One of the fastest men on the windsurfing planet, Gaastra / RRD rider Finian Maynard put the pedal to the medal nearly claiming victory at the 25th year anniversary event in Fuerteventura! One of the most intense battlegrounds on the PWA tour, Finian knows the game and played it well. Matt Pritchard got a chance to ask a few questions and see what he had to say about his recent success …

MP: Finian, Congrats on a solid 2nd place result- I know it is tough out there; give me a rundown of what has been going on for you this season.

FM: Fuerte was a great result, I am super happy to finish second with a chance for the win on the last day. I thought I sailed very mistake free and tried to be consistent on the race course and this plan seemed to work quite well. The beginning of the season was hard with a knee injury just before Korea and getting used to my new Vapor sails so I have been playing catch up a lot but I think I am race ready now.

MP: How about your size? You have been one of the biggest guys on tour- probably a reason why you are one of the fastest guys out there…. What are you dims right now and have they changed for you in the last year?

FM:  I think I am still the same height…..190cm and my weight right now is 111kg. I think that this helps me in powered conditions when one needs to sheet on harder but I feel I am competitive in the light wind as well as growing up in the BVI was all about 10-15 knots of wind.

MP: With the 6/3 rules, do you think this is an advantage to you or not? If not, why would it favor one competitor over another?

FM:  I like the 6/3, we can race anywhere, anytime and in any condition, so for the event organizers this makes for a better show and we can also race on the equipment we want in any specific wind. With the 4/2 rule, one could get caught out from time to time on the wrong stuff.

MP: What size sail have you been using most on tour this year? Do you have a favorite size and why?

FM:  I like my 7.6 the most. It feels stable and quick but unfortunately I have only raced it in one event. Otherwise, I have been on my 10.0 most of the year.

MP: How involved are you with your team mates Ross and Kevin? Do you guys talk strategy on the race course or is it every man for himself out there?

FM:  To be fair, it is mainly every man for himself on the race course, every sailor on the water is a competitor. However, we do talk about how the sails are feeling when we are on the beach.

MP: How about the Terminator- Dunks is making a pretty serious effort to win back a world title! What are your thoughts about that and what do you think motivates him to keep pushing so hard?

FM:  Bjorn has endless energy and desire for racing. It is embedded in his blood. I think that his sponsors are pushing hard and I believe he wants one more PWA title in the modern era before he retires.

MP: You have been on tour for many years- I would say you are due for a Slalom title one of these days- What will it take for you? I know that is a tricky question but you have always been close but not quite- what gives?

FM:  My desire for the title is stronger than ever. I will do my very best to achieve that goal.

MP: With 2 more events to go- one in Turkey and Sylt, what is your strategy for the rest of the season?

FM:  I am fighting with many guys for 3rd overall this year. I have no strategy, just to try and race well and see what happens.

MP: Well that all sounds pretty good- thanks for your time and good luck in the next event! We will be watching …

FM: Thanks a lot, I hope the wind gods are good to us and we get more high quality racing like Fuerteventura.