Awesome footage of the 1st race of the Defi Wind Gruissan 2018 !!!
You have got to LOVE this event!!! What a start!!!
Below from the DefiWind Website:
Warembourg big winner of the first race!
The Defi Wind 2018 has begun! After a beautiful opening ceremony full of energy and strong emotions, the 1200 Defi Wind participants all gathered behind Philippe Bru’s boat for the first 40 km race in almost 40 knots. The favorite local rider Nicolas Warembourg did not shiver one second and took the lead by choosing a very tactical run!
Good vibes
During the opening ceremony, the emotion was very tense for a thousand of riders and spectators all together in front of the scene in the Defi Wind village centre. After Erwan Jauffroy’s welcoming speech (Editorial director of Wind Magazine) together with Björn Dunkerbeck (42x windsurfing world champion and most titled sportsman in the world) and Didier Codorniou (Mayor of Gruissan and vice president of La Region Occitanie), it was the inimitable Defi’s big boss Philippe Bru who launched the countdown of the first race of this 2018 edition.
The energy coming from the Defi Wind challengers at that moment was particularly intense. We windsurfers are living for the wind and it has been two years that the famous Tramontane did not manifest at the Defi Wind.
35-40 knots of Tramontane wind
Today with 35-40 knots strong wind, the conditions were reunited to please everybody and to share exceptional moments. Small sails were all over, few professionals used sails over 6.0, and the majority was sailing with 4.5 sails. On the water, the big smiles on the faces showed so well the pleasure that the riders all share to be together on the water among so many windsurfers. And the specific character of the Defi Wind is that everybody can use the equipment they want. That’s the way, slalom boards and sails mingle on the water with wave gear and foils or even more the pirate’s “quadem” (4 people on one board with 4 sails) composed by Thomas Traversa, Jules Denel, Nico Akgazciyan et Patrick Vigouroux.
Wind slightly north
The Tramontane that was pretty strong was also a bit oriented to the north which made the run a little more difficult than usual. The first run to Port La Nouvelle was slightly down wind while it was necessary to sail up the wind to return to Gruissan to be able to jibe in one go the buoy n° 2. Unfortunately, even though the most experienced riders succeeded it, it was very hard for the majority to jibe the buoy in one time. But that’s part of the Defi, it’s not always easy but in the same time that’s what makes it so spectacular!
Home game for the boss Warembourg
Nicolas Warenbourg manages this tactical game so well and proved that he knows this windsurfing spot by the back of his hand. Today it looked like that this run was destined for him, he did not shiver with his 5.6 NeilPryde Evo X and his JP slalom 55. With a very good position on the first run where speeding up was very important, the local rider made the difference on the return run where he stayed very close to the beach and took benefit of the most flat water. Nicolas Goyard was probably taking a lot of risks passing between the sand banks to finish also among the leaders on the final run. At the head of the run it was also Kevin Grosjean with a 5.4 North Warp F2018 and Fanatic Falcon 98 who showed that we could count on him to play in the top of the course. Very fast, Kevin arrived on the 4th place with Nicolas Goyard and Kasper Larssen in front of him and who made it not easy at all for Nicolas and Kevin. After a great battle on the first run between the former winners Andrea Cucchi (2014) and Patrick Diethelm (2011), it was the point-7 boss who took over and took the fifth place in the end.
Temporary ranking of race n° 1:
1. Nicolas Warembourg
2. Nicolas Goyard
3. Kasper Larsenn
4. Kevin Grosjean
5. Andrea Cucchi
6. Pierre Moretti
7. Thomas Goyard
8. Andy Laufer
9. Steve Laubaney
10. John Skye
11. Antoine Lorin
12. Ludo Jossin
13. Diony Guadagnino
14. Xavier Joly
15. Patrik Diethelm
16. Sebastien Bonhomme Allaire
17. Jimmy Thiémé
18. Gautier Bourgeois
19. Pieter Bijl
20. Wilhem Basile
1ère femme: Cecile Decourt
Voir le classement provisoire complet
1st Women: Cecile Decourt
