Sportif Announce 2016 Mauritius Windsurfing Masterclass with Peter Hart.
Sportif have announced the next Peter Hart windsurfing Masterclass to Mauritius from 20 November to 01 December 2016. Enjoy 10 days of flat water to easy wave sailing with coaching from the master himself plus a social week, with group dinners and non-clinic friends and family welcome.
You can join Peter for a 10 day windsurfing holiday staying in the 4* Le Morne Hotel with coaching from Windsurf magazines’ own Technique Editor. Voted as one of the top 3 most influential windsurfers of all time, this year Peter is conducting his Masterclass weeks at the end of November which includes everything from water starting to wave sailing at the all round spot of Le Morne
Speaking about his previous clinics, Peter says,
“Conditions were so good that the photos do NOT do it justice – and to have such amazing windsurfing conditions on the doorstep of a truly classy hotel, is just unheard of. Words fail me to describe its beauty both as a place and a windsurfing venue. Lying some 500 miles to the east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius challenges Maui for windsurfing perfection. It’s a beautiful island with a fascinating ethnic west/east mix. After just a week there in 2005, I had no hesitation adding it to the calendar,” says Peter.
The minimum standard is planing in the footstraps and harness on a 120 ltr board so Intermediate sailor are welcome. The conditions will also work for windsurfing couples or friends who are at different levels. Non clinic friends and partners are also welcome, with group dinners in the evening and the group sailing from the beach directly in front of the hotel. If you are a beginner, or want to do some kitesurfing, surfing or SUP, Sportif can organise lessons or rental for you.
Price: 10 nights All Inclusive from £2,899pp or excluding flights from £2,099pp including 7 days Peter Hart Masterclass and 11 days windsurf rental. Spaces are limited and Sportif say the places are usually booked up within a few weeks of going on sale, with people already booking on.
(Prices include delivery anywhere globally 10 times a year.)
Winter’s tale issue – Polakow rides Nazaré, Traversa XXL Basque country, Jaws Journals – Naish, Polakow, Brawzinho and Katchadourian recount their rides, Sailing Storm Imogen on the South Coast of England, Viking test – Kevin Pritchard sails Denmark in winter, Freerace tests – 120L. Boards & 7.0 no-cam sails, Harty’s onshore tips, Jem’s moves that matter, Mediterranean travel guide, Starboard designer – Tiesda You interviewed, Harty’s history of storm riding.
BIG JUICY READS
THE JAWS JOURNALS
Jason Polakow, Marcilio ‘Brawzinho’ Browne, Kai Katchadourian and Robby Naish breakdown the action on and off the water for a compelling insight into their heroics at Jaws.
BLACK MONDAY
Storm Imogen swept in 50 foot waves from the Atlantic and battered the south coast of England with winds gusting over 100 knots! The Motley Crew tell the story of their Black Monday mission.
BOOMING BASQUE
In a performance that nearly broke the internet, Thomas Traversa tells us of his XXL mission in the Basque country.
NAZARÉ
Jason Polakow becomes the first wind powered athlete to ride the infamous wave of Nazaré, Portugal. Jason recounts the wipeouts and waves of a pioneering session.
POLAKOW’S NAZARE BOARD
We hear the story of the making of Jason’s special board for riding Nazaré.
THE VIKING TEST
The waves may have been cold but the warmth of the locals showed him real Aloha. Kevin Pritchard tells us why he made a trip in December from Maui to Klitmoller, Denmark.
GEAR SHED
120 LITRE FREERACE BOARDS
Our testers review the boards promising comfort and speed; designed for your drag racing pleasure!
7.0 NO-CAM FREERACE SAILS
The latest no-cam sail designs target performance and ease of use – do they deliver? The test team find out.
RRD Fire MKIII 6.8m, North E-Type 7.3m, Severne NCX 7.0m, Neil Pryde Hellcat 7.2m, GA Sails Savage 7.2m, Goya Mark 7.2m, Vandal Stitch 7.0m, Point 7 AC-X 7.0m, Simmer V-Max 7.2m,
TEKKERS
PETER HART TECHNIQUE – BREAKING ONSHORE RUTS.
The reality of sailing waves in onshore winds is that it’s easy to do – but hard to do well. In the first of a two-parter, Harty offers advice about how to rip the mush.
MOVE ON UP WITH JEM HALL – THE MOVES THAT MATTER.
For many people April is when we dust off the kit and aim for new targets, Jem clarifies the ‘Moves that matter’ and how to improve in these at all levels.
BOARDSHORTS
LATEST & GREATEST
CNN, SKY NEWS and the BBC have rolling news to cover world affairs. We have Latest and Greatest to cover windsurfing’s newest news updates, it’s kinda the same thing as they do on the telly..ish!.
LOWDOWN
RRD AIRWINDSURF SAIL – RRD designer and all round ripper, John Skye, discusses his innovative new rig, designed for portability and able to fit in a small bag!
TIESDA YOU
Starboard’s head of design talks theory, innovation and why he still loves windsurfing.
SIX WEEKS
The UK winter is normally Western Australia’s prime time windsurfing season, but not this year. Paul McGill ponders on a strange and strained summer down under.
MEDITERRANEAN TRAVEL GUIDE
If your passport is tempted by the lure of crystal blue seas and reliable thermal winds, read on for our look at some of the Med’s best spots to get your windsurfing fix in
SITTIN’ ON THE DUNNY
EDITORIAL
It has been an exceptional winter for windsurfing in the UK and abroad – the editor celebrates the bounty and benefits of such a season and the importance of recording this winter’s sessions.
AFFAIRS OF THE HART
After an eventful winter of heavy wind and high seas, Harty looks back at the history of storm riding.
There have been a few exceptional windsurfing sessions that I have been fortunate enough to photograph that will stick in my mind for years to come and the last day of my recent trip to Mauritius was certainly one of them. The famous writer Mark Twain once wrote “Mauritius was made first and then heaven; and that heaven was copied after Mauritius” and he certainly was not wrong.
“ This windsurfing slice of heaven really does have conditions to suit every level of sailor and all disciplines ” John Carter
Right from the day I arrived on this beautiful island, a sizeable long period swell was looming which was setting up to hit on the last day of my trip. Sure enough, the Southern Indian Ocean waves hit full power and my final afternoon was a story in itself, but prior to that, this incredible location provided plenty of other amazing experiences that made this trip truly one to remember.
REWIND
I had visited Mauritius once before way back in 2006 along with Nik Baker and the ‘Moreno’ twins. I vowed that someday I would try to make it back. Without doubt, the most vivid memory that stuck with me from this stunning island was the notorious ‘One Eye’, a beast of a reef break, heavy and offshore with all sorts of nasty consequences on any sizeable Indian Ocean swell. Aside from this mind blowing wave, there was so much more to this stunning water sports playground at the south tip of Mauritius; this windsurfing slice of heaven really does have conditions to suit every level of sailor and all disciplines.
LAST MINUTE
A decade later, just when I least expected it, I received a message from Karin Gertenbach from Fanatic with sad news that their photographer for their annual dealer meeting had to cancel and was I available? Hmmm, the news was not quite so sad for me, although it was kind of a tough decision to make since the dates were sandwiched between PWA events in Germany and France, which would mean no time at home. However the allure of revisiting this Indian Ocean Island with a monster swell forecast was enough to sway my decision. In order to seal the deal, my wife, Suzanne, managed to manoeuvre her way into the equation and join me on the trip. Tickets were £880 a pop with Emirates from London to Mauritius via Dubai, with two six hour legs on comfy Airbus A380’s divided by a three hour stopover which at least allowed us to stretch out between the long haul flights and the wife to empty out half my bank balance in the fancy shops at the airport. We heard many of the guests at the dealer conference had flown in from the UK direct with Air Mauritius, with not so favourable reports of cramped seats and ancient in-flight entertainment systems.
“ The main channel was closing out; we were not sure if a boat could even make it to the outside to shoot from ” Klaas Voget
RIU AND CLUB ION
The Riu Resort, which is actually three adjacent hotels, is home to the new ION Club (formally Club Mistral) and was undoubtedly the best place to stay. En-route we were treated to a decent tour of the Island with the transfer taking just over an hour from the airport. Once you arrive at the Riu, there really is very little reason to leave, since it is located in one of the most beautiful spots on the island and also slap bang, right in front of one of the world’s most incredible windsurfing playgrounds. The ION club is literally a stone’s throw from the water’s edge and is well stocked with North sails, Fanatic boards plus SUP and kite equipment. The spot enjoys wind and waves all year round with the premium window being between July and September when the south easterly trades are most consistent. The centre also boasts two safety boats which are imperative in this area since all the water from the lagoon has to drain out somewhere and any equipment breakages at Manawa are quite a long way offshore. The beauty of Le Morne is that one group can be blasting or freestyling in the safety of the inside lagoon while more advanced parties can head out to two different reef breaks, both with new challenges and equally fun to ride.
I asked German windsurfing legend Klaas Voget for his opinion on the conditions at Le Morne: “Mauritius is amazing! If you wanted to sketch the ultimate windsurfing location, you’d probably end up drawing something very similar to the lagoon of Le Morne with all the different waves around it. Flatwater on the inside, leading into an intermediate level reef for jumping and small wave rides (Middle Reef). On the outside a side shore wave that is like an opposite wind version of Ho’okipa without rocks (Manawa). Then on the other side, a super-fast wave (One Eye) with cross offshore winds; perfect for huge aerials. All that, with temperatures similar to Hawaii and in crystal clear water; I don’t think there is any other windsurfing location in the world that combines so many aspects”
ISLAND STYLE
Once settled in to our room at the Riu we immediately acclimatized into the rhythm of staying at Le Morne. In the morning the day starts calm, so paddle boarding and surfing are popular for those that are keen to rise early and take advantage of the glassy water. The resort has a boat that departs at first light to take surfers to the outer reef, while for the SUP guys it’s an easy paddle to the middle reef from the ION centre. After a chilled breakfast, the wind slowly fills in and it is time for the windsurfers and kiters to hit the water for the rest of the day. The hotel has an amazing pool out of the wind which was perfect for Suzanne, although I managed to persuade her to join me on the photo boat a couple of times so she too could enjoy the action from close quarters and savour the amazing views of Le Morne from the water. The wind generally starts to fade around an hour before sunset at 5pm which is the ideal opportunity to return to the beach and enjoy a sundowner while watching the sun dip down on the Indian Ocean.
“ I had this inner urge to go. I wanted to ride one of those beauties, be part of this spectacle of nature ” Uli Hölzl
THE CREW
Joining us at the Fanatic Dealer meeting was no other than ex PWA world wave champion Victor Fernandez, six times freestyle world champion Gollito Estredo, the UK’s most successful wave sailor Nik Baker, the German big wave and gnarly conditions specialist Klaas Voget and Fanatic’s crazy all round waterman Airton Cozzolino. Also on the island was Austrian big wave charger Uli Hölzl who had heard about the big swell hitting and had extended her ticket to hopefully charge One Eye in mast to double mast high conditions…fair play!
Sure enough the reliable Mauritius trades and constant Indian Ocean swells delivered the goods as all the dealers and pros feasted on the conditions out in front of the hotel. Nik Baker was having an amazing trip with his group of UK dealers out on the water from dawn ‘til dusk with the added bonus of all-inclusive drinks in the bar to top off the evenings. I couldn’t help noticing every guest was smiling ear to ear once off the water. Looking at rainbows in the spray and incredibly lush mountains in the background from the boat in Manawa it was not hard to figure out why!
Gollito and Airton were also having a blast on the inside and at middle reef freestyling and kiting alongside each other and fooling around swapping over gear in the evenings. Once Gollito is in his element there is no stopping him on the water, of course he is an amazing talent but as one of the world’s greatest freestyler’s, he is also an amazing entertainer and loves to show off for the crowds. Not only could he strut his stuff just a few feet from the beach on the inside, the first reef was well within range for him to bust out some ridiculous air moves that had everyone on the shore hooting and hollering.
EPIC SESSIONS
There were plenty of incredible evening sessions at Manawa to be savoured. During the day the reef can become slightly overloaded with kiters and wave sailors all hungry for a slice of the action but after five, we hired our own personal safety boat and scored the break with a handful of riders just as the wind flicked a tad offshore and the light was at its best. Craig Gertenbach from Fanatic was a stand-out, screaming as he kicked out of mast high bombs, trading waves with his team and definitely enjoying this rare escape from his normal office grind back in Germany! A DAY TO REMEMBER!
As the days progressed, the big forecast for my final day was holding firm. I was already apprehensive about heading out at One Eye, since the last time I was on the island there was a 5m swell at 20 seconds and it was un-sailable, too big, too much water and no way out for the safety boats. This time round a 4m at 17 second swell was on the menu so I was crossing my fingers that this swell would not close out the channel. My transfer from the hotel to the airport was at 6pm so I already knew I’d be cutting it fine if I was going to be out in a boat at One Eye anywhere past five! The last morning finally arrived and when I peeled back the curtains to check the ocean all I could make out was one huge line of white water closing out the horizon; yep it was massive! As the day progressed it was soon obvious that the conditions were maxed out and all of the guests were advised not to sail out to the reefs. We eventually found a boat driver possibly willing to venture out, but he wanted to assess the conditions in the afternoon to check if the swell was still rising and if the channel was negotiable. Even the thought of being in a boat in these seas was pretty nerve racking, any mistake from the driver and no bones about it we would be in a world of trouble once anywhere near the entrance to the channel. If you ever see an aerial shot of Le Morne it is easy to see the way all the water from the lagoon exits through this channel, especially on a big day and once outside the reef the wind blows offshore along with the currents. Klaas was adamant that he was up for a session, although Victor was looking slightly apprehensive, especially considering his world title campaign would be on the line a few days later in Crozon.
Around 1.30pm, I spotted a lone sail heading out through the Manawa channel and it turned out to be Uli, venturing out to meet a Russian sailor who had hired his own personal safety boat for a session at One Eye. Seeing Uli disappearing through these huge swells in the channel put a real scale on the size of the waves out there and now my nerves were really tingling at the thought of our upcoming boat ride.
At 2.30pm myself and video cameraman Manu, were in the boat both feeling kind of anxious at what we were about to let ourselves in for. Manu had even brought fins with him just in case the boat would flip which was not exactly reassuring! Looking back at the shore I waved goodbye to Suzanne wondering if I would make it back in to catch our transfer to the airport in less than 3 hours. The sensible decision was to wait for tomorrow when One Eye would most likely be mast high and perfect but for me there was ‘no tomorrow’, it was ‘now or never’ and I was totally committed to this adventure. On the beach, Klaas was rigged and headed out whilst Victor had chosen wisely to not risk his title race and opted to sail on the inside reef instead. Five minutes later we were blasting full speed between the swells at the entrance to the channel. From the beach Suzanne had watched us disappear between the huge waves and was seriously concerned that the boat had no chance to make it through the mountains of white water. Luckily the boat driver was incredibly skilled and knew exactly how to navigate through the closed out reef pass. We had one or two moments where I just held my breath as we inched over mast high breaking waves, but all of a sudden we were out into open water and heading around towards One Eye. Now for the next mission, to somehow be in the right place at the right time to shoot Klaas and Uli riding one of these monsters. Out in the line up, the volume and length of the swells were like nothing I have experienced before. Some of the lumps were twenty metres thick and about two hundred metres long as they pulsed through the water towards the reef. By this time Uli was out on her own since the Russian guy had reportedly been crushed by a double mast high close out!
Upwind we were keeping an eye that Klaas would make it out since, the wind looked pretty light as he headed through the channel. Finally we spotted his sail emerge from the chaos and I heaved a sigh of relief that we would not have to head back and attempt some kind of crazy rescue mission. Joining us for the session was Airton, easy to spot with his Red Bull endorsed North kite. I heard he is one of the craziest guys in hollow big waves and this ex kite wave world champion certainly did not disappoint. Over now to Klaas and Uli for their recollections of this crazy session, trading mast to double mast high barrelling bombs outside the safety zone of the Le Morne lagoon. KLAAS VOGET
“When I first saw the charts I was always trying to compare it to the last huge swell I rode in Mauritius back in June 2014. I had scored a massive day at One Eye which was pretty solid but when this one finally hit this year, it was way bigger! The main channel was closing out; we were not sure if a boat could even make it to the outside to shoot from and if we would have a backup in case things go wrong. We checked with one of the most experienced boat drivers if he’d even try to go out and he said he would have to check the conditions around lunchtime. Before our driver showed up, Max Matissek told me he watched a Russian windsurfer try to sail One Eye. He had a boat there, which was positive news, but Max also told me he watched him getting beaten up by an over double mast high wave which destroyed all of his gear.
At 2:30 our boat arrived and the captain seemed positive about the channel. Manu and JC, both looking pale, jumped on with their gear and started to make their way out through Manawa, which was a bit messy with over mast high waves breaking all over the place. I sailed out next to the boat and had OK power in my 5.0, but once I made it into the current of the channel the wind in my sail was minimal and I was just floating and hoping for the best. The boat pressed over towards One Eye during a quiet moment, leaving me drifting in the channel. Luckily I made it without getting trapped by one of the freak sets that suddenly appear and break as a massive peak against the current.
About 10 mins later I found myself in between massive walls of water with a few kites and one other windsurfer; Uli Hölzl. The fearless Austrian world traveller made her way out under the backup of the other boat in the line-up and charged down an almost double mast high set right when I arrived. I don’t think I know another female Windsurfer in the world who’d have been out there that day. Uli told me later she was sitting on the beach for about three hours watching the wave before she finally built up the confidence to sail out. She couldn’t really hold back, as she changed her flight ticket and delayed her trip for a full week just for this swell, knowing she’d be missing the PWA Event in France she had signed up for. The smile in her face after the session told me she made the right call! The wind was not very strong, so I was floating to the outside and waited for quite some time for my first set. On a day like this you don’t want to take a smaller one and get a big surprise after you kick out that the next wave is double the size. Every mistake is most likely the end of the session, as you are likely to be beaten into the reef with a big chance of destroying your gear. The current inside the lagoon is so strong on the very big days that there’s a high risk you’ll not be able to get back to the beach with a broken rig before getting sucked back out through the big channel.
So with that in mind I took it easy on the first couple of waves, but then wanted more. The wind picked up to planing strength, so I sailed to the boat and rigged my smaller backup sail I had thrown in before the boat took off.
After that I started to feel more and more confident and looked for that big air section but the wave never walled up nicely in front of me, but a couple of late carves more than made up for it. After one of them, the wave suddenly hit a shallow part of the reef and started to throw a big lip, letting me airdrop into the flats. I tried to pass the next section, but One Eye was too fast and decided to eat me. By that time it was almost low tide and the thick lip just pushed me straight into the reef. I managed to protect my head with my arm and got away with reef cuts on elbow, leg, foot, back and my knee.
Two waves later I was comfortably sitting on the dry reef like a turtle on its back with the corals sticking out left and right of me. Thanks to my harness I was almost laughing, finding myself sitting there waiting for the next whitewater to push me into the lagoon. Surprisingly my gear didn’t have a scratch and I managed to get my hands on it, before the current could suck it towards the small channel at the end of the wave. With the dying wind, it took me almost twenty minutes to get back to the beach. Uli took a more comfortable ride back into the lagoon with the boat.
Even though all week, we’d already had epic sessions in logo to mast high, really rippable waves, this session at One Eye will stick with me forever. Being so close to these huge barrels and coming in on one of these massive and fast moving lines is such an intense rush!”
ULI HÖLZL
“I had already spent four weeks on Mauritius, when I saw this huge swell showing up on the forecasts. Until then we had windy conditions, swell wise it was not the best year. So I was definitely waiting for big One Eye, but unfortunately I was supposed to go home on exactly the day the swell was arriving….Klaas Voget was there as well and he had already predicted my response – ‘’Hey Uli, I know you, you will stay here, you just cannot go home with that forecast’’. Well, he was right. I changed my ticket once more!
On that day I was on the beach early. It was huge. Nobody was out there. A lot of dust was in the air from the white-water. The swell was southerly, so One Eye was breaking really nicely. Huge walls, maybe some of them double mast high, breaking fast, rolling perfectly from Chameaux to the little One Eye channel, and not closing out. But getting out there seemed to be the challenge.
The big channel was closed. There was so much water moving, the inside was like a river. Although there was no wind yet, there were whitecaps in the lagoon because of the current. Two local kiters were the first ones heading out. They had the big advantage of being able to go straight over the reef and keep on planing. They looked so tiny on the huge waves!! Although the wave was peeling perfectly, it was clear how fast it was breaking when I saw the kiters just going straight down the line of these huge walls. I was still in doubt about going out. My biggest worry was passing the channel as the sets were breaking so far outside. If I would have had a problem out there, nobody would ever see me to make a rescue possible, nor was I sure if the boats would even make it out there. But as always, I had this inner urge to go. I wanted to ride one of those beauties, be part of this spectacle of nature.
A very good friend of mine, Nick, a local kiter, encouraged me as well. He told me that he would sail out with me and accompany me through the channel, keeping an eye on me. Without him I maybe wouldn´t have gone. I took my biggest sail, 4.7m, to be able to make it through the channel. In the lagoon I was planing well with the 4.7, but in the channel I was only bobbing around due to the strong current. There was so much water moving, and I couldn´t see the horizon with all the white-water and couldn´t tell if I was ok to get past the sets coming in. But now there was only one way to go. My legs were shivering when I passed the most critical corner, so much further outside than normal. There were mountains rolling in. Around the corner the swell was much more organised but the current was still a lot stronger than normal. Even 2 kilometres offshore the water was ‘dirty’ from all the sand being dragged out with the current.
I positioned myself on one of the mountains. I was still full of adrenaline but a lot calmer than on the beach. Unfortunately I was fully overpowered with my sail; the offshore wind accelerating on the huge wall. When I was doing my first bottom turn the wave was starting to build more and more… I felt like I would never reach the bottom speeding down that monster. When I looked down the line I wasn´t able to read the wave and backed out. Safety first!
The dimensions here were totally different. It took me several waves and a lot of watching until I tuned into it and calmed down a bit. I just rode three waves, but they will always stay in my memory. There was so much energy out there. The detonations and the thunder of the wave breaking behind me was monstrous. But nevertheless, when riding those beauties everything somehow was quiet around me. I was fully in the moment, fully concentrated. Part of the ocean. Part of this energy and the nature. Everybody who was out there was cheering for the other person. The atmosphere was so energized. Days like this are a gift which I will always remember”
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
By 5pm the wind started to fade to less than ten knots which was perfect timing for me because there was no way Manu would have wanted to cut off the session early to give me a lift back to the beach. The ride home was equally thrilling as we flew between the waves at the Manawa reef pass, finally into the safety of the inside lagoon and just in time for me to run to our room, pack and make my transfer to the airport. Like I said at the beginning of this piece, some days in your life will stick in your memory for years to come and this was certainly one of them. The thrill of being out in those waves and watching those huge barrels charge down the reef was so awesome, while at the same time I know I probably didn’t capture the perfect moment on camera that I had hoped for. So once again I have some unfinished business in Mauritius and definitely have it in my list of locations that I’d love to have another shot at some day in the future. In the meantime, I would certainly recommend this amazing location for any level of sailor as a group or family destination. After all, there are not many spots in the world where everyone on a holiday are kept happy all in one place; even my wife loved it!
Check out the latest press release and video from North Sails for the S_Type SL performance switch.Cam and the E_Type performance no.Cam.
S_TYPE SL
The all new S_TYPE SL has just one goal: to be as successful as its legendary predecessors which won numerous world-wide magazine tests over the years and received first-class honors in their categories. Therefore Kai Hopf has thrown everything into the mix, resulting in even more performance without having a negative effect on the handling. The decisive factor is the NO.COMPROMISE.DESIGN that he translated directly from the WARP F2016 into the S_TYPE SL. Thanks to reinforcements around the leading edge, the known draft stability and the broad wind range could be retained. The result is a highly sporty and competitive slalom sail that thirsts for speed, yet is easy to tame.
E_Type
E is for exciting! The E_TYPE is exactly the type of sail to help windsurfing regain its real fascination. Rigs without a sweat, takes off and gets going without pumping. This sail boasts the perfect power and acceleration capabilities of our WARP combined with the handling of a NoCam sail. Windsurfing has never been so relaxed and exciting at the same time!
l’île la plus proche du paradis (“the closest island to Paradise”) is the idyllic French nickname for the Isle of Pines, commonly referred to as the ‘Jewel of the Pacific’. Following his victory in the last PWA slalom event of 2015 in New Caledonia, Antoine Albeau along with Maciek Rutkowski, Fred Morin, Stephane Vuduc and Paul Halbedel headed to this little known tropical outpost to find out just how close to paradise they could venture.
“The closest island to Paradise” is the idyllic French nickname for the Isle of Pines ”
ISLAND HISTORY
Isle of Pines is approximately 18km long and 14km wide and as its name implies has a prominently pine tree skyline, set against white sand beaches and turquoise lagoons. Known as Kunie to its Melanesian inhabitants, the island is part of the French-Pacific territory, New Caledonia. Situated at the southern tip of this archipelago, it sits almost astride the tropic of Capricorn at 21.25° South, 167.25° East. It became known as “the closest island to Paradise’’ thanks to a film based on a book written by Japanese writer Katsura Morimura in 1964. The history of its real name can be traced back to Captain James Cook, who in 1774 on his second voyage to New Zealand gave the island its name after seeing the tall native pines. He never disembarked onto the island, but as he saw smoke, assumed it was inhabited. The French took possession of the island in 1853 from the native Kunies and later the island became a French penal colony, home to 3,000 political deportees from Paris.
THE KUNIES
Today the island is less populated than previously and remains extremely protected by the tribal system. After such a turbulent history, it’s understandable the Kunies guard their land closely. Isle of Pines has become an indigenous reserve and the land is neither for sale, nor for rent.
There are roughly 2000 inhabitants, 95% of whom are Melanesians or Kanaks. For traditional, cultural and social reasons, these indigenous Kunie people are formed into eight tribes, each with their own ‘little chief’ and governed as a whole by a High Chief.
The island is divided rather like a cake and the Kunies live scattered around the island in their own tribal area, mainly in order to cultivate their yams. Many of them also live in the only village, Vao, where the schools (kindergarten, primary and secondary) are to be found, as well as the church, the Town Hall, a medical centre (doctor, nurses, dentist and a mid-wife), several general stores, the market, a bank and the post office.
“ Isle of Pines has become an indigenous reserve and the land is neither for sale, nor for rent ”
While the Kunies speak their own unwritten language amongst themselves, French is the official language in schools, business, administrative affairs and tourism. English is not widely practised, but in key tourist spots someone will usually speak fairly fluent English and others may have a smattering. Whether you speak French or not, visitors often remark on the friendliness of the local people and their readiness to say bonjour!
PINES TIME
Only a twenty-minute flight south of Noumea (the capital of New Caledonia), the island seems to concentrate all the beauties of the Pacific into its small area. Beginning with a relaxed way of life, the smile on the locals’ faces and their
talent to never rush time. “A quoi bon le compter, il ne s’arrêtera jamais’’ – (“Why measure the time, it will never end”), they seem to try to help us understand. Antoine and his crew were extended a warm welcome on arrival, typical of the noted warmth of this island’s tribes. After a reception with traditional
ceremonies and welcome by the tribe chiefs, the windsurfers retired to their bungalow at the Nataiwatch guesthouse (www.nataiwatch.com), one of the trip’s
sponsors, to relax for an hour before starting to explore the island by a boat bound for Upi bay, famous for its rich coral formations.
ROOTS
Seafaring runs deep in the island’s culture and the isolation of the Kunies no doubt accounts for their prowess as navigators and cultivators of root vegetables. Both these occupations give rise to their traditional art and customs. The large, heavy yam (l’igname) is the focus of Kunie customs and pivot point of their calendar. It signifies the community, sharing, life, man and the fruits of his labour. It is exchanged at special feasts and is a standard wedding gift and bereavement offering. All the islanders participate in planting it in September/October. Then the first harvest, in March, is marked by its benediction and one of the year’s most important customary rituals.
“ The island seems to concentrate all the beauties of the Pacific into its small area ”
Wooden outriggers (pirogues) with elegant, triangular sails are still built on the Isle of Pines and used for fishing and tourism. In fact the island is the only place in New Caledonia where such construction flourishes.
Kunie know-how is also evident in the building of their traditional thatched huts with their astonishing, umbrella-style roofs. Such activities reinforce the values and mutual help of the tribal system.
PARADISE AFFIRMED
After exploring Upi bay, the windsurfers, accompanied by a local chief and Guillaume Kouathe (the owner of Nataiwatch) spent the day on Nokanhui atoll, a sandbank bordered by turquoise water and unquestionably a little piece of paradise.
Sailing in one of the most beautiful lagoons in the world, it was a special session for all the riders. To make the feeling last, they windsurfed back to the bay at Kanumera, a magical beach fringed by columnar pine trees, white sand and turquoise water. Upon arrival, they were greeted like VIP’s with a drink prepared by the staff of Nataiwatch. Time to relax and enjoy the sunset at the beach. That evening at dinner, all the staff of Nataiwatch put together a great surprise for Antoine Albeau, wishing him all their congratulations for his 22nd world title with a beautiful cake and fine speech. It visibly moved the champion who was caught off guard by this genuine touch of hospitality and respect for his achievement.
The next day, the last day of the trip, we returned to Upi Bay, this time in the presence of a local chief who came in a dugout canoe. Only the traditional canoes and local tribes are allowed to enter the bay normally and it was with great respect that we became the first windsurfers to be able to navigate the sacred waters of Upi bay. The riders were able to slalom between rocks and canoes, a moment of pure sharing and camaraderie among windsurfers and local seafarers and a perfect high point to end our trip.
What to do You can’t rent any gear in Isle of Pines and windsurfing or kitesurfing is only allowed for people who participate in ‘’coutume’’, a traditional ceremony with local people.
Kayaking in Kuto and Kanumera bay, or snorkeling in natural pools near the Meridien Hotel.
Cruise trips in traditional ‘pirogue’ boats with local people.
You can also rent bikes to travel around the island or climbing the Nga peak is also popular.
When to go The average wind strength in New Caledonia is 12/15 knots and the best time to come for windsurfing is November to April (the summer season, when the wind is stronger and the temperature higher, 22 to 31° C. average).
DUNKERBECK SPEED CHALLENGE – 2016 SPEED WORLD CHAMPS
PRESS RELEASE:
DUNKERBECK GPS SPEED CHALLENGE – 2016 SPEED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
For the third year in a row, the Dunkerbeck GPS Speed Challenge will take place in Fuerteventura from the 1st till the 5th of June and we are proud to announce that we will be hosting the 2016 ISWC World Championship, where we will crown the World Champions in Men and Women categories. Plus ISWC youth and junior speed awards.
Fuerteventura, with its constant tradewinds and flat water, is one of the best spots in the world to hold a speed event and we will continue to run the succesfull PRO AM format, where riders with different abilites are able to compete together with the fastest windsurfers in the world. The spot of Matas Blancas in the south of Fuerte, will again provide a fantastic ground for amateur and professional riders to sail together in a 250m long course.
We have seen multiple known and new faces coming to compite in the Dunkerbeck GPS Speed Challenge from all corners of the World, from Europe to Russia to the Caribbean and the list for this edition looks like it will be great again. Once more, GPS technology will allow us to run multiple races everyday and we will get updated results daily so don’t forget to check our social media, or your favourite windsurfing social media channel, for the latest results. We look forward to welcoming you all in Fuerteventura for the 2016 ISWC Speed World Championship.
We would like to thank D-LAB Diagnostic Sports Center, R2 Hotels, PayPal Spain, the municipality of Pájara, the Patronato de Turismo de Fuerteventura and E-11 Dunkerbeck- Eyewear for their help in making this event happen.
New slick ho’okipa drone footage featuring; Robbie Swift, Ricardo Campello, Levi Siver, Ross Williams, Jake Miller, Kevin Pritchard, Marcllio Browne, Jason Polakow, Morgan Noieraux, Robbie Naish, Jake Schettewi
Filmed and edited by @epicopter (Idan Shemtov)
Thanks to Yarden Meir for helping with the edit
‘Here’s a few from March, we had some great days both sailing and paddling! But my excitement levels for windsurfing are above 9000 right now guys, Naish is letting me give you all the first look at the 2017 Naish windsurf gear!
Traditionally, each brand gathers photos and video throughout the Spring season on Maui, then, sometime in the Fall, we release. Which means trying to keep a secret for 6 months until we start selling the new stuff! This year, however, we can’t hold it in!
This is an especially big deal for me personally. Since signing with Naish, I’ve been working on overhauling the entire wavesailing collection with a genius team! Nils Rosenblad on the Force sails, 5 batten down to 3 batten. Michi Schweiger shaping the new “Hardline” and “Global” boards. Testing them all with Kai Lenny and Robby Naish himself. I feel so good about this project, and all the amazing equipment we’ve put together. The future looks so bright, I can’t wait for 2017, and hey! I don’t have to!’
Forecasters have been predicting all year that the so called ‘Super Niño’ developing in the Pacific could deliver some of the largest surf in years to Hawaii. On the eve of the Aloha Classic, the first big swell of the season lit up Maui’s most famous big wave – Pe’ahi – aka Jaws. JC captures the raw power and beauty and the riders tell their salty tales.
ROBBY SWIFT
The swell was forecast solid but only 13 feet at 19 seconds which is about on the limit for as small as it can get to make Jaws really work. The positive aspect was that it was coming straight out of the north. When the swell comes from the west in Maui it generally gets blocked quite a lot by Oahu and Molokai. When it comes from the north, there’s nothing in the way to block it. We all headed up there at around midday not really expecting too much but thinking that it would probably be too big to sail at Ho’okipa anyway, so we wouldn’t really be missing anything by trying.
When we arrived it was actually way better than we thought. Kai Lenny was already sailing so we rigged our sails as quickly as possible. North swell is quite different from the west swell, it stands up quite a lot on the first peak and then there’s not so much of a wall to the wave. Some of the waves are really glassy but others had a giant chop running through them which makes it really scary as you don’t want to catapult down the face at Jaws.
This particular wave was one of those amazingly glassy, perfect bombs that you dream about dropping into at Jaws. I caught it really deep and thought I was perfectly positioned on the wave but just as I was about to fade into the wave to do a drawn out bottom turn, I saw a bowl appearing way out in front of me. I instinctively straightened out my line and raced about 50m more down the line before fading out in front of the wave to start the bottom turn and it was lucky I did. The bowl grew into a huge wall that allowed me to have probably the best turn I have ever had at Jaws. If I started my turn where I had initially planned, I would have no chance of making it! As it happened, I was in exactly the right place to get a really low, powerful bottom turn and come up under the lip to carve out a cutback at full speed. There wasn’t a ripple out of place on the wave, it was really quite fantastic!
This winter is supposed to be an El Niño winter so that usually brings huge surf to Hawaii. I’m crossing my fingers for some massive waves. Having been here for about the past 15 winters, I have seen some massive swells but they don’t always coincide with wind. To give you an example, the swell we surfed last winter was 29 feet and 21 seconds when it hit the buoy so it was about double the size of this day. Let’s hope we get one like that with some wind this winter!
MANU BOUVET
Early morning, looking at Jaws from the cliff, the ocean was messy because of a northerly trade wind angle (side on-shore). The swell had definitely arrived and supposed to peak mid-afternoon. At 1 PM I drove one more time through the pineapple field to check the conditions and saw a massive size set breaking. The wind had picked up a lot, so together with my partner Rudy Castorina we decided to give it a go. Launching the ski at Maliko Gulch was hectic due to the swell direction being dead north. The whole bay was closing out and the sets were washing over the ramp. We finally made it out there, rigged up on the jet-ski whilst trying to not be sea sick and joined Kai Lenny, Jason Polakow and Robby Swift who were already out. I rode a couple of medium ones then a bigger one with Jason.
Unlike most days out there where the gusty easterly trade winds make going up wind complicated, the side-shore angle and the solid 20 knots helped me make it quite upwind when a bigger set arrived. By the time I was ready for the drop I knew that I was deep and I was expecting the usual side off-shore wind to propel me down the line pretty quick. That did not happen and I found myself mid-face trying to gain some momentum to make it past the section but there was not enough wind in front of the wave. All I could do to escape the tricky situation was to make it as far as possible onto the flats. From the noise of the lip falling behind me I know the avalanche was very close to me! I hung on to my rig as hard as I could but I didn’t even feel it getting ripped off my hands. I knew I was in for an intense hold down so I focussed on relaxing to keep my energy for later. If panic takes over you’re pretty much done because it can burn all your oxygen. It felt like I was flying in the air for a few seconds before getting swallowed up by the white water. There was a few intense seconds where I was torn apart; my lycra was pulled over my face so I had to take it off before starting to use my arm to swim up.
The life jacket that I was wearing came in very handy in that particular moment! I saw some light above me and I popped up just in time to take a good breath before the next white water ran over me. I was pretty exhausted by that moment and was glad Matias, in charge of my rescue, was right next to me on the jet-ski when I popped up. That was it for my day, the man and the equipment needed a rest. I am glad I managed that situation pretty well not only by staying calm but by being well prepared with trusted water safety and several free diving classes over the last couple of years that taught me a lot. I can’t wait for the next session out there!
GRAHAM EZZY
After a month of not windsurfing, I felt unfit. The German and French stops of the PWA tour were windless days spent waiting. No wind meant no sailing, which meant that my muscles felt stiff when I stretched and I had an extra half pound around the waist. Having lived in Europe the previous five months, I fantasized about a Hawaiian homecoming involving logo-high Ho’okipa. Unfortunately, the waves were massive. I started driving to the west side to sail a secret spot, but Kevin Pritchard called me and said to turn around and get to Polakow’s house ASAP because we would all go to Jaws on a pair of jet skis. Could I say no and still retain my dignity? Could I tell him that I felt too jetlagged and out of practice? In short: no way braddah! I borrowed a flotation vest from Polakow to wear under my rash guard, and off we went up the coast to that infamously big wave. At Jaws itself, catching waves was chaos because of the crowds and particularly north nature of the swell and wind. Oh, and that was my first day ever riding that board, a prototype DaCurve. Best way to get used to a new shape; drop down a mountain of water with chop the size of moguls?, probably not! Early in the session, Polakow’s vest irritated my neck so much that I took it off, hoping that my big wave experience would save me if I crashed in the wrong spot, or that my extra half pound would give me enough flotation to come back to the surface!
KAI LENNY
The biggest wave I caught that day was a bucking bronco of a ride. It was when I was out all alone before everyone showed up and all I was thinking was; ‘just don’t fall.’ Days like that, where the swell is north and the wind is more northerly, make it incredibly sketchy to ride with confidence. If you go too deep there is no bottom turning around the section. The avalanche will catch you and eat you alive! As I was dropping into that wave I was going so fast my fins began to hum, my eyes started to widen, my worst fear was spinning out to have the entire wave break over me. I initiated my bottom turn and saw the wave way, way over head. The wave wasn’t the type to run along the reef; because of the north in the swell it exploded as I reached mid face and the spit shot me even faster into the channel where I probably went as fast as I have ever gone on a windsurfer. That’s when I saw Swifty and Polakow and gave them a wave to come out! Aloha, Kai.
THOMAS TRAVERSA
Being out at Jaws sailing was really awesome. When you drop into a wave you can see the cliff a few hundred meters in on the inside, and then the landscape is all green, and then brown all the way to the top of the Haleakala. One of the best views ever from a windsurf spot!
The wave itself was easy to read this day as it formed a very big bowl from where the wave peels into the deep water of the bay. It doesn’t break everywhere like Ho’okipa for example where the wave has so many sections. At Jaws it is all about waiting for the bowl to stand, go down and try to make a turn, and before you know it you are in the channel.There are no rocks in front of you and no mean closeouts at the end of the wave, so you can really focus on where to position yourself, and try to go as deep as you can; as far as I was concerned there would be no surprises. This is truly amazing for such a big wave to break so clean!
I had one good-size wave where I was pretty deep and I tried to get close to the lip. Unfortunately I was a bit early to nail any real projection, but I still had a fun air drop into the face of the wave, enough to rev me up with a solid dose of adrenaline! After that experience I really wanted to hit one properly, and on my last wave I finally did it on a west bowl. The wave was not as huge as the big sets, but still it was over mast and a half and super fast, as all the waves are out there. I managed to come from behind the section and hit the lip from under like I normally do on smaller waves. The projection was insane and I flew very high and fast, and then landed in front of the wave, even though there wasn’t much of a wave anymore. That made my day and after that I sailed back down to Ho’okipa. Maybe one day I will have the chance to sail there again, and next time maybe I will try to stick a real aerial on a big one!
At 10am on June 7th 2015, 41 year old Jono Dunnett sailed past Clacton Pier on the start of his bid to become the first person to windsurf around Britain without an on-water support team. 98 days later (“the best 3 months of my life”), he completed his inspiring circumnavigation. This is his story.
Words Finn Mullen, John Carter. // Photos Steven MacDougall/The Courier, Jono Dunnett, Gregg Dunnett, Andy Dunnett, Mark London & John Carter.
// First look back after sailing to Clacton, the long way round.
Photo by Mark London.
WS – When and why did you decide to windsurf around Britain?
JD – I’d had the ambition since being a teenager. I thought it would be a great adventure – a fantastic way to explore ‘our’ island. I considered it the most natural and reasonable of ambitions. Apparently I used to hassle my friend Clyde Waite about it (trying to convince him to come along too), to the point that he would avoid me! But as a younger man I didn’t have the plan or the resources to make it happen, and eventually I tried to bury my ambition and focus instead on ‘real life’. As a long term strategy, ignoring your true self is a bad idea, and – perhaps partly as a result of this – at around age 40 I didn’t really have a lot on. This blank canvas gave an opportunity for a good inward look and I started being more honest with myself. The plan to windsurf round Britain at least injected some life into me, and the opportunity – in a life of finite opportunities – was there. Despite it being a difficult decision, deep down I knew it was the time to go.
WS – Had you any experience of coastal passage planning from yachting or expedition planning to draw on?
JD – Not much! As a kid with my family we had made a few yacht passages – I remember going around the Lizard peninsula in a yacht once and crashing through the overfalls which I found very exhilarating. On another occasion we’d misjudged the tide in the Alderney race and were going backwards, despite doing over 8 knots through the water. So although I hadn’t been involved in the planning, I had an idea that sea conditions, tides and swell can get complicated! In the planning stages and throughout the expedition, I was very concerned about and respectful of the numerous headlands and tricky bits around our coastline.
WS – Where did you start and how long did you estimate it would take?
JD – Start and finish was at Clacton Pier, close to where I’d sailed as a kid. I estimated 3 months to myself but told people 2 months as I thought that would sound ‘better’ and make it easier for people to think I was taking on something more achievable. I was concerned about the summer ‘finishing’ before I’d got around the top of Scotland, so part of me was in a hurry, but wiser folk told me to take the time required to enjoy the experience, so I also tried to heed their advice – and I am glad I did.
“ I was very concerned about and respectful of the numerous headlands and tricky bits around our coastline ”
WS – What board/ sails were you riding and what extra items did you carry with you?
JD – Rig was supplied by Tushingham: sail – a 9.5m Bolt, boom – a nice Aeron carbon number and mast – a Tush 100% carbon. Originally I was interested in sailing with the full on Tushingham XR race sail, but I am glad I was persuaded to take the Bolt – which for its size was very manageable in the stronger winds.
I kitted the rig out with adjustable outhaul and downhaul so could tune on the go, the ‘kill it’ settings saw quite a bit of use! I carried a spare UJ (didn’t use). I repaired a batten when I passed Tush HQ in Devon, and also picked up some spares there which I kept inside the mast (also didn’t use!). Tush sent a replacement fin and masttrack to Mallaig, which was great as these were both very worn. The board was a 2009 Starboard Phantom (my own). I’d designed and made a ‘barrel carrier’ for the board. Inside the barrel was camping and cooking gear, a few clothes and other bits and pieces.
// I met some great people and stayed in some great places! Camper ‘guest room’ overlooking Skye and Raasay.
Photo by Jono Dunnett.
WS – How did you navigate ?
JD – Before heading on to the water I would try to talk to locals about good places to stop, and look at maps (the road map I carried, and maps on phone) to familiarise myself with the coastline coming up. Knowing your stopping options is really important, so I would try to identify these and plug the coordinates into my (very basic) GPS. I’d know how far to go and the bearing. This worked OK, but sometimes I would go either further or less than planned, and then I would just go by sight. In these situations (particularly if becalmed) I would quite often phone my brother Gregg and ask him to check out decent landing options on Google Earth. On a windsurfer – provided there is wind and you can see – you can be pretty sloppy with your navigation and just GO! Rocks, overfalls, crunching shorebreaks and other hazards you can avoid. I tried very hard to not sail at night, although did have a few close calls into late evening. Fortunately I didn’t experience much fog!
DAVE HACKFORD
Tushingham Director and Britain’s first Olympic windsurfer.
“There was something captivating about listening to Jono’s tales when he visited our office back in early summer. The problem is that I think all my thoughts are selfishly about believing I could and wanted to do it. When Jono was approaching Devon, I told one of my daughters about him windsurfing past our nearby beach on a trip around the whole of the UK. She said he must be mad. I just wonder whether by the time she got to school and sat down at the desk for registration her mind wandered off to what Jono was experiencing. Because mine did regularly! The thought of waking up every morning to sights and moments that will never be experienced again is hugely attractive. I could not help but click on the GPS tracking website, sitting in my secure, static office wishing I could be beamed out to West Wales to join Jono on some legs of his journey. It was a truly challenging journey for Jono. I’d like to thank him for sharing it with us all. I’m hoping he may pick up the phone and let me know where his next challenge will be, because I do not want to be viewing it from a website next time! Good Luck Jono.”
WS – What did you use for weather forecasting ?
JD – I started off a Windguru man but ended up more XCWeather. I also made sure I was looking at the bigger picture, so paid attention to the Met Office inshore waters and shipping forecasts, and often checked windyty.com(a nice presentation that lets you see what is actually happening in terms of movement of pressure systems).
When you are sailing around the coast, you appreciate more just how varied it is and how local the wind effects are. When I talked to people who had been following me, they sometimes “told me” the wind I’d had that day or for a particular crossing; they seemed to take the forecast as the reality. It wasn’t. Hardly ever! One time I was stuck in the East Coast harr (fog), in a very lumpy sea, completely unable to sail and with no options but to wait for some breeze. I called Gregg. He checked XCweather and told me I had 15 knots of breeze! That was probably the nearest I came to a sense of humour failure with telephone support!
WS – What were the highest and lowest moments of the challenge?
JD – There were many many difficult and nervy times, but I don’t remember these as low moments. Just very difficult. The difficulty was mastering my own anxiety about the challenges ahead. When on the water I just got on with the job in hand, always trying to minimise exposure, consolidate position, look after equipment and stay fuelled. If I didn’t get a better offer, I slept under my sail, so inevitably I had a few miserable camp spots. Annagassen (Ireland) in howling wind and pouring rain for two days – perched on a tiny bit of sea wall – was probably the worst!
The highs were many. There was always a huge release after negotiating the difficult headland roundings and sea crossings. I sailed round Land’s End on what was in retrospect probably not the right day, and it was a particularly intense and frightening 8 hours. I fell into shock after making it into St Ives harbour and was emotionally quite wiped out until I got to South Wales! Is that a high or a low?
// Dolphins came to wish me well as I bade farewell to Cornwall.
Photo by Jono Dunnett.
WS – Did you have a safety boat or land support for most of the coastline?
JD – No safety boat – I sailed alone. No travelling land support. Instead, the power of the internet and the niceness of people came together for this expedition. Lots of folk signed up on the website to volunteer as local contacts (some of these I knew previously, others were strangers). I’d typically get in touch with very little notice and people would go out of their way to help in whatever way they could, usually by providing food, bed and shower/bath. It was a most ‘goodness of humanity’ affirming experience to be part of.
WS – What back up safety measures did you have?
JD – A handheld VHF; a mobile phone in waterproof pouch and a tracker that took position every 10 minutes and uploaded it to a website every 30 minutes (I assumed my brother was keeping an eye on this, which he was, apart from when he wasn’t!). Finally a personal locator beacon that as a last resort would have popped up my position and distressed state on a screen in Falmouth.
// Contents of my barrel (by row, left to right, top to bottom): Just camping gear in here, plus the best piece of kit of all – the tracker. I only take the lid off on land. Down jacket, couple of running t-shirts, shorts, tracksuit trousers, microfleece, pack towel, YB tracker, sleeping bag (a good down one, packs very small), inflatable mattress, bivvy bag (no tent – the rigged sail serves as a shelter), gas stove, cooking pot, cup, coffee filter, coffee, utensils, plasters, tape, soap etc – mostly surplus! Repair bits: Araldite, contact adhesive and patches, stickers – all quite useful. Powerbank – very useful. Cuppa Porridge – easy and filling way to start the day. Snickers – backup supply. Oat cakes. A backup meal or two. The barrel is totally dry even if the board becomes inverted and barrel immersed.
// Stuff I carried in my Aquapac rucksack: ACR ResQlink + personal locator beacon (on shoulder strap). Drybag (double protection to keep drier). Extra layer, random food (often cheese and oatcakes, pictured…flapjack), solar panel from mobilesolarchargers – works well, cables, mains adaptor etc, map case and road atlas, pen, tidal atlas printouts, tide times card, Standard Horizon handheld VHF, toothbrush and toothpaste – keep here for ease of access, wallet, waterproof head torch, mosquito / midge net (bought in Scotland, essential kit up there), sun block – refilled a few times now, spare batteries for GPS (in case of on water failure – never happened). Fleecy hat (not shown because I lost it just before this picture).
WS – Tell us a bit more on the equipment and technology you used?
The guys at mobilesolarchargers.co.uk sorted me out with a battery power bank so I could recharge at night when camping. I also used a solar charger from the same people that works really well for a quick top up. With shorter days and shitter weather there was less opportunity to use this once I was heading north though. I couldn’t charge on the water, it was best to just turn the phone completely off to make sure I didn’t accidentally deplete the battery.
The PLB was from ACR Artex. I didn’t want to mess about with no-brand safety gear, so happy to have a decent one. I kept this on my backpack, so strapped to me at all times. You register it with the coastguard and occasionally run the self test to check it is happy.
I made sure everything was USB chargeable. First phone I took I smashed the screen on, so picked up my old phone in Scotland. Phones were hassle. Better off having stuff that isn’t too clever but does its job well I found. Trying to use a phone in a bag when it is wet or bright was unreliable – might work, but often ended up making things more difficult than it should have been. The camera was very good too, I broke my phone but the camera is still going strong!
// Enjoying a Cuppa Porridge at Crosskirk on the North coast of Scotland.
Photo by Jono Dunnett.
WS – What were the gnarliest winds/ conditions you sailed in?
JD – It was pretty windy when I was trying to get past Dover (I eventually got in to Dover port). I was getting flattened every 30 seconds so I guess a good force 6 but that was going downwind which is always much more difficult at the upper wind limit! It was quite lumpy too. I sailed through similar strength winds a few more times, but was always able to head upwind to get to safety. One such occasion was getting hit by a squall just rounding the corner to Larne (Northern Ireland), another was rounding Souter Point (south of Newcastle) where I also got thumped by some really strong offshores. Generally though, when big wind was forecast, I took rest days.
Land’s End was gnarly in a different way. Having rounded the headland, the combination of a large swell, very light wind, and dearth of stopping options made this a particularly uncomfortable experience!
JOHN HIBBARD
Tushingham Export Manager, former British Windsurfing and SUP champion.
“In my first year of windsurfing (some 25 years ago) I was bought a book for my birthday – Tim Batstone’s Round Britain Windsurf. For me it captured the passion and excitement I felt towards the sport. It was truly inspirational. I was involved in the beginning of Keith Russell’s Round Britain voyage in the late 90’s and remember the feeling of seeing him disappear over the horizon. So when I heard of Jono’s mission and that he was looking for people to get involved, I immediately signed up….. I received a text the day before saying – “Good Progress these last two days. May settle for a short one tomorrow. Are you around if I turn up at your local beach? Cheers Jono”. I spent the next morning “working from home”, which basically meant refreshing the tracker every couple of minutes and watching through my binoculars to spot him. As he came into view around Bolt Tail (a large headland in south Devon). I literally dropped everything, ran round in circles for a few seconds like an excited child, before dashing to the car. Balls! I had forgotten it was in the garage for an MOT!! A quick call around the village and I was hoofing it to the beach in a borrowed truck (thanks Kevin!), ready to transport his kit back up the road. He came within 100 meters of the beach before tacking back out to sea and along the coast. I ran, like a mad man, following him along the coast. Here was this lone windsurfer seemingly just out for a sail on a grey day, little did all the dog walkers and ramblers along the coast path know he was on an unsupported voyage around our island – although I told most of them in breathless gasps! When I finally met him on Bigbury beach I was astonished to see how little gear Jono was carrying and how calm he was in his planning. It was a pleasure to soak in his calm enthusiasm and open ended schedule – “it’ll take as long as it takes” said Jono. I was jealous of this relaxed approach to covering the miles. The next day I assisted him with a lift to Tushingham to sort out some spares and then dropped him back at his board and waved him off. He was heading out to sea to eat his lunch – that’s how comfortable he was with his environment. Checking the tracker for progress became a daily addiction. I even contemplated heading to North Scotland to assist him around there but decided the last thing he needed was some over excitable bloke tripping over himself along the coastline!!”
WS – What was the most beautiful stretch of coastline on the journey?
JD – Scotland. Up amongst the islands was magical. Up beyond the Islands (The Minch and Cape Wrath headland) was just awe-inspiring. I was knocking off big distances full planing in the reaching straps, just me and the sea birds and that awesome coastline. That was phenomenal. When the sun came out it was nothing short of breathtaking.
WS – Did you suffer from fatigue at all or any injuries / illness ?
JD – Sailing downwind in light winds and swell is hard going; you have to put in long days and you can’t use the harness. I’d notice a bit of tendonitis in the fingers of my right hand in these conditions. A couple of times I had to loosen up my back with some stretching. I felt knackered sometimes. Generally though I got stronger and better able to cope the further I went round. My core got much stronger.
WS – Did you ever feel like giving up?
JD – No. At the beginning I tried not to look at the whole too much and just concentrated on plugging away. Towards the end I felt like continuing, or doing another lap!
WS – Were there any moments you felt worried and in danger?
JD – Yes. I felt in danger at the times when there was a potential for things going wrong quickly. Again, Land’s End comes to mind. I could barely balance and the swell was properly large! Ending up near the base of the cliffs would have been very bad news. I was always worried by strong offshore winds as in the event of breakage you probably aren’t going to be able to self-rescue in those conditions. I got a lot of these winds coming down the NE coast of England and really didn’t want to end up as a rescue statistic. Given that I had reliable means of alerting the rescue services I didn’t feel in danger at these times though. Big currents and overfalls certainly get the adrenaline going. Strangford Lough was pretty full on and definitely focussed the mind.
Being out of sight of land and becalmed as a thunderstorm passed close by whilst having to get over an offshore sandbank in the Irish Sea was pretty disconcerting. Sailing into the very strong tidal flow of the Dorus Mor was initially frightening. There were lots of scary moments but I got better at dealing with them as I went round!
WS – What wetsuit did you wear and did you ever get cold?
JD – Gul kitted me out with a very nice drysuit. Under this I wore merino wool thermals and one or two extra layers on my torso to suit the conditions. I tended to slightly overdress under the drysuit (I dressed with the expectation that I might have a problem whilst at sea). The drysuit has a ‘relief zipper’ which I learned to operate ‘on the fly’! I was never cold whilst sailing, save for my hands a few days whilst in Scotland when there was a cold snap from the North. Lugging the loaded board to the water’s edge was usually a pretty good warm-up!
// John O’Groats, Dunnet Head… couldn’t not pop back for a picture!
Photo by Andy Dunnett.
WS – Where did you sleep every night?, did you have a plan for accommodation?
JD – On average I stayed with local contacts / friends and family 2 nights out of 3, and camped under the sail 1 night out of 3. Sometimes I made a big effort to link up with people (usually if there was really bad weather forecast or if I really needed a shower) but more often than not I’d just see where I got to and work it out from there.
WS – Any close shaves with any sea life or ships?
JD – I saw thousands of seals and most days from North Cornwall around to South Yorkshire I would see dolphins. I got very familiar with the bird life and indeed would talk with them as if I knew them quite well. I became very attached to my friends at sea – they would really help to lift my mood if I was ever tired, uncomfortable, or worried. The only slight let down of the trip was not seeing any whales. I put this down to a lone windsurfer being small and uninteresting and too ‘quiet’, and to not sailing in the calm conditions most conducive to whale spotting. I had been a bit worried about hitting basking sharks or whales, so perhaps it was better this way! I accidentally cut across the bows of a ship in the Humber estuary (it was going very slowly). I twice got caught out by unmarked floating line from fishing nets. In the fog I stayed really close in, preferring to take my chances with rocks than get run over by fishing boats.
WS – Where and what did you eat on and off the water?
JD – I filled my drysuit pockets with usually Snickers bars, occasionally Mars bars. If I could find them then I’d sometimes mix it up with a Stoat bar. For the crossings and big days I’d put a Cliff bar in my pocket too – I really looked forward to those.
On the water I’d sail and eat, as I didn’t like leaving my sail sloshing around in the sea. At the end of the day I’d often get fed by local contacts, who were very good at correctly predicting I’d be pretty hungry. If I was camping I would try to select somewhere with a pub handy and would usually have fish and chips. If I miscalculated, I’d cook a delicious and nutritious evening meal of packet pasta or couscous. Camp breakfast was cuppa porridge and coffee. Full English/Scottish was on the menu whenever available!
// Welcome home from friends and family.
Photo by Gregg Dunnett.
WS – How much money did you raise for charity
JD – The main charity I am raising funds for is Pancreatic Cancer research. It is a horrible disease that takes people who really are too young to go, and leaves gaping holes in families. A personal experience is why I chose this charity, but on my journey I heard from dozens more who have lost siblings, partners, parents or other loved ones to this disease. The alternative charity I chose is for education in Tanzania. I wanted an option to donate to a charity that was less western centric. Cancer is, after all, a very western worry. About £6500 has been donated so far, but the MyDonate pages are still open. Please see windsurfroundbritain.co.uk if you would like to make a donation.
“ The absence of the desire to windsurf around Britain is of itself liberating and allows me to focus on other things more easily ”
WS – Was it an emotional moment when you made it right round, 98 days after you set off?
JD – Strangely, no. The main emotion at this time was relief at having not cocked it up with a breakage or ‘schoolboy error’ late on. I also think I find it easier to be emotional when I am not the centre of attention! It was a hugely emotional journey, but the overwhelming emotions came at more private times. I find it emotional (powerful) now when I go for a walk on the beach and look out to sea. I think “I sailed past here” and I feel very much at peace with myself.
WS – Who were your support crew on the land?
JD – My brother Gregg was chief landing options and weather update consultant(!) and I would phone him most days. We are on exactly the same wavelength, so I could have total trust in whatever he told me. He also did a few blog posts when I neglected or was unable to fulfil my social media duties. John Clarke helped with the design and build of barrel carrier, and we had long talks about navigation and how to approach the tricky bits. I’d call John to talk through the plan – which would make me feel better! At key times his advice steadied me.
WS – We hear you are writing a book, was that always your intention?
JD – I didn’t think enough would happen to warrant a book, so it definitely wasn’t an intention! But lots of people have encouraged me to write, so I will give it a go. I hope I’ll come up with something decent. I need to dedicate more time to writing!
// Seals on a sandbank off Lowestoft.
Photo by Jono Dunnett.
WS – What has the transition been like back to normal life?
JD – It has been OK so far. I’ve not had any major come-down.
WS – Do you feel like the experience has changed you?
JD – Absolutely. The absence of the desire to windsurf around Britain is of itself liberating and allows me to focus on other things more easily. Furthermore, I am happier in my own skin, and I think it is likely I have become a more resilient person. I believe that there has been a very fundamental and positive change.
WS – What advice would you give to anyone inspired for their own windsurf adventure?
JD – Do it, of course! But plan and, most of all – test! There is no substitute for testing. And please, make it safe! Beyond that, the most important thing is to START! After that, the most important thing is to KEEP GOING. That’s all there is to it.
WS – Finally what’s next for Jono Dunnett?
JD – I think at some point Frank Dye’s epic Wayfarer trip to Norway needs to be recreated. You up for it Clyde?
PWA World Cup windsurfer Oda Johanne enjoying her training days in the Caribbean on Bonaire. Watch this 1 minute clip and see her day at the office
Filmed by lacbayvilla.com.
(Prices include delivery anywhere globally 10 times a year.)
The .com issue – Is the internet good or bad for windsurfing? – John Carter asks the pros, Traversa unplugged in Mozambique, disconnected in Tasmania – off grid adventure with Flo Jung, South Cornwall waves – Praa Sands explored, Azores travel, Windguru founder interview, Maui Ultra Fins new weed/shallow water fin lowdown, Summer wetsuit guide, Slalom test: 115l. boards & 7.8m 3-cam sails and part two of Harty’s onshore tips.
BIG JUICY READS
THE LATE SESH
John Carter hooks up his Iphone to roam in Margaret River in the company of Scotty McKercher and Philip Koester, finding a break that tests the best but still remains a beauty worth detouring for.
TASMANIA
Flo Jung disconnects from the internet in a journey to the ends of the earth in Tasmania to find the wild roots of a windsurf trip again.
TRAVELLING FREE
Thomas Traversa, Jules Denel and Gilles Calvet travel to Mozambique to windsurf but along the way discuss social media and its outcome on our windsurfing world.
CYBERSAILING
John Carter recruits John Skye, Chris Murray, Chris Pressler and Guy Cribb for a both hilarious and thought provoking discussion on the good and the bad of the internet’s impact on windsurfing.
DUTY FREE – THE MOTLEY CREW RAID OF PRAA SANDS
Timo Mullen and Ian Black set out to find the windsurfing treasure of South Cornwall; explorer in chief, John Carter, tells the salty tale of their voyage.
AZORES
The Azores is within easy reach of Europe and offers verdant lands and rich coastlines full of exuberant life. María Andrés and Emilio Galindo tell their story of finding a paradise only a few hours away but still having all the adventure you could wish for.
GEAR SHED
115 LITRE SLALOM BOARDS
Our testers review the high octane hulls of the slalom race course.
7.8 3 CAM SAILS
De-tuned slalom engines or super charged compromise? – the test team find out.
GA SAILS PHANTOM 7.8M,
LOFTSAILS SWITCHBLADE 7.8M,
NORTH SAILS S_TYPE SL 7.8M,
RRD FIREWING MKIV 7.8M,
SEVERNE OVERDRIVE R7 7.8M,
TEKKERS
PETER HART TECHNIQUE – ONSHORE Part 2
Real Tales – Harty continues his exploration and explanation of sailing waves in onshore winds, this time calling on the experiences of some informed locals.
MOVE ON UP WITH JEM HALL – THE MOVES THAT MATTER PART 2
Jem continues his ‘Moves that matter’ with the tricks, jumps and wave riding tips to help you improve at all levels.
HOW TO – ONE FOOTED BACK LOOP
Graham Ezzy tells us how to drop a leg in a back loop, advocating ”the best ways to get better is trying completely different moves that are beyond your ability!”.
BOARDSHORTS
LATEST & GREATEST
Spies recruited, listening devices planted and no lead left unturned. Ross Kemp can’t go where we can – we bring you the latest reportage from windsurfing’s cutting edges – sort of!
LOWDOWN
Maui Ultra Fins Delta series
– Maui Ultra Fins
Designer Rick Hanke is an aeronautic engineer by trade but we caught up with him to find out more about his innovative fin design – the Delta series – for shallow and weedy waters.
WINDGURU: THE INTERVIEW
Almost certainly part of your daily internet diet as a windsurfer is www.windguru.cz. Used by everyone from weekend warrior to the PWA, we spoke to its founder, Vaclav Hornik, for a closer look at one of windsurfing’s most popular websites.
SPRING SUMMER WETSUIT GUIDE
Winter was so last winter, spring/summer is where it’s at for our May issue and to kick off the new season we’ve rounded up some of the latest offerings of fresh rubber from the brands.
SITTIN’ ON THE DUNNY
EDITORIAL
The Editor explores the effects of the internet on windsurfing and how best to manage it while staying true to the soul of our sport.
AFFAIRS OF THE HART – SAILING MATES
Harty eloquently discusses how the company you keep on the water can make or break a day.
£2000 PRIZE FUND FOR UKWA SLALOM AT CLACTON SEA AND BEACH FESTIVAL
£2000 PRIZE FUND FOR UKWA SLALOM AT CLACTON SEA AND BEACH FESTIVAL
On Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th of June 2016, UKWA (United Kingdom Windsurfing Association) will be hosting Round 4 of its National Slalom Race Series at Clacton Sea and Beach Festival.
The Slalom Racing will form part of the Clacton Festival’s inaugural International/National Watersports Championships, which consists of Kite, SUP and Windsurfing. There will be a range of categories to suit all abilities, from novice and amateur to professional.
This is the 2nd year of the Clacton Sea and Beach Festival, which attracted over fifty thousand visitors in 2015. With its carnival atmosphere, live music and huge variety of activities to entertain visitors besides the spectacular action on the water, there will certainly be plenty to do and see throughout the weekend.
There is a £2000 prize fund for the windsurf racing, which will be distributed as follows;
Professional Fleet
1st £750
2nd £500
3rd £250
4th £100
5th £50
Amateur Fleet
1st £75
2nd £50
3rd £25
Ladies Fleet
£150 prize money will be distributed depending on which ladies categories take place over the weekend.
In order to compete, sailors must be a current member of the UKWA or a non-UK resident who is a member of either their national windsurfing association or an ISAF Member. Temporary UKWA membership may be extended to all fleets once only and to Master Blaster competitors (any kit, starting from the beach) repeatedly.
Further details on UKWA membership, race entry and discounts for pre-entry can be found at www.ukwindsurfing.com
Little edit of the last good Scirocco day in Porto Corsini, close to Ravenna, on March 5th 2016. 18 to 30 knots sideon wind and some fun little waves from 2-5 feet. I’ve also mixed some different GoPro angles for some POV shots of some takas and pushloops. Il beat is called “Creepin” and was produced with FL12.
Enjoy.
