The Wind Challenge will take place in Gruissan from May 5 to 8, 2016 in the Aude region. It will be the 16th e This is the first edition of the biggest gathering of the windsurfing community. The event created by Philippe Bru and Wind Magazine consists in gathering on the same starting line more than 1000 professional and amateur windsurfers - for a 40 km course along the coast.
This year, big names in windsurfing are still expected, even if it is a bit early to know who, as the registrations have just opened this 1 er february. However, the Dutchman Bjorn Dunkerbeck will be there, with his Wind Speed Challenge.
The organization of the Challenge is also working on new features and partnerships, whether in terms of animation or organization. By the way, a little indiscretion, this year, the participants will receive their own Lycra personalized with their name, and everyone will be able to leave with it!
The raid on the squares
Faced with the success of the 2015 edition âeuros 1000 bibs taken by storm in less than 3 days and 200 places added for a start to 1200 windsurfers âeuros the organization has decided to put at stake 1300 places for the 2016 edition.
100 more places for registrations closed in âeuros¦ 24 hours! Even the organization was surprised by this tidal wave, expecting it to go quickly, but not to this extent. From now on, the registrations that still arrive by mail are placed on a waiting list and the Internet registrations are definitely closed.
4 days of riding in Gruissan
The Wind Challenge consists in gathering professionals and amateurs on the same starting line, along the coast of Gruissan, for a 40 km course. It takes place over 4 days and starts on Thursday, May 5th. Participants come from all over France (and even the world!) to take part in this unique event. Everyone is equipped with his own material.
The day of Wednesday (May 4) is reserved for registration confirmations as well as explanations of the Défi (how the start works, the heatsâeuros¦). On Thursday, a big briefing takes place to inform the participants of the dayâ??s schedule and a first round is launched in the afternoon, weather permitting.
To launch a round, a countdown of one hour is launched, at the end of which the 1300 participants will take the departure to the hare (The line is no longer perpendicular to the wind, but follows the course of the port side wind. It is marked at one end by one of the competitors (the hare), and therefore grows during the start).
Competitors then set off from the beach of La Vieille Nouvelle to Port la Nouvelle for two 20 km round trips. In total, the riders will ride a 40 km course in one round. Knowing that there can be 2 rounds per day and 6 rounds in total over the 4 days (from Thursday to Sunday). When the last competitor finishes his round, the 2nd round will start e round is launched. Only on Sunday, only one round is launched to be able to make a prize-giving in the afternoon.
For the record, the first rider completes the course in 30 minutes, while the last ones can take 2 to 3 hours to finish their round. On the Wind Challenge, the possibility is left to everyone to finish the course.
The launch of the heats also depends on the weather conditions. Last year, the Tramontana showed that it was present and only one heat per day was launched, for the safety of the riders.
On the last day of the Challenge (Sunday, May 8 in 2016), the winners are ranked. It is done by gender (men and women) and by age. An overall ranking also allows to determine the overall winner (all categories included).
The Dunkerbeck GPS Speed Challenge
Brought to you by Dutch windsurfer, Bjorn Dunkerbeck âeuros 41 times world champion âeuros the Dunkerbeck GPS Speed Challenge will be a full-fledged competition that will take place during the Défi Wind. Everyone with a GPS can participate in the challenge, which consists of achieving the best speed over 500 m. The world champion will of course be there to challenge the participants â?" almost half of the participants of the Défi Wind are registered for the Dunkerbeck GPS Speed Challenge.
The Kite Challenge
One week before the Wind Challenge is organized the Kite Challenge, reserved for kitesurfing. Organized from April 29th to April 1st er may, this 4 e edition also takes place in Gruissan, on the same principle as the one for windsurfing. But the duration is shorter since there are 4 rounds, over the 3 days.
