A total of 36 participants were registered, and after a few cancellations due to illness or work, 28 surfers took part. There was already a large wave of travellers on Friday, with participants from Berlin, Hamburg, Oldenburg and a total of 10 Dutch surfers.
A short training session was held on Friday to assess the competition and of course just to have fun. In addition, the course/buoys had already been set and the wind forecast for the next few days was discussed at the evening barbecue.
Saturday was the day to start. This time I was not only in the role of participant - and the home favourite with the strong field of participants from abroad - but also in the role of organiser, interim skipper, buoy layer, as well as regatta manager and the girl for everything...
So a quick breakfast, organisation, organisation, organisation and the skippers' meeting at 11:30 for the first start on time at 13:00. Moderate wind from the west, which meant similar conditions for the course as last year at the German Championship. After a good start, I was in the lead after the first lap, but had the lead snatched away from me on the second lap due to a small obstruction by Sam van Diepen and finished in second place. The best lady in the race was Muriel Sudhoff in 12th place overall.
Constant changes at the top
The following four races were characterised by constant lead changes at the front. In the last race, I was in third place and was able to close the gap by 100 metres on lap two and "work my way up" to within one metre of the leader at the last buoy. At the finish cross, however, the Dutchman Ron Hartog remained 2 metres ahead of me with a knife between his teeth and I finished the race in second place again. And I can say in advance that the race really demanded everything from me...
The interim result after day 1 couldn't have been more exciting: Ron Hartog in 1st place with 6 points, tied with me in 2nd place - also 6 points (the better result in the last race counts for the ranking) - and Sam van Diepen in 3rd place with 13 points. In the women's ranking after day 1: 1st Muriel Sudhoff (4 p.), 2nd Anna Bach (8 p.), 3rd Ingrid van Overbek (9 p.)
Fighting instead of taking it easy
After an evening characterised by abdominal cramps, I actually wanted to take it easy. The first thing that threw a spanner in the works was that - after a fantastic breakfast buffet - the programme for the day was not normal races, but marathon races, meaning longer distances and of course more opportunities to pump.
However, I mastered the cross to buoy 1 well and came round first, although I had to pump to stay ahead but my plan to "go easy on my stomach" still worked to some extent and I was able to win the race, with Ron Hartog my nearest rival coming second of course. Muriel Sudhoff was again the best lady in the race and finished a fantastic 6th overall.
The second and final race of the event put a spanner in the works of my plan to take it easy. I knew that I was one point ahead of Ron Hartog in the overall standings. However, I had to finish ahead of him again, because if it had been the other way round, we would have had the same number of points again, the better last race would have been decisive and Ron would have won...
Early start: Better to turn back or risk a DSQ?
So the plan at the start was to give everything and cross the line as early as possible. But the others had the same plan and the single recall flag was raised - a thriller! Because you know that at least one surfer has made an early start, but you don't know who. It's up to you to decide whether to take the risk of disqualification and therefore 34 points or to minimise your chances of winning and go back to the start line and restart. I decided in favour of the latter, a DSQ would be a disaster and the win would be gone.
So I restarted last in the field. However, I caught a fantastic wind shift and was already back in 8th place at buoy 1. Now it was time to rest my stomach and let victory be victory or give it my all and risk incredible pain...
Heartbeat finale on the Windsurfer LT
Of course, I tore at my sail like a madman and fought my way forward bit by bit, always with the aim of being ahead of Ron at the last buoy, because I knew it would be almost impossible to overtake on the cross to the finish. Metre by metre and pain by pain, I fought my way to within 2 metres. Ron naturally started to cut me off to keep me behind him, but I managed to overtake him just before the buoy.
But that was just the start of the defence, Ron unpacked all the tricks, fake turns, fast pump strokes, slow long pump strokes, countless turns, but with a two-metre lead I crossed the finish line - accompanied by a loud cry of joy - and was able to clinch the title of national champion.
This was followed by a great award ceremony with super enthusiastic participants - who will be back next year and all want to bring their other friends - and the conclusion of the event.
Cleaning up after the event wasn't that difficult, what a great event at our home in Wilhelmshaven and just the sight of the regatta with 30 ambitious athletes racing across the lake was simply fantastic! Next year again and above all even bigger!
Text: Lasse Brudek
Results State Championships Windsurfer LT Lower Saxony
Men/overalls
- 1. lasse Brudek
- 2 Ron Hartog
- 3. Sam van Diepen
Women's results
- 1. Muriel Sudfhoff
- 2nd Anna Bach
- 3 Ingrid van Overbek
