First ever victory
The 2021 version of Defi Wind was yet another success with the completion of “Defi Wind Superstars”. After seven races, Blanca Alabau came out on top to win her first ever major international contest. Matteo Iachino finished fourth in a close battle for the podium.
All in all, the Defi Wind delivered once again with an activity packed event for both the public and competitors; daily racing, brand presentations, and a full entertainment calendar.
It was a week of mixed action at the 2021 Defi Wind Superstars. A good number of races were completed on foil and only the last few races saw an advantage for the fin with the “Tramuntana” wind really picking up strength. The autumn temperatures were also a factor, with temperatures around 10 degrees in the morning and a bit more throughout the day as the sun gathered strength.
Despite being out of her natural southern Spain habitat, Blanca weathered the conditions to come out on top. About her win, Blanca said; “I feel great! It is such a good feeling to be 1st 🥇 at this amazing event. It was a strong fleet, and we got races on fin and foil, so I’m pretty happy with my performance.“
The conditions brought many challenges to the riders throughout the week and made it hard to be on the right equipment; “The first two days were in between 12-25 knots, the last day was more hardcore. It was between 25-35 knots. I used Mach4 5.0 and 5.5 on fin and foil, and the HyperGlide4 6.0 on foil. In the end, I managed to stay warm with a 5.4mm wetsuit and some new snow boots I had just received” said Blanca about the conditions and her gear choice.
If all goes according to plan, we can expect the regular Defi Wind to return in the spring of 2022. The Severne team is expected to attend once again, and it sounds like Blanca is ready for the 2022 version too; “I will come back, I’ve been loving the pure windsurfing atmosphere“.
Top10 women’s results
1. Alabau, Blanca
2. Oppedal, Helle
3. Cousin Questel, Delphine
4. Mortefon, Marion
5. Wennekes, Sara
6. Lemeteyer, Justine
7. Erdil, Lena
8. Jackson, Sarah
9. Noesmoen, Helene
10. Guilbaud, Maell
The men’s division was a highly competitive fleet consisting of the top riders of the world. On the first day of racing, it was good results for most of the Severne team with Mateus Isaac finishing in fourth place and Matteo Iachino finishing in fifth place in the very first race. Sebastian Kördel also held himself close to the top 10 spots. After a few ups and downs in the following days, Matteo finished in fourth place overall, well within reach of the podium, and Mateus finished in tenth place.
Top 10 mens results
1. Albeau, Antoine 23,7
2. Rutkowski, Maciek 30,0
3. Marotti, Enrico 33,0
4. Iachino, Matteo 34,7
5. Goyard, Thomas 40,7
6. Martini, Bruno 47,0
7. Vonk, Jordy 52,0
8. Cousin, Alexandre 54,0
9. Huppert, William 70,0
10. Isaac, Mateus 71,0
A NEW NCX COLOUR COMBO IS REVEALED
What better occasion than one of the largest windsurfing events of the year to introduce the world to new gear.
Severne was present with an event base that served as the centre of activity throughout the week. The public had the chance to stop by to check out all of the latest equipment from the Severne brand, as well as, meet the full racing team on several occasions.
The 2021 Defi Wind Superstars would also become the event where the world would see a completely new NCX colour combination. The new NCX “CC2” goes well in line with the new anthracite colour combination seen in the 022 Severne wave and freestyle sail range.
The NCX is one of the most popular sails of the Severne sail range, and it was no surprise that the interest for this particular sail in the new colour combination became the centre of attention once revealed.
Apart from the NCX, visitors were also able to get an in-depth presentation of the Severne Mach4 and HyperGlide 4 racing sails by the full Severne racing team, as well as, check out all of the latest foil freestyle gear such as the Predator foil freestyle board, RedWing foil, and FoilFreek foil freestyle sail.
Defi wind proves itself again
After a long period of absence, the Defi Wind crew found the right opportunity to get their event back on track with the “Superstars” edition. The “Defi Wind atmosphere” was definitely present, and it is evident, that we can expect a large scale Defi Wind back on track in the near future.
More Severne news
Defi Wind 2023 – Sara Wennekes wins first title and new Severne gear hits the water
Defi Wind 2023 goes into the history books as the biggest windsurfing event the world has ever witnessed.
A whopping 1406 windsurfing enthusiasts, amateur racers, and pros alike gathered in Gruissan, a beautiful town located in the southeast of France to form the epicenter of windsurfing between the 18th and 21st of May.
location feature – Club vass
Operating for more than 30 years, Club Vass Active Holidays has been offering the ultimate windsurfing holiday since 1987. One of the biggest windsurf centers world-wide, Club Vass offers perfect conditions for all levels including kids, a huge selection of brand new equipment, unparalleled instruction, and a great atmosphere.
DOUBLE TOP 4 IN BONAIRE
The Freestyle Pro Tour brought back freestyle to paradise. ¨The King & Queen of the Caribbean¨ took place in Bonaire, and Team Severne did not leave empty handed.
Team Severne dominion at PWA-IWT Chile
Jane Seman and Philip Köster crowned themselves as the winners of the PWA – IWT Surazo Infernal in Matanzas, Chile.
Choosing the right board – the style guide
Severne Team Rider and Coach Simon Bornhoft, takes us through an overview of all the different board styles categories to help you build the foundations of choosing exactly the right type of board for you and your quiver.
Margaret River Wave Classic 2023 delivers nuclear winds followed by a classical sunset final session
Margaret River delivered nuclear winds followed by a classical sunset session for this year’s “Margaret River Wave Classic”.
Once again, local legend Scott McKercher @smiksup put together some insane rides to claim the win in the open fleet ahead of Bastian Escofet and Hendrix Stone.
The youth fleet was a tight battle between local grommets Jake @jake_ghiretti and Oliver @oliver.desforges . This time, Jake took the win with some impressive riding throughout the whole day.
Balz “Radiculo” Muller rides full Severne
One of the most influential riders of our time, and the instigator of the foilstyle movement, Balz “Radiculo” Müller, has been a staple of the Severne team for many years. You’ll now see Balz spinning up moves on both Severne boards and sails.
Margaret River Wave Classic 2023
The 2023 Margaret River Wave Classic in Western Australia will happen this year from January 26-29.
Severne is proud to support this year’s event, and to see competition wave action return to “margs”.
The Margaret River Wave Classic 2023 will go ahead as a IWT** tour stop.
Dyno Diaries with Simon Bornhoft – One Board One Year – Multiple Progression
As the year closes in, Simon Bornhoft looks back on his Windwise experiences from 2022 picking out some key tipping points of progression and also demonstrates how the Dyno is one board that you can take everywhere with you.