Foils) or William Huppert (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils), who didn’t even bring fin gear to Gruissan. Those riders will have to hold on to their tiny foil sails, Goyard only having a 4.5m sail as his smallest, but claiming: “It’s stable enough even in 40 knots!”
This Friday in Gruissan, it was more like boardshorts & T-Shirt dress code with a thick layer of sunblock to hang out in the Defi Village and visit all the windsurfing brands.