The Défi Wind 2023 has started!

19/05/2023

30 knots of Tramontane, 1400 competitors and a first race won by Justine Lemeteyer and Nicolas Goyard, the 2023 edition of the Défi Wind is underway, a competition which, like last year, promises great battles between foil and fin competitors.

After the kitesurfers of the Défi Kite and the wingfoilers of the Défi Wing (more than 500 competitors in total!), Gruissan is in the big league with the Défi Wind, now in its 21st edition, with 1400 competitors this year! The Tramontane wind has been blowing continuously for almost a week, between 25 and 35 knots. After the traditional and lengthy briefing, essential for the safety of everyone on the water, the competitors set off shortly before 4 pm for the 30 km course and the first race of the week. The foil racers, who were at the front of the pack last year, quickly took the lead, with Nicolas Goyard dominating the race, alone at the front and hardly ever threatened during the 32 minutes of the race. Behind him, the battle raged between the Dane Johan Søe and Thomas Goyard, Nicolas' brother. At such speeds, where the slightest mistake can be paid for in cash, the leader of the fleet also has to deal with seaweed, which does not mix well with the foils and can cause valuable knots to be lost. And with the first leg to Port-La-Nouvelle requiring upwind sailing, the task quickly becomes complicated for many of the competitors in the middle of the fleet.

On the last leg, Pierre Mortefon and William Huppert took advantage of a small mistake by Thomas Goyard to take 3rd and 4th place behind Johan Søe, who impressed with speed and control. Antoine Albeau had a bad start and fell on the jibe at mark 2, but saved the day with an 8th place. In a top 10 almost dominated by the foilers, Dutchman Jordy Vonk snatched 10th place with his fin and a final leg in which he gave everything and came back strong. Justine Lemeteyer, 44th in the scratch ranking, foil and 1st in the final, made a sensation and continued the positive spiral of her victory at the PWA event in Italy a few days before.

Over and above the sporting results, the return to the shore is marked by the smiles on the faces of the competitors, happy to have lived an experience and to have made their race in the race, which is first and foremost the Défi Wind!
On Friday, the festivities continue with the Tramontane forecast, a briefing scheduled for 9.30 am and a day marked by the absence of Damien Le Guen, long one of the best French slalom sailors, now in charge of GA Sails and Tabou in France, who suffered a terrible fall during this first race. Hospitalised and operated on Thursday evening at the Narbonne hospital, we wish him a speedy return to the water...