Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - April 2020

— Continued from previous page
The first race was supposed to be around the island, but as we all waited for wind,
there was plenty of time to talk to some competitors. And remarkably young they
were too, some of them.
Nolan Bourgeois, a 14-year-old windfoiler from Guadeloupe, said, “I am a bit nervous
but I really want to make it to the finish line, and I think I can even challenge
some of the adults.”
Women were well represented, including Cora Mazière, who had flown in from
Martinique with a little band of supporters. “It’s not my first time in St. Martin but
first time foiling here,” she said, eyeing the sea and keen to get started.
Contestants had come from as far away as Greece, the Netherlands, France, Puerto
Rico, Venezuela, Antigua & Barbuda and Martinique, while the Guadeloupe windfoiler
team had even chartered their own plane to come, because they had so much
equipment to bring.
On the beach, casual visitors couldn’t help but notice that something special was
going on, and many now know they were there in the infancy of a sport destined to
be in the Olympics.
With the sky overcast and no wind, eventually it was decided that the round-theisland
race could not take place, and the course was changed to circle the nearby
tiny island of Tintamarre. Then, after lunch, the wind picked up and there was a
collective sigh of relief.
A highlight of Day Two saw a victory for 16-year-old professional rider Tiger Tyson
from Antigua & Barbuda. Tyson stole a march on his rivals with a tactical tack that
had the connoisseurs purring, although he was suitably modest in his assessment.
“It was super light and gusty wind, but those are actually my favorite conditions,”
he said.
Oliver Blotière came second and summed it up in a way that exemplifies the spirit
of the event: “It was complicated but we were able to foil for a while, even before the
start of the race. Orient Bay is a beautiful playground for foiling.”
Sunday was another calm day weather-wise, and some riders who were not able to
compete were disappointed. Stan Rodriguez, who lives in St. Martin, spoke for many
when he said, “I trained every day for this and it never happened in 20 years in
February to have less than ten knots of wind here.”
Race Officer Sacha Daunar, from the French Federation of Sailing of Guadeloupe,
explained, “When there is light wind, we have to find solutions and try to wait for the
best conditions of wind to launch a race in order for racers to score official points
and allow them to move up in the international ranking. In those conditions, the only
thing to do is to be patient.”
So, not an ideal outcome for the first staging of the Caribbean Foiling
Championships, but a good time was had by all. Bruno Kancel from Guadeloupe,
who won the Friday’s race around Tintamarre said, “I am trying to get more small
events to happen in Guadeloupe, and with the official side, the Caribbean Foiling
Championships is the perfect format.”
Eliott Pierre-Heym from St. Martin, who took third place in the windfoiling, was
very upbeat: “I can’t wait to try it again next year.”
Visit www.caribbeanfoiling.com for more information.
Tiger Tyson, overall winner of the Kitefoil Pro Class.
Olivier Blotiere, Tiger Tyson and Loic Brishontiere.
april 2020 CARIBBEAN COMPAss pAGE 19