The 2024 Citroën Windsurf World Cup Sylt marks the 40th anniversary of this wonderful event, which has produced many magic moments over the years, both on and off the water. Over the coming ten days (27th September - 6th October) the Men’s Freestyle world title will be decided, while the Men’s and Women’s Wave and Foil Slalom fleets will also be in action as their own world title races gather pace as we head towards the business end of the season. 

When it comes to delivering the widest range of conditions imaginable, Sylt certainly never disappoints as you never quite know what you are going to get on this wonderful island. In strong onshore winds, a colossal shore break develops - ready to crush the hopes of any unsuspecting competitors - along with powerful waves of up to three or four meters in size, which can provide amazing, but extremely challenging, wave sailing conditions, whilst also posing a stern test for the slalom and freestyle fleets. On the other hand, Sylt can also produce great racing and freestyle conditions, when offshore winds grace the island with their presence, although it can then be bitterly cold. One thing is for sure, to win here you need to be the complete all-rounder, who is willing to have their mettle tested to breaking point. 

Wave

Women’s

Lina Erpenstein (Severne / Severne Sails) is enjoying her best season to date on the World Tour. The German started the year by earning her first event victory in Chile before adding a solid second place to her results in Pozo. Erpenstein then rekindled that taste of victory in Tenerife with a superb display and she comes into Sylt as the current World No.1 having won two of the three events she has entered thus far in 2024. The 27-year-old will be buoyed by the home crowd and she’ll be looking to use that energy to continue her outstanding season, which currently sees her in pole position in the world title race. 

The overall standard of sailing in Tenerife was arguably some of the highest ever seen on the Women’s Wave World Tour and a large part of that is thanks to a group of young, thriving talent, who are pushing each other to the next level - namely; current World No.2, Alexia Kiefer Quintana (Duotone Windsurfing), Maria Morales (Goya Windsurfing), Sol Degrieck (Severne Windsurfing) and Maria Behrens (Duotone Windsurfing / Maui Ultra Fins) and you can expect to see them feature heavily here. 

Of course, reigning world champion, Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins) should be in the mix too. The Aruban has already added another two world titles to her name this year - taking her to a grand total of 24 - and will be looking to bounce back from a fourth place finish in Tenerife after winning in Gran Canaria to kick start her campaign. 

Elsewhere, Marine Hunter (Quatro / Tribal Windsurfing) produced a turn up for the books last year as she claimed the top spot on the podium, while Pauline Katz (Severne / Severne Sails) will be searching for another top five and beyond finish. 

Men’s

Things remains incredibly tight at the top between Marino Gil (JP / NeilPryde), who is searching for his first world title, and Victor Fernandez (Duotone Windsurfing), who already has three world titles to his name and is enjoying a resurgent season, which has seen him finish on the podium in three out of four events (Japan, Chile, Gran Canaria & Tenerife). Fernandez has an excellent track record in Sylt with his ability to make challenging and tricky conditions look seemingly easy and he’ll be looking to continue his rich vein on form, while Gil will be looking to record his best Sylt result to date in order to keep pace in the world title race. 

The home crowd will be cheering on 5-time world champion - Philip Köster (Severne/ Severne Sails / Black Project Fins) and Julian Salmonn (Bruch Boards / GUNSAILS) - both of whom still remain in the mix to challenge for the world title come the decider in Maui, Hawaii, while Leon Jamaer (Flikka / GUNSAILS) will also be a home favourite. 

Other names to watch out for of course include reigning world champion, Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing), who is looking to complete a hat-trick of world titles and remains firmly in the mix, Morgan Noireaux (JP / NeilPryde / Black Project Fins), who led the rankings a little earlier in the season, Robby Swift (JP / NeilPryde), Liam Dunkerbeck (Starboard / Severne Sails / Black Project Fins), Thomas Traversa (Tabou / GA Sails), Marc Paré (Simmer / Simmer Sails), who completed his comeback from injury with a superb victory in Tenerife, Jules Denel (Tabou / GA Sails), Dieter Van der Eyken (Severne / Severne Sails) and Antoine Martin (Starboard / North Windsurfing) - plus a few others. 

Foil Slalom

Women’s

For the first time in many years, the best female racers in the world will return to Sylt to compete, but they will be greeted by very different conditions compared to their previous outing in Fuerteventura. 

As the current World Tour leader, and after winning in Fuerteventura so comprehensively, Justine Lemeteyer (FMX Racing / S2Maui) will start as the pre-event favourite. The racing often takes place in the lightest winds of the event with the Men’s Freestyle and both Wave fleets also competing in Sylt, but that could bode well for Lemeteyer, who recorded an excellent victory in Lake Garda in 2023 in lighter airs. 

Marion Mortefon (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils) will likely be Lemeteyer’s biggest rival with the former three-time world champion being the only other sailor to claim an elimination in Fuerteventura (4 bullets). However, after winning the opening three eliminations in Fuerte she then found it hard to pin back Lemeteyer, so it will be interesting to see if she can stay closer to her compatriot this time round. 

Reigning world champion - Blanca Alabau (Starboard / Severne Sails) - started the season by completing the podium in Fuerteventura, but was never really in contention for the victory. Expect to see the Spaniard pushing hard here as she looks to remain firmly in the world title race conversation heading into the decider in Japan in November.

Elsewhere, watch out for Germany’s very own Alisa Engelmann (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils), who made a fast start to life on the World Tour - narrowly missing out on the podium in her opening event in Fuerteventura, Femke van der Veen (Starboard / Severne Sails), Mae Davico (PATRIK / Loftsails/ PATRIK Foils), Anna Biagiolini (PATRIK / Point-7) and 14-year-old Bobbi-Lynn de Jong (Starboard / NeilPryde), who just achieved two podium finishes in mixed fleets at the PWA / IWT Cold Hawaii Youth Wave and Slalom World Cup.

Men’s

Having secured his maiden event victory on the World Tour in Fuerteventura, Daniele Benedetti (FMX Racing / Challenger Sails) will enter the second event of the season as the No.1 seed, however, the racing was phenomenally close in Fuerte, so much so that heading into the final elimination, anyone out of the Italian, Pierre Mortefon (Phantom / Phantom Sails / Phantom Foils), Matteo Iachino (Starboard / Severne Sails) and Enrico Marotti (JP / NeilPryde) were all still in with a shout of winning the event, and all four of those sailors should be challenging for top honours again here. 

Meanwhile, Alexis Mathis (Tabou / GA Sails) enters Sylt on the back of recording his best result to date on the World Tour - fifth in Fuerteventura and the 22-year-old will look to build upon that fine start to the season over the coming 10 days.

Having signed off the last season with back-to-back event victories, Amado Vrieswijk (Future Fly / Severne Sails), will probably have been disappointed with his sixth place in Fuerteventura. The Bonairean consistently hit the crossbar in the semifinals as he only qualified for three out of seven winners’ finals, but on each occasion then won each of the four b-finals he was involved in. Vrieswijk has won here for the last two seasons, so will be hoping to bounce back by completing a hat-trick of event wins in Sylt.

Elsewhere, the home crowd will pinning their hopes on Michele Becker (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils), Nico Prien (JP / NeilPryde) and Fabian Wolf (Starboard / Severne Sails), who started the season with 7th, 11th and 13th place finishes respectively. Becker will have fond memories returning to Sylt having secured his maiden bullet on the World Tour here in 2023. 

Having been concentrating on their Olympic campaigns earlier this summer, both Nicolas Goyard (Phantom / Phantom Sails / Phantom Foils) and Johan Søe (FMX Racing / Point-7) return to the fray and both should be major threats here. 

The likes of Maciek Rutkowski (NeilPryde), Jordy Vonk (Duotone Windsurfing), Thomas Goyard (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils), Bruno Martini (JP / NeilPryde), Benoit Merceur (Severne / Severne Sails), Noah Vinther (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils), Cedric Bordes (Severne / Severne Sails) and Alexandre Cousin (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails / PATRIK Foils) plus a few others will be vying for the top ten and beyond. 

Freestyle

Men’s 

This time last year, Lennart Neubauer (Starboard / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) earned his first victory on the World Tour, and now just twelve months later, the 20-year-old enters Sylt as the No.1 ranked sailor in the world having fought back to win in Fuerteventura. The young Greek looks remarkably cool, calm and collected while competing, and having won the last two events, Neubauer will have his sights set on not only defending his event title here, but also securing is maiden world crown.

However, both reigning world champion - Yentel Caers (JP / NeilPryde) and Adrien Bosson (Duotone Windsurfing / Maui Ultra Fins), who finished second in Fuerteventura will have different ideas. Both men suffered narrow one point losses to Neubauer in the double elimination in Fuerte and will be hoping to reverse those outcomes this time out. 

Given their remarkable consistency you’d expect that the 2024 Men’s PWA Freestyle World Champion will come from one of the top three sailors. However, with that being said, there are only two events to count this year, which means that there is absolutely no room for error with no discard to fall back upon. So one false move, or any untimely equipment breakages, could still throw the world title race wide open.

Balz Müller (Severne / Severne Sails) enters Sylt as the next closest contender after producing a brilliant comeback through the double elimination in Fuerteventura. The Swissman remains one of, if not the most innovative sailor in the world, and he’ll be hoping to use that innovative instinct to keep himself in contention. 

As we saw in Fuerteventura, once you are into the top 16, almost any sailor is capable of beating each other on their day, so don’t be surprised to see the likes of; Sam Esteve (JP / NeilPryde), Youp Schmit (Tabou / GA Sails), Antony Ruenes (Tabou / GA Sails), Jacopo Testa (WeOne / Point-7 / AL360), Steven Van Broeckhoven (Starboard / GUNSAILS), Antoine Albert (Goya Windsurfing), Dieter Van der Eyken (Severne Sails), Amado Vrieswijk and the youthful talent of Takumi Moriya (Severne / Severne Sails) all pushing for the top positions. 

Looking Ahead In true Sylt fashion, the forecast suggests that we’ll see a great variety of conditions with anything from moderate to storm force 8 winds currently predicted. Of course a lot can change in terms of the forecast over a 10 day period, but Friday (which is normally just a registration day) and Saturday both look extremely windy, so we should hopefully see an explosive start to the 40th anniversary Citroën Windsurf World Cup Sylt. 

You can stay up to date with all the latest developments from Sylt — including live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply by clicking HERE and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

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