The UK is not just represented on the PWA tour by men, we are fortunate to have some very talented ladies representing us on the world stage with a passion to compete at the highest level. We profile three of our own about their experiences on tour.

Words  Sarah Hilder, Jenna Gibson, Sarah Jackson  // Photos  John Carter

Originally published within the November ’17 edition.

SARAH HILDER – K-349

AGE: 30

HOME: Saltash, Cornwall, UK.

LOCAL SPOT: Gwithian or Seaton, Cornwall.

YEARS WINDSURFING: 14

SPONSORS: Simmer National Rider, C-Skins Wetsuits, K4 Fins, NoLimitz masts, Crossfit Plymouth, Puravida Boardriders.

Motivation: I have windsurfed for 14 years, steadily improving my skills through travelling and competing on the Student then British series. I am quite competitive so have always wanted to push myself to the highest levels. Add to that the adrenalin of the event, the training goals, the inspiration it gives you, the motivation to train and the friends and experiences you make along the way, it is brilliant to be a part of.

Preparation: I work full time as a Chartered Engineer in the South West of the UK, so preparation for the events always has to fit around my work day. My work is relatively flexible, meaning most of the year I can train after work at nearby beaches, or at the weekend taking my campervan with my husband to the beach. In Cornwall I can sail the North or the South Coast, so I can get port or starboard tack conditions, from cross on to cross off. I constantly review forecasts and make training plans to train at least 5 days per week, either in the water windsurfing or surfing, or at Crossfit Plymouth which helps me to stay fit and strong. Aside from those activities, I run, swim, freedive and do yoga at home. I also spend time both behind and in front of the camera to analyse my technique and try to improve it. Competing in the British Wavesailing Association events also keeps me in tune with competing in a variety of conditions across the four events in the UK.

The experience: I have competed in the Wave PWA events for many years with several gaps too. I have only managed to compete in Gran Canaria and Tenerife whilst working full time, but in 2014 I managed the whole tour, competing in the Windsurf Mecca of Hookipa, Maui, Hawaii. This was such an experience! To have Ho’okipa beach to yourself and three other girls was incredible, and a huge adrenalin rush as that particular day had big waves and light wind with a lot of current!

After the Pozo event this year, I had to return home to work whilst most other competitors stayed in Pozo or went to Tenerife to continue to train. Needless to say, the UK was not windy in my 3 weeks at home, so I trained at Crossfit and did lots of swimming. I was quite despondent to see the forecast for Tenerife looking pretty dire for when I was about to fly out. I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed when I had trained all year for a week with no wind! The forecast improved though after a few days of surfing, so much so, that mid way through the competition, the forecast built to logo to mast high swell and 40 knots. The sailing from the whole fleet was amazing to watch, and the atmosphere was tense! I did not know what sail to take for the strong wind, huge shorebreak and strong currents, knowing I would need power to get out, but wouldn’t be able to hold the power wave riding. By the time I sailed, the wind had dropped to 3.7 weather for me. I took a bigger board and despite my nervous anticipation of the heat to come and launching a whole heat before to make sure I got out, I actually really enjoyed the waves and wanted longer than my 14 minute heat to enjoy them! I have seen a huge change in myself over the years of competing too. I get less nervous and try to be more tactical now. I think I appear pretty calm on the outside, even though I am not!

Lessons learned: You always take something from a competition. Some lessons are spot specific, such as in Tenerife I generally get my jumps in first before I move downwind where it’s better for waveriding, or in Pozo if it is over 50 knots, I will make sure I have a good forward score at the beginning of the heat before I get arm pump! Other lessons are in tactics, which you learn from experience and through making bad choices in wave selection, kit, or move order and selection. Then there is mindset, and there are ample psychology books on this! This is hugely important to remain at your competitive edge but not over stressed, but also not so relaxed you don’t care enough about the result. It is interesting to see how all the athletes manage this in their own ways, both before a heat and a breakdown within it in some cases. Some athletes will immerse themselves in a music playlist to psyche themselves up, whilst others, including me, sail before the heat, wait around the beach closely watching the heats and try to stay calm and ‘in the zone’. I’ll generally try not to overthink the heat or the competitor, but make sure I have a strategy and know my competition and what they might do. It can sometimes be useful to time your start to follow your competitor to try and match or better their moves. The main lessons I have picked out recently are to do with my risky wave-sailing style, often going all or nothing, which I will do free-sailing a lot but is not always the most consistent way to earn points in a competition due to the higher chance of crashing!

Future plans: After every event I come away with a refreshed motivation and a whole list of new moves I want to land or try! I guess that’s the beauty of windsurfing, and the reason behind the addiction, the fact that you never stop improving and there is always that next level to push to! I want to win another British Champion title and continue pushing myself by competing with the girls on the World Tour. There is nothing quite like sailing with someone just like you and pushing each other’s levels. As I sail at home with mostly men, it is easy to disconnect from comparing myself with them, which means sometimes you can lose that competitive edge to improve and be better than your fellow competitors, so it is great to be reminded by competing in the World Tour to keep pushing hard and training.

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JENNA GIBSON GBR-427

Age: 20

HOME: Canterbury, Kent.

LOCAL SPOT: Hythe and Saltwood

Sailing Club

EXPERIENCE: Started T15 in 2009,

started slalom in 2015.

Sponsors: NorthSails, Fanatic, ION, K66, FoilWorx, VRsport.tv.

Motivation: I always want to push myself and improve so PWA was the next logical step up for me; to be the best you have to race the best. There is so much I can learn from these PWA girls that I had to start now.

Preparation: I have done 3 years of IFCA international events – 4 World Championships and one European Youth Championship – it’s the best way to prepare for the PWA as most of the girls do both IFCA and PWA. It definitely settled my nerves knowing I had raced most of them before. I had also been training hard for a few months with the Hayling Island Slalom group doing practice races every week, with the likes of James Dinsmore and Leigh Kingaby, who are at the top of the UKWA pro fleet, and many more, which has really improved my ability to come out well of a crowded start and first mark.

Experience: My first and only PWA event in Denmark was so much fun. I got to use every sail size from 7.7 down to 4.7, which was perfect for me to compare my level to the other girls in all the different conditions. Being in the same tent as some of the top NorthSails and Fanatic riders I instantly got a load of help tuning which set me up for some great races. I also had my amazing caddy who sailed on the water with me and encouraged me, keeping me focussed and usually with a smaller sail and bigger board to swap around. So whatever the hugely unpredictable offshore conditions stormy Denmark shook up I could still race comfortably and to the best of my ability. A caddy is definitely a lifesaver and one I would recommend to all!

Lessons learned: The biggest thing I came away with was a huge confidence boost and massive motivational push towards my winter training. But it’s also highlighted the areas I need to focus on in training to improve my results next time. Gybes and starts are definitely on the agenda! I’ve also filled up my notebook with all the top tips from plenty of different riders to take away and study. I’ve also learnt a lot about my equipment in that short week (well, actually, not my equipment, I was kindly lent it for the week). Having only used the North Warps a handful of times, and having never been on 3 of the sizes I signed up, it was a risky move, but it definitely paid off. But it meant I spent a lot of time on the water getting used to my kit when the other girls were on dry land saving their energy for the races, so next time I hope to see the mental and physical benefits of being comfortable with knowing exactly how my equipment should be rigged.

Tips included noting the boom settings for each sail, so it can be rigged exactly the same each session, which is super important for training for slalom. A smaller boom gives more direct power but can restrict cam rotation. Slalom sails have a deep belly, so in the gybe, for a smooth rig flick, the battens have to straighten before they can bend on the new side. When the battens are straight they are longer, so the boom has to be long enough to allow this to happen. Also noting the length of the mast extensions and the amount of downhaul put on, so that I can put on the same amount of downhaul every time I sail. Finally, I learnt to put my footstraps further apart in high winds to give me more control over the board, as it favours a more overpowered stance. I also tried out different sized foilworx fins for the first time and I’m now happy with my different fin combinations in choppy conditions.

Future Plans: I’m planning to spend 3 months at the TWS Pro Slalom training over the winter to get a load of race experience, which will set me up for the 2018 race season, competing in as many PWA and IFCA events as financially possible as well as the whole UKWA Slalom series.

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SARAH JACKSON GBR-71

AGE: 19

HOME: Knutsford, Cheshire

(nowhere near the sea!)

LOCAL SPOT: West Kirby,

Weymouth, Vassiliki!

YEARS WINDSURFING: 11

SPONSORS: Gaastra, Mystic, Boardwise

(Cannock), Dirty Dog Eyewear, Phizz, Physiofit.

Motivation: When I was younger my family used to go on holidays to Ortakent in Turkey to the centre next door to Lena Erdil’s centre. When I was 13, by coincidence Lena was holding an event with Red Bull whilst I was on holiday and some of the pros came down after the Alacati PWA event. It was the first time I really found out what the PWA was and sailing with Lena and Sarah-Quita was a massive inspiration. Since then, Sarah and I stayed in touch and Sarah has really pushed to get me into slalom (and freestyle and now waves!) and persuaded me to come on tour. I also spent the last winter in Bonaire training with Oda Johanne, Amado Vrieswijk and Taty Frans so they were a massive inspiration for doing my first PWA event.

Preparation: A bilateral tonsillectomy… this year hasn’t exactly been a clean bill of health for me and after 3 lots of tonsillitis (a severe throat infection) in the last 6 months (as well as chest infections and enough colds that I should be sponsored by Kleenex) my doctor decided I really needed to have my tonsils removed, so my event prep. consisted of two weeks of high strength painkillers and ice cream!!
In the midst of being ill, I spent the 3 months prior to the operation in Vassiliki, Greece, working for Club Vass. I’ve worked there for a couple of summers now, and although we are working we get quite a lot of playtime too, so I brought my slalom gear out there and alternated between slalom and freestyle sessions. I think that keeping training varied is really important for keeping it fun, especially as there aren’t always lots of slalom sailors in Vass to train with so I’m usually training on my own. We do however have one week a year dedicated to slalom and going fast – Speed Week, which is usually headed up by Dave White, but sadly he was unable to join us this year (he’s promised he’ll be back next year!) but we still went on with the motto “do it for Whitey” and we didn’t disappoint! It was really fun to teach the guests what I’ve been learning over the last year and being on the slalom gear for 3 hours a day non-stop was really good training!

The experience: I went to Denmark purely for the experience and to see what the level of the girls was like. Having watched the live stream of almost every event since I was 13 (including under the desk at school…), I thought it was going to be really intimidating meeting all the people that I’ve looked up to for so many years but it wasn’t at all. When I first arrived on the Thursday evening I saw Sarah-Quita and Oda who were both really friendly and helped me find a spot next to them in the equipment tent and told me how the week would work and then invited me out for dinner with them to get to know some of the other guys as well. They were a massive support to me throughout the week and made the whole experience much less daunting. On the whole, everyone I met during the week was really friendly but Jenna and I did find it slightly surreal being stood at a briefing next to the likes of Antoine Albeau and just walking around seeing so many of the people that we’ve idolised growing up.

Lessons learned: For me the week was a massive learning curve – I only started sailing slalom less than two years ago and including Denmark the number of events I’ve done is still single figures so every event for me is still a pretty big learning curve. I’d say one of the biggest things I learned was always bring wellies to Denmark and don’t be intimidated by the people you’ve always looked up to. The event had hot tubs and saunas, I think that was my favourite part! I know that technically I still have a lot to learn and work on over the winter and then hopefully I’ll start to be able to combine all the good bits together. I found that in a lot of the races I’d do one bit really well like get a good start but then my gybing would let me down or the opposite way around where I’d have a shocking start but then sail really well and gain back 3 places. The conditions during the week threw everything at us, so it was a really good learning experience to sail in all conditions.

Future plans: I started university this week, studying Sports Performance at Bath, so my future plans are currently in the hands of my tutors and whether they’ll let me take two months off over the winter to go back to Bonaire for training. I learned so much out there last year and made some big improvements and liked the vibe, so I’d really like to go back. Next season I’d like to do some more PWA events but at the minute that’s very much finance driven, so unless I can find someone to sponsor me to do the events further afield, for now I’ll be sticking to the European events.

“It is great to be reminded by competing in the World Tour to keep pushing hard and training.”

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PWA Morocco Windsurf World Cup day 4.

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WINDSURF MAGAZINE #375 MAY ON SALE NOW

The May 2018 Issue of the world’s only monthly English-language windsurfing magazine is out now!

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Scoring – Brittany with Traversa, Boujmaa at Anchor Point Morocco, Canarias super storm, Classic Cabo Verde, Ross Williams interview, Harty on up & downwind 360s, The cost of slalom, RS:X Olympic update, Jem Hall’s improving tips, Onshore sailing advice from UK pros.

BIG JUICY READS

French Score
Thomas Traversa cements his reputation as master of the extreme as he takes on a hefty Atlantic swell in Brittany, JC captures the incredible action.

Anchor Point
Boujmaa Guilloul sails one of Morocco’s best waves, Anchor Point. We discover more about his session there and the life of the Moroccan wave master.

Super Storm
One of the best swells in years saw Fuerteventura’s legendary ‘North Shore’ light up. A crew of locals and visiting pros tell us more.

Chilling
Ross Williams and Ben Page braved the cold of the ‘Beast from the East’ to windsurf one of the Isle of Wight’s best spots, Ventnor.

Slalom Cents
From staging an event and running a team to what it costs to compete, we take a look at the economics of professional slalom racing.

The Onshore Game
A selection of UK pros give their tips and pointers on the preparation, equipment, technique and tactics required to win the onshore and competition game.

Fine Lines
Finn Mullen sails a rare day at one of Ireland’s most famous big waves and gives us an insight into the wave and its local crew.

RS:X – State Of Play
Olympic windsurfing is under threat. Finn Mullen spoke to the RYA to find out the state of play and an update on the British team.

Verde Vibes
Josh Angulo and Kai Katchadourian score the elusive Cabo Verde point break of Ponta Preta. The pair discuss their relationship with the break and more.

Reflections
Ross Williams just missed the 2017 PWA slalom podium rankings, placing fourth after a disappointing final event. JC asks him to reflect on his year.

TEKKERS

Peter Hart – Spinning To The Top    
Of all the tricks on offer, they’re arguably the least functional, but the learning of up and downwind 360s can open the door to a new technique world, as Peter Hart explains.

Move On Up With Jem Hall – How to Improve
Jem Hall tells us the actions to take to actually improve our windsurfing skills.

BOARDSHORTS

Latest & Greatest
We have information here that we believe is some of the most sensitive windsurfing news to ever leave our filing cabinet. No password required to access.

RYA Knowledge – Learning To Fly
WindFoiling is literally the most fun you can have on the water, says Windsurf Trainer Sam Ross. The RYA tell us more.

SITTIN’ ON THE DUNNY

Editorial – Scoring
Is scoring that elusive combination of conditions or is it what you make of any session, the editor discusses.

Affairs Of The Hart – Careful What You Wish For
Harty picks up on the theme of scoring, suggesting that sometimes the prize isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.
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MARC PARE WHIPS THE SIMMER STYLE QUANTUM G4 ITS PACES
Video produced by © Sergi Espinosa

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Awesome kite / windsurf / SUP / surf foiling crashes.

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Berk Yalgin’s edit of the men’s final in Moulay at the Morocco Spot X event.
Congratulations to all riders!
1st: Antoine Martin
2nd: Morgan Noireaux
3rd: Boujmaa Guilloul

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Action from the PWA Morocco Windsurf World Cup Day five.
Via PWAWORLDTOUR

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Highlights from the PWA Morocco Windsurf World Cup 2018.
Via PWAWORLDTOUR

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Adam Lewis started his 2017 PWA campaign with a serious ankle injury and ended it with a career best of 5th in the Men’s wave rankings. It may have been a surprise to some, but not to anyone who knows the dedication of the 29 year old Englishman to his sport and ambitions. Adam is testament to hard work brings results. From humble beginnings to a place on the Fanatic / North international team and a result that puts him amongst the world’s wavesailing elite, Finn Mullen sits down with Adam to talk about his stellar year and rise to the top.

Words  Finn Mullen, Adam Lewis  //  Photos  John Carter

Adam Lewis hails from Taunton, a town in South West England, inland from the coast. It’s not known for its windsurfing but that wasn’t going to stop Adam. His first steps were at Durleigh, a reservoir close to his home, where he progressed under the Royal Yachting Association’s Team 15 initiative. Success as a youth on the race course followed and along with his friends, Graham Woods and George Shillito, ‘Team AirBorn’ was formed to help channel their competitive skills. Branching out into wave and freestyle, a move to Tenerife as a young man saw Adam find his calling as a wave sailor. Entering his first PWA event in 2007 at Tiree he steadily climbed through the ranks through passion and devotion to his craft. In 2017 however, something changed, building all-important momentum in results and confidence in his ability he finished 5th in the world with the respect of his peers and congratulations from fans and friends on the back of a deserved result for years of tireless training.

FM: Let’s rewind to the start of 2017 – busted ankle as the competitive season is about to get underway. What was your mindset back then and how did you plan to overcome the injury?
AL: Yeah, it was a pretty tricky situation. I guess for the first week or so I was in denial. I even tried to sail on it after 7 days of resting but it was so swollen and sore I had to stop. In hindsight I was so lucky to not completely ruin my ankle almost beyond repair. After that it sort of struck home I was going to be out for a while so I went to hospital and got x-rays and scans etc. It turned out to be 3 torn ligaments and 2 ruptured. I think the first few weeks I was pretty grumpy (thanks to my girlfriend for putting up with me!) but was really strict with recovery and focussed on getting better. Once I found out I would be off the water for 3 months I just set my mind on coming out of it stronger than when I started.

FM: Did the injury focus your goals and efforts?
AL: Simply put, yeah, 100%. I had 3 months out of the water and having spoken to my physio at home it was pretty close to being a career changing injury. That really forces you to re-assess what you are doing and why. Actually I found the whole process really rewarding. I looked at what I was doing and why, then focussed on the things I had to improve to move forward and got on with them. It wasn’t easy but in hindsight that time off the water and that time to think really changed my perspective. I think you never really know how much you have to give until you’re forced into a challenge like that.

FM: How important do you view mental and physical preparation or is it just time on the water?
AL: On tour I think there is a real mix but nowadays everyone is leaning towards the training and mental preparation side. Personally, I think the preparation is really important. I would say I’m naturally competitive and I strive to improve but I’m not a natural competitor. There are guys on tour that can get 110% out of themselves the minute that green flag goes up, I’m not like that so I have to be prepared. I have a really specific warm up and a mental process, I’ve been refining it over the years and feel its slowly paying off. It’s been a case of trial and error, seeing what works and binning what doesn’t. It’s a big part of being relaxed about competing. If I know I’ve done everything I could, then I’m not stressed about the things I can’t control. It all feeds into being able to make those split second decisions that can win or lose a heat, you need to be calm making them.

FM: You’re lining up against some of the biggest names in your sport, what are your thoughts before the heat and talk us through your heat strategies.
AL: Coming up against those names is the hardest part of competing I find. I started a little later than the other guys so it’s tough coming up against Ricardo, Braw, Philip, Victor or anyone in the top 16. It’s competing against guys I really looked up to and still do. It’s taken a few years to get over that. I think my main strategy is simply to never give up and keep plugging away. You only need 2 waves and 2 jumps, sometimes that can feel like an impossible task but you’ve just got to keep calm and get on with what the conditions give you. Use every second you can, I’ve had loads of heats I won on the last wave. If you don’t succeed just stay calm, try and try again.

FM: What was your standout ‘Rocky’ moment from the year?
AL: Feels like I’ve had so many this year but a few stand out right now. I won the opening 2017 British Wavesailing Association (BWA) event in Rhosneigr, it was the first time I’d sailed in over 3 months. I had worked so hard to be back in time for that event. But I hadn’t sailed beforehand and I was just happy to be sailing, but then to win was amazing! After that I guess a breakthrough moment was the heat against Brawzhino in Tenerife, it was a really close heat, just incredible to win. I think that changed my mindset to really believe I could beat those top guys.

FM: Was there ever a time when you thought things wouldn’t work out and how did you pick yourself up from it?
AL: With the injury I don’t think it crossed my mind, I was coming back stronger and that was that. Outside of that, I think there have been times in my career where I have thought it might not work. The guys on tour aren’t exactly making millions so there have been loads of times where I’ve thought about doing other things, normally when your stranded in a foreign country and down to your last £20 in the world. But I think two things keep me going, the first and most important is I honestly really love what I do. I’m so lucky and when I take it for granted I stop and pinch myself because it really is a dream come true. I guess the other is that I felt like I had more to give, I wasn’t happy with the results I’d had. I have a few goals I want to achieve and I don’t want to stop before I get them.

FM: What training change did you make this year that you think made a difference.
AL: Top secret ha ha. No I guess I stepped up the gym stuff just to be able to come back from the injury. I kept it up the whole time on tour, it’s definitely made a big difference to my sailing and given my confidence on the water a solid boost. Just knowing I will land and I have the strength to hold it. The guys I train with had some research regarding the forces that go through your body surfing, I think coming down from a normal top turn on a head high wave created a force of 8 x your body weight through you, that’s an insane amount of force. For windsurfing I imagine it’s a lot more, so just knowing you’re strong enough to deal with what happens after you hit a section is important. The gym work I’ve focussed on this year started with a lot of movement patterns, just to get my body moving better. That was one of my bigger weaknesses on testing. Then we focussed on basic strength movements, just building a strong robust system. A big mix of power squats, deadlifts, weighted pull-ups etc. Because of the ankle I did a lot of single leg work; the basic idea was just to get really strong through a good range of movement. We also worked with jumping and plyometric aspects to help with landing moves.

FM: You’re using the ‘Stubby’ boards a lot in competition, how has your gear this year made a

difference to your sailing and results?
AL: Yeah I have to say, the sails this year have an awesome wind range so I really feel confident on them. Then there is the ‘Stubby’, I think Victor and myself have had some incredible results on the production ‘Stubby’. I love it, I’m using my 82 more and more, I’ve got some customs and protos but I keep pulling out the 82. I think I’ve chosen gear this year that perhaps made me a little more mobile around the contest area. Previous years I was choosing a smaller set of gear that I knew I would get a slightly better turn on. Having big gear that’s quick and early on the plane but still can hold a big rail turn is the holy grail, it’s been epic to have gear that works so well. It all plays into feeling confident as you hit the water for your heat.

FM: You’ve spent more time in the UK recently, sailing in typically variable ‘North European’ conditions, how do you still keep improving in these, less consistent conditions, compared to the Canaries, Cape Town etc.
AL: I think it really helps a lot, I’ve probably been based back in the UK for the last 3 years and it can be frustrating but it teaches you to adapt very quickly to changing conditions and you learn how to sail overpowered, underpowered and everything in between; which has been challenging but awesome. Even the more consistent spots change a lot throughout the day and tide so your constantly adapting, it’s harder to learn new moves but you develop as a more rounded sailor. Plus I live in Cornwall, so when it’s good it’s world class. That mix really keeps windsurfing refreshing.

FM: What are your tips for sailing in UK / North European conditions.
AL: Get a “Stubby” ha ha!

FM: Who do you look up to and why for inspiration in windsurfing and outside of the sport?
AL: For inspiration in windsurfing I would say Levi Siver for pure style and Bjorn Dunkerbeck for being such a champion but still giving back to the sport. He organizes events and sponsors some of the PWA events, what a legend. Outside of the sport, I’ve always looked up to Mick Fanning as a competitor, especially that year (2013) he was WSL world champ. Keeping cool and just performing in mega Pipeline, pure class. Plus that frontside rail carve of his is a thing of beauty!

FM: What motivates you?
AL: I guess I really like to improve. I think that’s what really motivates me. I always see areas that I could get better, it can be frustrating but windsurfing is such a challenging sport, so you fight for those improvements, it’s never ending and really rewarding.

FM: You incorporate surfing into your cross-training a lot – what does it bring to your sailing and what do you see as the big differences between the sports in culture and performance.
AL: I think it helps a lot in terms of wave knowledge and knowing where to generate speed on a wave. Other than that, I’d like to think it pushes you to incorporate a more surfing approach. That said, I think windsurfing is its own sport and you shouldn’t just try to copy surfing completely because windsurfing has so much more to offer. But I think that basic appreciation of rail work is really important.
In terms of culture I think surfing can sometimes be a little bit too cool for school. One thing as windsurfers we should all be really proud of is that right from world champions to a beginner, pretty much everyone is happy to stop and chat to one another and share the stoke. Windsurfing has such a great social vibe, it’s something to be proud of.

FM: What advice would you give to your 16 year old self and to groms looking to follow in your footsteps?
AL: Never give up. Sail as much as you can and do what you love. Also if your getting sponsored be professional about it, treat it as a job and hopefully it will become one!

FM: How important a stepping stone was your formative years in Tenerife?
AL: Massive, I’m so thankful to the guys at the OTC for the job I got there. I can’t thank those guys, Ben, Tris and Sparky enough. The way the centre was geared up was really by windsurfers for windsurfers and all about the windsurfing. On those good days we’d get at least 1 sail in during the day and then sail till dark after work. You did have to put the work in too, so it was a really good balance. I shared that with a great friend called Graham Woods, who I have to say was kicking my ass on the water from day one. We really pushed each other’s level. I was very lucky to have him there pushing me. Aside from all that, the level of all the locals in Cabezo is inspiring, there’s guys finishing work and going for doubles and busting big 360’s. Then you’ve got Dany Bruch and Alex Mussolini, both serious world title contenders. Both more than happy to help whenever they can, both legends! So it was a massive melting pot of sailing and inspiration.

FM: When it was finally confirmed that your were 5th, who did you call and how did you celebrate?
AL: I think I called my girlfriend Lucy and my Dad first. I had so many messages and support from everyone it was amazing, that really took me by surprise. The support blew me away. I was pretty destroyed after all the sailing in the double elimination but I went for a big steak and a few beers then and there in Sylt with Dany, Jaeger, the Twins, Max Rowe and Proffitt. I had to drive straight from Sylt to the event in Tiree so I couldn’t go too big…  but when the season’s fully over I’ll have an AGM with all the fellas at home in a cider barn… I can only see that going one way!

FM: Who do you credit as part of your success?
AL: Honestly, probably too many to mention all here. So many people have helped me on my way and I can’t thank them enough. Mum and Dad helped so much and still do with an insane amount of airport drop offs! Lucy my girlfriend who doubles up as a surf buddy and photographer. The Team Airborn guys, George Shillito and Graham Woods for kicking my ass when I was younger plus Bob Shilito for being the driving force behind Airborn! All the youth BWA guys when I was coming up – Muzza, Pip and Sam Neal. Mark Sparky Hosegood, who really got George, Graham and I into wavesailing. Ben Proffitt, who persuaded me to come on the tour and let me sleep on his floor that first year. Dany Bruch who gave me my first wild card for a PWA event and has helped me out so much over the years. The guys from the OTC – Tris and Ben. Nik Baker, who has always been really supportive right from the start, helps me out whenever he can. All of the guys and girls at Fanatic and North have been really supportive and didn’t push me to sail before I was ready with the injury. Actually the whole PWA tour is a pretty cool family so everyone there too! I guess looking back on it, it’s been a long time coming.

FM: Where do you see your future in the sport, immediate and long term plans and how you plan to achieve them.
AL: Immediately, I’d love a PWA podium. But I think it’s important to be goal driven rather than result driven because there is so much out of your control. So for the immediate future, I’m just focussing on getting fitter, stronger, improve a few aspects of my sailing and keep pushing! I’ve taken on a few more bits and pieces of responsibility over the years with North and Fanatic so I’d like to think I have a place there longer term. In terms of strength and physical performance I will be coming into my peak over the next few years so I’d like to keep at it. After that, who knows, the world’s your oyster!

FM: What would you change about windsurfing?
AL: Easy! The amount of gear and sails… Imagine you could just travel with 1 sail and it worked all the time…  Oversize baggage is a nightmare!

FM: What’s your favourite spot on tour?
AL: Tenerife, it’s a powerful reef break. It is side on but I think it’s really high performance sailing. On a good day you can get 3 or 4 frontside hits and the jumping is epic.

FM: Funniest moment on tour from 2017?
AL: Oppphh tricky one, maybe BWA in Tiree, it was sponsored by a brewery and we’d had a few before the prize-giving. Marc Pare was worried he’d fall off the podium… classic!

FM: Turns or airs?
AL: Turns all day, they just feel the best.

FM: Home or Hawaii?
AL: Home, Hawaii’s been growing on me but I really love being at home in Cornwall.

FM: Thrusters or Quads?
AL: Thrusters, I moved to thrusters about 2 years ago and I haven’t looked back, so much easier to attack the wave vertically, loads of projection.

FM: High boom or low boom?
AL: Medium, I find its starts to creep up if I’m jumping a lot or creep down when I’m just riding a lot.

FM: Big winds or big waves?
AL: Big waves. Such a buzz.

FM: Finally, what are you looking forward to in 2018?
AL: So much, can I say all of it!

The post ADAM LEWIS – ADAM’S GOOD YEAR appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

Francesco Cappuzzo waterman training both freestyle and wave in Sicily!

The post EASTER IN SICILY – FRANCESCO CAPPUZZO WATERMAN appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

The first episode of the new “CampelloVision” series

The post CAMPELLO VISION | EPISODE 1 CAPE TOWN appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

“ PETER HART – HOLEY CHEESES ”

Words Peter Hart  //  Photos  Hart Photography, John Michelin & Al Bennett

Originally published within the November/December ’17 edition.

More and more people are getting the tools and skills to challenge open waters. In a piece designed to inform rather than frighten, Peter Hart asks you to consider the ‘what happens if …’ factors.

One of the great mysteries in the realm of maritime disasters is the sinking of the Marie Rose, King Henry VIII’s flagship that inexplicably capsized and sank in the Solent just off Portsmouth harbour in 1545. The theories are many and varied. It was overcrowded with soldiers. Bystanders talked of a sudden gust of wind. It keeled over suddenly and with the gun ports open ready for battle, in rushed the water. She had recently undergone a refit. Extra guns had been added and perhaps she was simply too heavy – although she had just traversed the English Channel from London without a mishap. But in all probability it was an accident that conformed perfectly to the Swiss cheese theory of accidents. You take 5 slices of a holey Swiss cheese and lay them on top of each other. If you keep rearranging them, eventually the holes will line up. That’s when your accident occurs. It’s the unfortunate coming together of a series of minor events. Only one slice has to be out of line for the disaster to be averted. So for your information, this is what happened to the Marie Rose.

It was a NW wind. Having blown over the Downs, NW winds are unstable and gusty. They often occur after a depression has passed up the Channel from the Bay of Biscay and follow strong southwest winds, so there was probably a residual swell.The ship was a bit heavy and over-crowded and the gun ports were open ready for battle. The admiral had admitted he had ‘the sort of men that he could not rule.’ We imagine the crew to be uniquely stout English archers and soldiers. But actually most crews were made up of international mercenaries, Spanish, Portuguese etc. There were certainly communication issues.S o the captain made a hard turn to the north just as he was hit by a strong, gust and by a rogue swell. He yelled to his crew to move to starboard to trim the ship, but most didn’t understand and ran the wrong way, thereby tipping the ship over. Momentarily all the holes line up. You heard it here first folks.

THE SURVIVAL OF THE LONE SURFER
Being watery types, you may have followed this year the incredible story of surfer Matthew Bryce who was blown offshore from the beach of Machrihanish on Scotland’s Argyl coast, survived 32 hours at sea clinging to his board before being rescued by helicopter 12 miles off Northern Ireland. In terms of common sense and safety, he’d broken just about every rule in the book. He was alone. No one was looking out for him or expecting him back at a certain time. The wind was strong and offshore and Machrihanish is famous for its fierce rips. But this time, the holes didn’t quite line up. He wasn’t injured; he was obviously very fit and resilient; he’d hung onto to his craft; and perhaps most crucially, despite it being the mild month of May, he was wearing boots, gloves and a hat. He was already in a state of advanced hyperthermia when rescued and the extra heat loss from bare extremities would surely have tipped him over the edge.

“ I would love to say that all windsurfers are naturally sensible and err on the side of caution.
But some are just lucky and have been riding their luck for years. ”

BOTTOMLESS SUBJECT
The topic of windsurfing safety, when delivered via a 5 hour Power Point presentation listing every possible mishap along with a list of ‘don’ts’ and ‘must nevers,’ can be cripplingly demotivating as well as an instant cure for insomnia. The best lessons are gleaned through experience … but preferably someone else’s. Stories are so much more real and relevant than rules. Hence I’ve asked friends  and clients to share their ‘moments’ and interestingly, everyone has had them – and embraced them. The experience has alerted them to hitherto unseen dangers – and we absolutely need danger to be safe. Maybe that’s a good place to start.

Dangerously safe
Talk of windsurfers in mortal danger and you think of foolhardy adrenalin junkies dropping down monster barrelling waves breaking thunderously over outer reefs. Most of them have had chilling moments but the fact that none (that I know of at least) have perished reveals that these guys and girls are fastidiously prepared. They are supremely fit with the right kit. Wind and swell charts have been pawed over for weeks to isolate the exact time frame for the onslaught. They have helmet, impact vest and probably a jet ski in the channel with a highly skilled rider ready to sweep up the pieces. By contrast one of the worst accidents I witnessed was to my friend Matt who went sailing in the flatter than flat Dahab lagoon at 8.30 am in a force 4 just after the centre opened. 20 minutes later he was in the rescue boat with a punctured lung. There were just two of them out on that vast expanse of sheltered water and they collided. It appeared so safe that neither was looking. It’s the driving in Rome vs driving in the sleepy countryside analogy. In Rome where cars are flying at you at huge speeds from every angle, horns blaring, you are acutely aware of the potential dangers and therefore hyper alert and ever ready to take evasive action. In the countryside where at a steady 30 mph along a deserted lane, you’re taking in the view with your head in the clouds, it’s the totally unexpected stationary tractor around the next bend that ruins your day.

Every windsurfing incident I’ve been told about has be en a tale of the unexpected. Being aware of your vulnerability is a positive thing.An expert on road safety suggested the  best security  measure would be a knife pointing out from the steering wheel at the driver’s chest as a way to highlight the consequences of a collision.The most dangerous state of mind is that where you believe you’re 100% safe.But all will be OK, you  say, because whatever happens, there’s always the rescue services. Discuss.

“ So as windsurfers when are we most at risk? When we least expect it. ”

RESCUE SERVICES
Rescue comes from various quarters – some noble, others less so. Self-rescuing is a fine, venerable art. If you stow your kit and paddle in, manage to cobble together a jury rig and stagger home; sail back without a fin etc., you arrive on shore perhaps knackered but empowered by a feeling of confidence and independence.
If you get rescued by another windsurfer or windsurfers, who either carry bits of your rig in for you so you can paddle home, or tow you in; or in a more serious scenario, stay with you, support you and float in with you because you’re injured, the experience reinforces the importance of sailing with a group and strengthens the bonds.
Getting pulled in by the rescue craft of a centre? Well it’s what they’re there for. In Vassiliki for example, the armada of RIBS allows improvers to experiment with impunity. They can bear off endlessly in the knowledge that a lift back upwind is never far away, saving time and energy. It’s all part of improving, so long as the student doesn’t carry a false sense of security when he or she moves to unpatrolled waters. But as for the emergency services, to be a victim can be harrowing, embarrassing, expensive, and traumatic as well as bringing unwelcome publicity.

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The ‘death defying’ Bill Oliver, something of an involuntary media star back in the 80s thanks to his rip in the Aberdeen lifeboat.
PHOTO Hart Photography

Bill Oliver takes up his story.
“It was winter on the Aberdeen coast. The wind was 30 knots SW side off and I was on a UFO board with a 4.5 sail. This was 1983 so the kit wasn’t great. Suddenly the wind veered westerly (more offshore), increased and I couldn’t waterstart. I was taken north by the swell and couldn’t swim against the wind, so I hung onto the salmon nets, de-rigged and waited for the wind to drop. But I’d been spotted and the Aberdeen lifeboat came out and picked me up. The lesson? I was guilty of ‘just one more run …’ syndrome and had stayed out too long. It wouldn’t happen today because I’m better, the kit is better and would have allowed me to sail home. I’d also have got a more detailed forecast. But the worst thing was that when I got in, the ambulance was waiting along with a bunch of journos. The next day I was all over the Scottish Dailies: ‘Death defying windsurfer cheats death!’ The lying scumbags!”

To have been picked up by the emergency services is to have won … and lost. They should be seen as a welcome but distant last-chance-saloon safety net, a reminder that you forgot to take your preventive medicine – not as a divine right. Shake your head disapprovingly at the following.

One afternoon in Mauritius the red flag was flying meaning the swell was of a size and direction that the channel was closing out and it would be dangerous/impossible to get a rescue boat to anyone who broke down on the far side of the reef. A frantic bloke runs to Club Ion (formerly Mistral) saying his friend was in trouble with broken kit on the other side of the One Eye Reef. Despite the massive danger, Matrix, the best boat driver, dodged the bombs through the channel, got to the stricken sailor and dragged him in. Stern warnings were offered. Half an hour later the same guy was in trouble in the same spot. He’d re-rigged and gone straight back out. Later when asked what the ffff his game was, he simply replied “It’s your job to rescue me …” It was an extraordinary attitude which surely one day will result in natural selection.

“ Personally I feel far more vulnerable offshore in open water than I do in breaking waves. Waves break (mostly) in shallow water close to shore and offer a free ride home, whether you’re attached to your kit or not.”

BACK TO HOLEY CHEESES
The ways a good day turns into a dangerous one are when:
You run out of skill – you launch into conditions you can’t handle or select a board and rig combo that’s too challenging.
You run out of kit – something breaks.
You run out of coping strategies – no plan of how to self-rescue – never practiced.
You run out of strength – unfit, no stamina. Fatigue prevents waterstarting, uphauling, balancing and leads to bad, panicky decisions.
You run out of weather (or get too much) – an unforeseen change in wind and sea state changes the whole scenario.
You run out of company – you’re out there alone.
You run out of shoreline – you’re too far out.
You run out of health –  you get injured.
One of the above happening may not be too bad. But when one or two or three coincide and the holes start to line up, that’s when dark clouds gather. Certain combinations quickly produce a perfect storm.
Unfit bloke sailing way offshore. Bad. Unfit bloke sailing offshore crashes and breaks UJ. Worse. Unfit bloke sailing alone offshore, crashes and breaks UJ. Very serious. And if the unfit, alone bloke is injured and the board separates from the rig and floats off downwind – he’s potentially another Marie Rose.
Sailing alone heads the ‘no no’ list. But close behind them and the ones you have the most control over are sailing way offshore and the fitness question.

INCAPACITATED
If you’re fit, unharmed and appropriately dressed, as Matthew Bryce displayed, you can find a way out of the most extreme situations. It’s when you get injured that suddenly the game changes…

Jim McNaughten
“I was in Jeri in Brazil. It was getting late. Conditions were perfect 5.0 weather so I decided on one last blast out to sea. I gybed on a swell, blew it and when I surfaced knew something was wrong. I’d dislocated my shoulder. It was so painful there was no way I could waterstart. In fact all I could do was lie in the water because that was the only comfortable position. I didn’t realize how far out I was – way beyond all the other sailors. Luckily an instructor had seen me. He told me not to move and stay with the kit and he’d get the boat. Because we were so far downwind by this stage, it took ages for him to get back. And by the time the rescue boat came it was getting murky and they took a while to find me – bloody scary. Heavens knows why, irrational panic I guess, but I was even contemplating abandoning the kit and swimming for it. I’m a good swimmer but no one can swim with a dislocated shoulder. I guess you don’t realize when you’re fully planing in a sideshore wind, how much ground you cover. The lesson I got was never to be the furthest one out.”

I’ve encountered a few injuries out to sea. With lower limb injuries, I’ve recovered the victim’s rig and got them in the waterstart position from where they can drag in. But the worst have been dislocated shoulders because the victims can do virtually nothing. They’re pretty rare. I’ve only encountered 2 and the way we got one in was four of us to cradle him in his rig. Luckily he wasn’t alone and not too far offshore. It’s at those rare moments when buoyancy is a lifesaver…

“ The wind doesn’t necessarily get stronger the further you sail out. And if you get injured, the closer you are to shore,
the happier you’ll feel.”

THE FICKLE ELEMENTS
Thanks to detailed forecasts these days there’s less of an excuse for being caught out by changing weather. But over-reliance on the weathermen is equally perilous. They don’t always get it exactly right. Some locations, often those where ocean and mountains meet, are famous for their own weather events. Don’t forget to lift your head and read the signs. When rain clouds approach you know can expect the wind to build and drop suddenly and change direction.

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Horizon Hunters
It’s the horizon hunters who frighten me most. In a slightly schoolmastery way, I sail up to them, get them to drop their rigs and ask (staring downwind at a blank horizon or a set of cliffs): “If you have a problem here, what exactly is your exit strategy?”

Doug McCleish
“I was sailing from Little Haven to Newgale in Pembrokeshire, planing along beautifully when the wind dropped. The two beaches are separated by cliffs. People on the cliffs saw me wallowing and called the lifeboat. I was too proud to accept a lift and just made it back. I learned a vital lesson there which is not to sail somewhere you can’t get out of.”
The general rule is to be no further offshore than you can swim.
Are you a strong swimmer and do you have the gear to help or hinder?

Swimming Issues
I arrived at Kilcummin beach in Kerry desperate to get out there on a beautiful logo to mast high day only to realize … I’d left my wetsuit on the line. “No worries,” said Brummie Dave, “you can borrow my spare one.” It was a bit snug and made of that material ‘Hyperlon’ that some brands used, which had pretty colours but as much stretch as old cardboard.
After a couple of waves I got taken down on the outside and found out the suit was so solid that I physically couldn’t swim. For a good 20 minutes I was washed in by the surf and then sucked out again by the undercurrent, bobbing around like all the other jetsam, until eventually a big set washed me into my depth.
Have you tried swimming any distance in your wetsuit, harness and whatever other devices you like to wear?
In waves you often have to do a bit of sprint crawl to get to your kit before the next dumper washes it away. But if you’re in relatively calm open water, then the board is surely going to be right there for you as you surface after a fall? Most of the time yes. But ….

Jane Williams
“ I was gybing … which often doesn’t turn out well. As the board accelerated I literally just fell off the back (I know …lean more forward!) but this one time as I let go of the rig, the boom balanced on the tail and the board just kept going without me. I’m not a great swimmer and there was no way I could catch up with it. Luckily a guy saw it, grabbed it and waited for me to doggy paddle my way to it and get reunited. I was fine but it could have been nasty if I was alone. By the way, I was wearing a bulky buoyancy aid. It helped me float but certainly didn’t help me swim.”

I’ve seen this happen a few times and the top rule is in all but a few extreme wipeouts, keep a hold of the boom. On a stormy wet Friday night in January I was driving home in my relatively new Ford Sierra Estate from Anglesey circa 1990. The heater was on, the music was inspiring and all was dandy in my cosy cocoon. Then followed a splutter and a bang and the fire went out. I was on the mountainous A5 in North Wales miles from anywhere. I got out and was struck by the sudden hostility of the environment – cold, wet, dark miserable. I opened the bonnet but this wasn’t my old Morris Traveller, where all you had to do was bang the fuel pump with a spanner and she’d spark back into life. I had no idea what I was looking at. This was before mobile phones. I was freezing, helpless and totally at the mercy of others. Such is the plight of windsurfers who break down without an exit strategy. It’s shocking how different the world looks from blasting along happily hooked in, to viewing a crumpled rig from sea level 2 miles from shore and realizing you have no Plan B.

THE FATAL LURE of the HORIZON
It’s when the swell drops on a wave clinic and everyone goes for a ‘yahoo’ freeride blast, that I worry the most. Most only have to be planing out to sea for 30 seconds to be further out than they can comfortably swim back. The problem is that the outer sea state, beautiful rolling swells, can be ever so alluring. So make sure you’re in good company and have a friendly lee shore. But that same outer sea state can also bring a challenging dimension to the fragile waterstarter – waves that grab at clew and cloth and hide the wind. There are few activities more draining than recovering a rig in heavy swells.

A couple of the Masterclassees hooning off to Newfoundland last month. They were being monitored but self-rescuing from that far out is a right mission. PHOTO Hart Photography

Waterstaring way offshore in confused seas can be tricky and tiring – and you’re hard to spot. PHOTO Hart Photography

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BUOYANCY
Where do you stand on this? Most advanced windsurfers don’t wear extra buoyancy. Some say it’s a liability in the waves when you need to sink the rig and duck under the white water. Some say it hinders swimming. But in most cases it’s because it’s not part  of the culture – buoyancy aids don’t look cool. However, that’s changing. Big wave riders all wear them. They can get held down for so long that they need all the help they can get scratching up through the aerated foam. And if they get knocked out, they’ll bob to the surface and be spotted by the jet ski.The latest ones are slim fitting and double up as impact vests. They look pretty cool and you can swim in them. Manufacturers advise that they ‘aid buoyancy’ rather than being a full anti-drowning advice, but that may be all you need. And what about helmets?

Ron
I’ve been asked to conceal his full name because he’s not sure he’s told his wife about this incident.
“I was sailing the waves in Tiree. I was riding a big wave and got overtaken and tumbled by the white water. I felt a bang against my head. But when I surfaced my kit was nowhere to be seen. It wasn’t my own kit that had hit me but my mate who hadn’t seen me, had run over me – and it was his fin touching my head!”
Ron now wears a helmet.

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Clocking a mate on the way out. Any company is better than none but sailing with people who know you’re out there (and vice versa) is the way to go. PHOTO Hart Photography

THE MATE FACTOR
Not sailing alone is about the best thing you can do to protect yourself. Windsurfers are famously good at looking out for each other … in most places. I was in a very popular European spot, bust a mast on the outside, was obviously in trouble but I reckon 50 people sailed past before one stopped to see if I was OK. Like cities, some spots are full of people but can be quite lonely. There’s a big difference between sailing where there are others and sailing with a group who have clocked you and are
genuinely aware of your presence out there.

Stay calm and go with the flow. PHOTO Hart Photography

STAYING CALM
The RNLI have posted some excellent videos recently about how to avoid drowning – top of the list of which is staying calm to preserve energy. The first time you’re taken down in breaking surf can be worrying as you battle currents and claw frantically and impotently at the foam. I was in Tiree recently on a beautiful day, head to logo high waves but nothing too serious. I got trounced in the impact zone and for a while there was little wind and no gap between the sets. I noticed I was in a loop, waves washing me, undertow pulling me out again. Suddenly I realised that it was exactly this situation where inexperienced sea goers and swimmers panic and sometimes perish. So as a sort of experiment I did nothing – just hung onto my mast tip and went with the flow. After about 5 minutes a bigger set washed me further in where I could stand up and beachstart away. By keeping a low heart rate, your decision-making is vastly improved. The only problem was that everyone on the beach thought I’d lost the plot.

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BUSTED KIT
There are so many potential kit failures and recovery methods that it’s a subject for another time. However, the general situation can be summed up with the following tale. It was winter from another millennium and one of those rare south coast days where after a westerly gale, the cold front passes and the wind swings NW and we get a few hours of classic side off conditions. That NW wind typically switches off pretty suddenly (which I didn’t realize then … another story) which it did when I was well beyond the break. I’d never self rescued a wave board before but decided to give it a go and started de-rigging. The results were Chaplin-esque as nothing would stay rolled up or on the board – and there were all these options I’d never considered – mastfoot in or out? Harness on or off? Battens in or out? Sail de-sleeved or rolled around the mast? Finally I started to make a little headway when the wind suddenly got up again. Have you ever tried to re-rig out at sea? I hadn’t. It was tricky .. and ultimately impossible because the mast extension had dropped in and sunk.

The two rules about stowing a rig and paddling home are:
• You’ll lose anything that isn’t tied on.
• Practise it on dry land and then on the water.
I can’t leave this subject without a quick mention of mastfeet.
In 2016 there were 82 launches by RNLI lifeboats to help windsurfers.
In 1983 the Hayling lifeboat alone was called 70 times (so it appears as a race we’re getting more competent) and 70% of those were due to mastfoot issues.
Mastfeet are so much better these days but they still fail.
Check the UJ for cracks and make sure it’s done up tight. Last week in Donegal one of my gang had trouble when the whole assembly slid out. As he’d tightened it, sand had got trapped between the disc and the board. When the sand washed away, the mastfoot loosened up.

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FINN MULLEN – it’s all in the preparation
Our esteemed editor Finn Mullen over the years has put himself into monster surf situations, with and without a rig, way way way beyond the remit of most humans. He’s still here to tell the tale so talks much sense on the subject of staying safe.
“Preparation for big days for me involves many factors. A big part is the kit – is it seaworthy? Do you trust its performance and know its limits. Modern equipment’s range and reliability has improved vastly. It is ok of course to have older gear but expecting it to be reliable and safe on those bigger days is a gamble that I have seen not work out unfortunately for other sailors, including one of the nastiest incidents that I have witnessed and involved a helicopter rescue of absolutely heroic airmanship by the coastguard crew involved. Equipment failure can happen to anyone but I do strongly feel that by using up to date gear does reduce the risk to both yourself and the rescue services. But any day on the water can turn sour – we can drown in a few inches of water or XXL waves, so that healthy respect for the water is always in my mind. I make sure I have studied the forecasts in detail so I know the safest window of time to sail. Bigger days I reduce the risk by using buoyancy aids, (I wear 2 or 3 on really big days), lights, whistles, swim fins attached to my harness, spare lines for self rescue or towing others, a waterproof phone and lots of insulation (a good wetsuit with layers also) and a spotter and / or jet ski rescue crew where possible. It depends on the day, how much of that I employ, assessing the worst-case scenarios. I have practiced with all the extra safety gear on flat water so I know how it feels to have all that extra bulk when sailing which helps another important factor – your confidence. Much of surviving in water-based incidents is remaining calm, as the RNLI’s latest campaign advocates. If you are too nervous that’s a sign to not go out and I have walked away from more big days than I have actually sailed in.
Big wave SUP surfing has been a recent positive addition to my technique base in that you don’t have the same ‘engine’ to power you out of trouble as a windsurfer. You generally get wiped out more and with a large board attached to your leg the beatings are ‘interesting’ to say the least. That exposure all helps with confidence in the water that crosses over into your windsurfing. I will generally opt for a board and sail slightly up in size so I know that I have some reserve volume and power to get me back to shore if it’s time to look for an exit.
Being familiar with the spot you are sailing also helps reduce the variables and increase confidence. Any time spent at a break – surfing, SUP’ing, windsurfing or even swimming in it all helps to your knowledge base of its nuances. Of note is my worst experience was on a 4.5 day jumping swells far from shore with friends nearly 30 years ago. In mid-air my mastfoot separated from the board, a common complaint back in the day! My board sailed off quickly downwind in the swell on its own, while I was left with my rig. Quickly I realised that my rig was the best form of signal to my fellow sailors so started to hold and flip it above my head and soon attracted my friend (thank you Ian Coulter!) who went in to get my dad to save the day! Had I been in a surf zone I would have washed in easily, but being far out the back jumping swell lines it was a different story and reminded me that danger can come at any time and a lot of rescues happen to windsurfers when they get into trouble on flat days far from shore. So the moral is, respect the water no matter what the wind or sea state. It is an environment that we can enjoy but ultimately are not built to survive in. Check your kit, the conditions and yourself and always know there is no shame in walking away if you don’t feel happy about any of these.”

Finn, equipped with multiple buoyancy aids, swim fins, phone etc along with skill, fitness and a lifetime of big wave experience, is as safe as it’s possible to be on a monstrous day in Donegal. PHOTO Al Bennett

And to summarise …
No mistake is too dumb to make.
You don’t have to approach every session like a compulsive, obsessive, nervous Nellie but a quick checklist can save a lot of bother.
You rig and so doing check for cracks in the mast and UJ and for frayed ropes  … no it won’t do for just one more session.
You’re sailing with mates. You’ve made a pact to look out for each other.
You’ve checked the forecast and are aware of any sudden predicted changes in wind strength and direction.
You’re aware of the tide, the direction of flow and when it will change.
You’ve set yourself an outer sailing limit and have worked out where you will end up if you break down.
But you know what … if you just sail with mates and stay close to shore, you should be fine!

Harty looks at style in the next issue. Do you have one? Do you want one? Do you want to change it? And check out www.peter-hart.com for his 2018 clinic schedule.

The post PETER HART – HOLEY CHEESES! appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

QUATRO POWER 95L 2018 TEST REVIEW

THE LOW-DOWN
The Power comes into the Quatro line-up in 2018 to take over from the Tetra. Three sizes are available, this 95L version being the middle sibling, with 10L separating each design in the series. It’s a chunky looking board, with full rails throughout its profile. Clean and uncomplicated in design, it has a short, wide and rounded outline, pulled in at the rear to finish with a diamond tail. Supplied with MFC thruster fins and quality straps to compliment its KT dual density deck pads, the rider’s stance is focussed around the centre-line, more akin to a wave-board than a coastal blaster. Produced in the brand’s ‘Pro Carbon S-Glass’ technology, the Power clearly has one foot in the wave-riding camp, but is it simply an overgrown wave board, or can it be put to task in other roles too? Time to put it to the test.

BRAND CLAIM
“A new three stage rocker concept with a nice flat between the stance and a small release off the tail is allowing this board to really feel free and glide strong and powerful. Again I went with a bump diamond tail to keep some area at one foot off the tail, but have a little less in the tail to allow the board to feel more free when turning. The more parallel outline lends itself to a super stable and quick ride”. Keith Teboul.

PERFORMANCE
Being the widest board here, the Power feels stable and dependable underfoot, capable of carrying a 6.0m sail with ease. It likes to be pushed off the wind to release swiftly, and accelerates readily to a comfortable cruising speed. Feeling compact and conventional underfoot, the Quatro provides a ride much like its visual appearance – clean and understated. It prompts the rider into an upright stance and remains controlled whatever the sea state, responding predictably to changes in foot pressure. There’s a light looseness to its character underfoot, feeling composed yet alert to the rider’s commands. The fins supplied provide enough traction for the board to track efficiently in a straight line, plus the drive to sail through lulls … and yet the Power doesn’t really react favourably if you try to push more energy into it. It reaches its top speed and simply won’t be pushed further, preferring a more varied and diverse style of sailing rather than powered flat water blasting. In carving transitions, the Power keeps its speed effortlessly, the rails gripping and anchoring the board to the water, whilst the looseness in the tail allows the radius to be tightened upon request. The extra width and volume in the tail also means the Power is incredibly user-friendly during the exit of the gybe, making it a good tutor for the nervous or progressing rider. Taken into the waves and you can almost hear the Quatro breathe a sigh of relief – the arena of its making. It has the response and control to easily pick its way through confused seas and a free nature that belies its 95L on the wave face.

THE VERDICT
Enjoyed by all who sailed it, the Power is in effect a large wave board with an extra dollop of inherent accessibility, giving it extra user appeal, particularly for those that want to fast track their progression into wave sailing.

www.quatrowindsurfing.com

Other sails in this test:

• FANATIC FREEWAVE STB 95 TE

• GOYA ONE PRO 96

• JP FREESTYLE WAVE PRO 94

• QUATRO POWER 95

• RRD FREESTYLE WAVE 96

• SEVERNE DYNO 95

• TABOU 3S LTD 96

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TEST OVERVIEW PAGE

The post QUATRO POWER 95L 2018 TEST REVIEW appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

The start line of any slalom race is where podiums can be decided in the blink of an eye. Getting that holeshot into the first reach is a vital advantage but no sailor wants to be over early. It’s a fine line that demands skill, judgement and a lucky roll of the dice. If you want to know how to stack the odds in your favour, read on as some of the world’s best racers give their advice on slalom starts.

Words Matteo Iachino, Ross Williams, Kurosh Kiani, Antoine Albeau, Pierre Mortefon And John Skye  //

  Photos John Carter

Originally published within the January February ’18 edition.

ROSS WILLIAMS
My best advice is repetition and practice. The more starts you do the more comfortable you become. You will be become better at gauging where you are in relation to other riders and how close to the line you are, where you can accelerate and how to look at your line to the first mark. Also you will figure out what end of the start line to use. So for me practice is the key. If you try ten starts a day that will help you dramatically. Use a watch that you are familiar with and have it on your front arm not on your wrist. You need to be able to quickly glance at your watch and know the exact seconds. Before I start my final run, during the last minute, I look at my watch and then keep glancing at it right down to 18 seconds. Then I am almost looking at the line and the other riders. Right at the last few seconds I will glance again just to check I am not too early. A small start line or a biased line can pack people down. If you are confident in your speed then maybe you can avoid the pack. There are different little tricks for every setup. An even start line is probably the most difficult. Everyone can read it and everybody is on it and we all start together in a close pack! Starts can be so tough. When you are coming to the line and the wind is light, you can be in the position where you want to be and then get hustled. Because there is not enough wind to manoeuvre into a new position you can get pigeon holed where you are forced to start in a bad place. That happened to me in Korea, I did not get a good start because I was cautious. It was not a terrible start but together with mediocre rounding of the buoys I was out in the first heat! A few of the guys take more risks than others, especially towards the final. It depends how confident guys are with their speed. You have to calculate who is in your heat, how much is at stake and size yourself up mentally against your opponents.

“ You have to calculate who is in your heat, how much is at stake

and size yourself up mentally against your opponents. ”

MATTEO IACHINO
At the beginning you just need a watch and a mark in the sea to practice with. Any mark in the sea will do like a fisherman’s buoy or a boat that is anchored. Then you just need to pass at zero at that point. It’s just a matter of getting used to the timing. To accelerate on the land in a car is one thing but to get it right on your windsurf rig takes a whole lot of practice. When you do it with three or four guys you will soon find out it is a lot harder. You will find out quickly who is the best starter! I am normally a pin guy but it all depends on the conditions and the lay of the start line. The wind can shift a lot and it can be risky to start at the pin because it can be tough to make the first mark. It depends on your style of sailing, your speed and how the course is set! Many times the first mark is a bit upwind from the pin and it is tough to make it. Ideally you need to be sheeted in full power for the final five seconds before you hit the line. If it’s gusty it is a lot more difficult to time the start. If you get a hole it is hard to sheet in and that creates a lot of mistakes.

“ It’s just a matter of getting used to the timing.”

KUROSH KIANI
One of the best things you can do is practice how to judge your distance and speed coming up to objects in the water. If you can dial that in, that will give you a massive advantage. When I am lining up to the start, sheeting in and going full power, I need to know when I will hit the line so I practice when to sheet in. I wait, wait, wait and then go for it. You need to pass the start line at full speed at zero to stay competitive. And you need to know the angles. How downwind is the mark, how does your gear work on a broad reach or do you go faster if you are pointing a little bit. Judging your distance to objects and your speed for me is the key. You need to have a sense of the situation around you and be aware of what the other guys are all doing. Make sure that you cross the line with no guys bothering you. Starts are a puzzle, it’s tough to get it right every time but if you know when to sheet in and go for it, that helps tremendously. I wish I would practice more starts, everywhere you go the starts change and the conditions are different. The boat can be a different size, the pin end buoy is a different shape or colour, the current can be stronger or it’s flat or choppy. All these things make a difference in the way you approach the start line. This imaginary line moves a little bit. The easiest places to judge where to start best are at the pin or the boat because you have objects to line up with. The middle is the hardest to judge. You are just looking at a piece of water and trusting your run up. You can have no clue what is going on. You can train all winter and then come to a place where you can’t sail your normal routine because of obstructions in the water, all of a sudden you have to adapt. You now have to do a 30 second run up. Every day is different and you can’t get it right all the time!

“ You need to have a sense of the situation around you and be aware of what the other guys are all doing. ”

ANTOINE ALBEAU
The best is to go to a training camp in the winter. There is one in Tarifa, Lanzarote and one in Tenerife. In Maui we also train as well. If you have the money and you can travel to these camps, they are all very worthwhile. These will improve your starts and you will learn with the best in the world. Otherwise you can train with some friends. You just take two buoys. Or in many places there are marks or objects in the water you can use. All you need is your watch and practice the timing. When you start you go inside the course for one minute and then you gybe. What I normally do is check my time at the boat on two minutes. I go one minute behind the start and then gybe again. Then I am ready to prepare the real start. That is what all riders do normally. If you are too early you have to slow down obviously. The problem is when the wind is light you don’t want to stop on the line or you could be left standing. Everybody these days is pushing hard and sometimes we arrive three seconds early for a light wind race and you have to stop. It can ruin everything. I try not to be in the pack, as you never know what can happen. I know I can start anywhere on the line. I have the experience to start wherever I want. I try to avoid the other riders. I am a conservative starter. It is better to arrive six or seventh at the first mark rather than be over early. I will push it where I need to. In Fuerteventura I know I am fast so I can start more relaxed. In the old days I knew I had a lot more speed than the other riders but this does not exist anymore.

“ I try not to be in the pack, as you never know what can happen. ”

PIERRE MORTEFON
Always keep your eye on your own watch and don’t look at what everybody else is doing. I have my own routine. If that could be my one tip that is what it would be, race for yourself! Obviously you need to be aware what is happening around you, but if you focus on your own game plan then that is best. It is important to keep to your own routine and not get drawn into what the others are doing. In light winds there are often guys that start planing super early and that go slow to the line. This can be very dangerous as once you are committed you cannot change the speed or the direction. Some guys are ten seconds ahead of where you need to be and it is easy to get drawn in. After training all winter, an actual race day is still different. All of a sudden you have the pressure. From my side I try to do exactly what I do in training as to what I do at an event. I don’t take too much risk. A lot of guys in training go full power and try and time it to perfection but you find at the competition they are the ones that go over early. The most important advice I have is to stick to your routine!

“ If you focus on your own game plan then that is best.”

JOHN SKYE
My starting tactics are a bit different from the other guys writing, who are mostly pushing to win events and titles. They all have the speed and know that in a head to head showdown they can take on anyone. I don’t have this luxury, so my main focus is to stay clear of trouble, so I can at least be in contention at the first gybe. If you are downwind on the line, and somebody sails over the top, you are straight away in their dirty air / water and going nowhere. In the beginning my tactic was to always start at the boat and then you know that nobody can come over the top of you. However a number of times I got either squeezed into the boat, forcing me to pretty much stop and then start last, or even worse there is no room for manoeuvre if you are at the boat, so if the timing is wrong, there is not much to do and it’s very easy to get pushed over and get disqualified. The pin is out of the question for me as it’s where the “big boys” tend to hang out, and I am not armed for that fight. Which leaves the middle, and it tends to be where the most space is. It is harder to be exactly on the line as there is no direct reference, but for me I prefer the space. My typical routine is to approach the start line quite high and check how the other riders are forming. Quite often there will be 1 or 2 fighting for position at the boat and then a pack of around 3-4 towards the pin. I therefore look to see where the biggest space is and try to shoot downwind into that with around 40 seconds to go, typically sitting just above the pin end pack. Once there I do my best to stop the guys below me from coming upwind too much, hopefully creating a space upwind which is free of people. Finally as I approach the line with 15-20 seconds on the watch I drive upwind a bit to create a nice space downwind, and (if all goes to plan) with 5-10 seconds to go, I can accelerate downwind, back into the space I just created and fly across the line at Mach 10, just above the main pack below. It rarely plays out like that, but that is my typical goal. All this is much easier to do if it’s windy. When it’s light wind you have less possibilities to slow down and speed up, so the timing is much more critical.

For PWA starts it is also important to be strong and not get bullied. The positional play in the final minute of the start is where much of the race is won or lost. You have to hold your position well and not get pushed around. I had Bjorn sail me straight into the back of the boat once and although I always avoid it, you often see huge battles for the pin end with guys pushing each other upwind and downwind fighting for position. Like I said, for the moment I do my best to stay out of trouble. When I see I have the speed to overtake Antoine or Ross, then probably I will need to rethink the tactics.

“ When it’s light wind you have less possibilities to slow down and speed up, so the timing is much more critical. ”

The post SLALOM – STARTLINE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

Lena Erdil – “The first Women only Wave Worldcup event in Moulay we got XXL conditions!! Unfortunately the waves were soo big that the white water mountains on the inside of the bay made it impossible to get out the back to the line up. There is no channel in Moulay! a few guys managed to get out after persistent attempts but it was impossible to compete again. Essouaira the next big city and the surrounding wave surfing spots are great! I loved this trip to Morocco, life is still very simple people are friendly, the food is delicious and there are waves on every beach ! Definitely worth a visit, if you plan to go to Moulay make sure to contact BOUJX Sports centre for equipment rental or also two find some local accommodation! Hope you enjoy this Vlog! I now just arrived back in Bodrum to re start slalom training, so stay tuned for high speed updates soon ;)”

INTERVIEW WITH POINT-7
P7 – What was in the Moulay area to visit and do apart from windsurfing?
LE – Moulay is a tiny village consisting of pretty much only 1 street in front of the spot. But Essouaira is just a 30 minute drive away and is a beautiful old town with all the oriental charm you want. The Medina (city centre) is protected by a city wall and ll the streets are super narrow, so there is no car or motorcycle access. Busy beautiful streets with plenty of shops selling spices, leather goods carpets and other oriental specialities. Some great art galleries are also worth a visit!
P7 – What did you enjoy most about the cuisine?
LE – Ha ha, we ate tajine  and couscous almost everyday ! It’s great, and you can have it with different meats and vegetables.
P7 – Where would you advise to stay?
LE – My advice would be to contact the local windsurfing centre Bouj X Sports, there are many locals in Moulay who rent out rooms in their houses. It’s nice to stay directly on the spot in Moulay and live the simple life, if you want more comfort you can also stay in Essouaira, it’s only 30 minutes away and is a beautiful city.
P7 – How are the conditions throughout the year, and which conditions did you find?
LE – In the winter there is big waves and the wind is maybe a bit more irregular, in the summer it is always windy (I think at least 5 days a week), but the waves are smaller.
P7 – The water is brown. Does that bother you?
LE – It’s a little bit strange that the water is soo brown you can’t even see 1 m deep, but in the end for us the importance is the waves and the wind so the colour doesn’t really matter at all!
P7 – How easy is it to get to the spot? Do you think renting a car\camel is the right way?
LE – Yes I would recommend to rent a car from the airport as it is really nice to go from Moulay to Essouaira, Marrakesh or to some of the surf spots in the surrounding areas. Without a car it’s hard to get anywhere, taxis are only common within the cities and I haven’t seen any form of public transport…
P7 – How did the event go for you? Happy of your result?
LE – No I am really disappointed with my results. We only did the single elimination and after 1 good ride I chose to follow a not so good wave too far into the bay where the wind was too light and I ended up getting stuck, so unable to score again. It was a tactical mistake I should have avoided. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to competing in waves. Taking the right decisions and choosing the right waves within the limited time you have  is crucial. So yeah I have learned a new lesson so lets see how this will help me in the coming events.

The post LENA ERDIL VLOG #22 – XXL MOROCCO appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

Address: Percuil boatyard, Portscatho, Truro, TR25EU
Tel: 07970 926409
Web: www.paddleandsail.com
Email: bob@paddleandsail.com

ROSELAND PADDLE & SAIL
Come and learn to windsurf on the beautiful Roseland peninsula. Our sailing area is perfect for beginners and intermediates and we have a range of equipment for you to enjoy. RYA recognised and a T15 centre. Equipment hire also available, windsurf, SUP and kayak.

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PROGRAM: KID, ALLROUND, TOURING WINDSUPAIRSUP CONVERTIBLE V4

The AIRSUP CONVERTIBLE V4 is the perfect board program to ride waves as a SUP, and enjoy learning how to windsurf. Planing on this board and jibing will be a pure thrill. Very maneuverable, quick to plane and lightweight! It’s the one-for-all board that will introduce anyone straight to any watersport in the blink of an eye.

The AIRSUP CONVERTIBLE V4 is the most appropriate type of SUP board to also learn how to windsurf. With its generous width, it makes it super easy for anyone to step on, paddle or uphaul a sail. It’s the most popular board range for families who wish to find a board to satisfy everyone. Available also with a 6” thick profile, to enhance stiffness for heavy weights and it’s an easier board to paddle or windsurf, thanks to its increased floatation.

Built with a new SDB “Sandwich Dyneema Belt” on bottom and TPB “Thermo Plastic Belt” on the deck that wraps the whole contour of the board from the deck to the bottom as a stringer, the board becomes about 50% stiffer than any conventional inflatable board. Thanks to the Edge PVC Soft Rail positioned under the board tail, water flows away fast and clean without turbulences.

Via RRD International

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