Defi Wind, Day 4 – Vince Andrea Cucchi!

After the sixth and final round this morning, Andrea Cucchi, the solid, cheerful Italian from the Point 7 team wins the 14^th DEFI WIND. For the women, Delphine Cousin, slalom world champion in 2013 is the winner.

DEFI WIND 2014 should stay in peoples memories for a long time as the record-breaking Defi: record number of entries with 1,000 racers from 27 countries; six rounds raced in four days covering 240 kilometres, wind conditions that were sometimes extreme (up to 46 knots – Force 9 for one of the rounds on Saturday 30th May); a top notch musical line up with seven concerts in three evenings.

DEFI WIND confirms its status as the largest international gathering of windsurfers in competition, and is well on the way to becoming the “Woodstock” of board sports.

The ultimate start of this 14th edition is given at 11.30 am and once again the sight is stunning. Over seven hundred contestants soar forward at full speed on the waters at Gruissan opposite the village. Passion is an excellent driving force to go beyond your capacities: they still want more! The first leg is eaten up in record time. At the first buoy Andrea Cucchi is in the lead followed by Bringdal who falls, Belbeoch, Moretti, Standhart, Guadagnino, Brault and Warembourg. The stakes are high: victory for the overall ranking is being played out here in this last confrontation. They have been up against each other all week with the same fighting spirit as if they were competing for a world cup. Fast and constant throughout the race, Andrea Cucchi lets no one take this final duel away from him, comes in ahead of Bringdal, who makes a good recovery, Gerald Pelleau and Patrice Belbeoch. Denis Standhart, as effective as ever at top speed, makes a comeback amongst the leaders and overtakes Nicolas Warembourg who as a result, loses the overall by a hair’s breadth. So it is Cucchi, the solid, cheerful Italian from team Point 7 who wins the DEFI WIND. For the women, Delphine Cousin, slalom world champion 2013 wins the overall.Finally, for the young competitors amongst whom future leaders of the Defi are no doubt lying in wait, the winning trio is made up of Nicolas Goyard, William Huppert and Benjamin Augé. Behind them, the majority finish in good time but in less demanding conditions than on previous days. Pleasure dominates as the wind is easier to handle: it’s the icing on the cake.