My next two runs (44.96,43.90) were not windy as the wind had backed off just a touch. At about 10am, the wind started to look promissing again. I missed the gust on run 4 and posted a 44.12. It was run 5 that I will never forget. I timed the wind right this time as there are little cycles that come through that are maybe 3-5 knots more. I entered the start with massive speed and was holding on tight. It felt like I wasn’t touching the water at all and Thierry´s caddy told me afterwards that the run was ’hot’ meaning fast I guess. About 125 meters from the finish I unexpectedly spun out, completely letting go the fin. I managed to pull it back in, re-accelerate and went through the finsh. I looked back in horror to see ’44.57 knots’. My God. That was maybe Yellow Pages right there. Maybe I reached ’super-cavitation’?.

With re-newed energy, it was straight back to the start. These runs take a lot of energy. The forces working against you one can feel through every part of the body. You can’t hide from the force of the wind.

Run 6 was a 45.01. I missed the cycle again. It is not easy at all to see what is happening on the course from the starting end. Unlike the tropics, the gusts are invisable with the brownish haze on top of the Canal water. So, Pascal took it upon himself when I was back to the start to kick us into action. He shouted that David had just done a 45 and the wind was good on the course.

I immediately reacted before the others and went for it. To be honest, this run did not feel the fastest but it was the smoothest from start to finish. The wind was consistent in it’s force down the entire course. I got a little wind shadow at the finish but I was ecstatic to break 46kts and post a 46.24. Now this was getting serious. I was in the zone and was ready to break the outright record on my next run. Going up in the van, Sandra fed me bananas and water to stop the slight cramping I was experiencing.

The next run will be stuck in my mind for a while. I took off and was so powered on my 5.5 and big board (the combination of all the previous runs). All the way down the course, I was thinking of nothing but keeping it all together. This one was a fast one and I knew it. Faster than the previous run. About 100m from the finish, I got what I can only describe as a ’speed wobble’. My board lifted, rounded up into the wind slightly and I was forced to sheet out. At this moment my board whipped back around and somehow didn’t spin-out getting back on track for the finish. I almost hit the end again and I looked back to see ’45.6’.

That one was it if you consider we are talking less than half a second difference to the record. I then watched David come down the course with committment and super speed in great conditions. It was a clean run and he posted a 45.5 to break the French record. He was very happy and sailed very well. Hats off to him.

After that, I finally switched to my medium 34 board/medium 22 fin but it was too late. The rain came in and it came hard. I did one run right in the middle of the white squall and posted a 44.34 with my face underneath my arm in order to see anything. This board felt great and I was already regretting not taking her in the record setting moments from just before. Erik had told me to switch as soon as I plateau with the times but this was already afterwards. Next time.

The wind never came back. Although being over the moon about what had already been accomplished, I was disappointed in the two runs that were not clean that could definitely have been better than the fastest one of the day.