RRD’s windsurf harness collection is designed to suit different riders, back shapes, riding style and local windsurfing conditions. We provide different grades of vertical back curves in our range; from a curved-, to a naturally curved- or flat back shape. We offer a stiff harness for fully powered riding or a more flexible harness for freeride or ‘down-the-line’ sessions. Whatever your specific needs, we have the perfect harness for you.
This year we focused on user experience, ease of use, clean design and high-tech materials and technologies. This is visible in the new Shield harness, Energy and the improved barpad with stabilizer wings. The stabilizer wings on the side of the barpad slide into the side of your harness, to prevent ride up of the hook and protects your ribs.
The seat harnesses have been redesigned to fit better and spread the load more.
Get flight with Mathieu Fouliard in Tahiti. Mathieu introduces us to the world of Compact Windfoil.
All you need to know about the Pocket Rocket, the Compact Sail and the WH Flight Alu 85 hydrofoil. Advice on the set up and how to take off and jibe with the foil.
RRD have developed a modern concept for windfoiling that includes all the components, the board, the hydrofoil, the rig and the sail.
The Pocket Rocket 180 is a fun and accessible board for freefoiling. Only 180 cm in length for superior foil rides and transport comfort. With the Compact Frefoil Sail and rig you have all the convenience of the compact series. The Compact Freefoil sail is extremely light, with loads of power to get you planing early, whilst staying neutral in the gust once you are flying.
The combination of the Pocket Rocket with our WH Alu Flight 85 hydrofoil is a fantastic mix of early planing and long “floating/foiling” characteristics.
Windsurfing has never been so compact. A board length of 180, a complete rig that fits in a back pack and the foil… The whole package fits in the back of a car with ease!
Sardinia offers conditions for all levels of windsurfer and every sort of water state from waves to flat water, all served with a healthy slice of Italian style. RRD’s International Marketing & Team manager, Matteo Guazzoni, gives us a guide to the island and why it is a favoured base for their distributor meeting.
WordsMatteo Guazzoni //PhotosJulien Leleu & Roberta Pala
(Originally published in the April 2019 issue)
Sardinia lies in the Mediterranean Sea, nestled in the NW corner between Italy and France. Whilst its sister island Corsica belongs to the French, Sardinia is as Italian as it gets. The landscape is some of the most beautiful in the Mediterranean with incredible rock structures surrounding hundreds of small bays and inlets. Throughout history Sardinia has played a role in just about every European war, changing hands numerous times, and perhaps it is this that gives it that extra magic. Stretching out over 250 km from north to south, it takes around 3-4 hours to drive the length of the island, but there is over 1,800 km of coastline to explore, making it a watersports paradise. Add to that the famous Mistral wind that blows from France in the north and you have a windsurfer’s dream. For that reason, we at RRD decided that it was the perfect host for our annual distributor meeting.
“ It’s a good spot for all level of riders.”
PORTO POLLO The chosen spot was Porto Pollo and visiting during the early summer of 2018.Located in the north of Sardinia, it is one of the windiest parts of the island and features nice flat water with wind coming from the left, offering the perfect test ground to try all the latest gear. The whole event was hosted by the ‘MB Surf Center’, which is one of the biggest and most professional windsurf and kite centres in Italy. The ‘MB Surf Center’ is a great place to windsurf in the company of family and friends as everything you need is right there, so no wasted hours driving. It’s a good spot for all level of riders, but is definitely also a spot where you can go to learn windsurfing also. The windsurf / kite school is packed full of the most up to date equipment and caters for everyone from absolute beginners to advanced riders.
The main purpose of our distributor meeting is to get everyone involved with the brand together in one place to show the new products, discuss and plan the upcoming year and, most importantly, get time on the water together playing with all the shiny new kit, it’s a tough gig I know!
RRD has a huge portfolio of products as it covers 5 disciplines (windsurf, kitesurf, SUP, surf, wetsuits and accessories), so it’s a busy week! Every day is dedicated to one discipline, with a product presentation in the morning and then testing in the afternoon. From the point of view of windsurfing this year, the most exciting additions of course were definitely the foils. All the distributors were dying to get them on the water and understand how they could be effective in the market. The wind was really on our side as we had 4 days of 10-15 knots, which is absolutely perfect for foiling, and a couple more days with stronger wind that allowed us to get pretty much the entire range on the water; good times! Porto Pollo is one of the most popular windsurf spots in Sardinia as it is situated where the Mistral wind gets stronger as it accelerates between Sardinia and Corsica. A small sand road that connects the mainland with a small island (Isola dei Gabbiani) creates 2 windsurfing spots. On the right is the main windsurf spot, with perfect flat water, so great not only for learning but also for all freestyle/freeride/freerace disciplines. All the windsurf schools are based in this area because it’s a brilliant environment to get people into the sport. Upwind and to the left of the road is a more onshore wind with choppy conditions, good for jumping when the wind gets stronger. Slightly further upwind there is an area which is dedicated to kiting with nice side-shore wind and some good chop.
The best conditions in Porto Pollo come when the Mistral (NW wind) kicks in. Normally it gets stronger from spring until July and then picks up again in the autumn. Depending on the intensity of the low pressure it can be very strong wind with days of 30 knots and more, but there are also plenty of lighter days with 15-20 knots. There’s nearly always a breeze coming from the NW or SE, so it’s rare that you can’t get on the water.
Porto Pollo is recommended for anyone who likes flat water to choppy conditions. Foil, freeride, race, freestyle, freestyle/wave are all well catered for. There’s a good variety of wind speeds, so if you are coming for a long time you definitely need to bring all your sail sizes, but if it’s a short trip ( 4 to 5 days), you can check the wind forecast and select what you need and save weight as normally Windguru gets it right for short-term forecasting.
During the summer months of July and August Porto Pollo gets very crowded. The north of Sardinia is well known for being one of the nicest spots for both windsurfers and non-windsurfers, so that’s why so many people like to spend their holidays there. Nearby are many beautiful beaches and they can easily be reached by bike, so perfect for those that like a slow-paced break.
The Mistral is normally not the warmest of winds; it feels fresh when it blows. So you need a 5/3 to 4/3 mm wetsuit if you visit Sardinia during the winter, while from spring until the end of June and autumn, a long leg / short arm wetsuit is what you need. During July and August you can easily use just a shorty.
“ Mini Capo, a perfect down-the-line wave, very fast and offering a vertical wall, it’s often compared to Ho’okipa.”
WAVE SPOTS In the north, within 50 km of Porto Pollo, there are 2 wave spots next to each other called Cala Pischina and Marina delle Rose. Both offer great wave riding conditions with side-shore wind from the left, and work when the Mistral wind is strong. When it’s good, you can find winds of 20-25 knots and 2-3 metre waves.
Cala Pischina is probably the best known spot in the north of Sardinia. Situated 35-40 min drive from Porto Pollo, the wind direction is usually side or side-onshore. The wind really needs to be strong enough for 4.7 for the waves to properly form. This is a more difficult spot as there is not really a clear exit channel, the currents are strong, the wind is side-on, but often at the end of the wind cycle the wind turns more side-shore and that is when conditions become more fun. You have to be careful because the waves break in front of rocks, so any errors in judgement can have big consequences. It can definitely be useful to wear wetsuit boots or shoes!
Marina delle Rose is located a few miles west of Cala Pischina. This spot is a bit easier, or at least until the waves are big. Entry into the water is much more comfortable, with an easy launch from a white sand beach. There are rocks about but they are clearly visible, so it’s easy to avoid trouble. Normally this spot is best at the beginning of the Mistral cycle when the waves are a bit smaller, under 2 metres, otherwise the currents become too strong. The wind is side / side-on, and it is a great spot for wave riding and jumping. Very popular also with kitesurfers, it is a playground for everyone. You can find all strengths of wind, but the most fun conditions are with sails from 4.7 to 4.5 because the waves remain manageable.
CAPO MANNU The best wave riding and also the most famous spot in Sardinia is Capo Mannu. It is a 3 hour drive from Porto Pollo, but worth the effort when it’s good. Renowned throughout the world, it is arguably the best spot in the whole of Italy and is located on the west coast of Sardinia, about halfway down the island. On the best days you can find real quality, with steep and fast waves. The best conditions are found with winds of 15-20 knots and wave heights around 3 metres. On larger days and a short drive down the coast, is a better spot known as Mini Capo, a perfect down-the-line wave, very fast and offering a vertical wall, it’s often compared to Ho’okipa. Both spots are frequented by both windsurfers and surfers, with Mini Capo being particularly popular with surfers. Sharing waves can get complicated at times with the surfers, so sail with respect.
Both these spots are recommended more for experts. Getting in and out of the water is particularly complicated as both spots have tricky launches off rocks. The wind direction must be strictly northwest (Mistral), otherwise no side-off and no party!
OTHER SPOTS There are plenty of other spots relatively near to Porto Pollo that are absolutely worth visiting because of their natural beauty, such as the Islands of Spargi, Caprera and Maddalena. Otherwise if driving to the north coast there are some wilder beaches like Rena Majore and Badesi which are also good surf spots.
ATTRACTIONS If the wind doesn’t blow there is still loads to do. Perhaps the most famous attractions are tombs of the giants. These are monuments made up of collective burials dating back to the Nuragic age (2000 BC) and are found scattered throughout the whole of Sardinia. There are more than 300 of these rock sculptures, but the most famous ones are Li Lolghi and Coddu Vecchju, located near Arzachena, around a 20 minute drive from Porto Pollo.
For more natural beauty the La Maddalena Archipelago are a group of 62 islands found in the north east of Sardinia. Among the most important are La Maddalena, Caprera, Santo Stefano, Budelli, Santa Maria, Razzoli and Spargi, with many more smaller ones and a total coastline of over 180 km. Popular for boat cruises, it is one of the most beautiful coastlines in the whole of Europe. The area managed as a national park since 1994, so be sure to have the correct permissions if you want to go exploring. The islands are also renowned historically with Caprera being known for having hosted Garibaldi during his exile and Santo Stefano was a US submarine base during the war.
Also worth a visit is ‘Agriristochic Resort Li Espi’ which is at the frontier of rural tourism and located only 1000 meters from the beaches of Porto Pollo. It’s a hotel and restaurant geared towards a holiday surrounded by nature, with a special eye to good food, wellness and sport. The views over the Bocche di Bonifacio and the La Maddalena archipelago are priceless, as are the sunsets between the olive trees, junipers and myrtle, with the constant Mistral wind keeping the summer temperatures tolerable.
For those that are looking for something more cosmopolitan, the towns of Porto Cervo and Port Rotondo offer a whole host of restaurants, shops and nightlife. Here you can mix it up with the higher classes as they moor their yachts in the harbours, or for something more laid back, you can find traditional Italian restaurants hidden on the back streets. Porto Cervo particularly attracts the big names and its quite possible you will find yourselves shopping next to a movie star.
Whether you are looking for flat water blasting, perfect wave riding, or just want to enjoy some spectacular scenery, Sardinia has it all and much more. If you have a million pound yacht I can thoroughly recommend setting sail for the second largest island in the Mediterranean. If you don’t, then relax, EasyJet have direct flights and a visit to Sardinia is well worth the price of a ticket.
“If the wind doesn’t blow there is still loads to do.”
If you want to know more about windsurfing at Porto Pollo, then check out:
MB-PRO CENTER / WINDSURF VILLAGE, PORTO POLLO, SARDINIA, ITALY.
RRD drop a banging vid to launch their year 25 wave and freestyle session – good psych up for sailing flick ! – “Proudly presenting the Y25 Freestyle-Wave Collection. Unique, enhanced performance & more innovative.
Check out the Year 25 RRD compact series – the complete rig that fits in a backpack!
All the performance needed, but folding up in a back pack. Our Y25 COMPACT SERIES COLLECTION has all the attributes to set a new trend in the market. The ultimate in travelling convenience.
RRD’s international marketing and team manager, Matteo Guazzoni, gives us the lowdown on their new compact windfoiling range.
Words Matteo Guazzoni //PhotoJulien Leleu
Windfoiling has opened up a whole new light wind experience, allowing you to have fun on the water in only 8-10 knots of wind. Compared to normal windsurfing, the rider’s feeling of the board and pressure of the sail are different. That’s why we have worked on a specific program for windfoiling that includes all the components, the board, the hydrofoil and the sail. We wanted to develop an innovative concept for light winds and realized that the length of the board could be greatly reduced; and by doing that you can actually have more manoeuvrability and a huge advantage in transport.
We started looking at some reference shapes and found inspiration from our ‘K-RAPIDA’ kite race board with dimensions of 150 X 70 cm and only 70 litres of volume. We modified the board by adding a mast track to the deck and when we tested it in our home spot of Castiglione della Pescaia our initial thoughts turned out to be true. It had fantastic flight control and was a lot more manoeuvrable. The only issue was that the board didn’t have enough volume to float and uphaul the sail, not good when sailing in only 8 knots of wind!
John Skye further tested the ‘K-RAPIDA’ at his home spot in Gran Canaria and was able to give more valuable feedback. John Skye – “Wind foiling for me is the ultimate light wind windsurf experience, but I had the unusual situation where I was desperate to learn to foil, but had too much wind. My first foil board was the 91cm wide H-Fire 91 and the majority of my early foiling experiences were with a 3.7 sail. My problem was that most of the time the board was getting blown away. Then, during our importer meeting, I saw our Brazilian distributor, Paolo Migliorini, with a super short custom board and straight away I took back a K-Rapida and it was like a whole new world. Suddenly the wind was not an issue and I could focus on the flying. What was perhaps even more impressive was that when the wind was light the board was still amazing. The only issue was uphauling in zero wind, where it missed some volume, but otherwise the board was amazing.”
A shorter board greatly reduces friction and increases the feeling of adrenaline. The potential in light wind is greater as you don’t need bigger than a 6.0 sail to foil with 8 knots of wind. The ideal freeride rig has to be as light as possible. Furthermore there is the ease of transport. A short board takes up far less space in a car and is more comfortable to carry around. Roberto Ricci is very passionate about windfoiling and has carefully developed all our windfoil products. He wanted to shape a new board that was as short as possible and the most fun and accessible. Our first 3 prototypes were 200, 190 and 180 cm long with thick rails and high volume from the tail to the nose. But the standout model out was the 180 cm board. This was the first sample of what we later called the ‘Pocket Rocket’. The board performs best in light winds and with small sails. We also added a handle on the bottom of the board that greatly facilitates transport in the water.
At the same time we worked on 2 new aluminium hydrofoils. The idea was to develop the easiest and most accessible foils for light winds. The fruits of our labour are the ‘WH FLIGHT ALU 85’ and the fully convertible ‘SH FLIGHT ALU’ which allows you to foil in any discipline by using a conversion kit that converts this kite/sup hydrofoil into a windsurf foil. When using it with the windsurf setup it provides impressive stability and early take off thanks to the wide surface area of the front wing (82 cm wingspan) and the length of the fuselage (100 cm). This hydrofoil allows you to improve foiling skills really quickly. Talking about the ‘UNIVERSAL ALU SET’ and the ‘Pocket Rocket’, Roberto Ricci said, “When I first rode the Pocket Rocket 200 cm proto I immediately understood that we had under our feet a real jewel. The lack of a nose in front of the mast track allowed it to be more stable and keep foiling even in the lightest winds without the need of a big sail. I was using my 5.2 Gamma 3 batten wave sail in only 10-15 knots of wind and having a blast.
A week later we made a new 190 cm and even a 180 cm board. Both of them had the same maximum width (76 cm), just different lengths and volume displacement. The Pocket Rocket proto 190 felt better than the 200, as the feeling of foiling longer and easier was even more evident, but the 180 was a total breakthrough. It planed earlier than both the 200 and 190, stayed up foiling longer and easier and still floated me perfectly when uphauling a bigger sail. That board was one of the biggest eye openers I’ve had in a really long time. Not to mention the practical side of things for carrying and loading the gear in your car! The Pocket Rocket 180 fits perfectly inside a car, even a Fiat Panda!
The combination of the Pocket Rocket 180 with our WH ALU FLIGHT 85 Hydrofoil (our freeride hydrofoil with 120 or 110 cm fuselage) is a fantastic mix of early planing, long “floating/foiling” characteristics even when the wind drops, and is super easy to ‘fly’ off the water with the slightest pump of the rig. This is our best freeride combination for those who prefer control and speed with the lightest conditions.
For those who instead want to immediately learn how to jibe and be the first ones to foil and do not care so much about top speed, we have developed a ‘CONVERTIBLE KIT’ that allows you to convert the SH FLIGHT HYDROFOIL ( our sup/surf/kite hydrofoil ) into a WINDSURF UNIVERSAL HYDROFOIL. The conversion kit provides a 100 cm fuselage, the tuttle insert and (if requested) an 80 cm mast to make the SH FLIGHT HYDROFOIL ready to be used with a windsurf sail.
This is a unique fully convertible setup that allows you to learn how to foil, jibe and ride any watersport from surfing to SUP’ing to kiting to windfoiling…”
Then Roberto asked John to think of a new sail that could work with the ‘Pocket Rocket’. Talking about it, John Skye said, “Since foiling first started to take off (pun intended!) we were really analysing what sort of sail would be best. Initially we followed many others in producing a twin cam sail. Something easy to use but really stable, and the F-wing has been very popular. However sailing the shorter boards and experimenting with different foils, it became clear that actually you barely needed a sail. We were looking for something with great low end to get flying really early, but then something that disappeared in the hands once you were flying. We weren’t trying to break any speed records, or fly upwind, we just wanted something really light, throwabout and above all else fun! We started testing all of our current ranges in foil mode and the winner turned out to be the Gamma, which was our 3 batten wave sail. We took that as the base and started working on how to give more bottom end to the sail to get up and foiling as early as possible with the smallest sail possible. The result was 3 battens in the 4.0 and 5.0, but in the 5.8 and 6.4 we felt that having an extra batten in the foot gave that little extra boost when pumping to really get going in sub 10 knots of wind. The Freefoil sail was born.
Once we had the range clear, the obvious thing was to apply our Compact Series technology, and make something super portable. With the Compact Freefoil we have exactly the same performance, but with a sail and rig that fits in a backpack. Windsurfing has never been so compact. A board length of 180, a complete rig that fits in a backpack and the foil all fit in the back of a car with ease!.
‘Défi Wind de Gruissan’, is the original ‘Défi Wind’ event and doing a ‘Défi’ has become a must do on windsurfing bucket lists. Seasoned ‘Défi’ dude John Skye and first timer, Karo van Tonder take us behind the scenes of the world’s largest windsurfing race with their ‘Défi Diaries’!
Words John Skye, Karo van Tonder //PhotosJean Souville, Jean Marc Cornu & Karo van Tonder
JOHN SKYE I opted for a relaxed start to my Défi 2019 with a mid-morning flight. It’s always fun checking in with gear and this time I had a few extras to deal with – proto sails for the team, including some massive foil sails, that rolled up were around 3 metres. I somehow persuaded the check in staff that what I had was 1 windsurfer and that each bag was around 25 kg. Thankfully as they rolled down the oversize baggage belt she didn’t notice that they were both closer to 50 kg!
At the other end I was hoping for a smooth exit, but that was not to be. I have had the same experience in Barcelona before, that windsurf gear (especially big race stuff) doesn’t come up the standard oversize belt. Instead they send it up a special lift. The problem is that most of the staff don’t actually know this.So after waiting nearly an hour, I took matters into my own hands and went to investigate, only to find 2 lift engineers working on the broken lift. They confirmed they had seen my bags at the bottom, but had no idea how long it would take to fix. I wandered off to try to find help, but then eventually saw a lost looking airport worker trying to find out what to do with 2 x 50 kg bags that he couldn’t move. I quickly grabbed them and got on my way.
The plan was that I would meet our marketing manager Matteo Guazzoni at the airport, but he got bored of waiting and went off to explore Barcelona. Once I had the car, and had managed to fit all the gear inside it, he sent me the location to meet. I barely checked it and just followed google. His amazing meeting point was basically a roundabout next to a massive hospital, which was not ideal. I found a sketchy spot to stop and whilst I waited I reorganized the car to make room for him and his girlfriend. Eventually we met up and the rest of the journey was pretty uneventful, except for a couple of emergency stops to sort out the gear on the roof that was desperately trying to escape! We arrived at the event site just in time for aperitifs and the welcome meeting in the VIP lounge. The first of many beers that weekend was sunk within minutes of arrival!
DAY 1 – THURSDAY 30TH MAY The forecast was not the best for the weekend. The first day looked the best and only chance and everyone was aware of it. The call was made to bring forward the briefing and first possible start in the hope to smash out 2 races on the first day.. Registration was done early for me and I was keen to test the conditions. I headed straight out to test my 6.2 X-Wing on one of my favourite boards, the X-Fire 90. I had an amazing new 32 speed/slalom fin from F-Hot that I thought would be a bit of a secret weapon and wanted to give it a blast too. As soon as I hit the course area though I realized the wind was pretty light. Enough to plane around, but when you add 1000 riders to the start line I knew I would need more juice. I headed back to the event site and prepared my 7.0.
Speaking with some locals they said the wind was forecast to shift a bit, making the return leg more upwind. So I opted to take the 114 rather than the 90 to give a bit more upwind drive. It turned out to be the wrong move though! The briefing was a slightly condensed version of last years, but still dragged on for the best part of an hour. Eventually after going through all the safety issues and course area, Bjorn Dunkerbeck climbed onto the stage to begin the countdown for the start of race 1. With huge fanfare, the giant clock began its 60 minute countdown.
RACE 1 My strategy was to go for my medium 114 board. I knew I would not be quite so quick, but I was sure I would make up for the speed difference over a 10 km. upwind leg. The start is pretty critical like always. The Défi has a rabbit start with a boat powering upwind at 30 knots and the fleet passing behind in its wake. It’s pretty terrifying to be honest. Last year I had an epic start in 50 knots, lining up just behind the front row and then powering up early to fly through it into clean wind. This year however I failed to account for the lighter wind, and when I sheeted in to power through the front row, nothing happened. The wind shadow from 1000 other riders is quite large, and I was forced to watch the fleet blast away into the distance. Last year in 50 knots it had been relatively easy to pick people off and make up ground, but with nice easy 7.0 conditions, EVERYONE was fast and the effects of dirty air and water are much more critical. Consequently it was pretty hard to make up much ground. After about 5 km. I started to get some cleaner air and then I could start to really push, but by then the front runners were long gone. Last year I remember the race being sooooo long. After 5 km. I was nearly dead. However, maybe because there was 20 knots less wind, the first leg flew by and suddenly I was at the first mark. Arriving with a pretty big pack there was carnage everywhere, but I knew it was critical to get away cleanly. I gybed slightly lower, knowing I had the big board to get me away and it came out nicely. There’s something very satisfying about taking 20+ places in one gybe!!!
The second leg is always harder. More upwind and the air is really dirty, with the whole fleet sailing upwind of you in the other direction. This is where I thought the medium board would come into its own. I had rounded the mark 1 board length behind Pieter Bijl and as he shot out to sea, I kept my eyes on him closely as I took a more upwind approach. After 10 km., it turned out my strategy had worked to an extent. I had gained around 50 metres on Pieter. Unfortunately however I don’t think that made up for the difference in speed I would have had on the way out had I been on my 90 litre board. Next time I will know better. One of the hardest things in the Défi is working out tactics. It’s very hard to practice a 40 km. race with 1000 people! Slowly however you can piece things together. In the end I finished a fairly average 35th. I think the start cost me pretty dearly to be honest. Maybe on the smaller board I could have made some bigger gains on the first leg, but realistically I think top 20-25 would have been about the limit.
RACE 2 After race 1 I was absolutely knackered and the thought of doing a second race was not really something I was looking forward to. However the organizers were keen (obviously they are not actually windsurfing it, so the torture of 10 km. reaches has no effect on them!), and we patiently waited for the last finishers to check in. The Défi operates with a sign in, sign out system. This makes sure there is nobody lost at sea. However after surviving 40 km. of racing, most people just want to eat, drink, sleep, lie down and recover! The last thing on their minds is signing out, so things often take a while whilst they search for the last few names. I can’t really say I was hoping someone was lost at sea, but I was definitely hoping that someone had packed up and gone home without signing out! Unfortunately at around 4:30 p.m. the last remaining rider showed their face and the giant watch on the wall started the second countdown. This time with only 45 minutes to the start.
The wind now was much lighter. I was already on the biggest gear I had – a 7.0 and my 114 board, and it quickly became clear it was not enough. My start was much better this time, finding some space low down and passing right behind the boat. Unfortunately though, I lacked power and lacked speed. With a 7.8 I think I would have been flying, but underpowered on the 7.0 I could not really fight. In the gusts I would accelerate and start to overtake people, then in the lulls they would all come flying back past me. Very frustrating. At the end of the 2nd reach I went into the gybe and suddenly saw Ben Profitt 2 riders ahead. The competitive side of me kicked in straight away, as there was no way I could let Ben beat me. I started pushing and driving and after a couple of kilometres I had overtaken him and left him in my wake. By the next gybe I could barely see him and I was feeling smugly satisfied inside. The final leg was again tight, but I kept a pretty good upwind line and was cruising towards the finishing line. Around half way there is a river mouth, and some sand banks so they recommend staying out to sea a bit, with some buoys to mark the deep water. I kept tight to those, but then suddenly out of the corner of my eye I saw the distinctive yellow of a Simmer. It was around 50-100m upwind and absolutely flying. I took a second look and to my horror it was Ben. He had ignored the warnings, and just followed the beach. He was now level with me, in perfect clean wind, on dead flat water and had a huge upwind advantage. There was absolutely nothing I could do despite all my best efforts. I was forced to watch as he blasted ahead, finishing some 10 places ahead of me. I was gutted.
So that was the end of the day, and as it turned out the end of the racing. I disappointingly finished 43rd, which after lasts year’s 13th place was a big anti-climax. I think a large part of that was gear choice and next year I will definitely bring a 7.8. There was also a much larger PWA slalom fleet involved this year, with at least 10 of the top 30 riders doing battle that were not around the year before. Spare a thought for poor Arnon Dagan. In the second race he had fought through the pain barrier on the last 5 km. to pass the eventual champion Nicolas Warembourg. He said he was dying, but kept pushing until the final metres to eventually win the race. Imagine after all of that, arriving at the beach to see the world celebrating, and then finding out that he had failed to sign in before the race and was therefore disqualified completely! That night there was a party, but from my side at least there was not a lot of energy left. Bjorn was full power and the party was on fire, but I headed home destroyed!
DAY 2 – FRIDAY 31ST MAY Not the earliest start! My alarm had gone off early, but my body was having none of it! Eventually we headed to the event site to put the finishing touches on the RRD stand. The day before had been windy, so having sails standing up outside was impossible. Today however was a beautiful beach day, so it was time to make a show. The Défi is not only about the windsurfing. There is also a huge brand presence, with everyone showing off their latest toys. On the RRD stand that meant the new Pocket Rocket foil board and of course our Compact sails, stood centre stage.
The afternoon was spent rigging sails with Cyril Moussilmani. This event had come at the perfect time to work on some ideas for next year’s X-Wing race sail, which was why I had had to carry so many prototypes with me. We spent the afternoon rigging and checking things and having a look at some different mast options. All very positive and exciting for 2020.
The sun shone and it was a spectacular day. As the day drew to a close and the night started, it was clear this was the night to party. Unfortunately however the old, sensible and mature side of my brain overpowered the darker side and I went to bed early to avoid being drawn into the carnage. I had a busy day planned for Saturday and I knew what was in store if I stayed out! Sure enough the stories the next day were another level. Teddy bear suits, beer showers, stage diving, people being thrown into the ceiling fans and of course, Bjorn in the middle of it!
DAY 3 – SATURDAY 1ST JUNE At the same time as the Défi, the PWA were running the Costa Brava foil event, which is around 2 hours down the coast. I had pencilled in to go and see what was going on and today was the day. First however we had a presentation planned on the main stage to show off the best of RRD. At 11 a.m. we took to the stage to talk about the new racing program, and particularly the new X-Wing race sail, and again the Compact concept of folding sails and portable rig parts, together with the ultra portable Pocket Rocket foil board. As with all the presentations, the only reason people come I think is to get the free goodies at the end and we nearly had fights break out over the RRD t-shirts that were tossed into the crowd. Eventually the presenter of the event took to the mike and started up a Zumba dance contest to decide the winners. Not quite sure how it all happened, but I made a sharp exit stage left before being dragged into performing a dance routine in front of the large audience!
As the Zumba music died down, I hit the road straight away and headed south, back across the border to Costa Brava in the north of Spain. As I arrived I watched the first ever foil slalom take place, ending in a 16 man final, which looked thrilling, although at the same time somehow terrifying. There were a few big crashes on the reaches, but thankfully nobody got in any trouble, and it looks like this could be the future of light wind slalom. Exciting times ahead for windsurfing.
The night was topped off with the Champions League final, which I enjoyed with die hard Tottenham supporter and amateur photographer John Carter, as well as Liverpool fan Ross Williams. Together with the rest of the UK PWA event crew we celebrated as poor JC slumped into his chair in misery. As the 2nd goal went in for Liverpool at 86 minutes, JC stormed out the room never to be seen again. Happy days!
DAY 4 – SUNDAY 2ND JUNE No wind today and the feeling that at least half of the 1200 competitors had left already. The prize giving was held around 2 p.m. and then the frantic packing up began. Somehow it’s much easier to set up a beautiful stand than pack it all back into a van at the end of the event. Eventually we stuff it all inside and after a nice dinner enjoyed a relaxed (but still full power) wrap party with the organizers and many of the top riders. Around 10 p.m., French rider, Thomas Goyard arrived fresh from his first PWA win, trophy in hand and celebrated by spraying champagne over the largely French crowd. I personally ended up sat on a table with the lovely Karo and the legendary 3x MotoGP Vice Champion Dani Pedrosa, who is apparently a keen windsurfer and friends of Bjorn through Red Bull. He is certainly one of the smaller sportspeople I have ever met, and when he was stood next to the colossal form of Bjorn it was quite a sight!
The evening ended and Matteo decided to move the van back to the house for an early getaway in the morning. Unfortunately having been sat still for the best part of 2 weeks (it had been driven down for the Kite Défi the week before) the battery was dead. Unwisely we decided to try and bump start it, and gave the wheel to Matteo’s girlfriend. She couldn’t see anything through the misted up windows and whilst we pushed at breakneck speed, she steered straight into the one and only tree in the car park! Luckily there was not much damage, but the battery was now so dead it needed jump leads. Costa Brava winner Thomas Goyard arrived on cue with a set of leads and we eventually got it going and arrived back home. I finally hit the sack at 3 a.m., knowing that in 3 hours I needed to be on my way to Barcelona airport again!
DAY 5 – MONDAY 3RD JUNE I was not too happy as my alarm sounded at 6 a.m., but I also know that missing my flight would be a much bigger problem so I fought through the tiredness, grabbed a coffee and pain-au-chocolate and set off back to Barcelona airport.
However you look at it, the Défi is absolute punishment, but punishment in a good way. I have never run a marathon, but I would imagine the feeling is similar. Exhausted, legs destroyed and needing a week to recover… but at the same time a hugely satisfying sense of accomplishment. This year the exhaustion came slightly less from the sailing, but more from the whole experience. The racing, the parties, the show, but this time I only needed 1 or 2 days to recover. The funny thing is that as you leave the event, all you think about is coming back next year. Especially this time, as next year is one that cannot be missed, the 20th anniversary, it’s going to be HUGE!
KARO VAN TONDER
Waking up on the 29th of May felt like Christmas. The excitement was reaching fever pitch a day before the start of the biggest windsurf event in the world. We prepared all our bags to catch a high speed train in Barcelona that would take us to the windy French holiday town of Gruissan. After spending many hours on planes, trains and buses, travelling from Cape Town to Barcelona via Paris, I was super keen to get out on the water alongside 1200 windsurfers. We used our layover to explore the magical city of Barcelona on our way there for a day… a must see if you haven’t been there yet. Taking part in the Défi has been a big dream of mine for a very long time. For us South Africans, it is a long way to travel and careful planning is vital. It’s also a costly exercise, but I was fortunate enough to secure a couple of big sponsors that made it possible, Nashua Paarl & West Coast being the biggest contributors.
Getting my gear there was a logistical nightmare, but we managed to get to know the ropes and it turned out to be part of the adventure. One of the funniest moments was watching puzzled expressions of bystanders as we weaved our way down ‘La Rambla’, the famous street in Barcelona, with people just staring at us dragging along what eerily looked like a body bag!
FIRST IMPRESSIONS My first introduction to the Défi was unforgettable. My husband, Charl and I were engulfed by an ocean of like-minded windsurfers who all share the same passion for the sport – a windsurfer’s heaven! On arrival, I was warmly welcomed by the legend himself, Philippe Bru, who is the mastermind behind this epic event. It was not long before more big names crossed my path – Bjorn Dunkerbeck, Francisco Goya, Boujmaa Guilloul, Pascal Maka, John Skye, and the list goes on. Meeting these windsurf legends in person and talking to them is an unreal feeling… most of the time it felt like I was featuring in a windsurf movie! The beach was packed with colourful flags and windsurf stalls were neatly constructed; each one had on display the most exciting new windsurf kit and were run by some of the biggest names in the sport. Upbeat music filled the air and I was welcomed by all my windsurf friends from overseas whom I hadn’t seen in a long while and also those who I have only met through social media. It was a surreal experience to have the privilege of meeting so many friends from all over the world all in one place and it felt like I was right at the heart of windsurfing.
WARM UP After sustaining a serious shoulder dislocation injury in November 2018 speed sailing at Lüderitz and a subsequent dislocation 3 weeks before the Défi, I was rather nervous about gybing and doing waterstarts etc. with such a very limited range of motion and muscle weakness. With my shoulder operation booked exactly a week after returning from the Défi, I was determined to give it all I had and used the last bit of power I had left to experience this epic event! The wind was absolutely nuclear on my day of arrival – typical of this spot. Eager to get on the water for a practice run and to get a little bit familiar with the location, I rigged up my 4.2 wave sail, with the help of my husband, Charl, and fellow South African teammate, Louis Naudѐ. We paired it with a Gasoil 26 fin and 87 litre slalom board I borrowed from my sponsor, Surf’n’Curve. I was fortunate to be able to borrow all my boards and sails from Surf’n’Curve for the event and I only brought along one board bag with my 4.2 and 3.7 wave sails as I was warned that the wind easily reaches 50-60 knots in Gruissan. The wind strength was about 40 knots and I was flying on my Blade Pro 4.2 – relieved that I was able to sail with some careful manoeuvring to prevent the shoulder slipping out and feeling a little more prepared for the following day’s racing action. The opening night was spectacular- live music, amazing food in the VIP lounge and a festive vibe! The Tramontana was forecast to give its last puff of wind on day one of the event, so it was all to play for on the first day!
FIRST DAY Finally our first and possibly only windy day of racing arrived! Picking the right size gear that morning felt like buying a lotto ticket. When you are not familiar with a spot, anything is possible, especially with long distance races. The stress levels were on the high end. The wind was howling and after going out for a few practice runs on my Severne 5.2 Mach 2, 87 litre Patrik board and 30 Gasoil fin I felt a little more confident and it was just about manageable in the high wind gusts. During the safety briefing we were warned that the wind can be as much as 10 knots stronger over the second half of the 40 km. course so I decided to rig a small 4.5 Severne Overdrive to make sure my shoulder would not take too much of a hammering if the wind peaked mid-race.
The start line was spectacular! Coming from Africa, I can almost compare it to the great migration! There was masses of windsurfers all moving in the same direction as a unit and waiting for the rabbit boat to cross. I soaked up every moment of this spectacle. For the first two kilometres I was flying in the strong gusts, but I felt the wind get weaker and shifting the further I went. Eventually, after two hours of on and off planing, I had to abort the first race after quite a long struggle to avoid drifting too far offshore.
The rescue team did a sterling job and they handled my gear with great care. I was very relieved that race number two was still on the cards and it seemed like many windsurfers had a similar experience. Completing a Défirace had been such a big goal of mine and I was determined to make it happen! I rigged my 6.2 Severne Mach 1 sail with 107 litre Starboard Isonic and a 34 Gasoil fin – my favourite setup at my home spot in Langebaan. Funnily enough, one of the biggest challenges I had that day was finding my gear on the beach amongst the endless ocean of sails and boards!
SECOND RACE The second race was heaven – I was perfectly powered and the wind was a lot more constant than the first race. I stayed very close to the shore to experience the famous super flat waters and had the ride of my life! As I was cruising down the course, I adjusted my harness lines to a position that took most of the strain off my left arm with the injured shoulder. This, together with leaning fully into my waist harness with a lower boom setting, ensured that I was able to complete the race successfully and miraculously finished in 478’th position. Knowing that this would be the only race day of the event, I looked around and took it all in. To me it felt a lot more like a massive celebration of this sport rather than a race against each other.
Gruissan is such a unique windsurf destination with kilometres of perfect offshore winds that allows you to sail all along the coast for huge reaches. After a long day of epic racing I was on a windsurf ‘high’ for the next couple of days and danced it all out every night to the music of live bands and DJ’s. During days 2, 3 and 4, there was no wind, but an ongoing festival vibe with foil races, music, windsurf stalls and a crowd of like-minded people all out and about to have a great time. Every day lucky draws were made and big prizes, like boards, sails, foils, fins, etc. were given away and the crowd was kept thoroughly entertained by the talented presenter who was on the stage 24/7 with lots of enthusiasm and energy. I also had the big privilege of representing my fins sponsor, Gasoil, on stage. It didn’t matter that the wind had stopped blowing; we had an awesome time browsing through the stalls, watching the foil races, socializing, meeting new people and dancing every night until the early hours of the morning!
GRUISSAN Coming all the way from South Africa, we were curious to see the old town of Gruissan and spent an afternoon on day 3 exploring the beautiful marina and coastline by boat. We climbed up to the fort where we got a 360 degree view of the area. The town is picturesque and has a festive atmosphere and we were treated to a live band performance in the marina plaza while enjoying tapas and ice cream. When the Tramontana doesn’t blow, the temperatures are summery and you can wear shorts and T-shirts all day long. The best part was the long daylight hours that had us time-confused, as in South Africa it is dark by 6 p.m. at that time of year.
REFLECTIONS Having already completed an 80 km. Défi in Mauritius, training for this event was a no-brainer. I focussed mainly on long distance endurance running, mountain biking and SUP’ing and tried to do as much shoulder strength training as possible with resistance bands. During the race I could feel my injured arm was very weak and gybing and pumping was challenging. However, my endurance fitness and leg strength paid off and compensated for the difficulties I had with my shoulder. The Défi race is not something to be taken lightly, you need to be fit and focussed. Apart from the long distances, dodging windsurfers and being hyper alert within the moving mass is vital, not only for a good result, but also for your safety. My main goal was not catapulting or falling once, because waterstarting was challenging for me with the injury. I therefore took a wide turn around the gybe marks avoiding guys lying in the water. When one person crashes, it causes a chain reaction that you do not want to take part in!
One of my most memorable moments was looking ahead on the start line and not being able to see any part of the horizon due to the solid block of windsurfers. I learnt so much during this event: It would be ideal to arrive a few days before the event to get in some practice runs and to get familiar with the spot and the wind, definitely something I would do next time! My advice would be to opt for a slightly bigger board and medium to smaller sail so you can survive the gusts and keep on planing during the lulls, while keeping close to the beach to ensure flat waters and high speeds.
The Défiwas everything I imagined it to be and so much more. Every aspect of it is organized to the finest detail and the great amount of work that was put into it was evident every day. I believe every windsurfer should have this event on their bucket list. I will definitely be back next year for a longer period of time and will bring even more of my South African windsurf friends with me!
The ‘One Hour Classic’ is a unique windsurfing race held in Lake Garda and 2019 marked its 30th anniversary.
The aim of the race is to reach in 1 hour the largest number of laps around a course defined by two marks positioned on opposite sides of the lake. John Skye flew the flag in the event for the UK and his sponsor RRD; he recounts his experience of the event.
Words John Skye//Photos Alan Moan/Moan photos, Fabio-Staropoli/fotofiore.com
Having competed in just about every discipline of windsurfing, I would probably say my weakest point would be long distance racing. My relatively average height and weight means I am always going to struggle in a straight line against the classic large framed speed machine guys. So having fought my way around the 40 km race course at the Defi Wind, the last thing on my mind was the famous One Hour Classic at Lake Garda. However my RRD marketing manager had other ideas, and was determined that I should take part, so it was with a bit of reluctance that I booked my ticket for Italy. Going to Lake Garda is always a pleasure, but not so much the idea of racing full power for 1 hour straight, normally on pretty large slalom gear!
The One Hour for those that don’t know is one of the simplest concepts in racing out there, with 2 buoys set either side of the famous lake, roughly 2.5 km apart. A classic rabbit style start line for the 100+ competitors, who then blast full power for 1 hour whilst the race crew count the laps and the time on top to finish your last lap. The record was set last year by Bruno Martini at 19 laps in 1 hour 31 seconds, which is around 55 km in an hour.
GARDA Lake Garda is without doubt the most beautiful venue to windsurf at I have ever been to. Huge mountains tower either side of the lake providing one of the most stunning views imaginable. The small town of Torbole is a windsurfing hub, being home to some of the biggest windsurf shops, and full of sports enthusiasts coming to enjoy both the water and the mountains. Lake Garda is a wind machine, statistically one of the windiest places in the whole of Europe. The 51 km long lake is roughly 2.5 km wide in the windsurf zones and the wind howls either north or south up its length, funnelling through the narrow gorge of the mountains to provide over 150 days of over 15 knots a year. Typically the morning dawns with the 20+ knot ‘Peler’ north wind howling from first light until around 9-10 a.m. It then shuts down completely, providing a perfect opportunity to enjoy a relaxed lakeside breakfast, or for beginners to take their first steps on a board before the ‘Ora’ wind slowly picks up from the south in the afternoon to a slightly more mellow 15 knots. If you were to design a windsurfing mecca on a lake, it would be hard to make it any better than this.
COMPETITION TIME The One Hour event is sponsored by RRD and is housed in the legendary Circolo Surf Torbole windsurf centre at the north end of the lake. This is base camp to many of the world’s RS:X teams, as well as the official race centre for just about every windsurf race event held on the lake. The briefing was set for 11 a.m. and the rules were explained in both English and Italian, with everything set for a 1 p.m. start. The only thing missing was the wind! The event coincided with a massive heatwave. The day before was a staggering 40+ degrees, and with Windguru forecasting zero wind, any hopes of wind were pretty low. I was not really complaining too much at this point, as my gear still hadn’t turned up! It had been lost on the flight, and whilst I had organised some backup gear, I hadn’t actually collected any of it yet. All the locals said there was almost no chance of wind and as my family were with me for a change I took advantage of the calm to hang at the hotel pool a bit. Suddenly however the trees started to move and very unexpectedly the famous Garda wind machine had decided to ignore all the forecasts and switch itself on, providing a steady 15 knots on the racecourse. Suddenly it was panic stations all round as everyone scrambled to prepare.
Grabbing what I could, I rigged a 8.6 X-Wing and connected it to a 122 X-Fire. This is my setup at home, so I knew it all well. Luckily my fins had arrived, so I was able to plug in my trusty F-hot 44 RWS-3 fin and was set for action. Being new to the event/spot/format, I asked local legend and record holder, Bruno Martini, for some top tips. His advice was to start towards the top and push as hard as you can for the first 2 laps, then you can relax a bit. So armed with some expert advice I set off for the start line. This proved to be further away than I had thought, being around 1 km upwind of the launch site. I arrived very promptly just in time to hear the 3 minute countdown and horn and just about figured out where to be. As the start rib flew upwind on zero, I passed behind it with good speed and the race was on! Bruno seemed to be the one to beat and he had opted for a downwind start. I was around 50 m upwind of him, but in touch with him. When I was pushing full power he was not pulling ahead too much, but there was no way I could maintain it and by halfway across the lake he and the other top guys were moving away.I bore off downwind a bit to gain some speed, but that turned out to be a bit of a mistake. With a 2 km reach, keeping ground upwind is critical and sure enough as we neared the mark, I needed to point upwind a bit, and the guys above me started to all go over the top of me. Still I rounded the mark around 10-15th place which was not too bad.
Then the procession begins. I would say after 2 or 3 gybes more or less everyone is set according to their speed. The fastest guys are disappearing into the distance, whilst the slower guys are left behind. You find yourself quickly surrounded by people of a very similar speed and locked into personal battles with those around you. For me that meant pushing hard to get past the Czech guy ahead and keep in front of the German guy behind. The German guy got close at one gybe, but I pushed him wide and he ended up getting caught up in some backmarkers and I never saw him again after that. Which then meant I was battling the Czech guy, gaining on him in the strong wind sections and then losing ground in the lighter winds. I eventually passed him when he went a bit too low on the reach and was forced to pinch to reach the mark.
“ Keeping ground upwind is critical.”
CHALLENGING One of the toughest parts of the challenge is the variance of wind across the lake. In all the races we did it was typically really strong at each gybe, whilst backing off completely in the middle. That meant at times I was hanging on for dear life on my 8.6, whilst at other moments I was using every bit of strength I had to keep the board lifting and moving through some really light patches. For me it made it really hard to hold onto a position. Something that at the front Bruno seemed to be having no problem with! An interesting part of the race is that you can kind of follow what’s going on ahead. Obviously the format of a massive figure of eight course means you are passing everything going the other way on every reach, so you can really see what is going on at the front. Bruno was absolutely flying and I suddenly realized he was gaining on me rapidly. At the 50 minute mark I realized there was a very real chance of him lapping me. That gave me the extra motivation to keep pushing, but unfortunately it was not enough. My timing was off though as I passed the finishing line at something like 58 minutes, which meant both Bruno and I had to complete a whole extra lap. I then made an error and thought that meant finishing at the outside gybe, so rounded the mark, happy that I hadn’t been lapped, then went off the gas for a bit, before realizing everyone else was still pushing. That small error now meant Bruno was breathing down my neck and despite putting up a pretty decent fight for at least 1 km, he eventually passed me 200 m from the end. Whilst that might sound embarrassing, it is worth putting it in context, and I had finished the race in 10th place out of 100, which on its own is not too bad.
FOILED I was absolutely punished after that, but there was no time to rest as the ‘One Hour Foil’ was due to start in just over an hour. It’s exactly the same format, but with everyone on foils. Matteo Guazzoni, our marketing man, and I had decided to do the race in ‘freefoil’ mode, using the new Pocket Rocket foil board and our Compact Freefoil sails, and I was really looking forward to cruising around the lake on a foil. That quickly changed once I went over the start line. It turns out that despite plenty of hours wind foiling, I had never actually really tried to go fast for long periods of time, and quickly it became clear that I didn’t really know how to either. Matteo on the same gear as me disappeared into the distance, not only giving the full race guys a run for their money, but actually beating a lot of them, using a 3 batten 5.0 against their 7.8 full cam race sails. I meanwhile was not having much fun at all. Trying to push the gear and find the right position meant quite a few vicious catapults. In fact my race consisted of trying to push hard, before crashing massively. Then deciding to take it easy and cruise, before getting frustrated and starting to push again, at which point I would crash again! At the end of the race, having been lapped at least once by almost everyone, and double lapped by the frontrunners, I decided that would be my last foil race for the weekend.
What was incredible however was seeing the top guys pushing the foils to the limits. In a solid 15 knots they were absolutely flying on the foils. Bruno once again proved dominant, but for me it was Andrea Ferin behind him that impressed me the most. He had got off to a bad start, but then pushed and pushed to catch up. He had a peak speed of 30 knots on the GPS, which is unbelievable considering I only touched that a couple of times on slalom gear. His race unfortunately came to a premature end when at around 59 minutes he crashed so hard his boom snapped. After 1 hour pushing like a psycho, I watched him desperately trying to cross the finish line, but to no avail. Friday night was gala night, with an impressive dinner for all the competitors. The courses just seemed to keep coming and coming, but with 2 small tired kids, I left early, around the 5th plate, after the 2nd meat course!
“ I was really looking forward to cruising around the lake on a foil.”
DAY 2 Saturday was windy from early on, so I was a lot more prepared for the race compared with the day before. The wind was clearly a bit stronger, so I opted for the 8.6 with the 114, hoping that the smaller board would give me an edge and better top-end speed. With my 38 cm F-hot RWS-3 fin, it is a setup I really like at home, so I was feeling pretty confident. Being on borrowed gear all the footstraps needed adjusting, so I jumped in to sort them out and then lined up for the start. Yesterday had been relatively easy, but today it was much harder and I felt like there were double the people. Turns out that was actually the case, with many guys coming only for the weekend races, and it made it a bit more tricky. One poor guy even tired to jump the gun a bit and get a head start, a rather strange decision when you have a rabbit start and a boat flying by at 20+ knots. His race didn’t start well as the boat basically blasted through him, leaving him in the drink, but luckily unscathed.
Again up until about halfway I felt I was in touch, but as we neared the far side, the reach became tighter and tighter, and suddenly the medium board didn’t feel the best option. The guys on bigger gear were powering upwind and I got a bit caught up in the wake behind. With more people around it was harder to gauge my position as I rounded the mark, but it didn’t look good. It seemed like the reach out to the first gybe was pretty upwind, but the reach back across the lake was more downwind, and this was where I thought the small board would really come into its own. Unfortunately however when I tried to really put the hammer down I suddenly realized that my footstrap adjustment had not been that great. I always thought of Garda as a flat water spot, but with a fetch of 50 km and about 500 people on the water, it’s actually horrendously choppy. With my feet floating around and pretty disconnected to the board I was having real troubles controlling everything and couldn’t take full advantage of the extra speed potential.
My main goal in every race I have with teammate and friend Andrea Rosati is to get ahead of him. This race was no different and I spent 4 laps slowly creeping up on him and getting in position to get ahead. I finally had him in my cross hairs, having made some ground upwind out of his sight and was ready for the killer blow, bearing downwind, hopefully passing over the top and leaving him choking in my wake. Unfortunately, right at the critical moment with the straps too big, I couldn’t pin the board down, it bounced off some chop, spun out and I slid downwind, losing all my speed and ending up behind him and in his wake, which put a pretty quick end to my battle.
EXHAUSTED This second race turned out to be my worst result, finishing 11th. On the starboard tack side I was going really well and making up ground, but on the port tack side I never found a good trim. It was always upwind into a really short steep chop, which just seemed to slow me down the whole time. Once again by about the 45 minute stage Bruno appeared behind me, absolutely flying, with a huge lead. With more wind today, it was easier to keep pushing, but still as we rounded the last mark on 59 minutes he was once again metres behind me. I pushed and pushed and just managed to hold him off from lapping me, by literally 50 metres. It turned out he was very close to breaking the event record, missing out by only a few seconds.
I was exhausted and there was no way I was going back out again for the foiling. It was impressive stuff from the top guys as they all went straight back out in a solid 15-20 knots and absolutely killed it, Bruno once again dominating from start to finish.
FINAL DAY Sunday was the final day and we woke to find the lake glassy. I half hoped for no wind, as I was starting to feel the effects of 2 days racing, but I was assured that this was the normal pattern in Garda and sure enough at around 11 a.m. the wind kicked in and looked to be increasing rapidly. Lots of people were reaching for smaller sails, but Bruno took one look at the lake and in an all-knowing authoritative way told me it would drop. As I didn’t even have a 7.8 at that point the decision was an easy one, but I opted for the bigger 122 again. The first day I had a really good trim with that board, compared to the struggles on the second day, so I thought I would go back to that. This turned out to be a good decision and lead to my best race of the weekend. The wind today seemed to be bending each side, meaning that it was basically upwind both ways, but with the bigger board and my trusty F-hot 44 RWS-3 fin I had good trim and good speed, and for the first time I felt in touch with the leaders.
I lost Bruno for a bit, but Malte Reuscher who was 2nd was not too far ahead, so I was pretty happy. Then, like always, suddenly Bruno was there again. At around 40 minutes we crossed paths in opposite directions and he jokingly pointed at me, gave me the slit throat sign and indicated he was coming after me! Again my timing was pretty unlucky, passing the finishing line on 59 minutes, meaning it would have to be a whole extra lap to hold him off. I rounded the last gybe with about a 50 m lead and put everything I had into the last reach. It came down to a 2 km drag race, which turned out to be my fastest run of the whole weekend on the GPS, but it was not enough. With the finishing line in touching distance I heard his board coming over the top of me and in a near photo finish he just pipped me. Anyone watching the fight and not knowing would have thought we were giving it all, battling for the title, but sadly I was 4 km behind him. What was astonishing was that despite being lapped I had actually finished a very respectable 8th place, and only half a lap behind 2nd place. Bruno had more than a 2.5 km lead over 2nd, which is amazing at this level.
The final foil race saw Andrea Ferin get some justice after the first day. Today it was Bruno’s turn to crash and break his gear, leaving the door open for Andrea to finally take the bullet. However not only did he take the win, but smashed the One Hour Foil record as well.
RESULT The results for the One Hour are different from most other events. Rather than accumulating points, it is simply your fastest race of the weekend that counts. For nearly all that meant Saturday’s race, which unfortunately for me was my worst of the weekend. That meant I finished the event in 12th. Our Croatian rider Luka Mratovic finished a respectable 5th, much more in touch with the leaders. The clear and obvious winner in the slalom was Bruno Martini, who absolutely dominated the weekend, whilst Andrea Ferin took the One Hour Foil title.
Having experienced this race I can wholeheartedly recommend it for everyone. Firstly the place is just outstandingly beautiful. Whether you come just for the sailing, or make it a bit of a holiday as well like we did, it is such a nice place for all the family. Then the format of the race and the atmosphere around the club makes it perfect for anyone, no matter what your level. Whatever your speed you find yourself head to head with similar riders battling away in your own private fights. Particularly if you prefer big sail racing to small sails, then this is possibly the most enjoyable challenge out there. I have already booked my place for next year!
CONCLUSIONS
1 – Bruno is a machine.He dominated 5 out of the 6 races, leading from the start to the finish. He is obviously very fast and really well tuned, and is local, which for sure is a big advantage However more than anything I think he is just so fit and strong, and that allows him to keep pushing for the full hour. As I said every time we actually were really head to head, the speed distance was not so great, but for me that speed is only achievable in small bursts, but for him, he maintains it for over 60 minutes!
2 – The local riders are so well tuned. Watching the good locals they just fly all the time. The board is railing perfectly, whether they are in a gust or a lull. I personally couldn’t quite find that trim. In the high winds I felt good, but it was in the lulls that I was really suffering. If I pushed I could just about keep
some speed, but this was really hard to maintain for long periods. Meanwhile the locals just kept going, which for me was hugely impressive. For this reason next time I will stay on the bigger board longer as it naturally lifted more in the lulls and made it a bit more confortable over the long course.
3 – Garda is a very technical place to sail. As I said I had always considered Lake Garda to be flat, but in reality it is very choppy. Add to the mix 500 windsurfers, fleets of dinghies, the occasional speed boat, and of course the passenger cruisers passing by, and you have a mega mix of cross chop. Also there is huge variance in the wind as you cross the lake, both in direction and strength. In every race there was probably a 10 knot difference between the strongest points and lightest points, which on an 8.6 sail is a huge difference.
4 – The race is also very technical in comparison to the Defi.At the Defi you pretty much just go full power in one direction for 10 km. However in the One Hour the wind shifts make it very tactical. For those that understood it all better, they could really take advantage, maybe bearing off downwind in the gusts, knowing that there would be a wind shift later to get them back upwind, or at other times using the gusts to get upwind, knowing the wind would shift against them later. I was forced to play it a bit safer and generally stayed high on the reaches, meaning I knew I would always make the marks. However that meant there were a few times when I found myself too high and then having to bear away downwind without much power, which was not the most efficient route to take.
5 – The One Hour is slightly less punishment than the Defi. Comparing the two legendary races head to head, the gybes of the One Hour really help to reduce the impact on the body. With 10 km straight reaches at the Defi, the body ends up really twisted and fatigued, whilst at the One Hour, each gybe gives a welcome break. At the end of the weekend my legs were punished, but my back and sides of my body were not so destroyed like the Defi, and I didn’t need a full week to recover!
Francesca Floris, ITA-2111, is an insiprational Italian windsurfer who doesn’t let age get in the way of ability. In her late fifties she competed earlier this year in the PWA freestyle event in Bonaire, winning heats and finishing a very respectable 6th place overall. She gives us an insight into her life and how she started freestyling at 47!
WordsFrancesca Floris //PhotosJohn Carter, Lorenzo Mittiga & Michela D’Orazio.
Iwas born in Olbia, a coastal city in northeast Sardinia on the 21st of November 1961. I still live in Sardinia, where I am a physical education and sports teacher. I have been active in sports most of my life. As a child I was very restless and by the age of 5 my parents had me involved in lots of sporting activities. Around the age of eight I discovered fencing, which became my main sport until I was 30! After many years I took up other sports and passions and among these was windsurfing, which I started practising during my summer holidays.Around 12 years ago, I returned to live in Sardinia and that is when windsurfing became almost a daily activity. I work at school in the morning and then in the afternoon, when I am free, go windsurfing in one of the many spots in northern Sardinia.
In Sardinia there are plenty of radical wave spots, as well as flat water spots ideal for freestyle or slalom. Initially I was more into wave sailing, but I realised that all the good flat water spots were located close to my house, so it was very easy for me to get there after work and have a windsurfing session. That is mainly the reason why I became passionate about freestyle at the tender age of 47. I actually started my first Vulcan attempts at that age and slowly learned more moves. I must admit that it has become a real addiction, but also a personal challenge to those who told me that at that age it was impossible to learn freestyle.
LEARNING Certainly the speed of learning is not the same as when you were fifteen years old, but with commitment and a bit of stubbornness even at 47 years old you can do it. I have my own method when I am learning a new move. I don’t just look at the move and try it, but I analyse it, break it up into small sections and learn it one section at a time. This method may take longer, but it always works for me. For me, there is no greater feeling than when I am learning a new trick, it gives me an immense boost.
The manoeuvre that was a real challenge for me to learn was the flaka. It still makes me crazy. Now I am committed to learn the Eslider and Puneta. We will see how I progress!
Being competitive for most of my life, I couldn’t resist signing up for some windsurfing events. First in Italy and then at some PWAevents. It has always been a great experience and most of all a motivation to continue to improve. I hope I am a good example to any women who might not believe that it is possible to have fun and progress in whatever you do and show also that windsurfing is not a sport for men only. Most of all I strongly believe that taking part in sport is the best way to stay young!
KIT I have been using RRD boards and sails for years, while my friend Francesco Cominardi sponsors me with the best booms (AL360) and Alessandro Carluccio supplies me with fins (LSD). I somehow manage not to spend too much on equipment and everything I save I spend on travelling as much as possible.
I mainly practise freestyle, using a RRD TWINTIP 92 litre and RRD STYLE PRO sails from 3.8 to 5.2. My favourite sizes to use are 4.4 or 4.8, rather than small sails and very strong winds. On light wind days I use an X-FIRE 114 with a 7.8 sail, which I find really good for training.
LIFESTYLE When I am at home my life is very simple. I teach physical education and sport at school in the mornings, then for the rest of the day I am at the beach with my partner (of course he is a good windsurfer) and loyal dog looking for wind. If there’s no wind I just enjoy the fantastic landscapes of Sardinia. Sport and nature are a big part of my life.
Another great passion of mine has always been travelling. Getting to know new people and different cultures excites me. I either travel alone or with my partner. I want to discover the best windsurfing spots on the planet and my goal is to travel and windsurf as much as possible, finding new and unexplored windsurf spots. In Sardinia our climate allows us to windsurf during the winter season, but whenever possible I try to spend the colder months in warm places.
In recent years I have often gone to Bonaire, which is truly a paradise for freestyle. I find it a really easy spot to progress both for the conditions, which are ideal, but most of all for the great vibes and company we have there. There are incredibly good windsurfers which are always there to help and encourage me. During the summer I often travel around Europe with my orange van fully loaded with equipment. Greece, Spain, Portugal and France, are my favourite destinations. I’ve also had some memorable trips overseas. I travelled to Australia where I spent four months in a little van in search of waves, but I’ve also been to Chile, South Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, Indonesia, Hawaii and Brazil. All were unforgettable trips that have increased my passion for the sea and windsurfing. Soon I hope to be able to discover new spots in Colombia and Central America.
“For me, there is no greater feeling than when I am learning a new trick.”
THE VERDICT The Wave Cult is a well-mannered machine, at home in any coastal environment. Coming to life once powered, it is playful on the wave, with a smooth and natural rail to rail carving style.
THE LOWDOWN 2020 is RRD’s 25th season as a brand – a significant milestone that is being celebrated with the introduction of a new categorisation strategy. The Wave Cult now sits with the Hardcore Wave, Twintip and X-Fire as the brand’s ‘Pro Line’ range, and is available exclusively in their LTD construction. The lineup of six sizes are in fact the same as the V8 designs of last year, save for a graphical update to mark the quarter-century year. Short in outline, the emphasis of the design is to concentrate the volume in the centre of the board, to improve early planing. This is matched with plenty of vee and double concave under the rider’s feet, whilst the nose rocker starts early, keeping the board’s shoulders high, and finishing in a soft diamond nose outline. In the rear, the Wave Cult possesses what RRD are calling a “rounded pin winger tail” – the pronounced step in the wingers resulting in a narrow tail, said to improve the board’s tight turning capabilities. It comes supplied with diamond grooved dual density deckpads, Da Kine Velcro footstraps and a set of K4 thruster fins. The back strap is double screwed to eliminate any chance of the strap twisting, whilst there are six widely spaced front strap options to cater for various rider styles and gaits. It’s a classy looking bit of kit, the minimalist graphic on the nose highlighting the Carbon Innegra weave along the deck, contrasted by its highly polished gloss rails.
BRAND CLAIM “This board lets you enjoy every session, even when the conditions are not ideal. It planes earlier than any other wave board and turns tight in the pocket.”
PERFORMANCE Despite possessing the lowest quoted volume in the group, the RRD is composed in the water at rest and certainly didn’t feel the smallest here. Deliver power and it releases easily, requiring relatively little technical input from the rider. It accelerates smoothly underneath you, the nose and shoulders sitting high out of danger whilst the tail remains connected. In marginal winds, the K4 fins supplied provide the traction, but if you try to drive too hard against them, they can release and spin out, we think in part due to the pronounced double under the rider’s feet. Instead, stand over the board and use the rails to keep the board tracking. Once comfortably powered this sensation ceases, leaving the board poised and ready for action. Feeling compact and responsive, it dances over broken water on the way out, hitting ramps at speed and releasing easily. On the wave it was a pleasure to use, carrying its speed through the turn and transitioning from rail to rail effortlessly. In powered cross-onshore conditions it was incredibly forgiving, retaining its speed and enabling you to extend the turn or tighten at will to meet the section. The flex and feel through the fins certainly helped in this manner, keeping the rider connected and in control of the arc at all times. In cross-shore waves, the RRD performed equally well, its smooth carving manner allowing you to set the turn through the front foot before tightening through the back foot. One word to the wise: we initially set the board up using the middle plugs for both front and back straps, but it does make your stance quite narrow. So use the wide range available through the front strap plugs and experiment. Also, we have to say the Da Kine straps supplied with the RRD are a challenge to set andfelt quiterigid initially. Take your time to set and stretch them, otherwise you’ll find yourself cursing them out on the water. With the addition of the extra slot boxes, we had the opportunity to try the Wave Cult as a quad as well, but actually felt the thruster fins supplied complimented the board best in the cross and cross-onshore conditions we tried the board in.
VITAL STATS Volume (Quoted): 82L Length: 222 cm Width: 57.5 cm 1ft off: 37.6 cm Bottom shape: Straight vee in the nose, becoming vee with double concave behind the mast track, with both the vee and double becoming pronounced in the tail, finishing with pronounced vee after the wingers. Weight (Naked): 6.79 kg Fins: K4 Scorcher 17 cm (slot) + 2 x K4 Shark II 10 cm (slot). Sail Range (Quoted): 3.7-5.4m Sizes Available: 68,74, 82,92,104,114.
VERDICT A high wind freeride exemplar with an extra trick up its sleeve. It may mean extra cost, but that extra set of thruster fins is worth every penny.
THE LOWDOWN The Freestyle Wave has been a big hit for RRD over the years and forms an integral part of the brand’s Free Line range, alongside the popular Firemove and Firestorm. Dressed in their distinctive Y25 ‘monochrome and orange’ graphics, the 96 is available in three different constructions, this LTD version being the middle offering, supplied with a K4 single fin whilst possessing the side slotboxes, should you prefer a thruster setup. Wide and voluminous in the square nose and shoulders, it has full rails forward of the mast track, yet thins and tapers quickly towards the tail, highlighted by having the narrowest one-foot-off measurement in the group. As with the Wave Cult tested last month, the FSW also boasts large defined wingers in the tail, enabling the tail to adopt a narrow rounded outline for improved manoeuvrability. It comes supplied with four heavily Velcroed straps, which require time and persistence to set correctly, yet once adjusted provide excellent connection. There are inboard and outboard strap options, albeit the double back strap positions are still very much over the board’s centreline. With plenty of rocker flat in its tail and mid-section, the 96 adopts a visibly fast rocker line, yet exhibits the FSW’s now signature nose kick, turning upwards late to lift the board’s nose and shoulders high.
BRAND CLAIM “The Freestyle Wave is your everyday board. The most versatile board in our range will always make you rejoice whether if you are riding it in flat water or waves. What you get is an excellent planing, easy-going pure pleasure fast ride and great manoeuvrability.”
PERFORMANCE The winning formula of RRD’s Freestyle Wave series over the years has been to provide maximum reward and return for minimal demand of technical input. The definitive plug and play board. Well, the Y25 96 continues in much the same vein. Balanced and dependable off the plane, it can take a 6.5m sail with ease and responds the instant power is delivered. Used with the K4 fin supplied, there is plenty of drive and traction to push against through the tail, meaning that even the slightest weight transfer onto the back foot makes the board express its interest in releasing. It will flatter the progressing intermediate and make them feel like a champion, the board accelerating smoothly, feeling lively yet controlled underfoot. Whether single or double back strapped, the rider’s stance is more upright and over the board, rather than locked in and pushing hard. Nevertheless, it reaches a very respectable speed, the shoulder and nose flying high, whilst the back of the board retains constant contact with the water, poised and ready to change direction under any change in foot pressure. Peerlessly comfortable and relaxing to sail for hours and cover great distance on, whatever the sea state, it glides through lulls beautifully and possesses plenty of volume and support forward of the mast track during tacks. In the past our reservations of the Freestyle Wave was of its wave riding capacity, feeling a little stiff and stubborn to redirect round tight corners. This latest incarnation largely addresses this with the distinct tail redesign. You’ll have to go out and buy yourself a set of thruster fins, but it is certainly worth it, as it transforms the 96’s nature from directional and dependable, to much looser and more flowing through the turn. Push confidently through the tail in the bottom turn and the 96 bites crisply, the fins gripping and projecting the board back towards the wave, before the narrow rounded tail allows the board to transition smoothly from rail to rail and snap back to face down the wave. A great companion for hassle free fun, the new tail shape has bestowed the FSW with an extra dimension.
VITAL STATS Volume (Quoted): 96L Length: 228 cm Width: 62 cm 1ft off: 38.3 cm Bottom shape: Flat in the nose, to slight vee with double in the shoulders, the vee becoming more pronounced by the mid-section and in the tail, whereas the double remains subtle. Weight (Naked): 6.76 kg Fins: K4 3SW FSW 28 cm (Powerbox) + 2 x thruster slotboxes. Sail Range (Quoted): 4.5-6.7m Sizes Available: 78,84, 90,96,104,114.
Italian all-round ripper Francesco Cappuzzo shows off his many skills in this banging video from his winter training in South Africa together with Amado Vrieswijk.
John Skye drops a highlight video of his 2018/19 season and it’s a cracker! – “Footage from 2018 and 19. Taken me so long to get it put together, but hope you like it. Tried to mix it up a bit rather than all the Cape Town stuff like normal. Enjoy!”
Windsurfing Marketing & Team manager Matteo Guazzoni brings us this update from South Africa and how RRD are dealing with the current Corona crises.
WS: Tell us what a typical day for you is since the Corona Virus lock down?
When the crisis of the Covid 19 started we were having the RRD distributor meeting in Cape Town. It was around the 8th of March. At that time, I had to decide if to travel back to Italy or if to remain in Cape Town and I decided to stay.
My biggest concern was my family as they are living in north of Italy where the virus hit violently. I decided to remain in Cape Town as in Italy everyone was already in lockdown and isolated at home with no chance to work and also because my partner couldn’t leave South Africa. So here I am still in Cape Town. Some days after, the lockdown rules have been applied in South Africa and everyone is forced to stay at home. The biggest risk in South Africa is that the virus would spread rapidly through the townships where majority of the poor community are living next to each other with no chance of isolation. If that happens it can become a disaster which the health system will not be able to manage. Fortunately, at the moment the virus seems to be quite under control as there are not many positive cases presently compared to Europe and the United States.
WS: How are you keeping fit mentally and physically?
I spend most of my time working for RRD. Even though we are not fully operational, we are still busy in the marketing department and planning the actions to put in place in order to face the crisis. Having a consistent routine has become important during this challenging time as it keeps me focused. Thankfully I try to keep my day as close to my normal routine. I prefer to wake up quite early in the morning and spend time working during the day. As we live in a house on the coast, we have some outdoor space where we can still have a short walk, run or just breath some fresh air.
WS: How has your day job changed for RRD while this has been happening?
We are obviously facing a challenging time and we trying to manage it in the best way possible. As said my routine has not really changed, what has changed is how we deal with the crisis. In RRD we are obviously forecasting some scenarios and the impacts due to the lockdown. We are busy re-planning all the activities for next few months in order to support our business and the ones of our clients.
WS: Are you already dreaming of your next epic wave session?’
Of course, I am dreaming about epic sessions but most of all I’m dreaming about going back to normal life as soon as possible. There are people around losing their jobs and others suffering serious health issues. It is crazy how this virus has impacted everyone and had such a heavy and direct impact on people’s lives. The sooner we can get through all this the better. Everybody is just waiting to go back in the water as soon as possible as the water always gives us a good and positive energy.
WS: What is happening with all the RRD team riders?
We are asking our riders to help us with the marketing. There are still many things we can continue to do while staying at home. We all need to stay positive and keep busy. As all events and competitions have been cancelled nearly all of the riders were forced to cancel their trips and make changes. It is tough for everybody.
WS: How do you think everything will change in windsurfing once this is all behind us?
Difficult to say. We might appreciate more what we have taken for granted before. I tend to think positive therefore I imagine that there will be a greater motivation and push for recovery. I think that as we were hit so strongly and having a direct impact on all our lives, we might come back with greater energy then before. The most important thing now is to try to keep the motivation while we are forced to stay at home and get ready for when the lockdown will be over.
We hand it over to RRD sail designer, John Skye to talk us through the top items on his windsurfing and personal Bucket List!
Photos: RRD/Tome and PWA/Carter
GORGE + BAJA
JS: I have been pretty lucky over the last 15 years to travel a lot and get to nearly everywhere I ever wanted to. There are still a couple left that for whatever reason I never got to. Number 1 is the Gorge. I grew up windsurfing on a brick pit lake in the 90’s. Back then there was loads going on in the Gorge, and to me the Gorge was like the ultimate lake. At the time all the videos were either Maui or the Gorge, and at that point sailing in the huge waves of Hawaii seemed so alien to me, but the Gorge I could really relate to. Basically, it was a lake, with extra big chop for jumps and loads and loads of wind. They even had skiing at the same place, which I was also really into back then. However, up to now I never made it there. A few times I thought about it, but the ticket prices were almost the same as going to Maui, so that was a no brainer really.
Another spot that was really high on the list was San Carlos, Mexico. I have been VERY close to a couple of trips here, but it has never quite come off. So, the big plan is to wait for the kids to get a bit older and make the full west coast drive. Gorge to Baja. Sailing all the best spots. Stopping at Disney Land and Universal Studios on the way through. Living the dream in a giant motorhome. I am not sure we will ever have enough cash to actually do it, but it is definitely on the bucket list.
WORLD TITLE ASPIRATIONS
JS: I would like to win a world title! But that is never going to happen now unless I find some random event that nobody goes to… so we can forget that one!
GO ON A PROPER SURF TRIP
JS: Despite all the travelling I have never been on a proper surf trip. I came very close back around 2006 when I went on a Windsurf Classic event to Indo. We were pretty much in the off season for wind, so we surfed every day, for the entire trip. I got my first cover up and broke my first board there, but my level was not really ready for it. Now I am still a kook, but a slightly better kook than before, so I would love to do a proper surf trip. A boat trip around the Mentawaii Islands or some surf camp with perfect waves every day. Somewhere consistent where I can just surf from sunrise to sunset. All my friends from here in Gran Canaria go every summer, but it is always right at the busiest time of year for me, so it never quite works out. I think this is probably the most likely of everything on my list though at the moment.
LAND A PUSHLOOP FORWARD
JS: I would love to land a push loop forward… But I don’t have the balls to try it anymore… so we can forget that one too!
TAKE MY KIDS EVERYWHERE
JS: This is not really a specific “Bucket List” item, but I would love to show my kids all the amazing things I have seen. Definitely they need to go to OZ, South Africa (my daughter went when she was 1, but that doesn’t really count), plus all the slightly more off beat places like Madagascar, Namibia, Morocco and of course take them back to Maui, now they are a bit older. The problem is that everything suddenly costs loads. When you are solo, it is an expensive flight, then you found the cheapest car, a crappy mattress on the floor of a crappy house and you were happy. With a family it´s a whole different ball game. Not sure the wife would be happy with the kids floating around a rusty banger, with no seat belts and actually no brakes! The last time we went to Maui with our young family our pick up (which was actually a pimper one than normal) had a defect that when you drove at night, and put the brakes on, some electrical issue caused the headlights to cut out. A nice experience driving down the Haiku hills at night with the kids in the back! Obviously that car went back the next day and the credit card came out for an upgrade! So, everything needs significantly more cash now.
VISIT ITALY – SPECIFICALLY CAPO MANU AND SICILY
JS: I go to Italy 3 or 4 times a year now, with RRD being based there. However, I pretty much only visit the offices, occasionally Lake Garda and very rarely some local beaches near the offices. Last year we had an amazing family trip around the classic tourist sites of Italy (Venice, Florence and Rome) but what I really want to do is sail Capo Manu, Sardinia and also visit Sicily. Capo Manu has been on my bucket list along with the Gorge since day 1. Not really sure why, but for some reason it is pretty much the only wave spot on my list that I never went to. Now it is so close to where I am always going, but somehow, it’s still miles away, but I am sure I will get there eventually. Sicily is a new additional to the list since getting to know Francesco Cappuzzo. Now I have seen so many images of amazing waves, wind from all directions and he tells me the food is the best in the world on top. Apparently, they have a special cheese stuffed sausage, which sounds like it would give you an instant heart attack, but also sound pretty tasty, especially on a BBQ inside a bread roll!
WRITE A BOOK!
JS: Considering English was my worst subject at school, I have probably had more of my written words published in the press than my entire year at secondary school. I would love to take a few of those magazine articles (the ones that Windsurf editor Finn Mullen has edited, not the originals!) and shove them in my teachers face now, especially articles that have been translated into 3 or 4 different languages! I once read a book written by my great uncle called “An Ordinary Life”. It was an autobiography of his life where nothing particularly special had happened. He wasn’t a famous inventor, a top company director and hadn’t done anything to change the world. It wasn’t even particularly well written, but it still made for a really interesting read. I have started making a few notes as I get older with the vague plan to one day write it all down. The only issue is that the older I get the less I remember, so not sure it will ever get done. I have a half written (well half planned) book about windsurfing too. That will almost certainly never get written either!
