Never meet your heros (because you may try and copy them and look like a ****)

For the uninitiated, Maui's North shore is probably the ultimate windsurfing destination. The primary reasons for this are that the geography of the island accelerates the more or less predictable N Easterly trade winds (by squashing the wind between two mountains) and the swell that is formed over the length of almost half the pacific ocean which creates waves when reaching the land mass.

View of the north shore - west on the RH side

The western section of the coast is called Kanaha Beach Park, and is where the majority of windsurfers and kitesurfers head from. The reason is partly ease of access, but mainly due to the off shore reefs preventing the majority of the swell from reaching the shore. This makes launching easy, but waves are still accessible by sailing away from the beach.



Further to the east of Kanaha is Camp One, which is where the luxury houses are on the sea front, and isn't an option for launching unless you are paying thousands per week to stay. Fortunately its an easy upwind sail from kanaha, as the waves here are really good. Beyond here you get to sprecks beach. The waves are supposed to be bigger here, but didn't look it on the day I went, so I haven't sailed this section yet. According to the signs, Kitesurfing isnt allowed and the penalty is 3.3Million US! I'd like to think this is simply because windsurfing is better, but the reality is that the main airport runway ends a few hundred metres away, and kites and planes probably don't mix to well!  Beyond this area, you need to go past Paia (no launching available), and on to the previously mentioned Ho'kipa. Ho'kipa is hardly protected by offshore reefs, so the waves are bigger and faster, hence its the destination of choice for the windsurfing pro's.

Today (Sunday) we drove up to Ho'kipa to check out the conditions. While we where there Antoine Albeau (the worlds most successful current all round wind surfer), and Robbie Swift (perhaps the UK's best) turned up. Also there was V111 (venezula pro) who was sailing some amazing switch stance loops. We spent half an hour watching - it was amazing to watch sailors for whom a fully planing loop off a big wave was simply something you do whilst warming up for your next wave ride on the way back in. 



Robbie Swift and some horribly talented 12 year olds launching



Albeau's kit - 1sqm bigger sail than anyone else out

 
Unfortunately I then decided this was a once in a lifetime chance to sail with the worlds best, which reputation or not I had to go for. I rigged the 90L global wave with the 5m Force sail, and with legs visibly shaking ventured into the water. Shore dump is nothing new for most UK sailors, so I was confident I'd be ok, and I planned that once I had got out, I'd stay out where the water was a bit calmer (the waves were only really braking within 150m of the shore)

Ready for the off (ish)

The next bit was a bit of a blur..... I thought I'd timed it ok, but as I dropped the board into the water I think the water from the wave I had just stepped over was rushing back into the ocean, and caught the fin and spun the board around, causing the wind to take the sail out of my hands. I managed to get the board and rig back into the correct position for a hasty water start, but couldn't work out why there was no power in the rig to get me up and going. Unknown and unheard to me, some of the best sailors in the world were on the beach shouting your mast is broken (you ****(insert as appropriate))

Wish you were here?????

The net result of this was that I broke a mast, which then tore a smll hole in mast tube of the very new rental sail. We nipped back to the Naish shop, where they were amazingly relaxed - the masts are warrantied so probably wont cost me a thing, and the sail can be patched for about 40-50 US. This is dependant on the manager who wasn't there, so things could still change.... - Chuckles - fyi the rental cost is $249 for the week, which is suddenly becoming amazing value! Not seen much RRD kit though, so your current RRD fetish may have to go unsatiated.

One carefully modified carbon mast

Ursh then rightly said I should get out the same day, so I headed back to Kanaha for an excellent 2 hours

on the 90L and 6m ATV sail (I didn't have ther nerve to ask for another 5m and 400cm mast - fortunately the 6m was perfect). Despite the earlier episode, my sailing has improving a lot - I'm far more confident in the jumps, and I'm hardly dropping any gybes apart from when I get tired. No loops yet though.

One problem I have is that I'm still slightly shark obsessed. On Friday morning I was looking out over the harbour from ther hotel window, and there was clearly a black shape that was braking the water nearby. It looked a bit fin like, and was spinning around much too fast to be a diver (maybe "it" had cornered something by the waters edge?) Ursh saw it too, but I dont think she was as convinced as I am....The next day "deep blue sea" (a really bad shark B movie) was on the TV, as if to compound my paranoia. Fortunately the only animals I have seen whilst out on the water are huge sea turtles. They hardly seem to move, but are apparently quite friendly and come over to investigate if you stop. Every so often they lift their turtle heads out the water and take a long leisurely gulp of air, and then go back to do whatever sea turtles do.