John Carter and 2016 PWA slalom Champion, Matteo Iachino, head out to explore the windsurfing paradise of Guadeloupe in the French Caribbean. Hosted by fellow Severne and Starboard world tour racer, Tristan Algret, and avid local sailor Bruno Kancel, the planned itinerary was to windsurf as many of the island’s best locations in a mere six days. John Carter reports!
GETTING THERE
I jetted out with Air France via Paris, leaving Heathrow bright and breezy at 6:20 a.m., which meant leaving my home on the Isle of Wight the night before. Coincidently the evening I left home was the same night the annual Isle of Wight music festival was finishing, so it turned out to be a hectic scramble to squeeze on the ferry along with the thousands of muddy and tired festival goers that were on their way home; I certainly saw some sights! Half asleep, I arrived at Heathrow two hours before check in opened at 4:00 a.m., so that meant trying to get some kip on the floor next to my bags. By the time I woke up there was a huge line at Air France, but I eventually managed to check in and was ready for my first flight to Paris! So far I would not call this luxury travel, but I was sure it would be worth it by the time I reached the Caribbean!
My connection in Paris meant a change of airport from Charles De Gaulle over to Orly, which was about a one hour transfer via free buses, before boarding for the final leg of the journey, destination Pointe-a-Pitre in the heart of Guadeloupe. If you ever travel this route, make sure you leave plenty of time for the transfer as it was Monday morning traffic when I crossed Paris and I only just made my connection by the skin of my teeth. Finally after the 8 hour flight from Paris to Guadeloupe, I touched down into the balmy Caribbean heat, ready for a six day whirlwind tour of the island. Everything for Matteo and I had all been organized by Tristan Algret and his friend Bruno Kancel, who both share the dream one day to host a PWA event on the island. With the travel side of the equation completed, now it was time to explore this windsurfing paradise and let the fun begin!
GUADELOUPE
Denne historien er fra Issue 389 - September 2019-utgaven av Windsurf.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Issue 389 - September 2019-utgaven av Windsurf.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
New School
Slingshot’s windsurfing brand manager, Wyatt Miller, has noticed that kids are drawn to playing with wings and puts forward an interesting case as to why he thinks this could help entice them and others into windsurfing.
Changes
Wave sailor Flo Jung reflects on our changed world during his lockdown in Germany.
THE LAST WAVE
Lockdown stirred the creative juices of reader Björn Alfthan, who peers into the future to present a fictional story set in the wild waves of Norway, five years from now.
STILL IN THE GAME
After a horrific fracture in his leg from a crashed aerial in 2018, Alessio Stillrich is back! John Carter talks to the highflyer from Gran Canaria about his move to the Simmer team, recovering from injury and how he learned to windsurf in Gran Canaria!
MOVE ON UP - GET ON THE FRONT FOOT
This month we look at how our front foot weighting can affect and improve different aspects of our main windsurfing moves.
SOUTH' KIPA
Nik tweaking it over home waters.
A NEW NORMAL
On a trip to La Tranche-sur-Mer in France last year, Tris Best estimated over 80% of the windsurfers were foiling. This summer in Portland Harbour, foiling activity has increased dramatically too he reports. With the market offering plenty of choice to recreational windfoilers, our test team check out some of the latest foil offerings.
TACKING – THE SEQUEL
Having given you time to practice, Harty concludes his tacking series by critiquing various tacking options, including the carve tack, as well as offering solutions to common slip-ups.
‘NO VAPOUR TRAILS TO SCAR THE SKY' *
Realising we may be about to enter an extraordinary period in our lives, Harty decided to keep a windsurf-centric lockdown diary. Here are some of his choice excerpts.
REDEMPTION DAY!
Renowned for its windsurfing and variety of spots to sail at, Kimmerdige Bay is a wave sailing jewel on the south coast of England. Timo Mullen gives a guide to its shores while reflecting on why a recent session there was a reminder that there is no place like home!
