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WINDSURF NEWS BULLETIN

Hold on to your hats the wind is back with a vengeance in the UK and we are bringing you the latest Windsurf New Bulletin fresh on your screen! Our team of journalists have been travelling far and wide to gather lots of juicy gossip and to keep you entertained! So…lets dive in and find out what has been happening in the windsurfing world!

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DEFI WIND

Well the kiters and the wing foil fleets had a great time but come the grand finale…The Windsurfing… the Tramontana winds unfortunately didn’t play ball for the final days of the Defi. At least in the build up there was plenty of wind and those that rocked up early saw plenty of action.

PIERRE MORTEFON

Local racer, Pierre Mortefon suffered a nasty injury out training while it was nuking, so we hope he will be recovered by the time the PWA race again in the Canary Islands. Here is what he had to say on the socials…

CHALLENGE WIND 25 / GAME OVER

“Some may have seen me coming out of the water Monday night, a little late… and it wasn’t the great joy. Big calf pain after a speed test with the foilers Nico Goyard, Johan Soe and the boat of Philippe Bru.

As I slowed down, I jumped two little flaps and felt a discharge in the calf… then face soup.

Back home, lucky enough to get next day imaging and quick appointment at the doctors. Verdict: tearing up the right calf! ️I just might take a shot… but there’s too much to lose, especially with a World Cup season just kicking off. So, we gonna be good, and this time I’m staying down. On the other hand, I will be there to share the event with you, because the vibe of the Challenge is just amazing!

I’m obviously sad because I had a real craving and a great preparation behind me. The last three weeks in Gruissan have been top: big speeds, nice averages, great form and awesome battles with the new French guard, always ready to go to the coal. See you tomorrow….Pierre”

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SCOTT HARRISON

Meanwhile, we here all about Scott Harrisons experience at the 2025 Defi as he prepares for the first One hour Classic Defi style event in the UK in a few weeks at Calshot!

Defi 2025, the return.

SH: “My last Defi was way back in 2007, my children were young and I was running a business that really didn’t want me to take holidays, time was at a premium and driving the length of France to a four-day event was probably the last thing I should have been doing.

Fast forward 17 years to November 2024, the kids are at university, work is flexible and I’m settling into the return flight after two weeks in Jeri, when my wife, Sîan says to me “let’s do Defi next year.” After downing my caipirinha I agreed.

6 months later and we’re rolling onto the Euro Tunnel with a fully loaded van, I’d entered the “fin only” category, as had Sîan, who had chosen a JP magic move and NP V8 sails (an easy going twin cam) as a counterpoint to my full slalom set up with the rationale that comfort would be key, as there was some trepidation on her part about 40km races.

After having entered in January and sent medical certs bought online along with UKWA and IWA memberships the rest of the logistics was pretty easy, euro insurance and break down cover, yellow vests and headlamp adjusters, along with a willingness to throw ourselves fully in were very much in evidence.

If you’re driving from Wales there’s no doubt it’s a long trip, we left at 5am on Monday, camped half way and got there in time for a couple of glorious hours on the Tuesday before a rendezvous with our group who had rented a chalet from Airbnb. The French roads are mostly fantastic, fast and smooth, however, there is one autoroute that goes under Versailles, and the head room is only 2 meters! Thankfully we managed to find some back roads onto the motorway later, but getting stuck in a high-top van would have been a disaster had I not pulled off at the (very) last minute!

So, the sailing, if you like flat and windy you’re going to be in heaven, when the Tramontana wind works it’s anything from 4.5-7.0 weather bang offshore and it is literally flat as a pancake close in. Add to that the company of 1499 other windsurfers from all over the world and you have a pretty special set up. Despite the reputation of the event, it’s not that hard to do the race and you don’t need the latest gear, just stuff you can sail for 10 minutes comfortably in one direction, and gybing? Well. In a full Defi there are only 3!

In 2024 there had been a “practice race” run for the guys on the SurfCenter experience the evening before the event proper  (with Jordy, Nico and Blanca), this year these guys were told to officially leak this to as many as possible so the media crew could get some early footage, it was to be run straight after the wing foil event’s prize giving.

As it was the race was great fun, I took a 6.5 Evo and my medium JP slalom board, Sîan the Magic Move 100 and a 5.2 V8. Despite some fluctuations in the wind, we both planed round a 1/2 size course. Sadly, that was pretty much it for the wind for the week, despite a brief spell of foiling wind on Thursday morning it never returned, however, the opening ceremony, event village and the chance to catch up with the whole windsurfing world at the evening socials (which went off) made it all more than worth it.

Right now, I’m preparing for the UKWA one-hour classic events on June 14/15 and August 30/31, very much in the style of the Defi, come as you are with what you have, sail the course and have a great time. Will we be back for Defi in 2026? You bet!

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PWA YOUTH ARUBA

While the crowd at Defi Wind was busy enjoying a laid-back weekend of checking out the latest gear and going wild at the parties, things were full throttle over in Aruba at the legendary Hi-Winds event!

This year’s event featured the PWA Youth Slalom, with over twenty up-and-coming sailors battling it out across four days of fierce competition. Both fin and foil fleets clocked in a ton of high-speed races under sunny skies and consistent 20–30 knot trade winds. And for those who hadn’t had enough water time? Many also threw themselves into the punishing daily long-distance races, soaking up the true spirit of the Hi-Winds Pro-Am.

With Aruba’s signature Blue Highway, delivering perfect conditions, the event proved to be an incredible training ground for the next generation of windsurfing stars. The level of talent on display was seriously impressive…in a few years time many of these riders will be battling it out on the main PWA tour.

If you missed it, don’t worry. The Dutch Drone Gods were on hand to capture the action with their jaw-dropping FPV footage. These guys are seriously some of the best in the business, and their work brings the intensity and speed of the racing to life like never before. Definitely worth a replay! Actually we have a link for you right here for the highlights!

Windsurf MagazineARUBA HI-WINDS HIGHLIGHTS

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COMING UP!

Our team of reporters and caffeine-fuelled journalists have been busy recently gathering you some epic features which will be online verry soon! Speaking of which, shoutout to the main office iPhone, which recently decided to take a spontaneous dive to the bottom of the ocean in Aruba. Spoiler alert: it turns out “water-resistant” doesn’t mean “ocean floor compatible.” Miraculously, after some British tea and a stern talking-to, the phone gasped back to life in the UK just long enough to transfer the precious data. Close one!

On to the good stuff! We finally cornered the elusive Ben Proffitt for his legendary “Big Fifty” and yes, the voice of windsurfing did not disappoint.

We’ve also got a tell-all, no-holds-barred chat with Nik Baker about life after the podium. That is well worth a read!

And of course, brace yourselves for the return of the Motley Crew…AKA… JC and Timo Mullen. Their latest road trip is so wild, it makes their past adventures look like a trip to the grocery store. It’s windsurfing chaos, comedy, and questionable decision-making at its finest.

Watch this space!

By the way…we do hope you are enjoying the content on the website!  Since January when the printed magazine Windsurf finished, we’ve been running windsurf.co.uk. We have tried to pack it with fun features, travel stories, videos and insights with some of the legends and characters of windsurfing. From gear talk, to travel tips and rider profiles, it’s a space we’re building for windsurfers to continue enjoying our content.

The only thing missing for now, is any feedback! We don’t have comments enabled on the site yet, but it will be useful to know, if we are on the right track? What would you like to see more (or less) of? And any ideas or features you’d love to see added?

We’re also open to contributions…whether it’s a round-up from your local break, a story from an epic day on the water, or just something fun you’d like to share with the community.

Drop us a comment on our Facebook page / Instagram News Bulletin Post!  We’d love to hear from you and thanks for being part of the ride!

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UK WIND AND WAVES

After a long, sunny, and unusually windless spring, the wind has finally returned to the UK…and the south coast has come alive! We’ve seen a run of consistently windy days, lighting up spots like the Witterings, K-Bay, Avon, Southbourne, Shoreham, Mazza, and Camber Sands. It’s been all systems go for wave action.

Great to see windsurfing legend Nik Baker back on the water too, following a tough year off due to a serious back injury. He’s back in action and looking strong.

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ONE HOUR CLASSIC

And don’t forget the first One-Hour-Classic of the season is coming up on the 14-15^th June at Calshot so get ready to rumble. Here are the details:

Ready to put your windsurf or wing foil skills to the test? The SUP Co x Calshot is proud to play host to the Duotone x The SUP Co One Hour Classic on 14th & 15th June 2025, an exciting weekend of racing, fun and camaraderie in one of the UK’s most iconic watersports locations.

Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or new to the start line, the One Hour Classic is your opportunity to experience an exhilarating challenge against the clock, in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Run in partnership with Duotone and the UK Windsurfing Association (UKWA), this event is all about community, performance and having a blast on the water.

What is the One Hour Classic?

Simple in format but big on energy, the One Hour Classic sees riders complete as many laps of the course as possible in one hour. It’s a true test of strategy, endurance, and board speed. And with racing open to both windsurfers and wingsurfers, it’s a unique chance to share the water and push yourself in good company.

Event Details

Dates: Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th June 2025

Venue: The SUP Co x Calshot, Calshot Activities Centre, Hampshire

Disciplines: Windsurf & Wingsurf

Format: Timed One Hour races on both days

Camping & accommodation available onsite: booking required via the UKWA

Saturday Night Social @ The SUP Co x Calshot: for all competitors

Entry & Info: Visit the UKWA website for full details and to enter

One Hour Classic Challenge – event 1- Sup co-Duotone – Calshot, Event information | UK Windsurfing Association

Join the Duotone x The SUP Co One Hour Classic at Calshot – 14th & 15th June 2025 | The SUP Company | Blog

DUOTONE Windsurfing ᐅ Welcome to True Windsurfing.

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CLUB VASS

We hear the summer 2025 season is fully firing in Club Vass! and they have already some mega wind days…Club Vass has got the best combination of user-friendly equipment, motivating and encouraging instructors plus ideal conditions. So what are you waiting for! We reckon you deserve a holiday so get on that phone or head to their website and book up asap!

Club Vass | Windsurfing & Watersports Holidays In Greece

[email protected]

01992 874566

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HARRY NASS

We have also had lots of reports that the wind has also been howling in Egypt at the Harry Nass centres. The crew from the Oxford Sailing Club had a fantastic time and you can read the full report of their experience here!

Windsurf MagazineTHE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN GO TO DAHAB!

 

Harry Nass Windsurf & Kite Centres Dahab + Hurghada Egypt