Vincent Langer GER-1 was crowned 2018 IFCA Slalom Windsurfing European Champion at the Multivan Windsurf Cup after a 7 Day event in Westerland Sylt, Germany. 5 slalom eliminations were completed with the 5th on the final competition day. It almost seemed like another event day waiting for the suitable racing conditions to finally show up. Somewhat after 2pm the wind started to build up, gusting from 11 to 15 knots and later 15 to 20 knots. The races could finally continue, [more] starting with the C finals which eventually got abandoned the day before in the very late afternoon due to insufficient winds.
The 2018 IFCA Slalom European Championship event started of at ease, with all attention – at first – on the second and third day. The forecast predicted strong side-shore winds with waves up to 3 meters. It was day 2 with the most radical racing action with winds up to 30 knots and 3 meter high waves. Nicolas Prien GER-7 was the winner of the first elimination of the event but the experienced Vincent Langer GER-1 made a come-back in elimination 2 and 3, taking the early event lead.
Day 3 was a lay day for the Slalom competitors after heavy duty racing the previous day, the wind was fierce wild and wavy. The German Wave competition was held instead.
Day 4 and 5 saw way too light winds for slalom racing and the event focus switched to the German competitions in the discipline Course Racing (mixture of Formula & Hydrofoil equipment).
On Day 6 it was back to racing in the very late afternoon, 1 full elimination could be completed in winds from 11 to 14 knots, Gunnar Asmussen GER-2 was the winner of the 4th Elimination. Vincent Langer GER-1 came in second and still leaded the event rankings by 1.3 points, Nicolas Prien GER-7 dropped down to the 3rd position. The 5th elimination, sadly could not continue, it was very late and the wind started to fade away. The C Final got cancelled and the tension was on for the next A Final. Four out of the top 5 managed to qualify, missing out was Dutch Youth Ennio dal Pont NED-46 who struggled timing his starts in the gusty conditions.
The excitement continued on the final competition day, the tension was still on and only 3 Final heats left to complete the 5th elimination of the event. The conditions were offshore and light, some competitors already started to give up as the end of the last possible start scheduled for that day was getting closer and closer.
At 14:30 the green light was given by the Race Director, the wind was suitable enough and the action could finally continue. 2 General Recalls in the A Final, everyone was pushing their limits, during the first start it was Arthur Orjubin FRA-755 and in the second start with all eyes on Vincent Langer GER-1, who got squeezed between some competitors – it was Hubert Mokrzycki POL-25, Gunnar Asmussen GER-2 and also the event leader Vincent Langer GER-1 who all crossed the start line too early. After the A Final started with a clean start it was Nicolas Prien GER-7 who gave everything, but crashed the last jibe at mark number 4 making room for the strong Youths Damien Cervera FRA-422, Thomas Merceur FRA-159 and Francesco Scagliola ITA-353.
“It was thrilling till the end,” said the Class President Mr Bruno de Wannemaeker while enjoying the events live stream from a distance.
