Back in the van for the third week in a row, though this time around I’m in Wales for the BWA Rhosneigr wave comp, though if forecasts are to be believed I should have been home tucked up in bed with the wife. Ok, the met office’s prediction of a windless sunny Saturday was spot on but there was no mention of it being the calm before the storm.

I’d like to say this was the stereotypical English Bank holiday weekend; unfortunately it was even worse, colder than Christmas if my thermometer was telling the truth. To make matters worse I’d not only persuaded our friends to join at the W4CR (windsurfing for cancer research) event on Hayling Island, but also offered them deluxe accommodation in my awning. A few bottles of red sorted out the could but nothing could hold back the constant drizzle.

To say it was windy at the weekend would be an understatement, though looking at the water state when we arrived on Friday evening it was hard to believe the vans rocking in the wind would be depriving us of sleep. Reece and I had travelled down to Weymouth to see how the British Slalom Competition is shaping up for the year, and let’s just say we left with one word in mind, competitive.

if the only way is essex then it has to be Wet 'n' Dry. clearly it wasn't windy when I dropped in as they were all in the shop working, seems like any sign of wind and you'll find one of them has shot of to the beach for a bit of water action

Summer is only two hours away; at least that’s how it felt. My son Reece and I joined Shaun and Anthony for a dawn sail at Clacton and while the conditions were epic for our local beaches but despite handing onto a 4.2 I was still bloody freezing. That was soon rectified with a couple of hours behind the wheel, stepping out of the van on Shoreham beach it felt like summer.

The video I put on Facebook had my phone ringing off the hook “how did you get that footage” seemed to be the question of the week. I’d like to say it was a bit of clever trickery but walked up the beach with a plane that dripping sea water of its wing tips while flames flickered from the cockpit I didn’t feel so cleaver.

Can’t remember spending many Easter weekends at home and would have expected to have woke to the smell of hot cross buns on Hayling Island for the BSA Slalom but with the BKSA coming to my home beach I could hardly have not been around to welcome them. Unfortunately, as with so many events, you can book the venue but you can’t book the weather.

With all the camera gear I have you’ll probably be wondering if its worth lugging around looking at a few of these pix but in my defence I couldn’t take a big camera into the game and I certainly wouldn’t have had it flying over head, let alone over water. Ok, I ditched the iPhone when we walked in the studio but this one was built for video.

Lack of wind didn’t stop us getting on the water, and when I say us, I mean the family, though looking through the pictures I’ve just realised I might be in trouble with some of them. Playing with video has made me miss a few family shots but its still the best button to press if you’d like to see past the shops display window.

Sometimes time slips by too quickly, so quickly I completely missed out last week’s blog, though I’m sure you’ll appreciate a week off from my drivel. Looking through my lens you’d think nothing happened but the truth is my camera gear has been in the workshop for a spring clean, though it would be cheaper to keep them with me as temptation got the better of me as the camera show.

Sometimes time slips by too quickly, so quickly I completely missed out last week’s blog, though I’m sure you’ll appreciate a week off from my drivel. Looking through my lens you’d think nothing happened but the truth is my camera gear has been in the workshop for a spring clean, though it would be cheaper to keep them with me as temptation got the better of me as the camera show.

Talk of drought and under the glare of a toasty hot sun makes it hard to believe we’re still in February, I’m not complaining but it was a sign I needed to spend the weekend getting the van ready. Last years work on the van felt like going back to those first road trips of my windsurfing roots, today it feels like the way for the future.

I must check windfinder three times a day and in my neck of the woods it was saying nothing happening until Saturday, even then I was under the cosh to stay local as we had a family party for my brother in-law’s 50th. The tide wasn’t playing ball for our local beaches but Southend is local right, so Reece, Shaun and I packed the van for the shortest of road trips.

Swapping the heat of South Africa for the snow of home reminded me of a host of articles sitting on my hard drive that will never find there way into print. I it all started with my Home Ground series, so I guess its no surprise I’d been working on a new bunch for the new year, but with no where to print them I might as well show a few pix on here.

I’ve never been short of a picture or two but having so many new ones that can’t share today is frustrating. I’m not sure if it was the destination or new family I’ve joined, to be honest its probably a mix of the two. I’m now on the plane home and wondering why I haven’t done this before, the sailing in Cape Town is amazing and only eclipsed by the hospitality.

couldn’t think of two better words to sum up my first week. The response from my “show me” video was more than I could have ever hoped for, and as for my comment about getting a double dose of luck, it couldn’t have been truer. It seems that I’m not the only one happy to for me to be working at Seasprite; I’d hardly had time to find the office before I was swapping wheels for wings.

Work’s a funny old game... Or at least mine seems to be. I only have to mention the word with family and friends and the barrage of abuse that floods back is outstanding. Let’s just say that most of it starts out with “lucky” and ends by questioning my parents’ marital status. And when I try to point out the pitfalls the standard reply ends with “you always come up smelling of roses”.

Seems like yesterday we were make the run between Icaraizinho and Jericoacoara on the back of a beach buggy, though seeing the gritting lorry rumbling past the door tonight was more than a reminder that many days and degrees have slipped by since we last sipped a few cocktails as the sun went down. I just hope the stars of the video enjoy it as much as I did making it.

At this time of year I’m normally using the still air as an excuse to trawl through last years pictures for a reminder of the year gone by. I’d seen some good winds had been predicted but nothing compared to what turned up, 50knots plus winds hit country wide and for the first time I was left wishing it a lull would come soon, my 6.2m was way too big.

My wife always thought man flu was just an excuse for men to have breakfast in bed, that changed when she saw the trees in the garden were bent double and I was still there asking for another cup of tea. Well you might as well milk it if you’re going to miss the last good day of the year, though I might not have had I known roles would be reversed days later.

This year couldn’t have been more different, last Christmas I spent most of the day working on my new van and while I had a similar plan I ended up spending more time in bed with Man flu. Yes, that’s a confession to being a wimp but I’ll take a physical injury any day of the week, only good thing is I’ve finished the into to the Brazil video.

The time since Brazil has slipped by so quickly I almost forgot to update this blog.  I’ve been glued to my computer learning how to make the best use of video footage from Brazil, though I’ll have to admit that a stream of phone calls has slowed the process down. I’m not complaining - far from it. How could I when most calls start with “Sorry to hear” and ended with “So what’s next?”

Anyone who rates the holiday destination by the how close to the beach the hotel is should head for Jeri as you hotel wont be near the beach but on it. Jeri is one of those places you have to experience to believe, “streets of sand and no roads for miles” are images that don’t always fill your mind with thoughts of luxury and yet walking along them feels like a privilege.

The final issue of Boards maybe on the shelf but with so much forward planning it's still directing my path. This trip to Brazil for Gem's photo technique was planned long ago and while I have no mag to put them in, it didn't seem right to leave him hanging without a photographer or as it turned out this week, a videographer.

Mum told me a simple thank you goes along way. I’m sure it does, but for the enjoyment I’ve had over the last years being part of the Boards team it seems to fall short of the mark. To be honest I’m not even sure where to begin as I’m still a little shell-shocked. I can’t believe the Boards team have been shown the door.

I'm not very often lost for words but while I work through the changes I found at home, I though a video would say more about the trip away. Sure there are a few others video's on my mpora account but this is the first where I didn't just do a simple follow around the factory, though I've still got a few more of those in the can.

Mention Maui and images of big waves spring to mind but the truth is Maui is not only sailable for every windsurfer, there’s a bunch of stuff to do other than windsurfing, which is a good job as everyday feels like two. That might sound a bit ridicules but most people get up early and seeing you can’t windsurf before 11am that give you more time for sightseeing than most on a normal holiday.

Every few years we have a big family holiday, fortunately my kids two favourite playgrounds fall in line with mine, Disney world or Maui. I guess Reese’s new found passion for windsurfing influenced his decision but to be honest it was an united decision to go for Maui and as the year passed the numbers swelled to twelve as friends joined, even persuaded my mum to come alone.

With so many pix from speed week I thought it better to save a few of the slalom ones for this blog, though as my wallet found out, taking them cost more than time. It rained almost every day in Tiree, something my camera couldn’t put up with and stopped working on the first day in Weymouth, by the last day time in the wettest rib ensured the other conked out.

The long journey from Tiree to Weymouth ensured I missed the first day of speed week, not that there was much to miss. The wind hardly rose above zero for the weekend, a shame for the kids as that’s the only time they get to use the course before heading back to school. Monday morning on the other hand was like a workday, if you’re a speed sailor that is.

The first time I came to Tiree I left the island with a 4th place, 25 years on and I’m leaving with another forth, guess I’ve left it too late to start improving. Seriously, I had a great time both on and off the water; the banter level in Tiree tends to go off the scale, finally there’s something positive for being old, I’ve heard it all before.

It’s easy to spend a night or two in the van but to ensure I’ve got things right I figured a longer trip would be the better test, so I’m heading up to Tiree to see Harty and then staying on for the Tiree Waves Classics    25th anniversary. Ok, I’ll confess, this isn’t the first time I’ve lived out of the van in Tiree, the last time I did this it was for the inaugural Tiree wave event.

Picking up the phone with a text from Timo saying “what are you doing all day Thursday” leaves me fearful of answering, plus having only just checked the forecast I new an insane drive would ensue, just not the one we got. Instead of driving the ends of the earth it was just a quick run up to Silverstone to run around in a few cars from the Porsche centre.

This is the first week in ages I haven’t got out on the water, though in fairness I had so much left to do for Boards mag that was a blessing in disguise, plus that allows me to use a few pictures that didn’t make the magazine earlier in the year and show our designer taking his first steps on a windsurfer.

Another great week windsurfing at both ends of the country. Sailed West Wittering on the Monday then spent the weekend in Scotland, even made a little video on the way home, though I should have put the video away and got on with some of the mag stuff, to say I’m a little behind would be an understatement so rather than gabble on about my week I’ll let the pictures do the talking and get back to work.

What a great week, wind everyday, back on a speed board and caught my boy’s first jump on camera. It’s been so long since I used a speed board I had to do more than dust it off, spiders had taken up residence in its foot straps. The week started and ended at Point Clear and both in great conditions, though it was Southend and Tide Mills that really made my week.

There can only be one subject this week, NWF might be in its sixth year but it feels like its been with us since the windsurf calendar was first created, this year was not only bigger and better, the weather served up everything from a dead calm to decent blow for the freestyle final. Sure we can always ask for more wind but we couldn’t have asked more from Alan Cross and his team.

Its easy to think very little happened this week, I just didn't capture it. Personally I caught a couple of good days on the water but there lies the problem, I was on the water rather than behind my lens. Point Clear is a great spot but with all the action happening on the far bank it's a real mission to get the camera out there, so we tend to save it for special occasions.

I count myself amongst the lucky few who cannot only count their hobby as their job but it’s one that’s taken me all over the world, so it’s hard to know where to take the wife and leave work behind. Not sure a week away in the van reliving a trip I did for my “Home Ground” in the mag quite counts, but with friends in tow it couldn’t have been better.

It seems I’ve been giving Harty stick for the last twenty years for turning 50, so I wasn’t surprised to be getting some of it back, though I’ll have to bow down in honour of his imagination. First stitching me up in my own mag was genius but he made my party his own when he picked up the guitar and trashed me in a style only he could.

I can’t remember the last time I windsurfed from Brightlingsea sailing club, let alone during Pyefleet week. As windsurfers we’d moved from that beach long ago in search of cleaner winds, at first it was just along the promenade but the smaller our boards became the further we had to look. Point Clear and beyond have since been our sailing area’s, for us to return we’d have to dig out the kit of old.

Last weeks blog soon had a rush of emails filling my inbox full but if I had to sum them up I’d have to say there were all about fear. I’ve had my fair share of incidents and accidents and everyone carried its fair share of fear, lets be honest, those who live with out it are seldom on this world for long.

I’ve been out to visit Roberto Ricci in Tuscany, among other things I’d planned to do an interview for Boards but as anyone who reads my blog will realise, this isn’t my forte. I’d spent a few days getting to know him and his team but before I could turn on the dictaphone I needed a lead question to kick off the interview, a ride in his Aston Martin soon sorted that.

It’s the sixth birthday for this site. I started it six years ago with a trip to ClubVass and while it’s natural for the pages to represent my view of the week, I’m handing my gallery over to Globalshots for his view of our week in Vass. While Jay pictures fill the screen I can get on and undo the damage some clever geek managed do to my pages.

Can’t help feeling a little nostalgic when ever I return to ClubVass but without that week here in 1990 life could have been so different, most of us have an experience that is pivotal moment and my was entering the Vass Class. While I can say the rest is history I wonder if this week will see Vass have the same impact on my Son’s life.

I’ve just been to Grand Canaria for three days and while it was primarily for Skye Boys wedding, there was never a chance windsurfing wasn’t going to be on the menu. Easyjet baggage restrictions only allowed for me to take two sails and knowing Pozo always delivers I’d opted for 5.4 and 5.0 before a last minute email from the groom suggesting 4.7 and 4.2 would fit the forecast better.

There’s hardly a weather condition we haven’t had this week, rain, calm, howling winds and sunsets, though not many of those came together. I was so tempted to head down to the south coast but for every day I go on the road it takes me two more to clear my inbox, Point clear might not have the best of conditions but being on my doorstep it has its advantages.

In all the years I’ve been windsurfing I’ve only landed a back loop twice and the last one I broke my foot. I’ve forgotten how many years have passed since, though I’m sure Harty will remember as he had to drag me out of the shore break at West Wittering. So while most put the forward at the top of there fear list, the backward has always played with my mind.

What happened to our British weather, not only has the memory of that windless winter been blown away but this run of wind has included the weekends ensuring everyone gets their fair share. That said, I’ll confess to chasing around the country to ensure I get a little more than I possibly deserve and Shoreham and Worthing didn’t disappoint for the mid week session, at least it ensured I was relaxed and ready for Rutland.

Trying to get Shaun away from his home patch seems almost impossible but after giving him a new passport and a ticket to ride he might be able to lose his nickname of "the Truman show". For his 30th birthday I gave him a new passport and boarding tickets for a trip in the van, so why did we pick the worst weather in the last three months.

Might seem an add title for my fathers memorial but that’s the start of his and our family’s favourite saying is “life is good all the time, all the time life is good and that ain’t no joke” and to be honest that’s exactly how we felt yesterday, sure we miss him but with the town erecting a memorial for him, its clear we’re not alone.

Hell, time passes quickly. Two years have already passed since I joined BOARDS, yet I feel like I’m only just about getting started. That said, so much has changed. I’d love to say it was all my doing but as there’s no “I” in ‘team’ - that wouldn't be telling it as it is - and as the team know, sometimes I’m a little too honest for my own good.

Not sure what came over me but having watched the action in Wales it seemed too enjoyable to be sitting on the sidelines, so I stepped up and entered. Competing shouldn’t come as a surprise having spent a lifetime chasing flat water, but entering a wave comp was like stepping out of the box, even if I was entering the Masters. Funny thing that “Masters” title, I felt anything but.

The four nations wave tour kicked off in Rhosneigr and while I went along to capture the action through my lens, I was never going to be alone cameraman on the beach or in the mag. With Si Crowther and Jay Haysey making it a trio of Boards shooters my van soon looked more like a media bus with cameras and computers stacked on every surface.

So it’s true, Bank Holidays can be perfect, four days with side shore winds and it still hasn’t finished. While we probably had some of the best sailing in years at Clacton and Walton, it was Sundays Windsurfing for cancer research’s sunrise to sunset that ensured I took to the water in four different locations along my five hundred and sixty mile journey that started at Hayling Island.

What better reward but a scorching Easter to burn off the blues of this years relentless winter but can we really put high turnout down to a touch of heat. Lets be honest, all would have been forgiven for avoiding the holiday traffic at the sight of windguru’s starless prediction but for those who made the journey enjoyed a top star day at the beach.

Hardly had time to unpack and I was off down the road. The Youth Nationals were under way at Hayling Island and with the weather not looking to hot for the rest of the week I wanted to get down there early, better than be caught in a rib in the pouring rain, well you never know what our weather is going to throw at us.

Our time in Dahab seemed to be quickly running out, so many pictures were still to do but at least I had the clones working with me. Only one shot eluded us on the last day, it was an hour set-up and just before the button was to be pressed the only cloud in an otherwise blue sky decided to park its self above us.

Said it before and I’m sure I’ll be saying it again, but its hard to beat Dahab for a winter warm up. While Board shorts and a rash vest are order of the day its not only the windsurfing you’ll be coming here for, though I’ll confess it might not have been the spot to end my three month sabbatical, yes, three months without a drop of alcohol.

I've finally found where the wife's been hiding my passport and it didn't take me long to find an excuse to use it. "Sorry darling, I've got to go, it's work". The last few days I've been fully powered on a 6.4 in a sea I hardly recognise. I've always enjoyed Dahab but this is gybing perfection and some - or should that be less some as we almost have the beach to ourselves.

It’s been four months since the wife stole my passport but before anyone says it had something to do with the last two pictures from this bunch I’ll through a van addiction in as my defence, though I’m still trying not to bore you with pictures of me cutting this or screwing that, I thought these pictures from that last trip were more fitting to the conditions we’ve been having lately.

Late last year I headed out to Rhodes and had to keep my pictures stored on the hard drive but with the with the story printed in the March issue of Boards I thought it was time to show those that landed on the cutting room floor. If you’re expecting a bunch of flat-water pix then take a look, yes, Rhodes does have a wave beach.

Another week slips by without wind or real use for my camera, actually that should be, stills camera as the video camera had a little airing at the weekend. Neil Pryde flew into the uk to launch and give away the first of his new one design race boards during the RYA Dingy Show. The details I’ll leave to Neil but while I was there it seemed the timing was right to grab a few more words for the camera.

Over the last five years I’ve managed to update the site every week, despite too many weeks with so little worth talking about but last week I finally gave in. It’s not that was doing nothing, just the opposite. There’s the obvious daily Boards workload but I have to thank the rest of the team for picking up the slack as the van sucked more hours from my day than it should.

After last weeks freestyle I joined the kids for a day out at Camber Sands in Kent. Grey sky’s and a cold wind might not be everyone’s idea of a perfect day out but as this was the first time in months I’d ventured out of Essex, it was as good as taking off at Gatwick but without the wait.

Its that time of year where we can dress like idiots whilst at the same time claim you’ll be changing for the better. New Year resolutions and a drunken party go hand in hand and the longer the night last the wilder the resolutions, though most parties will provoke a few declarations of “I’ll never drink again”. That might be a promise too far, but one I’ll try for a few months.