3 questions to Pierre Mortefon

23/08/2024

After an emotional final day, France's Pierre Mortefon achieved one of his two goals at the Fuerteventura PWA World Cup by becoming PWA World Champion in Slalom X! Ahead of the events in Sylt, Germany and Yokosuka, Japan, FRA-14 takes a look back at this new crown, the second of his career...

Windsurfjournal.com: First of all, congratulations on your world title in Slalom X, your second after winning it in 2019... How does this new crown taste?
Pierre Mortefon: This crown has an excellent flavour because my previous victory was in 2019, it was in fin and it was my very first title. Of course, there were fewer races this year, but there were just as many battles for me. I've come a long way, and I'm really happy to be where I am today. It's been 5 years between these two titles. A lot has happened in that time, like the Covid, the arrival of the foil and the changes in sponsors...

WJ: Can you tell us about the last day of racing in Sotavento, during which you went through all sorts of emotions before learning that you'd been crowned world champion?
PM: That last day was indeed an emotional one... I knew it was going to be very close, I knew that even before the competition started in Fuerteventura. Matteo Iachino had managed to gain a place on the last day in the Pozo Izquierdo event by finishing second. I thought that, with only two events, the winner would be the one who finished ahead of the other in Fuerte to take the title. But I'd forgotten one detail in the race rules, and it's a bit of a shame, as it would have saved me that emotional lift. In the event of a perfect tie over two events, the competitor who has beaten the other the most times wins. Out of a total of sixteen validated eliminations, I finished twelve times ahead of Matteo Iachino and he only four times. If I'd known that, it would have been easier for me in terms of race management. To cut a long story short, on the last day, I was in the semi-final, well placed to qualify for the final. There was a sausage buoy to jump, I wanted to get away from the others, I caught a bad chop and I went ahead. A big catapult, the mast breaks, it's over... I watch the winners final as a spectator with Matteo Iachino who has to finish in the top two to pocket this event. 5th, 4th then 3rd, he climbs back up and makes a fine last jibe to finish second... At that point, the tension was at its height and I cracked. But a few minutes later, the PWA World Tour team announced that I was still world champion. And then the pressure went the other way!

WJ: Having won your first Slalom X title, you're now aiming for the Foil Slalom title. But the competition seems tougher... How does this confrontation in the discipline inspire you before the event in Sylt in Germany and Yokosuka in Japan?
PM: Yes, as I said, I wanted to play on both fronts, but now that one's done and dusted we've got to get on with the second! I'm very happy with my foiling result in Fuerte. I didn't come close to winning, but you can't be too greedy either... Second place in the X Slalom, second in the Foil Slalom and a world title in this major event is not bad at all! I wouldn't say that the competition is tougher, but that it's less predictable. There are more people who can win heats and get off to good starts. As a result, it's up to me to sail well to be at the top at the end. In Sylt, the conditions are going to be difficult: getting in and out of the water, possible races in the waves... And in Yokosuka, it's the same: we generally sail quite early in an irregular wind. These are two competitions that aren't easy, but I'll be ready!