Finally everything comes together, not that there was never two days alike. Windsurfing, photography, travel and kitesurfing, everything had its day but it was Saturday that had us holding on for all we could, the wind was back and wanted to leave its mark. It was survival conditions off Clacton beach on Saturday, only three of us made it out, two hours later the temperature had conspired against us.
Time seems to have flown past since we moved in last December, and while we still have a list of jobs waiting to be done, it’s our first project that has been the most successful. I’d gathered my gym contents over the previous years, but being confined to a small shed they spent just as much time gathering dust as they did keeping me fit.
What happened to the weather while I was gone, the wind seems to have dwindled while the temperature plummeted? I thought a mid week spell on the water was driven by desperation, but after what we tried to get out on during Saturday, it didn’t seem so bad. But looking around the beach it looks like we were the only ones to get the Spartan message.
While I’m out in Egypt looking for a new best friend to power me across the water, I managed to catch up with on of my oldest. We windsurfed together back in the eighties, but after that summer he gave it up, can’t actually blame him, his Vinta weighed a tone. Compare that to beginner equipment of today and you’d wonder how windsurfing made it through the eighties.
We just about had every condition during the week; storms winds or a light breeze there was always something happening on the water. I didn’t get to try any different windsurfing equipment, but started to feel the difference between kites by getting on the water with five different kite brands. While I’m still unsure of which is the right direction, I’m convinced I’ve met the coolest windsurfer on the planet.
Sometime its hard to see what’s around you, it took a visit to Belgium to realise that there’s more to gps than just speed. But what a week for speed this has turned out to been, not one but two guys have passed the magical fifty knot barrier. Sebastien Cattelan will always be the man that broke the fifty, but he could only keep hold of the record for 24 hours.
Zero wind and a few kid gave me a good excuse to get the camera out, still a bit trial and error but at least it convinced the wife I do need to buy light meter. Though these pages are black and white, that didn’t stop a few getting the wrong message from last week’s text. It was in support the UK dealers and previous importer, Surf Sales.
I hear a lot of talk about the lack of new kids in windsurfing; to be fair that may be true, but then isn’t about quality more than quantity. Gutek was far the youngest of the week but already showing maturity above his years, and looking across the water it clear he’s not alone. I’ve never been to Dahab during the school holidays, now it’s easier to see the future.
I should have been in the Ray at Southend with my speed board this week, but despite the huge winds it didn’t seem right to be there without the rest of the drivenbywind crew. Instead had a visit from a few boys from Southend, or more to the point, Wet ‘n’ Dry. Clacton didn’t disappoint, but then nowhere in the UK could have with this weeks wind.
After three days biking in some of the hottest days of the year it was great to see the met office getting the long range forecast wrong. I’ve never seen Clacton so busy with kites and windsurfers, better still there is no longer a feeling of them and us. I’m sure the school holidays played it’s part, but getting parked on the sea front was near impossible.
When I left school my only prospect was an apprentice in a local factory, and while I didn’t appreciate it at the time, it’s those years that make weeks like this so special. I wouldn’t have dared to dream of the last weeks. I needed to pinch myself as I flew across the crystal clear waters covering the reef surrounding the Island of Rodrigues.
We had a lot of fun with gps’s and the speed gun, and by the end of the week every one was sailing faster, but somehow I wish it wasn’t called Speed Week. It sounds like a week driven by testosterone, something that couldn’t be further from the truth. It doesn’t matter if you’re big, small, male or female, confidence, or the lack of it defines our ability.
She says it’s all about priorities, guess that means I’ve got them in the wrong order. I need all three, but somehow it causes problems when one gets too much attention, thankfully she was smiling when she said it, what a great week to be on the water. It may not have been strong, but we’ve just about had enough to get out every day.
I’ve been looking for an excuse to get away from the decking all week, its becoming an endless task, but with next to no wind desperate measures were called for. There was a light wind out of the north, but its off shore everywhere around our coast, looking at Google earth we found a beach upwind from Walton that looked promising, only problem you can’t drive there.
It’s about time everyone got into windsurfing, we’d all be looking forward to bank holidays. The news was full of stories of how the weather ruins every bank holiday, to be fair, it did rain all day, not that we even noticed as we played in the gale force winds. We had three hours sailing at Walton-on-the-naze and another two at Clacton-on-sea. I’d call it the best bank holiday ever.
I joined Peter Hart in Egypt for one of his windsurfing master classes; apart from a week of sailing in warm waters it was the perfect opportunity to top up his picture gallery for future magazine articles. Baby bay is only separated from the open see by the reef, but that’s enough to make it one of the best stretches of water in the world to master your gybes.
We had a fantastic sail at Frinton-on-sea on Monday, full power on a 5.8 under blue sky’s, it really felt like summer was on its way. Though perfect for pictures, we just didn’t want to come off the water to sit behind the lens. But when a friend asked me to join him and his camera a few days later, the sun decided to go into hiding.
Its funny what motivates you? Spent the start of the week introducing Ian Kraft to a few Gaastra/Tabou dealers, and the end at a demo weekend. Even though our British weather continues to frustrate I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed the involvement in British windsurfing. The kids are still off school so Aaron spent a day biking round Thetford forest with a couple of friends.
Shaun and I got out on the kites for an hour on Easter Monday, there’s something wrong about being on the water when its snowing. Can’t remember a winter being cold for so long, not only was it warmer last winter, on average it blew for days a week. Misreading the forecast didn’t matter; there was always another good day round the corner, shame that wasn’t true this week.
You couldn’t escape the wind, even if you stayed indoors there was little else on the tv but the weather, for once the forecast got more airtime than the adverts. It looked good for everyone coming over for drivenbywind, though some were caught out by the early start. We had to be rigged before sunrise to catch the best wind as it was forecast to swing and drop soon after low tide.
What a great week, loads of time on the water, even had four days on a 5.8, had I stayed at home that would have been replaced with a 4.7, though the two sessions I had with Timo Mullen and John Skye made the trip worth while. Back home on Sunday the wind was still pumping, but what was Anthony doing on the beach.
Its been great having the kids at home during half term, particually when they want to help out in the garden. Guess I can’t complain because it takes them half the day to get out there, at least it let me spend the morning down at the F-Hot workshop where I was working on the new camera boxes. Also had a surprise visit, but at he headed for the camera my luck was running out.
The forecast for Thursday was looking good all week, the closer we got the better it looked. All but a few riders arrived the day before in preparation to what we expected to be a world record day. One record, two ambulances and a whole host of spectacular crashes ensured the day will stick in the minds of all the riders for some time to come.
It wasn’t until drivenbywind got the ok to run from the WSSRC that I realised the candle had been burning at both ends. Since we moved its been non stop, building the office / gym and the final set-up for driven by wind, guess I’ve been running on adrenalin for the last weeks, once we got the results and past our last week, my body just shut down.
We spent the penultimate day of the year in our capital. I’ve had an amazing year of travelling, but when it comes to cities, our own London takes some beating. We try to get there once a year and see a new site; this year it was the London Dungeons. Now my office is up and running, I couldn’t resist going through some of the pictures from 2007.
After making the changes to the gym I started on the next build. Looks more like a table for extremely short people, but not knowing if it’ll work out, I’ll leave you guessing. Did I say it might snow; well at least they got that prediction right. I was so cold rigging up in the dark, I started to wonder just what drives us, and madness is all I could come up with.
You’re rigged and ready to head out on the water when some old dear asks “your not going out in that”. I’m not denying it was cold this weekend, cold enough to wear gloves for windsurfing, but really, don’t we looked better dressed than a lot of other sports. My kids were out on a snow covered football field, and what are they expected to keep warm in the force six gale, shorts.
Two weeks have flown by, I’m heading home and leaving Boards test team behind. It’s been an enlightening time, seeing how they group and compare different board sizes, how the guest testers work and what can, and does go wrong. But that’s not a story I can tell you now, that would be like reading the last page of a novel before its sent to press.
The weeks started with such promise, Monday proved perfect for windsurfing with two sessions, one in Clacton and the second in Southend, but as the weeks forecast improved, its reliability dropped. Though it was with mixed relief that Sunday ended in a whimper rather than the promised storm.
It was a fantastic week at Weymouth this week, but that can wait until my next blog. While we were all having a great time, there’s loads of people who’s life feels like its falling apart, and for everyone at Weymouth speed week it was brought home with the news that David Tuttlebee had his fears conformed mid way through the week. He’s got Cancer for a second time.
I though someone had to die before you could celebrate their lives, should have guessed my old man wouldn’t have missed a party. Dad, or as everyone else knows him, Reg White has been at the centre of cat sailing around the world. Not only racing, but also designing and building, three of the classes he’s brought to water headed out from our home beach during the weekend.
What a couple of weeks, it all kicked off with a windsurfing session at Clacton, and ended up with the sun going down on Mauritius. Rodrigues may be a small island with both feet sitting in the past, but what a spot to re-enact those feelings of the “good old days”. This wasn’t just filling in time between two locations; it was a trip of true exploration.
When Harry Nass asked me to join the Micah Buzianis Speed Slalom Camp I was more concerned about the temperature than who would turn up. Nothing was as expected, Micah broke his leg and couldn’t make it, it is hot, but the air is so dry its a nice temperature, then I met Dirk Muschenich, an instructor form Germany, now I know why this camp was so successful last year.
There hasn’t been a better time to holiday at home, the winds been way over the average and more than made up for its lack lustre start in the spring. Ok, it might not be perfect for sun worshipers, but it does keep the queues down in the theme parks. Put your foot in the sea and you’d think it’s been the hottest summer on record, I can’t ever remember the sea being warmer.
After the excesses of the last weeks it was hard getting back on the bike, but the lack of wind proved to be the motivator. Doesn’t matter what I do, just hate sitting around, but now the kids are on holiday I’m sure there wouldn’t be a chance anyway. Bet Shaun wouldn’t mind getting up and about, we only had one day on the water, but was still enough to put him in plaster.
I have enjoyed a few great weeks at ClubVass with speed week, I only hope everyone else enjoys the week as much. Phil and Annette put their side of the story down in words, but as speed week regulars I set them the most important task of the week… looks like I might have to use Alan Sugar’s immortal words… you’re fired.
Every year we come out our extended family just keeps getting bigger. The Dowman’s are on the second visit, while the Dunt’s are Vass virgins. Having been out her for a few seasons Pan is a veteran and was eager to get Nikey boy out here and back on the water, the flat waters should be the perfect testing ground for his multitude of injuries.
With all the investment in weather forecasting you’d think they’d get it right. I was set for a calm week but ended up with the opposite. Ok, we were out at five in the morning to get the best of it in the week, but how could they have missed the low that hit Aberdovey in Wales on Sunday, it really can get too windy for a demo.
With the absence of any wind I jumped on the bike for a bit of exercise. Having ridden just about every trail near home it was good to get out on a road bike to cover a few extra miles. You’d think I’d had enough of water after all the rain this week, but out of desperation I tried out a paddleboard, plus I wanted top know what all the fuss was about.
I’ve tried a lot of sports from motorbikes to snowboarding, but nothing comes close to the feeling of windsurfing, so why do people stop. I can’t figure that one out, but I’ve realized it’s easy to reawaken the sleeping beast inside, and just like riding a bike, you never forget. What made getting Jonathan back on the water was that bit more special, he was my first real sponsor.
There really isn’t anywhere better than home, especially when the when its sunny and windy. It’s rare to get a wave around our coastline, but every year we get a run of easterly winds that more than make up for it. After last weeks excesses its good to be back into the routine of summer, out on the bike at dawn, and windsurfing till sunset.
Not sure how many times I’ve watched it, but The Windsurfing Movie for the me is the best windsurfing film out there, but the big applauses should go to the guys why got it on the big screen. Windsurfing maybe my dream, but my boys have a different theatre for their dreams. Love or hate them, watching Manchester United at home really is an experienced not to be missed.
The weeks started on wheels and ended on water, it’s been a smile a minute week. After a couple of days mountain biking I switched to four wheels and a trip round Snetterton race track, but as the wind started to pick up we had four days windsurfing and kiting and still had time to get out all the kit for a demo down at Worthing.
The weather started to smile on Monday as temperatures started to rise, but just like some of the faces in the pix, it soon turned as the week ended with snow again. With the kids on school holiday and no wind we headed to Disneyland Paris with the Dunt family, though I wish we’d left a few days earlier, maybe then I wouldn’t have been nursing another broken rib.
Is it really Easter, I’ve got a garden full of snow and can’t remember when my hands froze sailing so much before. Though the wind was predicted to be northerly all week, there was just one glimmer of hope of a few hours of south-westerly spell we could catch at the Ray in Southend. We’ve only got a month to go and wanted to take every opportunity however small.
While I was getting Pam’s sailing back up to speed, the canal in France was setting its own speeds. They sure had a hell of a session on the canal, new world record, a big jump in the production record, and the end to seventeen years as the UK’s fastest. Would have been broken, but to see Farrell take the title just felt right.
Been one of those weeks with nothing really going on. The winds been too light to windsurf, and only just enough to get the kite going, but then after last weeks disaster I needed to get out and sort my self out. The new camera boxes are finished and already packed in the van for a potential drivenbywind session at the end of the week.
With the long-range forecast not looking good, I shot down the south coast to catch the end of the storm. Harty wanted to get a few pix shot while we still had the conditions, he was also claming it would be clear blue skies, think that was just a ploy to make sure I drove down, torrential would have described it better.
It looks like we could be in for another day at Southend. With the experience of the last one and having made a few changes I’m looking forward to the next one. Its been a busy week for birthdays this week, Aaron turned eleven, and my mother, well lets say she hit a mile stone of her own, If I said she was seventy, I wouldn’t make my next birthday
Got one question to ask, why would anyone want to organise an event. Some how I was tricked into stepping up, not sure how, maybe it was more a dare, can’t really remember. But one thing’s for sure, I’ll be the last to complain when it doesn’t go according to plan, suddenly I’ve just become aware just how much goes into making it happen. Some one please stop me next time.
learn more
