FAMOUS FIVE – PORTLAND TO LULWORTH COVE

It’s a stormy old day down in Dorset but that does not deter the Famous Five heading out on a jolly good treasure hunt along the lovely coastline between Portland and Lulworth Cove. In the absence of Timothy the dog, JC is thrown the bone to chase the five and help search for clues on this perilous adventure and of course help save them from any nasty trouble. Can the five make it? Can JC survive more than three hours without any cheese and onion crisps? Or will they all be captured by baddies and forced to tell all their secrets and walk home with no wetsuits and only have baked beans for tea?

Words & Photos  JOHN CARTER

(This feature originally appeared in the July 2015 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)

Yes this story has all the makings of an Enid Blyton classic, if Enid was actually illiterate of course. But before Mrs Blyton’s estate sues us and JC’s literary masterpiece hits the bins of the worst seller section on the shelves of your local bookstore, Windsurf Towers publishing house are going to spill the beans on what really happened when five heroic windsurfers braved the treacherous seas of the Jurassic Coast. So without further ado, once upon a time…

ALL GOOD PLANS – JOHN CARTER

“ Storm clouds looming on the horizon meant none of the sailors had any confidence on what sail size to rig ” ^{– JC}

“There is nothing more satisfying than making a plan, see it nearly fail, be postponed several times but then finally pull it off despite all sorts of last minute hurdles and mishaps. Just like Hannibal from the A-team, which the office often tell me I am nothing like, I love it when a plan comes together! I imagine it’s a bit like the guys at the Storm Chase might have felt, although the scale of this project was way bigger…well maybe not quite! My simple idea of organizing a down winder from Portland to Lulworth Cove seemed to be relatively straight forward but when you throw in the variables of weather, availability and all those other niggly bits and pieces, bringing together a few sailors, myself and a safety boat on a particular day was a lot more complicated than it looked on my tippex covered bit of paper.

After countless shenanigans and abandoned attempts, our opportunity finally loomed, a nice flow of westerly winds was forecast, Ross Williams had just stepped off the plane from a trip to Korea and Hawaii (lucky sod) and a valiant crew of local riders headed by Tris Best were chomping at the bit for a one way trip to explore some the finest scenery of the south coast of England. In a nutshell the plan was to depart from the OTC headquarters in Portland, with yours truly in a safety boat armed with cameras to record all the action. The infamous arch at Durdle Door just before Lulworth Cove was a definite target but aside from that we were going to just cruise along and shoot any bits of the coast that were interesting. After blasting out of the harbour, there wasn’t much of a plan aside from trying to stick together and not treating our mission as a race. We certainly didn’t want one hero to blast off solo and scatter the pack; this was a team mission with fun the essence of the whole concept! At certain points along the way the lure of a bag of giant chocolate cookies, five bananas and a crate of water bottles on the boat would hopefully bring us altogether so we could plan our next move! As the crow flies, the distance from start to finish was a mere ten miles but I am guessing you could easily double that windsurfing back and forwards adjacent to the coast. So that was the plan, we had a forecast for 18-25 knot westerly winds, a few odd showers and sunny spells, so dare I say it, what could possibly go wrong!

FIVE STAR!

The night before, I travelled down to Weymouth and managed to sneak in a quick pint in the Old Ship Inn with Ross and Kevin Greenslade, yep a solid start to the adventure. Next up I was excited to find out what Ross had organized as accommodation for the evening. A cosy hotel along Weymouth promenade? Or perhaps a luxury private house with sauna and Jacuzzi on the waterfront at Portland?, err well almost; yep you guessed it, a damp mattress in the back of Ross’s 2008 Volkswagen van parked up in a howling gale outside the OTC. Actually sleeping in the van was not so bad, but the wind outside which must have been blowing forty knots, was a bit of a worry. By 11am the next morning the wind had settled a little, everyone was rigged and ready but the presence of storm clouds looming on the horizon meant none of the sailors had any confidence on what sail size to rig. By this time it was now or never for the mission to go ahead, there was absolutely no way we were going to pull the plug so I jumped in the boat with Jock our trusty driver and headed into the unknown. Over the next three hours I endured driving rain, hail the size of golfballs (almost!), the odd burst of brilliant sunshine, howling wind, zero wind and calm waters right through to treacherous choppy swell. But having said all that, I had a bloody excellent time. The weather almost destroyed the whole success of the mission but in the end I think it actually made it! I mean what’s a challenge without any challenges! Well that was my feelings but what about the sailors – over to the famous five!

“ The gusts and lulls were so hard to read because of the swell and rain distorting the normal signs on the water’s surface ” ^{– TRIS BEST}

“The logistics from my side of organising the downwinder were quite straightforward, a keen, friendly and tirelessly enthusiastic (I’ll stop now) photographer, a super qualified and dependable RIB driver, with an equally dependable boat and finally, the easy part, the sailors! There was certainly no shortage of windsurfing friends who were champing at the bit to be part of the expedition. The biggest issue was timing that and everyone’s availability with a decent forecast. We tried in vain during the autumn with a small window of opportunity, but the gods were acting against us and the predicted winds fizzled to nothing. We needed a solid consistent westerly wind. Even a south westerly was okay, but too much north in it and the wind would be too fickle on the inside near the cliffs between Ringstead and Durdle Door. It also needed to be windy, at least 20knots plus on the forecast, as the last thing you want to do is a downwinder off the plane! Funny things happen to the wind in lee of the harbour. In a prevailing direction, the wind squeezes over Chesil bank between Portland Island and the mainland, increasing in strength and giving Portland Harbour its reputation as the most consistent and windiest location on the south coast. So if you’re completely stacked in the harbour as you set off, there’s a good chance you’ll be okay for the rest of the trip.

So with that in mind I chose a Tabou Rocket Wide 18 and Neil Pryde Ryde 7.0m. My equipment choice was all about range and control so I opted for a set up that would give super easy handling, be forgiving and most importantly fun to use. I wanted to enjoy the trip rather than step into a ring with Mother Nature; an opponent I knew could beat me into a pulp! I put the back straps of my board on their inside setting, so that I could place my back foot closer to the centreline. That meant I would be more comfortable as I pushed downwind and could stand up over the board and relax if I needed to take a breather. I also chose a sail with a great range on one setting so that I had power in the marginal moments and control when the wind kicked up a stink!

The wind on the day was nothing if not variable! The forecast was perfect, but throw in some heavy spring showers with mushrooming clouds and you had the predictability and consistency similar to that of a French six-nTRIS BESTations rugby team! Wall to wall sunshine switched to a heavy hail storm in a matter of minutes, from being stacked in 30 knots plus, to becalmed so much that it was hard to balance on the board let alone move forward in any one direction. This trip had it all which was probably why it was so enjoyable; all the elements simply added to the drama and challenge. The low point personally was setting off in the harbour and being owned by the three slalom maestros as they blasted off and there was nothing I could do about it. I was thinking, “Oh crap, chosen the wrong kit and I will be holding everyone up!” but the high point was sailing deep downwind when conditions got fruity. Thinking, “Ah, easy, light freeride kit was the right choice!”

I do love Durdle Door. I’ve done the trip down there three times now, twice from Portland and once from K-Bay coming back the other way in an easterly. It’s a stunningly beautiful neck of the woods. There are also always tourists there as well, who are a little bit taken aback and bemused as a fleet of windsurfers seemingly come from nowhere and blast around the Door. It is always fun to have an audience to play up to. First lesson I was ever taught in windsurfing when I was a grommet was ‘if you can’t pose, you can’t windsurf!’ Out there with my mates all going for it was awesome. We were all trying to read the signs in the clouds and weather patterns to get the gust and plane as soon as possible. It wasn’t a race of course but it is always nice to be out in front and scoring a lucky gust!

There was one funny moment that sticks in the memory. Joe North, my workmate on the trip, was deep downwind of me between Ringstead and Durdle Door. One minute I look down to him whilst I am marooned off the plane and I see he has a gust, is hiked out and fanging. I look away jealous as I try to balance just to stay on the board. Ten seconds later I look downwind again and I can’t see Joe anymore. I scan the area where he should have been … only to see him emerge from the water under the sail. He had run straight into a mega lull and had levelled himself. Joe is a great sailor, but the gusts and lulls were so hard to read because of the swell and rain distorting the normal signs on the water’s surface. The short last leg between Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove was easily the hardest. The wind picked up to around 30knots and the tidal stream was pushing up the coast against the wind direction. To make matters worse, it started bucketing with rain again so you struggled to see. I pushed downwind on a squall as the wind came in and gybed, thinking I would make it into the Cove on the next leg. I looked back at the coast and saw I was actually still right by the Door! As Si Pettifer said, “It’s like someone kept moving Durdle Door down the coast with you!” It was pretty entertaining and certainly gives you a healthy respect for the strength of the current. I also learnt that Ross is a master at balancing on slalom kit in no wind and that Kev is blisteringly fast when he comes past you; it felt as if you were standing still. I heard Cribby is mooting the idea of a far bigger trip in the near future, starting much further up the coast and finishing in Poole. I think if this trip proved anything it is that Cribby’s trip is only for the super uber-fit and of course the insane!”

ROSS WILLIAMS

“It was always going to be a little bit of a gamble as to what would be the best sized equipment to take on an adventure like this. My thoughts were it is always best to be comfortable, so chose to take as small a sail as I could use but still plane with a big board that is stable and wide. I think the 7.9m Vapor and my 81 Manta was the correct choice, as we pretty much got every strength of wind you could imagine. I had never sailed that stretch of coast line and I had often wondered what it would be like to do so. It really was quite a beautiful area and when you are sailing next to the tall cliffs you are getting a view that you know so few people have ever seen before, so that really made it start to feel like an adventure. I think anytime when you are out on the water with friends enjoying yourself it can make that day feel special and you can totally relax and live in the moment. I didn’t really feel like there were any low points! Sure we encountered some heavy rain and hail, the wind wasn’t perfect all the time and the sun didn’t shine all the way. But it was those moments when the sun did burst through and the white chalk cliffs sparkled, with the water a bright brilliant turquoise blue in contrast to the dark rain that really made the trip spectacular. I would love to do another trip like it again, any journey from point A to point B. Maybe even stopping over night to camp on the beach! Bring it on!”

KEVIN GREENSLADE

“I was really excited about doing this down winder, I’ve been along this coastline a number of times on yachts so was well aware of its natural beauty. To windsurf along it with four close mates and with JC hopefully catching some great shots for the memories was an amazing opportunity. With the wind blowing WNW it was always going to be gusty so I decided to rig for the lulls and hang on in the squalls taking my 8.6 GA Vapour and my 135 Tabou Manta (little did I know I could never have rigged for some of the lulls where the wind went right down to zero). Leaving Portland was awesome we had a solid breeze and were just having to wait around for the sun to play ball occasionally. We all blasted down to Overcombe pretty quickly as the first squall hit us on the way. When it rained we seemed to be left with massive lulls and after drifting down to Ringstead with only a few opportunities to get planing I have to admit we were all laughing about being completely becalmed in a massive hail storm. Deep down I was feeling pretty disappointed, thinking we had been skunked with the most beautiful part of the coast line still to come. We all drifted and carried on despite a reasonable swell making wallowing around in close to zero wind pretty tricky.

Ross had gone down the inside, in under the cliffs hoping for the wind and sun to arrive while Tris had ventured way out back in the search of a gust. With this I spotted that Tris had scored decent wind on the outside and it just happened to be followed by clearing blue skies. This was the stand out moment for me going from feeling a little bit pissed that we had been skunked by the wind, to blasting around in the sunshine whooping and hollering with the boys along what is probably the most beautiful area along the Jurassic coast. The colour of the water right under the chalk cliffs was just incredible by itself let alone with that scenery behind it. Rocking up at Lulworth cove was a great feeling with the mission accomplished and to no surprise the sun came out and the wind blew solid for the rest of the day!

There was plenty of the usual banter on the way home and for me, this was a really inspiring trip. I am pretty into the idea of the whole adventure side of our sport and have wanted to have a go at doing a cross channel trip from Weymouth to Cherbourg for charity for a few years now, so this has given me a small insight of what to expect. For sure I plan on doing more trips like this so if there are any other stretches of the coast JC wants to explore just give me a shout and I am in!”

SIMON PETTIFER

“Well I chose the Fanatic 138 with a 46 F-hot fin and my Simmer Scr 8.4 as the wind was up and down and I didn’t fancy being under powered. As it happened the wind was so up and down I’m not sure there was a correct size sail to take. Ross went with a 7.9 being lighter than me he seemed just right on that, along with his better pumping techniques. The sticking together was fine for the first part of the trip, but when the wind went super gusty after the last squall it was a case of get a gust and go with it and the other guys did, unfortunately I didn’t and seemed to get stuck at Durdle Door, the tide and the fact I couldn’t get on the plane meant that every time I gybed I seemed to be in the same place whilst the others were up and away, some mates they are! The cramp in my forearms and calves wasn’t helping much either! Aside from that, the trip was incredible and I’d love to do it again with more wind. The water was a spectacular colour next to the cliff’s at Durdle Door, although the swell was super frustrating when the wind vanished. Low points were Ross scoffing my chocolate cookie and just as I reached the rib to get a much needed drink, everyone flew off downwind.It is super important to have a confident and experienced RIB driver! Firstly you don’t want your gear to get trashed by him if he pulls up next to you and he needs to know how to get you and your gear into the boat safely, if required. I was proper knackered by the end, no beating around the bush. I think all the light wind drifting in the swell just killed my legs and forearms with the constant balancing. No way did I think I was going to get that tired, I’m pretty sure if there had been a decent wind things would have been fine, but yeah I was spent. Throw in a hail storm with all the other weather and it was a pretty amazing experience. Next on my bucket list is Portland all the way to the Isle of Wight, past Swanage and the Needles, I think that could be an epic trip!”

JOE NORTH

“The conditions were a real challenge! We had everything from zero wind, up to gusting maybe 30 knots! I rode the 118 Tabou Speedster, and a 7m Severne NCX. The board was great, super comfortable over the distance and really quite quick for what it is! I just could have done with something a little wider for the no wind parts.The sail was really easy to use and probably the right size for me. At times the sailing was like a game of chess, with everyone making their own moves and heading on different routes. The high point was just to be out there with the guys and catching the rolling swell around the Ringstead area. There were no lows, I loved it! My favourite section of the coast line was the white cliffs around Durdle Door. Both Ross and Kev were sensationally fast, with Tris going further out at the right time to catch some the windiest gusts. I learned that Ross really is a solid sailor; I don’t think he even fell in! It was the conditions definitely that made it fun for me.  If we would have been planing all the way, it would have been way too easy!”

Thanks to the OTC and Angus Nairn from Rib Rescue (Ribrescue.com) for all the help. 

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