A trip to paradise!
In 2025, we opened the season in the Caribbean: Guadeloupe. This beautiful French
island returned to the PWA calendar for the first time since 1987. It was my first time
there, and even though we were unlucky with the conditions, it was a great event.
Unlucky with the wind
For weeks, it had been windy every single day, but three days before the first PWA
event of the year, a bad weather system shook up the wind. The forecast was poor,
and the rain threatened to ruin the party. With only one day on the water to prepare
for the races, we began. Still, I felt confident after some great winter preparations in
Tenerife.
Day 3 was delivery day
In the Foil Slalom discipline, we can race in as little as 8 knots of wind, but even that
didn’t show up during the first two days of the contest. Luckily, Day 3 was different. A
rain front pushed in wind, and we managed to complete three eliminations.
Consistency
Through tough battles, I qualified for all three winner’s finals, showing good
consistency. I was very happy with that—really seeing progress in my foil racing.
Still, I felt I could have done better. During the first final, the wind picked up to 20
knots, and some guys were able to switch to smaller sails. I had to hold onto my
8.7… Still, a 4th place was a strong result.
In the second final, we were all on smaller gear as the wind stayed strong. On my
6.4, I pushed the limit at the start, even convincing the judge on the boat that I was
over the line… but after video review, it turned out I wasn’t. Still, it made me unsure,
which led to a bad start in the restart. I managed to fight back to 5th place.
In the last elimination of the day, the wind dropped again, and I was back on my
biggest gear. In the final, I took a risk starting at the pin end but missed out on a
good start, even dropping off the foil… Sometimes you win, but this time I lost. I
finished in 7th place for that race.
Podium was possible
Of course, many riders could have finished on the podium, but I was definitely one of
them. On the last day, we got a bit of wind. With the 3rd-place sailor, Alex Cousin,
not making it into the winner’s final and I did, I was the only one who could still claim
that 3rd place. Sadly, the wind didn’t stay long enough, and we couldn’t complete the
4th elimination.
Best result in foil
Still, there were many positives to take from the event: I was fast, racing more
aggressively, and a 4th place is still my best result in the Foil Slalom discipline so far.
Now, it’s time to put the foil gear aside and focus on the fin for: The Defi Wind.
