After Adam Lewis’s incredible season on the PWA world tour finishing 5th overall in the rankings, beating the likes of Jaeger Stone, Danny Bruch, Brawzinho and Thomas Traversa, you’d think Adam would take some time to put his feet up with a well deserved cup of tea. Instead he opted for the rigours of a ridiculous travel itinerary, sailing and surfing in ice-cold temperatures from dawn ‘til dusk to chase the raw elements in the wilds of Ireland in the company of John Carter and Timo Mullen. Read on as the crew detail the highs and lows of their trip.

Words  Adam Lewis, John Carter & Timo Mullen  //

Photos  John Carter

Originally published within the March ’18 edition.

WACKY RACES
JC “It all started at 2.30pm on a Monday afternoon in early November as I was mulling over the upcoming forecast. A large storm sweeping across from Iceland towards Scotland was all set to unleash a huge long period northwest swell which would hammer the west coast of Ireland and filter its way all the way down to the likes of Nazaré in Portugal and the Canary Islands. Timo had mentioned he was thinking of flying to Ireland on the ‘red eye’ flight on Tuesday morning but was waiting until the very last minute for any late forecast curveballs. Tuesday was showing the biggest waves but at the same time slightly wafty winds while Wednesday was more solid for wind but with rain and cold temperatures added into the equation. While still pondering at 3pm, a thought struck me that Adam Lewis had mentioned at the BWA Cornwall Classic the previous weekend that if we were planning any missions then to keep him in the loop. So randomly I sent Adam a message to see if he was keen for a last minute trip to Ireland. Two minutes later Adam was on the phone keen as mustard to join us.

The next few hours then turned into classic Motley Crew mayhem. First of all Timo reckoned if Adam was to fully earn his stripes then it would be more economical to drive and catch an overnight ferry in order to fit in all the required windsurfing kit rather than pay for three flights and all the excess baggage. Stena Line had the best options but it meant that we would have to be in Holyhead Wales by 2.30 am to catch the necessary ferry. Winding back the clock it pretty much meant that I would have to pack and leave home within the next 15 minutes! Bearing in mind my wife currently had no idea I was even going away I knew this was going to go down like a lead balloon. Adam meanwhile was on his way to Plymouth to visit his girlfriend Lucy’s granny. If he was ‘in’ he would be forced to U-turn, head home to Porthtowan and then Timo would pick him up as he was staying at his house in Gwithian, surely a decent test of his Motley Crew credentials. My instructions were to race to the Isle of Wight ferry, head to Southampton Central railway station and then catch a train to Birmingham International station to hopefully meet Adam and Timo en route to Wales. The plan was quite abstract but pretty much the only way we could all make the rendezvous at the Stena Line ferry and be in time for the peak of the swell the following morning. So with absolutely no room for error and all three of us currently headed in totally different directions, what could possibly go wrong? Well, firstly the news was taken slightly brashly both by my wife and Lucy. We were already in the doghouse before leaving! I had no time to pack, I just chucked a few batteries, a toothbrush, one t-shirt and my memory cards into my camera bag and hoped I’d enough bare essentials to last the next few days. By the time I had dragged my bags in and out of my car, on and off the boat, into a bus and then off at Southampton central, Timo and Adam were already in Porthtowan loading up the van. The trip started badly as I managed to board the wrong train headed for Birmingham New Street and not Birmingham International as per strict instructions from Timo. Fortunately I managed to change at Reading and two hours later we were all united in Birmingham with just the three hours drive left to the Stena Ferry at Holyhead.

BREEZY
Fast forward from Holyhead, Wales at 2:30 am, a 3 hour bumpy overnight ferry, a further 3 hour drive across Ireland from Dublin and by 9:30 am we pull over the hill into Magheroarty for that first revealing view of what the Atlantic had in store for us. I am not sure before this moment if Adam was already having regrets of what he had let himself in for, I knew I certainly was!
But the view looking down on the break was enough to wipe away the arduous journey with clean corduroy lines of perfect surf pumping into the bay. Not to mention that this famous Irish break is also one of the most beautiful windsurfing locations on the planet. Yep right up in the far northwestern corner of Donegal, this Irish gem is surrounded by mystical mountains, stunning sand dunes and pristine Atlantic coastline. It’s a picture postcard location as well as having one of the best setups for windsurfing you can possibly imagine with a reef, beach break and flat water all to hand!
At this stage we were not sure if it was windy enough to sail but certainly the potential was there for an epic day on the water. Down by the shore we could make out three lone surfers way out in the line-up of easy double overhead sets. The forecast was for the wind to pick up by noon but Timo was not going to wait around for the breeze to hit the water and declared that we were all going surfing. With the ground still frosty we apprehensively all suited and booted and headed out into the icy water just as a close out set broke the whole way between Magheroarty and Tory Island. Was this set one of the first forerunners of a massive building swell? I was already nervous! Fortunately we all survived, with Adam passing his first induction with flying colours after catching a few bomb sets. By noon we were back at the van defrosting just in time to catch the first southwesterly gusts to funnel through the mountains. We barely had time to rush down a few morsels of lunch before Timo was issuing orders to rig up float and ride setups ready for the next session.

RAW
In the raw breeze I could barely feel my fingers on the beach as I prepared my camera gear. In my books November hardly counts as winter time but this was a stark reminder of those unpleasant numb hands and ice cream headaches come January and February. As Timo and Adam putted out through the channel the wind seemed to flicker to the off switch and after persevering to catch waves for over an hour the boys were eventually forced to throw in the towel and admit defeat. A huge double rainbow framed the sky as the boys dragged their kit back up the beach but five minutes later the skies opened with driving rain. Typical Irish weather! We were warned that cold temperatures can mean fickle winds in Ireland and today the dice did not roll our way but at least we had scored a surf to clear our heads. If you don’t take any chances by chasing conditions then you will never get to reap the rewards so they say! Today was not our day in terms of scoring amazing windsurfing but now we were right on the spot and ready for what might come our way tomorrow. After little or no sleep the previous night we had booked into the Loch Altan Hotel just outside Magheroarty where a hearty meal washed down with a few pints of Guinness capped off a decent first day. So far Adam had just about scraped a pass on his Motley Crew induction but we still had plenty of time to break him down!

NO PAIN NO GAIN
The next morning we piled into the van at 7.30am after a tucking into a hearty full Irish breakfast from the hotel. The curtains were shut on yesterday’s sunny skies with a thick grey blanket of clouds which as the day progressed deteriorated into drizzly rain with poor visibility! On the positive side, Magheroarty was firing, a clean logo to mast high swell was rifling down the reef, groomed nicely by a steady cross off wind. Today there was no hesitation to hit the water, the conditions were pumping and we had the place all to ourselves. Looking at the two sides of the equation, all Adam and Timo had to do was to go out there and have fun in perfect waves whilst my side of the bargain was to trudge around in the drizzle whilst slowly becoming drenched to the bone. To add to my misery, news filtered through that Traversa was smashing it again, this time in Nazare, Portugal. By midday we were joined on the water by Finn Mellon (who had drove all the way from Dingle, Kerry), Megan Gayda, a hardy crew of locals plus some French visitors who apparently had been tempted over to Ireland after seeing one of Timo’s videos. Conditions were hot but the weather was not! With the wind very offshore the waves were butter smooth but at the same time slightly tricky for Timo and Adam to power through their top turns. Even though it was tough sailing there were some huge airs going down on the reef with Timo determined to show Adam that local knowledge can be a match for a top five world tour ranking any day of the week.
When the tide receded to dead low we were afforded a quick break to load up on snacks and try to warm up in front of the heater in the van. Ireland in the winter is certainly no Hawaii in terms of weather and consistency but it can more than make up for it when you strike it lucky with just a handful of other sailors. By the end of the next session, the rain had turned up another notch and with the light fading that was it for me as far as pictures were concerned. Of course Timo had just warmed up, and with his starter and main course taken care of, there was still plenty of time for dessert and one final session. Fair play to Adam, he was back out too for his third sail of the day and once again both sailors clocked up their wave count right through until dusk. The story didn’t quite finish there and then, when typically a forecast change introduced a new plan to head up to Northern Ireland the following day. We whisked ourselves right into the heartland of the Game of Thrones set and scored big time, but that is a whole other story!”

ADAM LEWIS
“This was to be my first proper Motley Crew trip; I’ve known Timo and JC for years and always got on really well with the guys so it was awesome to get a chance to spend a bit more time with them. I feel it definitely started in what I imagine to be true Motley Crew style. I was half way to Plymouth to visit my girlfriend’s grandma when I got a call from JC to see if I was up for a trip, I love NW Ireland so just jumped at the chance straight away. Within minutes Timo called me too, there was a snag if we wanted to make it to the ferry in Holyhead we needed to leave Cornwall immediately. We turned off at the next junction and put all family responsibility on hold as I was up against it to get home to Porthtowan in time to meet Timo on the way up to pick up JC in Birmingham. Talk about last minute, but I guess the best calls always are and having read about their trips over the years it definitely felt like a classic Motley Crew trip straight off the bat! After a bit of stress with JC getting on the wrong train, the rest of the trip felt pretty uneventful apart from the no sleep with the 2am ferry and 4am arrival in Dublin. We stopped for a petrol station fry up baguette (which is a must) and made it in record time, arriving to a pumping swell. Having been to NW Ireland before but never to Magheroarty, I was really excited as Ireland is honestly my favourite place on the planet! I had an idea of what to expect, although what we got definitely wasn’t what I’d anticipated…it was even better!

ON THE WAVE
It was a bit tricky to get the timing right to start with. The wind was really offshore and super light. It sort of made it really hard to get into the wave, when it’s like that I think it’s key not to go too far out and try and stay really up on the peak to make sure you’ve got the best chance on getting into the good ones. It always feels a bit risky to stay so close to the impact zone especially when the wind is light but it’s the best thing to do and worth the risk. I was on a 5.0 and a 94 stubby proto, with any bigger gear like that it’s quite hard to get back into the pocket when your turning especially when the winds so offshore as you are really underpowered and then all of a sudden really powered up with a lot of lift coming from the bigger board. That made timing the wave key. You could see straight away Timo has sailed it since he was a kid and he made all the right choices on the wave dropping and meeting sections with ease and busting a few monster airs! A few times I was sure I was too deep but the wave walls up and just holds longer than you think. After a few waves too early and a few too late I managed to find a few nice sections to hit and a few that walled up through the inside to offer a couple of bigger gouging turns. It’s really rewarding to struggle like that a bit and then feel like you are getting into it, that smooth offshore direction does set up for a few awesome full drawn out bottom turns which can feel better than a top turn! It almost felt like it would suit a more side shore wind direction that would allow you to come back around and attack that awesome pocket that Magheroarty offers and I will 100 percent be back for more!”

TIMO MULLEN
“Yeah this was a pretty standard Motley Crew trip but I would say even by our standards this was VERY last minute! Fortunately Stena Line were on hand to as always give excellent customer service and despite the fact we were leaving so last minute their team had us all booked on the late Holyhead/Dublin crossing and thankfully with a cabin to get a much needed sleep! We were pretty lucky with the conditions, I’d say it was one of the cleanest days I have ever had at Magheroarty, if anything it was almost too cross off but that would be being ridiculously fussy!! The main peak at Magheroarty is a pretty heavy bowl when it is this offshore, normally the main peak is where you start your first turn when it is side shore but when it is more offshore to really get the full potential of the wave you have to backdoor the first peak and smack it!!!
The aerials you can get off this first peak are pretty insane, much like I imagine Punta Preta to be like. I had a fair few good ones where you would just float forever before landing and attacking the rest of the bowly walls that make this place so good. This was Adam’s first time here and after half an hour he soon found the sweet spot and was sailing the place like he had been there for years! It was a shame it rained so much as at bit of sunshine would have made this day one of the best I’ve ever had up here but that same weather can add to the adventure and remind you that Magheroarty is so remote and the first port of call for any weather system from the Atlantic.”

ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS
Ever wonder what the ‘crew’ pack for a road trip? Adam, Timo and JC list their essentials.

ADAM’S QUIVER
It turns out I was a little out of line in Motley Crew etiquette here as I did pack a backpack with some spare clothes, although I did have to go straight on to see my girlfriend’s parents so it all was sort of essential!

Windsurf Gear:
Fanatic Stubby proto 94
Fanatic Stubby 82
Fanatic Grip 82
K4 fins – Scorcher 18 x 3, Ezzy sides 10 x 3
North Super Hero 5.0, 4.7, 4.5, 4.2
2 x North Platinum Aero 2.0 140-190 booms
3 x 400 North Platinum Mast
2 x 370 North Platinum Mast
2 x North XT Aero Extension

Accessories:
4.3 Ion Onyx Wetsuit x 2
5.4 Ion Onyx Wetsuit
Ion hooded vest
Ion Ballistic wetsuit socks
Ion waist harness

Personal gear:
MacBook + Charger
1 x spare socks
2 x spare boxers
1 x spare t-shirt
1 x warm Joggers

Warm jacket and coat
1 x Electric razor
1 x Toothbrush and toothpaste
1 x Omega fish oils (my memory is terrible and I’m hoping it will get better!)
1 x iPhone 7 Plus
1 x Calendar/to do list

TIMO’S QUIVER

Windsurf gear:
Severne 101 Quad
Severne  91 Quad
Severne 83 Nano
Severne 81 Quad
Severne Blade 3.5m-5.3m
Severne S1 Pro 5.6m
Severne Enigma Boom
Severne RDM Red and Blue masts

Accessories:
2 x Severne Primo Wetsuit 5/3 (Always pack 2 x wetsuits for Ireland)
Severne Air Waist Harness

Personal gear:
Not much!! Basically just a backpack, as I still have to work when I’m away so I always take all my work stuff with me.
Macbook Pro
1 x Severne t-shirt
1 x Toothbrush
Very warm coat!

JC’S QUIVER
On a road trip in terms of camera gear all I bring is what I am able to physically carry around with me for a whole day! Photographing windsurfing means moving about, finding different angles and usually you don’t have time to run back to the van to pick up a fancy lens. I have to make sure that if it chucks it down with rain I can stuff everything under my jacket to save it from being destroyed so a decent
waterproof jacket is essential!

Camera gear:
Think Tank roller bag
Canon  EOS-1D X body, Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body
Canon 500 F4 lens, 70-200 F2.8 lens, 24-70 F2.8 lens
Spare batteries/ chargers/ memory cards
Gitzo Tripod

Personal gear:
Motley rules state that only the very bare minimum personal effects are allowed so apart from the clothes you wear when you leave home pretty much nothing else is allowed!
1 x t-shirt
Wellington boots
1 x Toothbrush
iPhone 6

Travel notes

Ferry
The Stena Line Holyhead to Dublin service offers a direct link from Britain to Ireland on the Stena Adventurer or Stena Superfast X from as little as £79 for a single car plus driver. The crossing time is approximately 3 hrs 15 mins with a choice of up to four sailings a day on each ship. Both the Stena Superfast X and the Stena Adventurer offer a range of fantastic facilities to enjoy onboard including ensuite cabins, great value meal deals, retail shopping with up to 50% off on big brands, free cinemas, fun for kids as well as the relaxing Stena Plus Lounge and free WiFi. Upgrade to the exclusive Stena Plus lounge from only £18 per person and relax in spacious and comfortable surroundings.
To make a booking, see www.stenaline.co.uk

Hotel
Excellent accommodation at the Hotel Loch Altan which is literally 5 minutes from Magheroarty beach, they have a specific discounted rate for windsurfers that includes your breakfast. They serve the best home cooked food so basically the Loch Altan is your one stop for bed, food and Guinness!!!
www.ostanlochaltan.com
00353 (0) 74 9135267

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