CONCLUSION.
I ended up 40th and never made the losers’ final. If you had asked if I would be happy with that before the event the answer would have been no, but actually I was reasonably content with the end result. I made two quarter finals and finished fifth in four of the eight rounds. I think if we could start again now, I could possibly have made at least another two quarter finals and maybe that elusive losers final would have been within reaching distance?
I don’t think the conditions really suited me, I was hoping for more crazy wind. With the easy handling of our Firewing it would have been a real advantage when the conditions got gnarly, but that is no excuse. I was very happy with the performance of our sail. For sure, against the top 10 in the world, I don’t have the speed. But thanks to the easy handling I was able to battle at the gybes and put up a fight until the last metre of the course. I’m not sure I would have faired any better using Antoine’s gear and already I’ve been able to put some of what I learnt into the new 2015 sails. Slightly more power and more stability to be able to keep going through dirty air. Also I think this power will actually give more control as it can help to keep the board pinned to the water better.
Am I tempted to compete more? The answer is yes for sure, but I think I’ll stick to the golden sands of Fuerteventura. I don’t think you can ask for a nicer place to compete. Sun, sand, wind and, if it all goes wrong, parties every night. Next year I will be back and this time I will be ready for the fight. Top 30 is the goal and to get that I will need to make that elusive losers’ final! JS
