Kite Britain
103 Days (May 2nd -> August 12th 2018)
| Record Attempt Start Time | 2018-05-02 13:56:26 |
|---|---|
| Record Attempt End Time | 2018-08-12 07:41:40 |
| Total Distance (km)* | 4,509.01 |
| Total (Active) Kiting Time | 249 hours |
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Stew, Islay with Captain Joe, Jeremy and Oscar as Support Crew
When
May to August 2018
The Idea
Living with Stew, there is at least one new adventure idea per meal time. Most are variations on a general theme – I’ve spent a lot of time learning about mountains in the past – while others are fleeting, popping up only once. This was one that sparked both our imaginations.
The seed was likely planted before I was ten years old, when we spent every summer holiday touring the Bahamas. I remember thinking to myself that one day I’ll be able to say that I’ve visited all 700 islands. And in fact, kiting to each of the islands was for a long time part of the plan – and may still be one day. But we each felt our first adventure had to be more of a challenge – and what better place to choose than the place we’ve called home for so many years, but which we’ve explored so little.
Planning – The Boat
As with most ideas, the final product looked very different from the initial design. We first thought we’d have a small rib as a support boat, and have a caravan follow us by road. Allowing for fast/easy rescue if needed. But we quickly realised, that this would be so deal souring for the person in the RIB, we didn’t even think Quinty, who is always up for this type of adventure, would sign up. Also the UK geography, especially up in the Scottish isles doesn’t exactly lend itself to this type of paired travel.
We quickly realized that a live-aboard would be the best option, and Stew spent the best part of a year scrolling through various boat brokers website researching the best vessel for the job. We did have a few hiccups along the way, but overall Mentor did us proud.
Planning – The Crew
We knew we wouldn’t be able to do this without the help from some friends, so one chilly February weekend Stew, armed with a bottle of whiskey, flew down to the BVIs to try convince his boyhood friend Joe to join us. Unfortunately for Stew, Joe had given up drinking, but after a few kiting lessons and a good catchup was convinced by a break from work and an even bigger break in climate.
Jeremy also didnt need much convincing. He heard about the trip over the Christmas break and the only issue was convincing our respective mothers that a) it would be a great cousin bonding experience and b) that we’d return each other in one piece.
We found Oscar some what unexpectedly, but he was a life saver. Because of Jeremy’s term time he wouldn’t be able to join us until half way through the trip, so we needed someone to fill the gap. While out for dinner one night I was expressing my worry about advertising for someone and potentially having a stranger on board when my friend Lisbeth said her son would love to join. For someone who hadn’t been around boats, Oscar was was game for anything!
Planning – The Foil
Kiting has evolved so rapidly since we first learnt, with one of the recent developments being – the foil board. The grace, and speed of these had always caught our eye, but it wasn’t until we spent a weekend kiting amoungst a group of them that I realised how well they point up wind. Our traditional twin-tips can only go about 80º to the wind, where as the foil is more like 45º, while traveling at twice the speed.
You can therefore imagine the excitement when we arrived in Peru for a two week kite holiday to find a foil board sitting under the sign saying “Kite Lessons”. It was like learning from scratch all over again, the crashes, the bruises, and the incredible sense of acheivement when we finally managed to travel the length of the bay, the board jerking in all directions like a bucking bronto trying to kick us off.
Day In the Life
Anyone who knows the British coastline, with its huge tides and currents, rocky headlands and shore breaks, will understand the challenges. Every day included passage planning, looking at the wind and tides, and locating safe landing spots. The biggest variable was always the wind. This not only affected our ability to go anywhere, but also the kite size and our speed.
Mission Accomplished
The beauty of being The First is no one can take that away. Although someone will eventually beat our longest, and someone will no doubt do it faster. We’ll always be The First people to circumnavigate Great Britain by kite surfing. And for me it was the best thing I’ve ever done.