More than a race
What a week at DÉFI
Training Challenges, live tracking, yellow jerseys, 25 kts caps, our booth on the move, rabbit boat views, and unforgettable finish-line moments.
Here’s a look back at DÉFI through Waterspeed.
It all started before DÉFI
Before the event even began, riders were already putting in the work through the DÉFI Training Challenges on Waterspeed.
Thousands of kilometres were tracked. Hundreds of sessions were completed. One shared goal: arriving at DÉFI ready to race.
Across the Training Challenges, riders logged:
41,200km tracked
1006 sessions completed
The challenges gave riders a reason to train with intention, compare their progress, and build momentum before race day.
Training challenges winners
A big shoutout to everyone who joined the Training Challenges and pushed their limits before DÉFI.
Training paid off, and the riders at the top of the leaderboards proved it on the water.
The winners of thefree entry tickets for DÉFI 2027 are:
Défi kite - Jb Doe
Défi wing - Francois Morrier
Défi wind - Stefan Daniel
Congratulations to all the winners — and to every rider who showed up, tracked their sessions, and made the training part of the experience.
Testing Live tracking during the races
For the first time this year, we tested live tracking during the races.
With Waterspeed, riders could share their live location so friends, teams, and spectators could follow the action from shore. It brought the race closer to everyone watching and made it easier to stay connected with what was happening on the water.
For an event like DÉFI, where hundreds of riders are out at the same time, live tracking adds a new layer to the experience: more visibility, more safety, and more ways to follow the story of each race.
The 25 knot Club
The 25 knot Club was officially on.
The idea was simple: track your race with Waterspeed, show us your session, hit 25 knots, and the cap was yours.
And riders made it happen.
Big shoutout to everyone who hit 25 kts and joined the club.
Our booth on the move
Our booth had a few different homes during the week.
Different spot, same mission: helping riders set up Waterspeed, share their live tracking, check their sessions, join the challenges, and get race-ready.
It became a place for quick setup support, post-race conversations, cap collections, rider debriefs, and plenty of “can you help me check my track?” moments.
And honestly, that is what we love most: seeing how riders actually use the app in real event conditions, hearing their feedback, and being part of their race week.
From the booth to the rabbit boat
One of the most unforgettable moments of the week happened far from the booth.
Getting on the rabbit boat and seeing the race start from the water was something else. Hundreds of riders, full focus, waiting for the start, and then suddenly everything moving at once.
It is one of those moments that is hard to explain with a photo or a video. You have to feel it.
And then came the finish line. Julien Rattotti arriving was pure DÉFI energy!
That’s a wrap, DÉFI
From the Training Challenges to the finish line, from live tracking to the 25 kts Club, from yellow jerseys to our booth on the move — what a week.
Thank you to every rider who tracked with Waterspeed, joined a challenge, stopped by the booth, shared their live tracking, collected a cap, gave us feedback, or simply came to say hi.
This is what Waterspeed is all about: real sessions, real data, real stories, and a community that lives for the water.
