10 days of competition in the cold weather but it’s worth it as it is the only event and time of the year I get to use my wetsuit and my winter clothing so once a year, 10 days a month it’s all good.
Checking the forecast for days seemed like the wind was going to be tricky but been coming to Sylt for the last 6-7 years and you never knew what to expect as the forecast could change quickly.

WAVE
The wave fleet was the first to get a green flag as we started the first day with what the race director thought could be a good choice. Well they did some heats but wasn’t enough to complete a whole round but at least the crowd have seen some wave action.

SLALOM
The most radical conditions I have been sailing slalom in; big swells light/medium wind conditions but due to the conditions been so gnarly it was hard to choose which equipment to take. With most guys having a hard time getting out of the shore break, some of the guys even crashed most of their gears completely. 

I chose to go out on my TRX 7.7 and Isonc 117 with my Zfin ZSL 44 as these were the gears setup I use the most on Bonaire and it was perfect. I didn’t use to much downhaul on the 7.7 as this will allow the sail to gain more wind power and have less pressure on the board as the wave where big and the sea was rough.

Heat #6: I had a great start on the pin and got to the first mark together with Pierre Mortefon. I didn’t remember who was behind me I just focus on the race and to qualify to the next heat finishing in 2nd.

Heat #11: I started again at the pin while maintaining the board down was a hard battle but I guess it wasn’t easy for anyone, I maintain my lead while Piere Mortefon was behind me I think he and I were the only one fighting for the top 2 position in the qualifying heats, because we always get to the first mark at the same time but the one who jibes better gets the first place.

Heat #14: wind got lighter but still was good, I started in a bad position had all the bad wind from the guys that were ahead of me, I think I got to the first mark in 4th/5th but then as I flipped the sail i hear someone screaming then I look on my left side I think I saw Antoine crashing into Ross Williams. Pump my way quickly out of this bad situation and went on to qualify for the winners final.

Heat#16: Winners final, the first final got resail due to the rope of finish mark broke. Winners, I had the worse start, as I was going to the start line out of nowhere came this big swell, I had no choice so the board went completely out of the water and getting back down the board stop completely . I think I was the last one out of the start line.  I arrived at mark one in last place but getting some good jibes and putting pressure on myself to gain some places. I was 4th on the last mark ahead close by was 3rd Julien Quentel and close behind was 5th Pierre Mortefon, just at the last mark Julein Quentel did probably the worse jibe to do in a final, and as I came on the inside the waves slowed me down while Mortefon got that perfect jibe had that little extra push from the wave and just pass me and went ahead to finish 4th while I finish 5th. I guess that’s racing sometimes it’s like that.

FREESTYLE

This year have never been so tense for the world title ever between Kiri, Gollito and Steven. If either one of them made a mistake it will be one of them for the grab. But in the end it came down to the one that kept his nerve down and the one that really deserve to be the champion and Gollito was that perfect example.

As for me, I just didn’t know that the judging,race director was so strict on the course freestyle area, as the wind was so tricky and light they should have taking that in consideration. But I am not complaining, it’s just my thoughts.

The heat I lost against Bjorn Saragoza should have been a re sail as three of my moves didn’t count as two of them was outside the course area and my back loop was out of time which, I knew they did wrong with the flags as they were 4 sec late when we started. so I thought I had 4 sec more after my clock go to zero. But we’ll take it and keep quiet. :).

During the heat I was on my Loco pro 4.8  and my Starboard flare 91. Overall I know I still can get a top 5 results in freestyle and I am going at it again next year. I am not done with this free styling unless I get what I want.

My Result:
9th in Freestyle
9th overall PWA
5th in Slalom
11th slalom overall at this moment.

Best
Taty Frans NB-9

Photos by PWA/Carter