ROSS WILLIAMS - ROUND THE ISLE OF WIGHT

ROUND THE ISLE OF WIGHT – HOMEWARD BOUND

After Windsurf’s Famous Five coast run from Weymouth to Lulworth, I mentioned to Ross Williams perhaps we should try a downwinder back home on the Isle of Wight. My idea was to cruise from Yarmouth on the far north west of the island round to Sandown Bay on the south east; quite an ambitious run of around 25-30 miles. But upon hearing the plan Ross casually brushed it aside and announced he wanted to go all the way – round the island! Armed with a decent safety boat and an experienced driver, here’s how our circumnavigation went down!

Words & Photos JOHN CARTER

(This feature originally appeared in the November Descember 2015 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)

Round the Isle of Wight is approximately 60 miles as the crow flies and a gruelling challenge to navigate upwind, downwind and the island’s notorious tides. In many ways ‘going all the way’ made sense; since one way or another we would have to return to where we started; so why not just do the full lap on the water. Plus neither of us had ever circumnavigated the island before, so it was a box we both felt needed to be ticked. It just so happened the perfect forecast loomed up on the longest day of the year, June 21st to be precise, the summer solstice; obviously we were hoping not to need the full 16 hours of daylight to round the island but having the extra time was useful while we waited for the sea breeze to kick in. Using the data from my camera files I was able to record the exact times of each photograph, thus giving us the correct timing at every stage in the journey; here is our ship’s log!

12:00 – Ross rocks up at my house slightly hungover. It’s not often he gets to catch up with his friends in Ventnor so a few beers had gone down on Saturday night. As for me, I am all packed, camera gear wrapped in plastic bags and some Scooby snacks and drinks loaded into our waterproof cooler. The tide charts were showing high water at 4pm, so as long as we made it round the far west tip of the island within a couple of hours of departure, we should theoretically hit the outgoing tide as we head back up the Solent into wind for the top half of the island; easy!

13:52 – Ross steps into the water at Colwell Bay armed with his largest slalom quiver, a 9.6m GA Vapour and 130 litre Tabou Manta and 46 F-Hot fin ready for an 80 odd mile marathon. He probably would have switched last minute for his 8.4m had I not insisted we take a spare sail just in case in the boat; oops sorry! The weather forecast was calling for 15 to 18 knots but it was already gusting well over twenty in the Solent and looking pretty choppy upwind. Overhead the sky was overcast with patchy clouds but a few glimpses of blue showing on the horizon seemed to promise that the sun would shine at some point on our journey. I am all loaded in the 5.5m RIB with driver James Meaning and assistant Caroline, all nice and dry and ready for this epic adventure.

14:17 – It only takes twenty five minutes to reach the Needles, the far tip of our diamond shaped island, by which time Ross has realized he is totally stacked on his 9.6m and everyone in the boat is utterly drenched from head to toe. Short spaced standing waves over a metre tall make for a hellish rounding in the boat. Ross is clinging on to the 9.6m and scouring at me in the boat for stealing the 8.4m. We have been to the Needles a couple of times before but never ventured round the giant white cliffs down towards the western side of the island. Personally, I felt once round the daunting cliffs at this extremity of the island, the real excitement would begin.

No matter how many times I have ventured out to the Needles, it is impossible not to be dazzled by the stunning scenery of this iconic landmark. The jagged white rocks that rise up to the 120 metre tall cliffs are mother-nature’s offering, but throw in a 31 metre tall man made red and white lighthouse complete with helicopter landing pad on the roof, and the view from the water was jaw dropping.
Ross – “The equipment was already a bit of a handful, I wasn’t getting slammed but it was kind of close! Even from Colwell to the Needles was a fair old distance so I suddenly started realizing what I had let myself in for. Around the Needles the sea was brutal and I was way overpowered on the 9.6m. I could tell Carter wanted me to keep passing the lighthouse for more photos but I did it twice and that was enough, if he missed it; hard cheese!”

“ The Solent has some of the most complex tides in the world, the current can be up to five knots working against you ” JC

14:37 – We make our way down past the first stretch of towering white cliffs to Freshwater Bay one of the top surfing spots on the Island. Today the water is relatively flat but when there is a large ground swell in the channel combined with low tide and north winds, this wave is world class!

Ross – “I was hoping it would flatten off after the Needles but it didn’t. Rounding the stunning cliffs at Scratchell’s Bay down to Freshwater was already a long stretch, the angle of the wind, the chop and the cliffs, it was horrific to sail. Nobody ever windsurfs up there! Those cliffs are remote and only accessible by boat. All I could see was the headland at Blackgang thirteen miles down the coast and that became my next target.”

14:47 – Making our way slowly but surely down the coast I can see Ross is having a hellish time running downwind. He was riding the board with his back foot out of the straps which looked very awkward and uncomfortable.

Ross – “It was too out of control otherwise. I wasn’t trying to go full power down that section; I was just trying to set a comfortable trim. As soon as you stick your back foot in the strap on a slalom board you are going to speed up and it becomes much harder work.
The back foot in the middle of the board over the fin, is a technique we use in formula. On those boards we have inside straps as well for this. You are able to keep the sail sheeted out and take the pressure off of your back and your arms. This way I could cruise down at a deeper angle than if my feet were out on the side of the board.”

As we passed Brook Chine I spotted former British wave sailing champion Nigel Howell out kite surfing, which was kind of a surreal moment. I heard he rarely kites these days so to catch him while he was out there was a total coincidence. Meanwhile in the boat with the wind and the swell slamming us from the side, all crew were now looking like drowned rats. Spray was flying over the boat every time we hit the chop and my main concern was keeping the cameras dry and working. Despite being soaked through to the skin I was enjoying the ride; just to be able to savour the island from this unique vantage point was totally amazing regardless of any discomfort involved.

15:10 – The next landmark was the huge cliffs at Blackgang after a long stretch of low brown sandy coastline. Back in the nineties, Tushingham’s sail designer, Ken Black, owned a cottage on the edge at the top but he woke up one morning to find his sail loft precariously hanging half over the edge following a landslide. The house was not insured and ended up going over the edge a few years later; fortunately the family had evacuated at this point!

Along with the remains of Ken’s house, these cliffs also contain the bones of many dinosaurs and other ancient reptiles from millions of year ago and are notorious stomping grounds for fossil hunters and would be geologists. Blackgang Chine, also on top of the cliffs, is one of the island’s most popular theme parks and is also the oldest amusement park in the UK.

15:19 – We make it down to the southern tip of the island and pass the infamous St Catherine’s Lighthouse, where at last we are no longer being pounded by the wind and waves in the RIB. Niton is normally a place I shoot wave sailing and surfing in the winter but today it’s a rare treat to take in these breath-taking surroundings from the water.

Ross – “The wind was accelerating around the points so I just took my time and tried to relax. My legs were already quite tired, even rotating the cams was tricky sometimes. The current was strong along that stretch so I hugged close to the land. I could see rocks under me when I came on the inside at the lighthouse and the water was ripping away with the current.”

15:44 – This whole stretch of coast round to Sandown Bay, where I live, is one of my favourite stretches of coast on the island. These wild wooded ravines, chines and secluded bays, to me are the island’s very own version of Jurassic Park, with many areas untouched and uninhabited due to landslides, slippery clay and inaccessibility. We finally blast into Ventnor and once Ross sniffs out a crowd of beachgoers are watching, suddenly he is flying full speed towards the shore line and throwing gybes close to shore; bloody show off! Personally, I think Ventnor is the most beautiful populated coastal town on the island, with its Victorian hotels and houses standing proudly and looking out to sea on the green hillsides.

Ross – “I was still relatively ok at this stage but the thought did cross my mind to sail straight in and go have a pint at one of the beachfront pubs. I was looking forwards to getting round to Sandown Bay where hopefully the conditions would be a bit smoother. Just after Ventnor, the coast at Luccombe was spectacular, the cliffs were all black and the water was turquoise. I was just so powered up that I could not enjoy the scenery the way I wanted to.”

15:19 – Once we were round Horseshoe Ledge at Luccombe, Ross made his one and only pit stop of the journey. Ten minutes to neck down a bottle of water and devour a mars bar and a bag of cheese and onion crisps and he was refuelled and ready to go again! I could tell from his body language that the 9.6m was a handful but he knew that for his personal sense of achievement and dignity, he was not going to change down. Whatever equipment he started on, he was determined to finish on, no matter what!

Ross – “In Sandown Bay the conditions were more manageable and I was able to blast across the bay in no time. That part of the sailing was actually awesome, there were some guys out blasting on wave sails at Yaverland but I was still holding down my 9.6m. Apparently, it was gusting over 30 knots when I crossed the bay, the sea breeze must have kicked in as the weather cleared. I knew there would be people watching in so I could not really go slow or take it easy; so I put my foot on the gas. My dad spotted us from the beach; he had just gone for a walk after locking the shop up which was cool. I also had several messages on Facebook of people that had seen my blue and orange sail passing their local hangouts, it is amazing how word spreads on the island. I was more comfortable hammering my board in this flatter water than on the west side which was super rough. I probably put more pressure on my board that day than I would in a whole season so I wanted to be a bit more light footed on it.”

“ Round the Isle of Wight is approximately 60 miles as the crow flies and a gruelling challenge to navigate ” JC

16:38 – Our circumnavigation was providing a perfect viewing platform to study all the changes in the rock formations around the coast. From the white limestone based chalk that runs through the island, to the red sandy cliffs along the west side, the grey sandstone around Blackgang to the gault black clay around Luccombe, around every corner a new fascinating formation would reveal itself.

Ross – “Around Culver Cliff was a spectacular area to sail and I was in a more comfortable stance at last to enjoy the sailing. I don’t normally sail around that part of the island so it was cool to see this stretch of coast from the water. The island is such a beautiful place and finally I had a chance to appreciate it.”

17:00 – Turning the corner at Bembridge we entered a totally different style of coast. We had left the dramatic unspoilt cliffs along the southern shores behind in favour of the quaint yachty seaside resorts on the eastern tip of the island. Coming up the Solent was far more comfortable in the boat and we were able to hammer full speed in the offshore wind, barely able to keep up with Ross who was on a massive reach headed all the way towards Portsmouth. The Solent was a whole new world, filled with ferries, boats, hovercrafts and ancient forts. The sun was shining, the water was flat and we were all cranking along full power, making great headway as we started the home leg back west towards Colwell Bay.

Ross – “After rounding Culver it felt like the wind bent around the island, so Whitecliff Bay, Forelands and all the way round to Fishbourne I did in one huge reach. At Fishbourne I put a tack in just to put me back closer to the shore. That part was pretty quick and I thought that I’d be home in another thirty minutes. I was on a tight reach sailing close to the wind; which is more like I am used to sailing on a slalom board. My equipment felt really comfortable on this stretch. I was just sitting there without too much effort and still flying pretty fast”

17:41 – Just as we hit Cowes, it just so happened, the 300 metre long Arcadia Cruise ship was heading out from Southampton water. Not one to miss a photo opportunity I asked James to position our boat close to the turning point so we could snap Ross as he headed out of Cowes. By this point I don’t think Ross was particularly interested in hanging about to score the perfect shot, especially as the wind was nuking down the Solent combined with an almighty chop from the tide racing out back up towards the Needles. We just happened to be lucky the tides had worked in our favour, as the currents, eddy’s and hazards in the Solent are so notorious they could have thwarted the mission completely.

Ross – “Cowes was really windy, super choppy and horribly rough. It was wind against tide at this stage and though the tide was with me, this was the worst stretch. I did not want to stop because I thought I might give up once I lost the momentum. I just had to get it done. It was much flatter around this side but there were still some cool little areas, I sailed past Osborne House the former home of Queen Victoria, passed all the Wightlink and Red Funnel car ferries and blasted right by the infamous Royal yacht squadron on Cowes seafront”

18:32 – For the final stretch of the Solent from Cowes back up to Colwell, the clouds started to thicken and while we could straight line it in the boat, close to the shore and out of the chop, poor Ross was beating upwind, blasting far out into the Solent as he slowly clawed his way to the finish line. Far in the distance we could just see a headland, which was Hurst Castle, and that stretch seemed to drag on forever. In the boat I had four cans of beer in the cooler but was determined not to crack one open until we had completed the circumnavigation; torture!

Ross – “The last stretch was all beating into wind. I was on a slalom board which was not the perfect tool for going upwind. By that time my ankles were feeling the strain. I would sail on one tack for as long as I could stand it and then tack and just keep zigzagging up the Solent. As it became narrower I was pretty much doing runs right across to the mainland which was kind of cool. I shortened my harness lines to bring me closer to the boom so I could get more lift off the fin. I used my body and my legs and kind of twisted myself to get that board flying upwind. The more power you can generate then generally you can point higher upwind. From Cowes to Colwell Bay that last leg seemed to go on forever. I don’t think I would have been able to make it if I had been going against the tide. The Solent has some of the most complex tides in the world, complicated by the fact it has two entrances and Southampton water running up the middle, the current can be up to five knots working against you, so making headway against it would have been tough and added hours to the passage. It was hard work even with the tide, I could see the headland at Hurst castle and it was miles away but I knew Colwell was even further than that.”

19:03 – Finally after five hours eleven minutes, Ross blasted into Colwell and stepped off his board with a huge smile on his face, mission accomplished! In fact that was pretty much the first time I had seen him smile since he set off from Colwell at two in the afternoon. The record for round the island is held by a multihull yacht called Foncia which managed to go round in an astonishing two hours, twenty one minutes, averaging 21.3 knots; now that is pretty impressive, less than half the time we had taken. Given the wind direction and the fact he was overpowered all the way round, there is no doubt Ross could easily knock an hour or more off his time if he ever fancies another bash at the record. A northerly or southerly with favourable tides should be the ideal direction, but I don’t think I’ll be asking him in the very near future especially on a 9.6m.

Ross – “It was awesome to finally be back on shore. I immediately thought to myself thank god for that, I’ll never do it again! At that moment, I was spent; I had just sailed 100 miles! Even so, it would be kind of weird to go through my career without being able to say I have sailed around the island. It would have been nicer on smaller gear and with another person but the day just came up, we went for it and I knuckled down and made sure I completed the mission!.”