50 AUGUST 2019
DÉFI GRUISSAN 2019
FIRST DAY
Finally our first and possibly only windy day of racing arrived! Picking the
right size gear that morning felt like buying a lotto ticket. When you are
not familiar with a spot, anything is possible, especially with long distance
races. The stress levels were on the high end. The wind was howling and
after going out for a few practice runs on my Severne 5.2 Mach 2, 87 litre
Patrik board and 30 Gasoil fin I felt a little more confident and it was just
about manageable in the high wind gusts. During the safety briefing we were
warned that the wind can be as much as 10 knots stronger over the second
half of the 40 km. course so I decided to rig a small 4.5 Severne Overdrive
to make sure my shoulder would not take too much of a hammering if the
wind peaked mid-race.
The start line was spectacular! Coming from Africa, I can almost compare
it to the great migration! There was masses of windsurfers all moving in the
same direction as a unit and waiting for the rabbit boat to cross. I soaked
up every moment of this spectacle. For the first two kilometres I was flying
in the strong gusts, but I felt the wind get weaker and shifting the further
I went. Eventually, after two hours of on and off planing, I had to abort
the first race after quite a long struggle to avoid drifting too far offshore.
The rescue team did a sterling job and they handled my gear with great care.
I was very relieved that race number two was still on the cards and it seemed
like many windsurfers had a similar experience. Completing a Défi race
had been such a big goal of mine and I was determined to make it happen!
I rigged my 6.2 Severne Mach 1 sail with 107 litre Starboard Isonic and a
34 Gasoil fin - my favourite setup at my home spot in Langebaan. Funnily
enough, one of the biggest challenges I had that day was finding my gear on
the beach amongst the endless ocean of sails and boards!SECOND RACE
The second race was heaven - I was perfectly powered and the wind was
a lot more constant than the first race. I stayed very close to the shore to
experience the famous super flat waters and had the ride of my life! As I was
cruising down the course, I adjusted my harness lines to a position that took
most of the strain off my left arm with the injured shoulder. This, together
with leaning fully into my waist harness with a lower boom setting, ensured
that I was able to complete the race successfully and miraculously finished in
478’th position. Knowing that this would be the only race day of the event,
I looked around and took it all in. To me it felt a lot more like a massiveRock and roll time!
PHOTO Jean Souville.Spot the rig!
PHOTO Jean Souville.Karo locking it down.
PHOTO Jean Souville.