NICO PRIEN: INSANE WINDSURFING IN MAURITIUS!NICO PRIEN: INSANE WINDSURFING IN MAURITIUS!Nico Prien heads out to Mauritius to with six guests for a dream windsurfing adventure. The wind and waves delivered and Nico even had a chance to sail One Eyeone of the most hardcore waves on the planet!The post NICO PRIEN: INSANE WINDSURFING IN MAURITIUS! appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.

A BLINDER OF A PEAK SEASON AT CLUB VASS!A BLINDER OF A PEAK SEASON AT CLUB VASSPeak season at Club Vass has been phenomenal so far. With an outstanding team on and off the water, more brand-new kit than ever, epic conditions and an awesome vibe on the beachSummer 26 has already been one to remember. Here is a round-up of whats been happening Vass-sidePhotos: PROtography OfficialFull Power FreestyleTheres nothing quite like watching the Club Vass Crew sending it at sunset especially whilst enjoying a post-session chilled beer, with a ring-side view of the action from our Beach Bar! This summer, the freestyle talent on the beach is seriously spectacular, with many of the team pulling off moves that would hit the mark on the PWA tour. Theyre certainly keeping Vassiliki firmly on the freestyle map and we regularly run freestyle coaching sessions for our advanced guests, so you can shred with the best. A huge shout-out to Miles fromPROTOGRAPHYfor so creatively capturing all the action.ProKids: The Proof is in the ProgressMany of Club Vasss best teaching talent started out as ProKids themselves and now theyre passing their skills on to the next generation. We genuinely believe we offer young windsurfers one of the best introductions to the sport to be found anywhere in the world and the progression on the water this summer speaks for itself. Were seeing more youngsters than ever fully planing in the foot-straps & harness thanks to the combination of perfect conditions, inspirational instructors and, of course, the kit. Our range of specialised kid-friendly gear is in a league of its own; with over 70 rigs (including Severnes Synergy & Redback, Duotones Now and Goyas Scion), and a huge fleet of boards (from Duotone Rippers & adapted Eagles to junior Severne Psychos for aspiring freestylers) . Thats more dedicated kids kit than many windsurf schools have in total! There are just a few places available for the school holiday week of 16th August but dont leave it too lateMake Yours an Endless SummerSecret September in Vassiliki is not to be missed. The summer sun and wind are still here, but the crowds have eased off, making it one of our favourite times to be here. Theres still fantastic windsurfing to be had, while the slightly quieter conditions make it an ideal time to get up and flying on the wing foil. And with cooler mornings and evenings, September is also perfect for hitting themountain biketrails. There are still some places left to end your summer on a high, but dont tell everyone.Early Birds get Beachfront Luxury Our luxurious one & two-bedroomCrossShore Apartmentsare becoming victims of their own success. Theyre proving so popular that some July 2027 dates are already completely sold out and we can see why These fabulous retreats sit right next to Club Vass, directly on the beach, with private sea-facing terraces, separate bedrooms, stylish en-suite bathrooms, fully equipped designer kitchens and exquisite high-end furnishings throughout. To save your own little piece of Vass paradise, get in touch now.Fast & Furious Club Vass-Style!Speed Weekis always a highlight in the Club Vass calendar, and this year certainly didnt disappoint. We had a fantastic turnout, including some seriously speedy ladies and youngsters. Theres always a great atmosphere during these clinics, with plenty of banter that of course continues during the daily debrief at the bar. Getting your time on the speed gun is hugely motivating and brings out the competitive streak in everyone, but its not just about speed for speeds sake. Being comfortable going fast is the key to nailing every aspect of advanced sailing. Want to find out just how fast you can go? Make sure you sign up early for next years Speed Week.High Flying Wing CentreThe Club Vass Wing Centre continues to go from strength to strength, offering an unrivalled wing-foil experience in the perfect conditions of Vassiliki Bay. With a huge range of the latest Duotone gear waiting for you in one of the best spots of the bay, right on the beach launching couldnt be easier. Our top-flight Wing Squad are always on hand to help with everything from gear set-up to handy hints and tips on all aspects of foiling. They also provide outstanding coaching for all levels, from first flights right through to advanced freestyle aerials, via clinics or private lessons. Due to popular demand, our Wing Clinics are now fully booked for the rest of this season, but watch this space for details of next years programme places are likely to fill up fast! You can still book private tuition in resort this summer, subject to availability. We also have a limited number of slots remaining to pre-book foil kit rental, but get in touch quickly to secure yours: info@clubvass.netRocking the AprsAnd the fun doesnt stop on the water, with theaprs-surfscene at Club Vass alive & kicking. Our Beach Bar is the hub of the bay for a post-session chilled beer or cocktail, ideal for watching our talented team sending it as the sun sinks. Tuesday is Pizza Night with the best pizzas in town from our amazing chefs, guest DJs banging out top tunes and a disco-lit dance deck just perfect for a beachside boogie. The legendary Club Vass BBQ never disappoints; particular highlights this year have been the Vass-ion Show and of course the renownedOscars. Because at Club Vass, the vibe doesnt finish when the wind drops, its just getting startedHeres what you sayPhilip says:Just the best windsurfing experience. We keep going back. Fantastic windsurfing kit, an unbeatable location and really fun people.Erik says: Very nice place for chilling out and renting surfing gear. The gear is very new and top notch, much appreciated! The option to keep swapping gear as the weather changes is really fantastic.The post A BLINDER OF A PEAK SEASON AT CLUB VASS! appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.

TABOU ROCKET PLUS REVIEW: WINDSURFER MAGAZINETABOU ROCKET PLUS REVIEW: WINDSURFER MAGAZINEThe Windsurfer Magazine test team have been busy testing the latest freeride boards and first in the line up is the Tabou Rocket Plus. Watch the video to see the full review! It sounds like they liked this one!Windsurfer Magazine: The Tabou Rocket Plus has always been a staple board in the freerace scene. Performance tied together in a very well put together package. The boys enjoyed testing this one so enjoy and dont forget to consider this one if youre looking for a new board!Riders: Scotty Stallman Head Tester Tris Best Windsurfer Mag Editor and TesterRocket Plus Tabou BoardsWindsurfer Magazine Windsurfing focused print magazine based in the UK.The post TABOU ROCKET PLUS REVIEW: WINDSURFER MAGAZINE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.

WHAT AM I DOING HERE?LENNART NEUBAUER CRASHES THE TENERIFE WAVE FINALWHAT AM I DOING HERE?LENNART NEUBAUER CRASHES THE TENERIFE WAVE FINALLennart Neubauer was the surprise package of the Tenerife World Cup, launching himself into the top four with a barrage of enormous push-loop forwards, clinical double loops and powerhouse wave rides that left the wave specialists wondering where exactly this freestyle guy had come from! But while his jumping is already right up there with the best, Lennart admits there is still plenty to learn when it comes to actually riding the wave.We caught up with the 2024 freestyle world champion to find out how he crashed the wave final, why he felt like he was being ganged up on by the big guns and how his ambitious plan to split his time between freestyle and waves could ultimately lead to one very big goal: becoming PWA / WWT Wave World Champion.Photos: PWA / WWT Carter Video: Rafa SoulArtWINDSURF MAGAZINE: Tenerife 2026, you were the surprise package in the fleet. You must be over the moon?LENNART NEUBAUER: Yeah. I was just telling Ben Proffitt, it feels like its not even real. It feels fake almost, but yeah, it happened.I think it almost means more than winning a freestyle event.It definitely does because in freestyle I always expect to, lets say, win or do good. Here, I expected to maybe make a round and I was going to be happy already.For me, actually, the biggest happiness came after making it to the semi. I was like, Whoa! Then making it to the final, I was like, Well, I already just went to the semis, so why not do the final? So, actually that felt less impressive!WINDSURF MAGAZINE: You had moves like the push forward and double loop on tap. Same as the big guns. That suddenly puts you in the frame, doesnt it?LENNART NEUBAUER: I mean, the thing is, I had two heats where I just did 17 points with jumps. To find a four- or five-point ride in ten minutes is not so hard.Im missing all the 360s, obviously and the wave tricks. I did none of that, so this is definitely something I need to work on. But I think its a bit like Moritz with his riding, I have it with my jumping. So, I feel like were a bit opposites there.I think if I put some time into riding, I could do quite well!WINDSURF MAGAZINE: Does your freestyle help you in the waves at all?LENNART NEUBAUER: One hundred percent. I really think I have good spatial awareness because of it. I know where I am in the air and I feel like I know where I am on the wave.Some things feel like they happen a bit in slow motion as well, especially in jumping. I feel like I have such an advantage there over pure wave sailors learning to push forward, for example, because Im just in the air all the time. Its really nothing too special or too crazy to do the jumping.Its the riding where Im missing pure experience, contact with the wave and timing.I was just asking Ben Proffitt, OK, Ben, what do you think I need to improve? If you were me, what would you do? He hasnt answered yet! But I think the 360. I need the 360I need it as a freestyle thing anyway.I think the problem for me is I need to spend some time in Maui, Chile, these kinds of locations where its pure down-the-line: reading the wave, being on the right wave. I just havent spent any time doing that.Ive spent a lot of time in the Canaries, so Im kind of starting to get the hang of that. It involves jumping, but pure riding, I think I need a lot of improvement!WINDSURF MAGAZINE: So, have you now got an ambition in the waves?LENNART NEUBAUER: I want to be a Wave World Champion. One hundred percent.I know I can do it. Its just time management from my side. My plan is maybe, in the next few years, to go 50/50 freestyle and wavemaybe even 60% wave, 40% freestyle.I think with 40% freestyle I can still maintain being on top, depending obviously on what Yentel and Jacopo do and how much they push. But at the same time, I can improve year by year in waves. Its not going to happen overnight.Even though it might seem like it with this event, I think in the next five years I would like to maybe win the title.Yeah, its a goal!WINDSURF MAGAZINE: And what about the huge push forward you landed in the morning when you were training?LENNART NEUBAUER: Yeah! You did some shots of it. I was like, Whoa! Maybe I peaked to early!WINDSURF MAGAZINE: Is it nice to open up a heat with something like that?LENNART NEUBAUER: Yeah, I mean that was actually in the warm-up, that one. But I had a heat, for example, where I opened up with an eight-point double.You need to think, there are four things you need to do to score: two waves and two jumps. So you just need four ticks in total, lets say.If you open up in 15 seconds and you already tick a box, you have a whole heat and you only need to do three. The rest still need to do four.Its a 25% advantage if you think about it. An eight is great for me. Then I had another 8.5 with a push forward, and that was it. My jumping was done.I had ten minutes to improve my riding and I feel like thats ten waves easily. One of them, goddammit, is going to be good! I hope one of them is going to be right.WINDSURF MAGAZINE: What was it like heading out on the first run of the final with those big guns?LENNART NEUBAUER: Horrible! Horrible. It was terrible. Really, really terrible.I felt like I was being ganged up on.I had Philip Koester, Marino Gil and Marc Pare and Im like, And me? I was asking myselfWhat am I doing here? Why am I in this final? But heading out at the beginning of the heat with those guys felt crazy but also a bit intimidating as I had not been in a position like that before in waves!Im still trying to understand what I felt, but it all went wrong. I think I lost all the pressure when I made the final and I work with pressure. I had no pressure, so I felt like I was free-sailing on a bad day, lets say.I didnt really care anymore either. Once it started going wrong, I was like, Shit, this is really not going well.I was aware of it, so I was like, Lennart, its not done. You have ten more minutes.But I couldnt do a push forward, couldnt do my doubles. I didnt believe I could anymore somehow. It was literally a mental thing.WINDSURF MAGAZINE: You were just happy to be there?LENNART NEUBAUER: I was just happy to be there.At some point, I had about four minutes gone. I had done basically nothing yet, and I was just heading back. I was looking at the beach, which was full of people, and I was thinking, Damn. Im there, but Im one of the people watching, you know?I was like, Oh well, thats crazy.Then I started riding a wave on the inside and broke my mast. I was secretly kind of happy it was over, to be honest, because it went so terribly up to that point.I was like, OK, well, I broke my mast. Its done.Then the current was pushing me out, so I couldnt even really make it in. With two minutes to go I got a new sail and went back out, but it was over. I was kind of relieved when it was doneLooking back I could of done better but it is what it is!For me, I didnt take anything away from it other than to learn, OK, what happened there?But otherwise, Im just over the moon to have made it to the final. Im super, super happy!The post WHAT AM I DOING HERE?LENNART NEUBAUER CRASHES THE TENERIFE WAVE FINAL appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.

JASON POLAKOW AND ROBBY SWIFT JAWS JANUARY 2023JASON POLAKOW AND ROBBY SWIFT JAWS JANUARY 2023It is a bit early to be talking about the Jaws season but here is a taster of what that wave can do from a big session back in 2023 featuring Jason Polakow (who had a shocker) and Robby Swift!The post JASON POLAKOW AND ROBBY SWIFT JAWS JANUARY 2023 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.

GEORGE GRISLEY: GYBE VARIATIONSGEORGE GRISLEY: GYBE VARIATIONSIn his latest video George Grisley runs us through a bunch of gybe variations that can add to your windsurfing repertoire. Whether it is carve gybes or lay down gybes this tutorial is packed with ideas on how to mix it up on the water!The post GEORGE GRISLEY: GYBE VARIATIONS appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.

THE NOT-SO-FAMOUS FIVE: GO ROUND THE ISLE OF WIGHTTHE NOT-SO-FAMOUS FIVE: GO ROUND THE ISLE OF WIGHTEleven years, numerous failed attempts and enough unfinished business to fill a very large WhatsApp group finally came down to five windsurfers meeting on Mudeford Sandspit one Sunday morning. There was just enough time for a quick briefing before the Famous Five promptly headed off in five slightly different directions. What followed involved broken kit, questionable equipment choices, disappearing team members, emergency repairs, expedition porridge, a night under sails and a heroic battle past the Needles. In the end, three made it all the way roundbut as youll discover from the following accounts, everyone had their own very different adventure.Below are the ramblings from Clyde Waite, James Cox, Jono Dunnett, Gregg Dunnett and Henry Cartwright in the wake of their epic quest!Clyde Waite:In 1970, Five years before I was born, a rocket called the Apollo 13 circumnavigated the moon. Apparently. Anyway, as you know the only thing that saved that mission was a big roll of Gaffa tape. Gaffa tape, duck tape or whatever you want to call it was also the saviour of this vague plan to circumnavigate the Isle of Wight. That is where the parallels end. The moon is also a lot bigger than the Isle of Wight, and further away.Seven weeks earlier I fractured and badly sprained my ankle landing an aerial at Avon beach, quite close to our launch spot. I doubted that I would be able to be fit or strong enough to windsurf on such a mission, so dis-regarded the prospect. I was still wearing one of those huge boot things. Nevertheless, the Wednesday before our proposed date, Jono Dunnett started firing up the WhatsApp group saying we had to go on the Sunday because the tides are in our favour. I was not readyAt all. (Rounding the IOW is a more complicated task than you might think. Regardless of the wind strength or direction, unless favourable tides are with you, in many spots you will just find yourself going backwards). I was unfit, I hadnt windsurfed in 7 weeks, didnt even know what kit was around. I managed to cobble together an oldish 8.5 rig and a Fanatic Cat raceboard. I also hadnt windsurfed on a raceboard in 12 years. Had I had more time I would have been able to get hold of a modern more durable rig from long time sponsors Simmer Style.The ankle was then strapped up with numerously well thought out bits of gaffa tape. It would be fine. And by and large it was. Because we made it. The bigger issue at the start was the 25 knot wind and a huge downwinder to Bembridge with an 8.5! The Gaffa tape not only was needed to fix a boom clamp that broke. The sail that ripped under the load, my bleeding hands and a small hole in Coxys bag. Without it, I would probably been drifting dangerously through the multiple shipping lane channels and the hole in Coxys bag would be a bigger hole. I doubt Tom Hanks will be up for the challenge of playing me in this feature film The IOW pt 3 but doors are open.We always planned to camp the night and made it to Shanklin at 10pm. This is where I discovered that the large orange dry bag, I strapped to the board with all my clothes in, was not actually a dry bag, but more of a bucket of water with some very not dry clothes in. Adding at least another 10kg to the board and slowing me down. A lot.The rest of the report is well documented by the other protagonists. Three of us made it back from the starting five. After the final 6 hour beat home on the south of the island, a hairy rounding of the Needles overfalls and I was probably more physically exhausted than I can remember. Hitting land my legs just gave way. One pint of water from my lovely wife Liz, then a pint of beer from my father in law and many hoops and cheers from an unexpected welcoming party elevated me to a huge high.. Jono was elated that he had finally made it round the IOW (despite having windsurfed around Britain, Europe and Japan). A special mention to Coxy who had never sailed a raceboard before and took it all in his stride, his UJ snapping clean in half upon landing. Henry and Gregg, well I am sure they will turn up one day.James Cox:Added to the IOW 2026 Whatsapp group, my plans for the next few days must change. My wife away and childcare needed, the grandparents were sent the bat-signal. The search for appropriate equipment commenced. Frantic drives up and down the south coast followed. And in time I was the proud owner of a long board of Olympic provenance and an Ezzy Cheetah whose size 8.0m size was absolutely out of my standard range. Clearly out of my depth. But at least I had the recommended kit. And with the likes of Herculean adventurer Jono, the heavily experienced Henry and the disciples of shred, Clyde and Gregg I had gentlemen I could rely on when the croutons hit the futon.Clyde where are you? I search the horizon trying to track him down. Our team scattered on our opening gambit to Hurst due to strong winds. A strategy of closer quarters was needed. What of equipment breakages and shipwrecked sailors? The lost became found and we stick together blasting like madmen into the Solent. Down-winders of righteous grandeur followed until a broken boom clamp forced us to a muddy shore to make emergency repairs.What of Jono and Gregg? And Henry? These questions lingered but press on we must until rehydration and depleted energy levels demand attention. A welcome boost of morale as Jono emerged from the chaos. News that Gregg and Henry would no longer be with us followed. We will raise a drink in their honour later. Onwards. Our minds were fixed on progress before nightfall. The sands of time were against us. We had unknown challenges ahead and I had children to collect.The rampant down-winders of the Solent ended. Cautious upwind beating in fickle offshore winds followed. Gratefully we land at Shanklin under the cloak of night. Camp was set up swiftly. Water turned to wine. Realisation that Clyde had no dry clothes. Laughter, hysterics possibly. Clyde became Long John Silver, Jono the Blue Phantom. We left Shanklin as the sun rose. The tides guided our passage beneath the cliffs. Only resting in the guiding currents that would take us to our journeys end. My hours of reckoning. Learning to make progress with daggerboard, sliding track and rail. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes became hours. Eventually re-united with Jono and Clyde under the watchful Needles. With conviction we run the gauntlet tooth and claw through the forbidding over-falls of Dolphin Sands. Onwards to the safety of Christchurch Bay.Arrived exhausted, satisfied, surprised. A glorious welcome. As if by an unseen bolt of lightning a strange significance. The final resting place of my UJ. Guided me this far, it meets its end. Board and sail separate in my hands with a dying breath.Gregg Dunnett:Fail to plan, plan to fail thats what my previous unsuccessful attempts at circumnavigating the Isle of Wight had taught me. So, when I signed up for a third attempt, I knew there could be no mistakes. I drew up a rigorous training programme involving sit-ups and a watermelon-only diet.But then I realised what if carrying out this plan resulted in me showing up my fellow adventurers? Jono has windsurfed around practically half the planet. Henry is favourite to inherit his crown as the worlds craziest windsurfing explorer when Jono finally hangs up his harness. Even Clyde was a national raceboard champion in his youth, as he never stops reminding me. And James Cox needs no introduction as a half-man, half-natural-windsurfing-freak-machine-thing.No, I couldnt risk humiliating them. The rigorous plan was set aside and instead I did absolutely nothing to prepare.It was a mistake. A big one almost as big as including me in the expedition in the first place.As we set off, the wind built steadily into five-metre-sail weather. I was wrestling an 8.5m with adjustable downhaul and outhaul and no instruction book. Was it daggerboard up and mast track forward? Pull the red rope or the blue one?Shouted instructions from Jono helped a little, but the wind was so strong he might as well have been a tiny hamster named Wilbur whose squeaky voice couldnt cut through the vicious gusts.I went down. Once, twice, three times slammed by another gust because Id pulled the wrong rope, or possibly the right rope in the wrong direction. Then down again.Every time I staggered back up, I had less energy. My soft desk-job hands hadnt touched a boom in four years and the skin was already flaking off. Soon I could manage no more than fifty metres before the next crash, and it became clear that completing the full route was impossible.So, I changed the plan again.I would become like one of those booster rockets NASA used to launch the space shuttle giving all my energy to send the others successfully around the island. The only difference was that my efforts wouldnt actually assist them in any way and were, in fact, hindering them quite considerably by making them wait for me.Still, I liked the analogy.Then came a new plan.I would get to Lepe.Lepe was where some of us had reached on an earlier attempt, travelling the opposite way around the island. If I could just make it there, I would at least have achieved something. I would have windsurfed every mile of the circumnavigation even if the two halves were eleven years apart and completed in opposite directions.It was honestly the hardest thing Ive ever done on a windsurfer, but, shepherded along by Jono, I made it. Five hours after setting off, I finally collapsed ashore at Lepe.Then I boosted Jono off, NASA-style, to catch up with the others.Fail to plan, plan to fail be damned.The island had been conquered just not all at once, or entirely by me.Jono Dunnett:I had windsurfed round Britain, Europe and Japan in preparation. Would it be enough? Would it be third time lucky for the IOW?My sail was a 9.2 Turbo and my board an IMCO, the same as James, though we had one each.It was windy enough to plane at full tilt going deep downwind. Within a few minutes, the group had separated. Clyde and James were towards the horizon; Henry was ahead somewhere; Gregg was in the water. I abandoned my attempts to herd the group and instead tried to coach Gregg, but the 8.5m sail Id lent him was too big, and his boards mast track wouldnt budge. In these conditions, Greggs gear was a tricky beast.Staying with Gregg meant stop-start sailing for me too. Hauling the sail up dozens of times was draining. We were slow getting to Hurst, our supposed rendezvous point. With no gear visible on the beach, we continued to an easier stop a mile farther on. Gregg was exhausted; my arms were cramping. My barrel had cooking gear, so we brewed coffee to lift morale. Then we sailed a little farther.At Lepe, Gregg called time on his effort.Go on without me! he said. Get round this damned island!There was nothing I could do but leave him there on that exposed slope of the seawall. The seagulls were already circling.I took Greggs board my round-Japan board and hared after Clyde and James, who were taking a breather about eight miles farther on. I arrived in time to accept a sausage sandwich from James. There had been much talk of sandwiches. In terms of taste, it met the glamour benchmark.Where was Henry? A message arrived from Hayling: apologies for absence; a reluctant bail. Two sailors down, three remaining. We were a few miles from Bembridge, the eastern tip of the IOW. Sunset was one hour away.On the last downwind leg, I broke a harness line. Then Clyde needed to stop to repair a split in his sail. We rounded the end, sailed upwind in an offshore wind, and were pushed farther offshore than was comfortable. After ninety minutes, I reached Shanklin beach, followed by James and Clyde under a nearly full moon.Clyde wrung out his soaked clothes. We lucked out and found an Indian restaurant before retiring under our sails for the night.We snoozed through a glorious pre-dawn sky. A few hours later, James and I breakfasted on expedition porridge a genuine recipe used on missions to the poles. Clyde, lactose intolerant, missed out. I was keen to get away early, make best use of the tide when it turned, and avoid the strong winds forecast from mid-afternoon.The wind shadow took a while to clear. Then the current pulled us towards St Catherines Point. Great progress. Lets push on, staying offshore to get the stronger current. In this river of favourable flow, progress was nothing short of astonishing.We regrouped just short of the Needles. The overfalls just past them looked lively, and they were. I followed the others in downwind mode on a joyous romp through the treadmill of breaking waves a treat for our decade of patience. We arrived home to a heros welcome. Cold beers were chinked between us. Friendships had deepened. So had my connection to the island. I looked back towards the chalk stacks. Even the view had changed.Henry Cartwright: (after 5 pints)The Sunday morning it was blowing 20-25 knots and we were rigged in an assortment of sails ranging from huge to gigantic. I was on a more modest 7m in order to tackle the first leg directly downwind to the island for a clockwise circumnavigation over 2 days. Despite long distance windsurfing since 2019, there was something completely new about having a convoy and other people to think about as well as the usual intensity that comes with being solo. A few smiles and handshakes on the beach and we were off. Jono led the way and I was momentarily keeping up. I was very keen not to hold up the show so made it my business to aim deep downwind, get planing and no relent in my efforts to fly downwind, picking the gusts and not falling in. I suspected the pack had gone inshore but was wary that my sail was smaller than the others so headed further out to remain powered up and hopefully keep up for the first check point, Hurst Castle. Halfway to Hurst Castle the wind was getting up and I was close to the limit, making turning around to see what the others were up to at best at best a red herring and at worst a catapult inducing thwack. Lots of gybes later and I decided to pull into the Hurst Castle spit in a rush of shingle and waves and the horrible grinding of a fin.I was slightly confused and surprised to realise I was the first there. Jono was obviously being more sociable and holding back to shepherd the flock, there were some mast track issues with James and some cobwebs to clear for Gregg after years, rather than months or weeks of not sailing. My last trip across the Bristol Channel felt a long time ago being a month prior but that excuse seemed empty in comparison to the others. It had been a long time coming for Clyde, a Southbourne local with too many years looking at the Isle without having lapped it by windsurf, only a few will know that frustration!Anyway, back on the spit I was panting and observing my watch at 184bpm. There were sweets and 7 bottles of water I had carried up the steep shingle bank, so it made sense to eat a few to lighten the load and use the eating and drinking as an excuse to wait for the others. That said, the boiling cauldron of sea to the east at the Hurst Narrows was not remotely tempting, so I decided to descend the north side of the spit and into the sheltered lagoon behind. Theoretically this would be part of the Solent had there been any water. The tide was out. So, on the seaward side I had dodged the shore-dump, remnants of wind over tide which would eek out until slack at 3pm and a horrible kit breaking mess of a sea but now on the northern side lay a muddy swamp with ankle deep water and an hour of wading, suction sounds of legs in sludge and lifting of heavy kit until eventually I was free.The Solent proper was glorious when I was eventually released. I glanced at the lighthouse, the checkpoint and with no surprises there werent any windsurfers waiting. Further ahead however an orange sail James or Clyde I fathomed, and one other sail, Clyde or James. This was great news and gave me a reason again to chase them up the western Solent. Dream conditions! I overtook lots of expensive looking yachts and they could only wave as I left them behind, sailing at a thrilling 8 knots. The board regularly hit 15 and around 20 tops.At this point as you round the Gurnard Ledge Spinnaker Tower appears and it doesnt feel that far to Hayling. Except the others had disappeared and this 7m sail wasnt making life easy. I continued to Lee on Solent to bank a position near the mainland and sat on the board looking at a misty phone screen through the plastic waterproof protector.What was the plan? I saw a photo from Jono and Gregg on the Calshot bank. Somehow I was ahead?? Gregg looked finished, lying out on the beach this didnt look much like an Isle of Wight circumnavigation. There were messages below the photo and I documented one of my own to share, which looked unrealistically cheery. I was in fact quite tired. Setting off on the next broad reach towards the Isle the thought soon dawned that I could return to Hayling and bail out of the Isle of Wight circumnavigation. Were all bets off? Would they make it to the Isle but not back let alone around? I had been there before, three times. The thought of hiring a van to get an expensive ferry to retrieve my kit from a hidden hedge wasnt that tempting. And Hayling was maybe 8 miles away.I tried to bear away as much as possible and, skirting around the Sail GP event with all its buzzing fuss of ribs and helicopters, decided that a DNF would be okay. Several gybes later and I returned to HISC after 50 miles and a hard six hours. I assumed that was really it and the others, like me would find their own face-saving bail outs. That wasnt to be. The evening wore on and I washed down my kit and they were still windsurfing. Shower, changed. They were sill windsurfing. It was now 8pm and there were some pings and photos of Jono tending to one of the others ripped sails, emergency patch. They were still windsurfing. And now as the moon was high and dusk had truly descended three windsurfers, Jono, James and Clyde drifted across Shanklin Bay to land on Isle of Wight. It was the perfect staging post for what was to come.The following day they rose early and with a mix of jealously and relief I observed them advance westwards around the island, across the treacherous overfalls of the Needles and back to Hengitsbury Head to complete a many year long dream, congrats guys!The post THE NOT-SO-FAMOUS FIVE: GO ROUND THE ISLE OF WIGHT appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.