Another year for changes. So far I have heard...
Amado Vrieswijk leaving Severne
Liam Dunkerbeck leaving Starboard
Others ?
Johan Soe leaving Point 7 and FMX
Daniele Benedeti leaving Challenger and FMX
Justine Lemeteyer leaving S2 Maui and FMX
Let's be honest here.
In earlier years the transfer market has been more about which sailor has got the event results in the last year - and about which brand needs promotion.
This year it's totally about cost cutting, and no pro sailor is safe.
This new approach is a disaster - in the way it affects budgets for 2025 events, and how the competitors can survive.
The underlying cause is what we call 'a shrinking market'.
Which brand would you say is doing well? I'd answer: None of them.
Too many brands chasing a smaller public spend on kit.
The only growth is the sport is IQ Foil, where there are only a handful of brands producing the kit. Patrik produce an IQ Foil setup, hence Soe has signed as he is doing both PWA and IQ Foil as I understand it.
Cut the crap, windsurfing is not dying. It is getting even smaller but brands will keep producing boards and sails. More popular sports like winging will support our sport indirectly so brands that develop kites, wings, windsurf stuff will survive. Brands that only do windsurf gear might struggle.
Will be interesting to see who Johan Soe goes with, he looks like he may dominate the PWA foil racing going forward.
I would guess Severne/ Starboard