FINALPRESS RELEASE - 1st JUNE 2014
DEFI WIND 2014 PLAGE
DES CHALETS - GRUISSAN - FRANCE


After the sixth and final round this
morning, Andrea Cucchi, the solid, cheerful Italian from the Point 7 team
wins the 14th 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.









A PERFECT ULTIMATE ROUND
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.

Final Overall Men after 6 rounds
1. Andrea Cucchi - Italy
2. Nicolas Warembourg - France
3. Patrice Belbeoch - France
4. Denis Standhardt - Germany
5. Valentin Brault - France

Final Overall Women after 6 rounds
1. Delphine Cousin - France
2. Marion Mortefon - France
3. Estelle Barre - France

Comments from Philippe Bru, creator of DEFI WIND and associate
manager of Ilago Event, producer of this 14th edition:
“It was an exceptional edition: we closed ticket sales a month
ago, we have beaten the record for the number of participants with 1,000 entries,
ideal weather conditions that allowed us to launch six races, covering a
total of 240 km at sea, progressive weather conditions with the wind peaking
on Saturday and decreasing for Sunday, with still 780 contestants on the
water for the last round. The combination of all these factors makes this
14th DEFI an extraordinary edition. People are delighted; we have never
received so many thankyous. It means that something special happened here;
it’s definitely one of the best editions of DEFI WIND”.

A warm thanks to our partners and exhibitors who made this
incredible 14th Defi Wind possible.   See you next year ! 

 Point-7 is available in Australia exclusively via The Big Blue Sup & Surf in Melbourne (www.thebigblue.com.au)