Defi Wind, One Hour and Co.: The ideal preparation for long-distance races
SURF
· 18.04.2026
Text: Justine Lemeteyer
A 40-kilometre race with 1,500 other windsurfers around you in over 30 knots of Tramontana is a unique experience. Even a one-hour regatta has nothing to do with a normal session. But that's what makes long-distance racing so special, and all ambitious windsurfers should have done it once in their lives. But what is important? What is the best way to prepare? How do you tune your equipment and what is the best tactic?
Cardio and strength training
Long-distance races are exhausting, and persevering is part of the fascination. So it helps to put in a few cardio sessions, but ultimately the focus should be on having fun. To build up endurance, you can train on land. In the gym or at home, strength training can prepare your body specifically for long strokes. I have been working with professional trainer Kilian Philippe for five years and like to do circuit training with a focus on strength endurance.
Training tips for windsurfers:
The most important thing is to train your grip strength so that you can hold the boom comfortably during long stretches. You can find lots of exercises for this on YouTube, but ultimately you have to decide for yourself whether you want to take a more professional or more relaxed approach. And there is hope: in races like the Defi Wind, amateur surfers are clearly in the majority among the 1,500 participants - and most of them are certainly no fitter than you.
With 1,500 participants, most of them are certainly not fitter than you!"
Preparation on the water
If you want to prepare for the Defi Wind, for example, you should try to surf a few really long strokes, i.e. a few kilometres in one go, beforehand. During the race, you'll race twice from Gruissan to Port-la-Nouvelle, which corresponds to a stroke of just under 10 kilometres, so each race is around 40 kilometres long. This means that both your equipment and your body need to be ready for a sustained endurance effort.
If your home area allows you to surf long distances safely (not too far from the coast and within reach of help if needed), I recommend you do this before the race. You'll soon realise that setting up your equipment is very important to keep going and not get too tense.
Adjusting the equipment is very important in order to persevere and not get too tense."
Many regattas have a foil and a fin category. Many pros now start on the foil and are often faster than the fin riders in the final standings. Nevertheless, if in doubt, I would always advise most amateur surfers to take part in a race like the Defi Wind with the fin, because the wind is usually strong, which is really challenging on the foil.
Sail choice and trim
A difficult subject - and a bit of a lottery is always involved when choosing equipment, as conditions can change significantly over the course of a long race. At the start line, the wind can still be gusty and unsettled. On the last beat, as soon as the fleet has spread out, the wind is often stronger and more even.
Control before top speed
But when in doubt, control comes before top speed. Being extremely fast is great - but if your set-up is too big and too demanding for 40 kilometres in one go, it won't work on race day. Conversely, you have to expect to end up in the cover of numerous other surfers at the start and at the gybes - so you shouldn't be underpowered, because there's nothing worse in a regatta than not being able to glide and being overtaken by the entire field. The ideal sail is the largest one that you can still ride comfortably and without completely losing control.
Pay attention, Enough luff tension and loose leech This ensures control and a stable pressure point when the wind picks up on the course. A trim system for the boom is worth its weight in gold as it allows you to adjust the trim. This is important because it can happen that a run is on a light downwind course and the way back is slightly upwind. I generally leave more belly to the sail on a light downwind course and pull it a little flatter on the boom after the gybe so that it doesn't develop too much pull on the back hand.
Also Variable trapezoidal ropes can offer advantages - not only in long-distance races, by the way. If I'm travelling downwind at the absolute limit, I would make them one to two centimetres longer, which allows me to push my hips out better and gain more control. Conversely, my board gets more lift if I shorten the harness ropes a little - this can be particularly advantageous when the wind goes downwind.
In addition, there are a few adjustments that can no longer be made on the water, but which have an influence on your set-up - so you have to weigh up the options before you set off:
- Boom height - I normally ride the boom at shoulder height. When the wind gets extremely strong, lowering the boom gives you more control over the bow.
- Mast foot position - In very strong winds, I push the mast foot slightly in front of the centre of the mast track, which keeps the bow down better.
- Loop settings - If you mount the straps centred or further forwards, you will have more control. If you mount them further back, the board runs more freely, has more top speed but less control. I adjust the straps quite tightly for long strokes in order to have a good grip. You shouldn't be able to see more than your toes on the leeward side, otherwise you won't have enough control over the board at top speed.
The start: timing and positioning
In long-distance formats, the start is usually a mass start behind a boat. The starting line is long, but because everyone is fighting to cross it at the same time as soon as the boat clears the line, positioning and timing are important.
1) Positioning on the line
You essentially have two main options. Start downwind: The starting boat travels from leeward to windward along the starting line, you have to pass behind the boat on the course. This means you start earlier downwind. The disadvantage: You surf at a slightly less favourable angle, less upwind, towards the first buoy. If competitors who start further upwind accelerate better, you may end up in their slipstream, which is why the fastest riders often start downwind and the slower ones upwind. There you will cross the line a few seconds later, but you will benefit from a more even wind and will be able to ride more downwind to the neck buoy 1. Both strategies can work. Your choice should depend on your confidence in your acceleration and board speed and how safe you feel in heavy traffic.
2) The timing
The aim is to cross the line directly behind the boat at speed and in a clean wind. It is highly advisable to use a watch with a countdown function. Pay attention to the times given at the briefing. The official start begins, for example, in defi wind when the boat passes the leeward mark at zero. The countdown usually takes between 30 and 60 minutes. Use part of this time to warm up properly.
Create a simple time routine using your clock as a reference. For example:
- Cross the start line in the direction of the start area (i.e. against the later start direction) four minutes before the start.
- Surf away from the line for about 1:45 minutes - at about 70 per cent speed.
- Turn round and glide on (takes about 30 seconds).
- Surf the same time back towards the start line, the rough timing should then be right. Ideally, you should then cross the start line at full speed just behind the boat.
It is important that you keep an eye on the boat - it is the official reference. The most common mistake to avoid is arriving at the start line too early. You will then have to slow down sharply, possibly lose your glide and be overtaken by countless others upwind, leaving you in a mess of choppy water and wind turbulence - not exactly a dream start.
The first run
The charm of endurance racing is that you can always find someone to duel with, the battle for 850th position can be just as much fun as the fight for the podium. During the first part of the course, concentrate on finding a constant wind and avoiding the turbulence of other riders, especially groups of several people. Don't squeeze out every last ounce of speed, a crash costs more time than 1 km/h less top speed.
At the neck buoy
The first gybe is spectacular, many people arrive there together. Theoretically, a narrow line close to the buoy is the fastest. The problem: depending on your position, participants and equipment in the water can block your path. You also have the problem of getting stuck in the downwinds of those rounding the buoy from windward.
That's why it's often better to make another turn and get back into planing quickly after the shift with free wind. The same applies here: both tactics - tight around the buoy or wide - can work, the right choice depends entirely on the chaos around you at that moment.
After the first gybe, the field has usually spread out a bit. You will now get a clearer wind, the choppy water will be less and you can enjoy the race. Once you've crossed the finish line, don't forget to officially sign out, drink and eat something to recover before the next race.
Recreation? Or a party after all?
As a professional sailor, I would normally recommend a good dinner and enough sleep at the end of the day to optimise recovery. But as the Defi Wind and other regattas usually involve partying, it's obvious that many people prefer to "recover" with a beer and in a good party atmosphere - and it's precisely this combination of borderline experience, excitement and partying that makes these events so special.
