Finn classification in the DWC: Matthias Regber on the new classes in the Windsurf Cup
Tobias Frauen
· 23.02.2023
Six events are on the German Windsurf Cup calendar for 2023. Are they all watertight yet?
Yes, and we're proud of that too! We have been organising the Windsurf Cup for 25 years and until Corona there has never been a cancellation. We offer planning security for everyone involved and have decades of established partnerships with locations, sponsors and other partners. The riders and the industry also appreciate that the DWC is a secure platform.
Heiligenhafen is a completely new spot.
We think the location is great, as it is easy to reach and offers a great setting. The pier means you can bring the spectators close to the sport. If the spectators can watch well, it makes it interesting for the sponsors and for the town, but of course also for the riders! For the windsurfers from Schleswig-Holstein, Heiligenhafen is almost on their doorstep, which is why we want to establish this tour stop in the long term.
It came as something of a surprise to many that the Summer Opening on Sylt was brought forward from its traditional date at Whitsun to Ascension Day - at the same time as the surf festival on Fehmarn. Why?
Otherwise, the entire summer opening was from Ascension Day to Whit Monday, with kiting in the first part and windsurfing in the second. In the wake of corona and the war in Ukraine, it's not easy in terms of sponsors. What's more, construction work is starting on the promenade on Sylt, which is why we had to shorten the event and postpone it to the Ascension Day. We have to find a balance between the different interests, which is why we couldn't do it any other way.
In 2023, in addition to the open foil format, in which you can choose freely between fin and foil, there will be a new fin-only classification. How did this come about?
Last year we only had one discipline that combined foil and fin, but realistically you always had to foil to be competitive. However, not everyone feels comfortable on the foil, which is why we lost a few people. At the same time, the industry approached us because the sales figures were lagging far behind the hype surrounding foiling. Many recreational surfers only foil in light winds, on days when nothing else works. However, very few find it desirable to shoot across the water half out of control in winds of more than 20 knots. It's a small minority who really know how to do it.
Very few people find it desirable to shoot across the water with the foil half out of control at more than 20 knots.
And we had to react to the situation. At the annual general meeting of the GWA(German Windsurfing Association, editor's note) It was decided that nothing should change in the foil slalom because many people have adapted to it and train for it. At the same time, however, we needed alternative options for slalom pilots and the industry, who want an attractive Finn format. That's why we have two slalom disciplines in 2023: Open Foil, where you can race with both foil and fin - in practice, most people will race with foil. And then Fin Only, for the medium and strong wind range, where people can only ride with a fin.
The third discipline in the Windsurf Cup is foil racing, i.e. course racing.
There are quite a few people who like this racing format and then also dare to foil. There's a big difference between starting in racing and then basically driving alone on your tactical course, and arriving at the buoy with ten or 15 people half out of control and then driving around the buoy, as is the case in slalom. That's why we said we would also introduce foil racing at selected events.
As organisers, would you like to have the fins and foils completely separated again?
I think that complements each other perfectly. Some of those who criticised it afterwards didn't understand what was meant. They thought that there would then be two separate classifications in the slalom discipline, but that they would always race together. They were worried that the field would then split and there would no longer be a proper classification. But the idea is to have two completely independent disciplines. Each rider can decide whether to take part in one or both, as there are independent classifications. The starters in the Open Foil format lose nothing, but the Finn riders have their own format. Under ideal conditions, you would then alternate between an Open Foil elimination and a Finn elimination, and at the end there would be separate winners and a separate annual classification
What is your target group with the fin-only rating? Rather pros and semi-pros or also newcomers?
Basically, the DWC offers a platform for everyone. It is the highest class in Germany, but if you can jibe reasonably well, you can easily compete in the Windsurf Cup. We are aimed at the top surfers so that they can race in top-class fields in Germany, but at the same time it is also a platform where people can simply compete with the best. And of course the Finn format suits many people, because the majority of recreational surfers are still travelling on the Finn. Even top riders like Vincent Langer are keen to ride Finns, which is something they lack. We offer them a platform and now have even more docking points for beginners.
Even top riders like Vincent Langer want to ride Finn, they don't have that.
Is this also a reaction to the success of the Racer of the Sea?
It is fundamentally important to open up to newcomers. We also communicate this time and again to established drivers, who often live in their racing bubble. Racer of the Sea is certainly a format where this is offered at a very low threshold. People who want to take part and then take the next step can do so at the Windsurf Cup.
So you see yourselves as one step higher?
If you look at the participants in the Racer of the Sea, there are a lot of windsurfing cuppers there too. So there's an exchange and it's good when people find a smooth transition. The setup is bigger at the Windsurf Cup, more spectators, more coverage. That's an upgrade, but there's also a large overlap.
What advice would you give to an interested hobby surfer who would like to get a taste of regattas?
I would concentrate on a discipline that I feel comfortable with at the start. You don't need special equipment either. Experience shows that the right equipment is particularly important at the front, from 15th place upwards. Further back in the field, it's more important that you start at the right time and that you manage the gybes well. You don't need much either, in foiling a board and possibly a smaller front wing for more wind is enough, and then a medium slalom board with a 7.8 sail. In slalom, you don't need the latest equipment either, you can sail with three or four year old equipment without any problems. The most important thing is that people have the confidence and then you learn very quickly at the events. It's a nice community, the riders take you along and give you tips and then you quickly get better.
The most important thing is that people dare to
Does the DWC offer training programmes or camps for newcomers?
There is an open, free training session for everyone at almost every DWC on the day of enrolment. Barrels are laid out, starts are made and you can familiarise yourself and get a taste of the sport. The GWA also organises various foil slalom camps at different spots, where you can gain experience without the pressure of competing and then possibly take part in the DWC at a later date.
The classes for Finn and Open Foil are limited to 40 participants, do I have to hurry to register?
We have already had more than 40 registrations, which will be divided up a little between the disciplines this year. 40 results from the fact that we want to make optimum use of the time. With 40 riders, we can start with four heats in the first round, with a maximum of ten riders per heat. If there are more, the sporting value suffers and the risk of injury increases. Four heats in the first round, then semi-finals, and then C-finals, B-finals and A-finals, then you're done with a slalom in about 45 minutes. In ideal conditions, you then change disciplines.
The DWC is run in such a way that it's not over immediately if you are eliminated. We always have losers' finals. If a newcomer takes part, experience shows that they don't make the start or fall in at the buoys. But then he's not gone, he's in the C final and then races again with everyone in a similar situation. Then he finds himself in a performance-appropriate environment and can race again so that everyone can compete at their own level.
Are open foil and fin equal or is there a "premier class"?
In principle, they are always on an equal footing, and there should be one result for each discipline at the events. But as foil requires less wind, it is more likely that fins will be used when there is more wind.
What are the prospects in the foil classes?
There is Formula Foil with the one metre wide boards and the IFCA area with a width of 91 cm. The IFCA has increased the width to 95 cm, while the Formula class has reduced the maximum width for newly registered boards to 95 cm. This is exactly the size of iQFoil. This has initiated the process of bringing these classes ever closer together. In the future, there will be a foil class with flexible formats. This will also make things easier for the industry and participants.
What is the situation in the youth sector?
There are special classes for the youngsters. There is the IFCA youth class with two boards and four sails, then there is Open Windfoil Youth, a German youth series created by the DSV as a sub-class for iQFoil, and then there is Techno Windfoil as the "optimist" of foiling. This is particularly interesting for U17s and U15s because the equipment is very affordable. You can basically sail in the DWC with all the equipment. That's what's so appealing about the Windsurf Cup, the fact that you can race against Vincent Langer, Nico Prien or Gunnar Asmussen around the buoys. Then you learn to judge how good they are and where you stand yourself. These youth classes run as special classifications with separate award ceremonies.
