Ireland...

Pic. Dave White BWA

'Ireland is the best wavesailing destination in Europe'...  A bold statement..


The rolling green hills of Brandon Bay paint a pretty perfect back drop. Combine that with a horse shoe bay, a variety of reef and beach break options, unhindered Atlantic swell and wind and you have all the ingredients of a windsurf/surf wonderland. Europe has many good destinations but where else can offer the variety and quality with in a 10 minute drive that you can get on the shores of Brandon. This not even taking the North West Coast reefs into account.

To have conditions of that caliber on our home shores just a short ferry ride away makes this a place far too convenient to miss for the British windsurfer.

I need little excuse to go on a trip out there, the Irish stop on the BWA tour is a annual fixture in the diary. This year http://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry/  stepped up and put some incredible support into the tour. They have backed not only the Wave Tour but have also come aboard on the Racing Circuit to. Its great to see a company such as Stena putting their faith into our passion. They treated us like kings. Stena Plus is a level of comfort that I'm not accustomed to on surf trips or any trip come to think of it. Good food, comfortable seats, quiet and relaxed atmosphere made the trip feel far to short. A escorted trip to the bridge to see the Capitan, i was like a 10 year old kid all over again.

Meeting the Capitan

So..

Myself and good friends James Cox and Alfie Hart decided that we would do abit of a video diary of the trip for them. Now Alf is a first rate camera man, Capitan Cox and my self however are a duo that have issues with focus.. How Alf made any sense of the hours of footage is beyond me. I don't think I've laughed that much for a long time. Road trips like this are like gold to me. 

Ireland never fails to inspire me. Six out of six days on the water. Its a destination that offers something a little different from your average windsurf holiday.

A place that ill be returning to.

Life in Mono..

Life in mono is a frustrating time, music doesnt sound right and general comunication difficult .Two weeks back i told myself i wouldn't go back in the water until i had my ears sorted out.

It didnt really go like that....

Last week i could barely get on the water quick enough but i put that down to near perfect cross off Freshwest.

This week it's back to grovelling about in sub par condions at a unproven right hand reef that looked just about sailable.

Long walks holding hands, days at the downhill track, long loops on the road bike. As much as i enjoy it all nothing  alleviates the addiction. I dont know what it is with windsurfing but if i can't do it when conditions allow it drives me to distraction.

Freshwest looked perfect last week. Cross off 4.7 head to logo and glass clean.

Long range..

I sailed upto the outside reef and had a few long lefts. I rigged small as it was super offshore but that proved my undoing in the end as the wind died out. Still worth the gamble as when its good here its insane.

I also sailed a place that ive been wanting to for a while now but conditions havent quite worked. A right hand reef break  just up the road from my house. I sailed it about 10 years back and got hammered and never really sailed it since, probably due to tricky access and other spots working in the same direction. It was small and gusty but the wave lines up well and its got the potential to be pretty special.

Time will tell.

Cheers to my wife for putting up with my deafness and taking photos in the cold. Your tops.

All Along The Watch Tower.. Day 4

Pendine Sands.
Cross off.
Chest High Surf
Simmer Icon 5.3 with No Limitz Sumo
Fanatic Quad 94 with Black Project 15/8

Its pretty hard to score this place as 5 days a week they use it as a Military Firing range but when you can get at it...

Seven miles of beach make it ideal for downwind wave runs to Ginst but a lack of time and organisation that day meant we missed out this time. Ten plus bottom turns a wave even at chest high make it worth the gusty slog out. Its a slow, reforming, gutless lump at times but by heck can it be fun. I love swapping turns here.

Even on the bigger days you never feel like your out of control. You can hit the lip here at any size and not really ever give it two thoughts. When it does have size you can turn here until you cant hold on.

However Saturday wasn't quite one of the classic days but fun non the less. Northy was back in the conditions he revels in, its always classic sailing with good mates here. I love to watch people ripping down the line as you sail out. It was a good day for trying out some different moves or a different move any how. I'm not really into flappy free style in waves but Ive long admired a solid goiter so Saturday was the day. Not that i got far with them but i can see where i need to be heading with it better now. One for 2012.

One other thing that i noticed Saturday was how a quad gives you so much drive and projection in slow waves in comparason to a twin. Fanatic Quad 94. Its a absolute weapon in these conditions.

After 3 hours my arms gave up and work was calling so we knocked it on the head.

Highlights.

• Northy back to form after months stuck in the office
• Goiters- working project.
• Last wave of the day... Long

Im working on Father Christmas for some new video/photo machinery to try an get some sailing related media in here.. Stand by...


 Just to end here, have a look at the turn at 2.58...