Nicolas Warembourg, the winner of the 2018 Défi Wind, also claimed this year's Défi Wind Caribbean, in Bonaire.
On the final day of competition, and after a quiet start, the wind progressively filled up Bonaire's sea and allowed two more long distances races in the afternoon.
With two bullets, Ludovic Jossin was the sailor of the day, but Nicolas Warembourg stayed solid and is the overall winner of the 2018 Defi Wind Caribbean in Bonaire.
The forecasts weren't looking pretty good in Bonaire, but with the Défi Wind atmosphere, everyone was having the feeling that something special could happen.
Philippe Bru and the crew decided to bring everyone to Pink Beach to wait for the conditions to improve. After a few hours of waiting with 10 knots of trade winds, fins replaced foils.
The truth is that the wind shifted a bit towards the east - the best direction - and increased up to 18 knots. The course was then set between Pink Beach and the pier, alongside the salt mines that gives Bonaire such a distinctive color, mixing stunning shades of white and pink.
After two test races dedicated to the kids, the whole fleet started the 18-kilometer race, which featured two laps.
The pros were using their 7.8 sails well powered up, and everybody was going full speed on flat, clear blue water thanks to the offshore wind.
This time, Nicolas Warembourg was beaten by Ludo Jossin. Coming from Tarifa, he won the race thanks to his pretty good speed on port tack to the finish.
After a quick break, everyone was back on track for another race before the sunset. The course was slightly different with one lap only and longer reaches.
Jossin vs. Warembourg
The battle between Ludo Jossin and Nicolas Warembourg was absolutely fantastic. It's been a very close clash into the finish line. A photo finish was needed to announce the winner: Ludo Jossin.
Aron Etmon and Björn Dunkerbeck had a good fight as well for third place on each race while Christian Caumont was pretty strong and finished in the fifth position. In the girl fleet, Alyssa Wijnand was unbeatable and seemed pretty skilled.
Jay Antony, sitting in 7th position overall, ended up winning the Under 17 division. In the Under 13, Luca Davidson was the fastest. We will probably hear those names again in the future, and it's good to see new blood on the race course.
Right after the competition, everyone enjoyed the sunset at Pink Beach cheering each other with a drink. Smiles were on everyone's faces after such good day on this incredible playground.
It was celebration time with a very friendly atmosphere between happy, passionate windsurfers, no matter the age or the ranking.
After two waiting days, the magic finally happened in Bonaire. With five long distance races under the belt and on four different courses, the event was a success.
2018 Défi Wind Caribbean | Top 5
1. Nicolas Warembourg (FRA)
2. Ludovic Jossin (ESP)
3. Björn Dunkerbeck (ESP)
4. Aron Etmon (BON)
5. Christian Caumont (FRA)