Day 4

The wind was too light to kite today, but that doesn’t mean it was a day of relaxation.
I found that my GPS had not been logging my distances to the memory card and thus was unreliable, so it was time to get a new one.
Glauber had managed to locate one for me, but I needed to get some money to be able to pay for it, so with some helpful directions from the crew I was pointed in the right direction.

This is a kitesurfing mission and I had stated at the beginning of this trip that there would be a self imposed rule of not using any other mode of transport other than walking or kiting.
With the hot sun blazing down, I walked to the nearest bank machine several kilometers away only to be rejected by the machine in the wall. I continued walking to another bank machine and again no money could be withdrawn. With my non-existent Portuguese, this trip was quite difficult at times, but I kept trying and eventually was able to take out the cash needed at the third bank stop.
As I walked the long trek back trying to keep cool in the intense heat I remembered a quote that a friend of mine had once said:

“It is the decisions that you make on a daily basis that define an adventure like this”.

And with that thought I took my new Garmin Etrex colour GPS and made the decision to practice safe navigation by encasing it in the only rubber waterproof pouch I had handy (I’m sure this will raise a few eyebrows)!

I had hoped that the wind would pick up in the afternoon so that I could test the new footpads and straps, but again the weather was in control and I remained on the beach.
The plan for tomorrow is to get on the water as early as the wind will allow and kite with the goal of making Marceo (200km) in a day or two depending on wind. I have to do battle with the Rio Sao Francisco but other than that it will hopefully be a nice day out on the water again.

Day 3

What a perfect greeting as breakfast was delivered to me at 6.15am this morning.
With the warm temperatures, beach location and delicious food, it took a while for my brain to register that I had to go kiting today.
I managed to drag myself down to the beach and setup, wondering how so many locations in Brazil could be considered paradise.
I broke my glasses yesterday, and there is no way I can continue without a pair as the burning sun and saltwater spray make them a necessity. So I made a plan to kite to Aracaju and buy a new pair, and I wanted to get there as quickly as possible as the short amount of squinting that I been doing was already starting to hurt my eyes.
Unfortunately I was greeted at the beach by a measly 8-10 knots and I stood in the water for what seemed like an eternity hoping that it would pick up. Eventually I just decided to get going, and luckily there was an outgoing tide which meant that I was flying along to begin with, however as I exited out off the current the wind died which caused my kite to drop in the surf.
I knew the forecast on Predictwind was for more wind in the afternoon so I patiently sheltered under the shade of my kite waiting for the wind to come up. I made another attempt to get off the beach but again my kite dropped into the surf resulting in what I can only describe as a kite mauling. I made it back to the beach and took a short nap while I waited for the wind again.
I awoke to find the sky clouding over, which made it easier on my eyes, and finally the wind started picking up so that I could finally navigate out of the surfbreak and kite where the waters were a little bit more predictable.
There is a constant compromise between being caught in a breaking set of waves and kiting too far out from shore, so I tried to find a safe track while keeping a vigilant eye out for rogue breaking waves destined to devour me and my board.
I saw the mouth of the Rio Vaza Barris river approaching and mentally tried to prepare myself for the challenge ahead. Although it wasn’t as bad as yesterdays crossing, the wind dropped to 8 knots which made for some very nervous times as I tried to keep the kite in the air while navigating the difficult waters.
The rest of the kite to Aracaju was heavenly, as I was able to kite downwind inside the breaking surf in soft, non-choppy water with a consistent 12-15 knots of wind. This was the first time during this trip that the kiting was so easy and it was nice to be able to just enjoy the scenery for a while.
I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn’t seeing a mirage as a whole beach full of kites greeted me at my destination. This was the first time on the journey that I was surrounded by other kiters, and it felt fantastic to be on a safe beach with brilliant white sand stretching as fas as they eye could see. I breathed a sigh of relief and felt my body relax as I knew I was safe here and looked forward to being around other kitesurfers.
I had been given a contact called Junior to meet in Aracaju but instead was greeted by his uncle Glauber. The NPX top and Neil Pride cap made it obvious that I was in the right place and had met the right person. He beamed a warm welcoming smile and said “anything you need I can help you with” as he put a brand new pair of sea specs sunglasses into my hands.
I couldn’t believe my luck, I already thought this place was perfect I and it just got better!
A local posada one block away from the beach had been arranged for me and so off I went for a much needed feed.
I finished the day off with some carb loading on beer, for endurance reasons of course! Seriously I have been trying not to loose to much weight so that I can keep my energy levels up when the going gets tough. The evening was filled with funky Brazilian tunes and even some unexpected New Zealand music which just topped off a fantastic day

Aracaju has a good vibe, fantastic community of kiters with an extremely safe beach. Glauber, Crassus and some other local kiters have been instrumental in making me feel welcome and assisting with repairing gear, providing internet, clothes, some much need new deck pads and straps. I am so pleased that I didn’t kite past this area and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone thinking of coming here.

Summary
From Pria Do Saco to Aracaju
Distance 35 nautical miles
Mental 9/10
Physical 9/10
Gear- Changed out foot pads and straps, repaired Go Pro board mount, moved back fin further forward to be more centered. GPS not updating so need to find a new one.

Day 2

It was fantastic day out on the water today and so relieving to make some good progress and finally be clear of Salvador.
The wind angle and strength of 15-20 knots were perfect for the board and kite combination that I had and my mental state was greatly improved when I saw how much distance I was covering.
There was a big 2m swell which came in cleanly at Siribinha and kept me alert as it really took some skill and good surf reading skills to stay in control of the board.
An international Capoeira competition on the beach kept me entertained as I ate my lunch, and the energy and vibe from it all inspired me to keep moving.
It took a few attempts to get off the beach again as the wind had dropped a bit and the surf was quite big and I started to wonder at 3:30pm if I should even attempt to keep going or just stay put.
I was feeling good and decided that I needed to try and push myself through to sunset, so made an attempt to get as far as I could in the remaining daylight.
The second leg of the trip was very tense and exciting as random exploding waves 2km offshore at the Mangue Seco river mouth made for a rocky ride. Eric Gramond has described these river crossings by kite like kiting in a minefield and I couldn’t agree with him better, I had to keep my wits about me as a navigated through the water, conscious of there only being 30 minutes of daylight left.
My legs fared much better than the GoPro camera mount which must have just got shaken so much that it eventually broke.
I finally landed at 5pm and the hunt was on for a place to stay and eat. Some friendly locals provided a shower, food and even accompanied me to the local Possada run by a Dutch guy mad keen on fishing (all thanks to google
translate!)
So now I am sitting here contemplating tomorrows plan as the weather is predicted to be more of the same. I’m pleased to be done with reefs for the moment, but the big river crossings tomorrow might be just as testing.

Summary:
From Garajuba to Praiado Saco
Distance-90 nautical miles in 8 hours
Mental- 9/l10- in the zone today!
Physical 8/10- some chafing around pack strap area
Broken gear- broken GoPro camera mount, broken glasses hinge. Lost nozzle
hose for drink system.
Sea state/wind -choppy and confused 15-20 knots

Day 1

So the journey has started, its officially day one.
There was no fanfare, no big crowd to wave goodbye, just me sneaking out when the wind started to blow, not really knowing how much progress I could make, but trying anyway.
I have been trying to start for the past three days, and poor Adrianno who was hosting me, must have breathed a huge sigh of relief as I finally left so that he could get back to his normal schedule rather than keep watching me wait for the wind.
It took a lot of self restraint not to attempt to kite over the last few days, as there were some fantastic rain storms which brought in lots of strong winds, however as soon as the rain left so did the wind and that inconsistency would have left me struggling out in the ocean.
Today was different, the sky was clear and there was a consistent 12-15 knots which I could trust would be there for at least a few hours.
I ended up kiting upwind for 3 hours today which was both physically and mentally challenging as I had to be aware of the reefs the whole way and keep a vigilant watch on the wind. I had a close call when I was almost trapped inside a reef just as the wind dropped, but luckily I just managed to get myself out of trouble in the nick of time.
The wind dropped this afternoon, so I body dragged into the shore and ended up on this beautiful sandy beach where I have set up my hammock and am looking forward to a night of well deserved rest.
I was hoping to be able to share my GPS tracks with you however I found that my waterproof GPS was not as waterproof as I had hoped and somehow got waterlogged during my body drag in today. I’m going to keep my spare GPS inside my dry-bag tomorrow and hope that it will help to guide me on my journey over the next few weeks.
The ability to kite upwind today and make some real progress had made a huge different to my mental state and keeping positive on this trip. Spending the last few days staring out at the calm conditions made me wonder if I was ever going to be able to leave, so finally having the conditions to kite has helped to re-ignite my passion for this adventure and feel like I could finally make some progress.
I can plan every aspect of my trip, but I can not plan for the wind and this is the hardest thing for me. Each day I must sit and wait until the conditions are right, and if they are not, I have to sit some more. Patience is usually my strong point, but I will admit that this is starting to become a struggle for me as I wanted to have made more progress that this by now.
I am hoping that the wind will pick up tomorrow, and the forecasts look strong so I plan to kite a little further out and make some more progress with my distance goals.
However I have decided that if the conditions worsen and the wind is not strong enough, I may be forced to drive north and restart my trip further along the coast.
So I sit here on the beach, watching my hammock rocking slowly with a steady 16 knots of wind, lit by the almost full moon and I realise that this is pretty much paradise.
Tomorrow is another day, but with the strong winds that are forecast, its looking promising.

Sitting Tight

After a couple of days of getting all of my gear together, I’m all ready to start the mission again.  Unfortunately as each day passed the wind got lighter and lighter, which does not look promising for an early start tomorrow.

The strength of the wind is out of my control, so all I can do is sit tight and wait for it to pick up again, keeping a good sense of humour about it all while I wait. From day one of planning this trip I knew that the first 300 to 500km were going to be the hardest. Light, fickle winds plague this area and today was no exception. At this time of the year the wind is driven by rain fronts but as soon as those clear up the wind suddenly drops below 6 knots making the kite fall out of the sky.

My plan is to try and time the start of the trip with a south to southeast front. Waiting for these could end up being tedious but necessary as the coastline here is not forgiving.  My biggest concerns right now are reefs (mostly because of the big fins I have on my board) and finding safe landing spots.

So today was just spent hanging out, waiting for the wind and surrounding myself with the local kitesurfing community.  I actually met someone here on the beach that didn’t think I was crazy, it was so refreshing compared to the usual response I get when I talk about my plan of a set of raised eyebrows and look of disbelief.  I don’t think that I am crazy, well I didn’t until my Mum (who has always graciously accepted my adventures) mentioned to me that I might be crazy.  No, I still don’t think I’m crazy, well OK, I might be questioning my sanity right now. In case you missed it the TV3 news story is making out that I am crazy as well.
TV3 Interview

Although I am doing this trip solo, I have really good network of people here who have been supporting me which is really reassuring and its fantastic to have such a great local group with their friendly nature and local knowledge.

So I’m just going to sit tight for the moment, watching the ocean and waiting for wind.  I’m not making any predictions about when I will leave, I just know I’ll go when the conditions are good, and I don’t want to tempt fate by announcing a definite start date.

The locals reckon there is no wind until Thursday, but I’ll just have to wait and see.

Keeping it real

So here you are, expecting to read about how great my first day went…right?

Well, yesterday was a challenge all unto itself and nothing felt right during the whole day.

One of my spot messengers stopped working, this is the safety device that will call for help when I really need it, and although I carry two with me, having the backup one fail on day one is not a good sign.

My board fell off, and I have already discussed my concerns about the fins on this board and how dangerous they can be. With a big pack on my back, trying to get my board back and on my feet is no trivial matter.

The kite was really unresponsive and didn’t fly like I was expecting it to, I felt like I was steering a lead weight and then to top it off one of the kite lines broke.

After being battered around in the surf, I sheepishly came back into land and headed to the winddance shop to assess my gear.

As I walked past the lifeguards on the beach, I imagined them saying “Who is this crazy Gringo?? He can’t even make it off the beach, let alone 2000km!!!”

But not all great expeditions go to plan on day one. I was reminded of Jessica Watson’s recent adventure when at just 16 she became the the youngest round the world solo sailor. But did you hear about her first attempt which ended just outside Sydney because she ran straight into a big freight container?  I guess the positive side is that I didn’t crash into anything today.

My thoughts played on the risks of attempting this trip without all of my safety gear working, and I couldn’t stop thinking about Andrew McAuley who set out to kayak 1600 km across the Tasman Sea, but never made it home to his family. I’ve watched this video hundreds of times to remind me that I need to make sure that everything I can control is under control.

Back on dry land I was able to reassess the situation and found that my kite lines had stretched which was causing my kite to be less responsive in the air. I needed to reduce the weight in my backpack, not just for my comfort, but to put less pressure on the kite, and so I had to be ruthless and take out anything which I did not need to survive or would stop me progressing due to gear damage.

I kept essential safety equipment like flare and strobe light but toiletries, food, first aid kit, local mobile, second GoPro camera and repair kit were all taken out.

My backpack, which I have spent weeks modifying and testing was modified once more and I changed the position of the back strap to a single central position to help with stability in the surf.

I hoped that replacing the batteries in the spot messenger GPS would fix the problem, but it failed to revive the device. I was not expecting this as I have been using spot messenger units for 2 years and never had one fail.

Further investigation showed the problem to be with the contacts inside the battery case and so I’m now scrambling around trying to locate another GPS device at short notice.

After several hours I returned to the sea and everything felt right again, but the weather was not going to cooperate and with only a light 12 knots in the air, I decided to call it a day and come back to shore.

So now I sit and wait for the wind, the forecast shows light wind conditions for the next few days so I think its going to be a slow first 300 km as I try to get out and upwind while navigating through the treacherous salvador reefs.

Day one complete, not quite what I was expecting, but an experience all the same.  I wonder what day two will bring?

Starting today- wind permitting

So this is it, my final post before the biggest adventure I have ever undertaken.

I always advise people planning this type of expedition that getting to the start line with the right gear, planning and support is the hardest part. Adrianno from Wind Dance (http://winddance.com.br) has been fantastic with my final preparations and hosting me. Any piece of kiting kit I have needed he has been able to provide.
Adrianno will also act as my primary contact for the southern part of the trip.

I have packed, repacked and culled my gear over and over again in the past few days. I’ve questioned what to take and what to leave behind.

The decision is final on my kite, I’m taking the 2011 11m Cabrinha Crossbow, I need the power for the start and hopefully will be able to hold it down in the stronger winds.

The board choice still plays on my mind and is causing me some stress. I desperately want to ride a twin tip for many reasons, the most significant being comfort and safety. However, after many unsuccessful attempts to get upwind yesterday using the twin tip I begrudgingly accepted that this board was not going to work. Thus the course board is coming on the journey with me. I have serious concerns about the big fins getting caught on the underlying reefs and that my legs may get really tired with the lack of give in the board, but I also know that this adventure requires me to start with a strong upwind section and this is the only board that can get me there.

I really don’t know how much distance I can cover in one day, but I hope that tomorrow will give me a good indication of what’s to come.

I’m expecting it to be slow to start, but I’m feeling strong and confident about what lies ahead.

The plan is to start at 10am today from Pedaeta beach (see spot tracks from yesterday). It’s raining here so will need to assess that decision in 2 hours. Currently sitting in the famous Salvador traffic so the start time may be pushed out.

Weather

I am looking at the Predictwind ( http://forecast.predictwind.com/ ) forecast for Salvador and north. The map below map shows potentially what I am in for, lots of upwind!

The weather looks like SE 15-18 knots from the 21-24th July. Question is, can I trust this forecast? I would really like feedback from anyone living in the area from Salvador to Natal. Possible start date tomorrow or the following day if the wind forecast stacks up. Ideally I was hoping to start more on a southerly direction but at least there looks like wind.

Preparation

The key to the success of this expedition is preparation.  What most people haven’t seen is all of the ground work, planning, and attention to the tiniest details that have gone on in the months preceding this adventure.  Equipment modification, contingency plans, and physical training in New Zealand have all led up to this week where I got to test the gear and experience the conditions right here in Brazil.

The past few days have been spent familiarising myself with the local community, topography and conditions as well as pushing my gear to its limits to ensure I can anticipate as many possible scenarios as I can.

Due to the extreme length of this trip, I have to be able to trust all of my equipment with my life, and that means making some decisions now which will hopefully help me on the journey when the conditions may not be ideal.  One thing that people involved in this project have commented on is how fanatical I am about my gear and there have been many variations of each prior to what I have with me now.  Most of the equipment I am taking has been modified to tailor the nature of this specific expedition, and I have been involved in all aspects from the big projects such as new custom board designs to the smallest detail of the stitching in my waterproof backpack.

The decision as to which board to take is still playing on my mind as I will have to make some compromises which ever board I decide to take. The board needs to cope with a huge variation in conditions through my journey.  The initial portion will be light wind conditions and thus the board needs to carve upwind easily.  However, the second part of my trip is downwind and involves potentially large swells and choppy water.  Add to this the comfort factor as I will be spending hundreds of hours on this board, and the figures calculate that I need to take two very different boards.

Unfortunately this is not an option, and so my compromise is that I will have to pick the board which will accommodate the upwind section in light wind conditions, as this will at least allow me to start the challenge.

I did have a custom board made by Mark Nelson and designed by Ian Pointing  for this trip, but it was only delivered from Hawaii yesterday, and it had suffered some damage during shipping. Mark has done a great job getting this board to me at relatively short notice. I managed to fix it up and make it watertight again, but I am concerned that I do not have enough experience using this board to predict how it will respond under a variety of conditions (particularly high winds), and thus I am reluctant to use equipment that I am not 100% familiar with.  A big twintip is looking like plan C and may potentially be more comfortable and safer in the long run.

I also need to finalise the decision on which size of my Cabrinha 2011 Crossbow kites to take. I am comfortable on the 11m and it can be pushed pretty hard over a wide wind range, however it may be too big for the 30 knot wind days with a big board, but probably perfect for the 10-20 knot wind days. The 9m would be ideal with a big board for the latter portion of the trip, but potentially not large enough for the start. I am certainly leaning towards the 11m as it has a huge wind range and some fantastic ability to depower.

So there are still some things I need to finalise, but hopefully with some more time testing gear on the water, I will be able to make the right decision in the next day or two. There looks to be a potential weather window for a start on the 22nd July so really not much time at all to finish preparations.

Now it’s not all about adventure seeking and pushing my limits, part of this trip is also about meeting new people along the way.  I have managed to make some great contacts for the second portion of my trip, but I am still looking to find some kiters for the first portion which is a less popular kiting location. Local knowledge is going to prove invaluable to the success of this expedition and so my next challenge is to find as many people as possible who can help me to predict the upcoming conditions and give me insight into what might lie ahead.

Here is how you can help – if you live between Natal and Salvador and would like to be a critical part to this journey, then I would love to hear from you.  You can contact me directly at sciangocee (@) garrifulio.mailexpire.com and track my location online here http://yakers.co.nz/where-is-louis-map/<http://yakers.co.nz/where-is-louis-map/>

Many thanks to De Benedetti Diego from Durobeach for the pictures.

Kitesurf Paradise

Finally arrived to kitesurf paradise last night after almost 3 days of traveling. The traveling was all worth it as this place is mint! Trevor and myself are currently being hosted by a very generous and welcoming Swiss Surgeon, Andreas. Accommodation we are staying in is very comfortable, with kiting right outside the front door and downwinders for Africa. The spot is typically rural Brazil without the crowds and tourists, lets keep it that way!

P.S.- Todays Spot location might be the giveaway.

gopr0028 1

gopr0043

gopr0209

Kite Surfer Attempts World Record on Coast of Brazil- Press release

Adventure kitesurfer Louis Tapper is setting his sites on a new world record – to kite 2000km of Brazil’s coast to complete the “longest journey kitesurfing”.

Armed with one kite, one board and a backpack, Louis, 35, will spend the next month kiting and when there’s no wind, he’ll be walking.
Although multi-day adventures by paraglider, rowing and kayaking are well established, Kite expeditions of this nature are not common. “Kite surfing is slowly gaining popularity, but it deserves a better profile – it is a fantastic sport, it’s totally exhilerating and addictive,” says the New Zealander.
“I know many people (including my parents) think I’m a bit mad doing this, but it is a way for me to test my limits both physically and mentally, and also push the sport of adventure kitesurfing to the next level.” Louis, who lives in the notoriously windy city of Wellington, has pushed the limits of kiting before. In 2008, he traversed New Zealand’s dangerous Cook Strait (between the North and South Islands). And in 2009, he decided to fly with the big boys, kitesurfing 260km in 13 hours from Auckland to the Bay of Islands for yachting’s 2009 Coastal Classic race. Although not officially recognised, Eric Gramond is undisputably the kitesurf world distance record holder with his 13 day trip of 1450km along the coast of Brazil.
Louis trip aims to beat that by over 500km. The official Guinness record up until this point has been for distances completed under 24 hours (333km). This next adventure is expected to take a month – beginning around the 20-25th July in Salvador and ending in Sao Luis.

“To put the scale of 2000km into perspective, crossing from Australia to New Zealand in a straight line or following coastline of NZ from top to bottom is the same distance,” he says. “Brazil just happens to have mostly consistent wind and is much warmer, so I figured, why not?” Louis will carry minimal provisions – food, water, money, dry clothes, sandals, repair kit and pump – in a 35 litre backpack as he kites. Although a solo adventure, he is hoping other local kiters will join him for sections along the way.

Training has included regular kiting, yoga and running on a gym treadmill – “more to train myself mentally than for fitness,” he adds. His trip will be recorded via a point of view video and still camera and progress updated live on the Spot Messenger Satellite tracker site. Updates will be posted to the web on a daily basis where possible.
Louis is seeking donations for his expedition to go to SurfAid International, a charity that delivers humanitarian programs to remote parts of Indonesia. SurfAid’s mission is to improve the health, well being and self-reliance of people living in the Mentawai and Nias islands, off Sumatra, Indonesia.
Set up by Kiwi doctor and avid surfer Dave Jenkins 10 years ago, SurfAid has grown from the initial malaria program to encompass hygiene, sanitation, better nutrition, clean water projects, healthier pregnancy and birthing, and improving immunization.
“SurfAid has been in it for the long haul and has not been about quick fixes. Their community-driven projects are effective and really do make a difference to the people living in the Mentawai and Nias islands,” Louis says.
Louis has always been drawn to the sea. His interest began with swimming under legendary coach Duncan Lang, which then progressed to surf lifesaving; then running (ranked second in Steeplechase NZ), skiing, whitewater kayaking and for the past three years – kitesurfing and snow kiting.

You can read more about SurfAid’s programs, participate in upcoming events, and donate at www.surfaidinternational.org

For more information on Louis’ adventure go to http://yakers.co.nz

Diagnosed with ADD?

Diagnosed by the Dominion Post with ADD, its official.

Learn to kite:
http://yakers.co.nz/2008/11/learning-to-kite-faq-i-get-asked-same.html

Coastal Classic 261km in 13 hours

Auckland To Bay of Islands by Kite- 261km 13 hours– NZ Record

Well the first 200km from Auckland harbor was a flyer and I completely exceeded my expectations and that of people following me. Sailing next to the record setting Alpha Romeo boat at the start was definitely a highlight. The kite of choice was a 13m Cabrinha Crossbow (2010) and this turned out to be perfect for the conditions. I had done some extensive testing before the event and new that it would cope in 8-30 knots of wind and was the fastest most user friendly kite out there. The PredictWind forecast for the day was bang on and was foretasting 20 knots most of the way up the coast with it dying out around late evening/midnight time.

Doing the Coastal Classic was never about trying to beat the yachts and was more about physical and mental challenge. The 261km covered between Auckland and the Bay of Islands is however a new NZ distance record, so am happy with that result. I was averaging 17 knots for my best hour and sustaining speeds in excess of 20 knots with peaks of 23knots (42km/h). My time for the first 200km to Cape Brett was 7 hours, which is also well under world record (333km) pace for 12 hours. To put it in perspective the record setting boat Alpha Romaeo finished the Coastal Classic race in 6 hours 43 minutes.

PICTURE: ROSS GIBLIN COPYRIGHT DOMINION POST
With an outgoing tide and dying wind, it was always going to be difficult to get the last 20km into Russell on a kite. The plan was to take a wide berth at Cape Brett as the kite won’t fly in less than 8 knots. The support boat was running low on petrol once we got to Cape Brett so a call was made for the boat (8.5m Protector) to head back into Russell and fuel up. That left me on my own for a bit, but with Spot Messenger, VHF, flares and a cell phone, Troutie Lights felt pretty comfortable on my own. I am really appreciative to the Coastguard for shadowing me until the support boat came back.

Full GPS track
In the end I pulled the pin 8nm from the finish at 10:30pm after the wind died around 10:15. I did consider swimming the last bit in the dark but was too far out to do this realistically. The body was still willing even after 13 hours and recovered well. The only ill effect was a sore wrist , which I got from sitting in front of a computer typing. Moral of the story, work is dangerous…(smile).

I was in Samoa immediately prior to the Tsunami training for this event and am thankful we returned safely to NZ. I really feel for those people affected by this terrible event. If you think kitesurfing the Coastal Classic is crazy or you would just like to support the Samoan community in their time of need, then please donate generously at:
https://www.givealittle.co.nz/coastalclassic/

Dirrect link to TV3 interview (may load a bit faster).

http://www.3news.co.nz/Kite-surfer-competes-in-Coastal-Classic/tabid/367/articleID/126711/cat/221/Default.aspx

Sponsors
My strategy is to get the best gear I can buy as I have to rely totally on it. All the gear bellow has been thoroughly tested and meets my high standards.
Cabrinha the major sponsor who funded the cost of the support boat and produce such fast usable kites. I have the choice to kite any kite I use Cabrinha by choice, they rock.
WildWinds and WSP kite shops for believing in the event providing friendly advice.
Predictwind for providing such accurate weather forecasts
Troutie for providing the head lights. He is a light genius and builds fantastic lights that outperform the commercial options for less money.
Cutter Electronics for providing LEDs, optics and drivers for the Troutie lights
Sweet Helmets for provide great looking and safe helmets
ICOM for providing VHF radios
Telecom– for providing mobile broadband data sticks
John Amundson– for producing my downwindboard at short notice.

PICTURE: ROSS GIBLIN COPYRIGHT DOMINION POST
To make an event like this happen it can’t be done without the generous support of others;
Blake Cameron from Moorings for believing in the idea from the start providing accommodation in Russell, advice on local conditions, helping with logistics and boat driving.
Charlie and Brent for their boat support sorting food, kites, logistics and driving gear around the country. Mike Morris from All Crane was a complete star providing his 8.5m Protector (Gamma Protector) for this event. I was without a support boat the night before and he stepped up to help without having met me before. Also big thanks for driving and organising boat logistics to and from Russell.
Merinda for all her support over the last 10 months leading up to the race.
Luke Wigglesworth was helpful talking though weather and tactics. He is the master of this event on a windsurfer having completed it 3 times over 10 years
Lincoln for use of his kites for backup.
Richard Finnie from the Metservice for his weather forecasts.
Catherine Bennett from Westpac for her assistance with media
Lee Hales from Give a Little for help with fund raising and editing.

If anyone is thinking about giving kitesurfing a go, I have written an independent article on my blog about learning to kite and what the costs involved are.

Coastal Classic – Press Release

Coastal Classic Adventure
When Louis Tapper rigs up his kitesurfer this Friday, he will attempt to be the first kitesurfer to complete the HSBC Coastal Classic. He has plenty of motivation to finish as he is raising funds for the communities devastated by the tsunami in Samoa, which was an essential training ground. Louis is up against 30 ft plus yachts over 220km and will finish in the dark. “It’s a huge challenge, in fact my biggest challenge,” says the man who was the first kitesurfer to traverse the treacherous Cook Strait.

Following his successful crossing of the Cook Strait in October 2008 the intrepid adventurer is planning to take on the longest journey on a kite in New Zealand. This Friday is the HSBC Premier Coastal Classic race where some of New Zealand’s most successful sailors and yachts will line up for the biggest boat race for 2009. Louis Tapper is planning to kitesurf the 220km race from Auckland to the Bay of Islands and raise funds for communities devastated by the tsunami in Samoa. The south coast of Upolo island in Samoa was an essential training ground for Louis during his ten month ‘s of hard yaker and training. Kites and smaller craft are not able to enter officially however kitesurfing is about adventure and challenge for Louis

Louis will be tackling this distance alone and thinks it will take between 12-24 hours, finishing in Russell in the dark. Up until a few years ago, the world long distance record was close to the 220km so this will be a significant, physical and mental challenge. “This will be a true test of my guts and endurance. I have trained hard, kiting day and night in Samoa and along the Wellington coastline. Nothing is guaranteed, the thrill of the sport is being at the mercy of the wind. Due to light wind patterns it could be difficult to get out of Auckland harbour but from there with the wind playing its part, I hope it’s plain sailing. Any less than 8 knots and the kite just falls out of the sky” ” says Louis.

Louis returned from Samoa one day before the tsunami which completed obliterated the fale in Maninoa where he was staying. Samoa provided him with an idyllic training ground warm water, consistent wind and generous, hospitable people. “The communities and livelihood’s on the south coast of Upolo have been devastated by the tsunami and I want to do my part to help those in need. If you would like to support the Samoan community, or just think my adventure is crazy please donate generously” says Louis https://www.givealittle.co.nz/coastalclassic/.
Louis, has put his professional risk assessment skills to the test. He has carefully mitigated the risks by using the Spot Messenger satellite trackers, VHF radio, flares, survival equipment and new Cabrinha kites. He has a standby boat and dedicated support team on the water for any incidents like ripped gear, injuries or the wind dying out. He will be starting 30 minutes before the fleet for safety reasons. You can track his progress in real-time at http://yakers.co.nz/coastalclassic

Cook Strait Crossing Story- Ali

Donate to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter at: http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/kitethestrait/

Yep we both made it, albeit about 8 nm apart. I’d borrowed Kevs board which was way better than mine would have been but still not quite a floaty as Louis big barge. I struggled a bit in the light winds and couldn’t point as far upwind as Louis so eventually ended up south of Tory Channel, Louis hit the mainland exactly as planned at Perano Head about 4 nm north of Tory
Channel.

Once out of the bay at Makara (total nightmare in light wind dead onshore and lots of kelp) we got good wind for about 40 mins then it dropped to zero and we hung out with kites in the water , the wind came back but it was only about 10 -12 kts , we both had to work the kites but Louis was a bit more efficient and managed to stay on the planned heading. I worked my way slowly south into the shipping lanes regularly hitting 5 knots.

We were about to pull the pin on my trip and the boat was on the way to get me when the wind came back and I got going again. After the ok from the coast guard and quick scurry across the mouth off Tory Channel. I ended up about 500 yrds of the coast up against some big cliffs. The wind started getting funky and I had the strongest gusts of the trip and a couple of lofts then it all died about 100 yards out and I swam to shore.

Meanwhile Louis was in good pressure further north and trying to tack up wind to give him a chance at a quick touch , turn and trip back to Makara. Eventually he touched land at Perano Head and keen for more headed back towards the North Island.

I was way too far south to contemplate the return trip and the cliff landing hadn’t been nice to my gear so the boat came down and picked me up.

Louis was ripping in steady 18 -20 on the way back and we struggled to make ground on him, its way harder work doing 15kts in a 20ft boat in rough seas than it is doing 20kts on a kite.

With the magic of VHF, Spot and Telecom we tracked Louis down 2 hours later – he was about 7nm northwest of Makara. We knew it was 10kts lighter on the Wellington side so he had taken a wide northern circle looking to approach Makara downwind as the wind dropped of. He was making very hard yards of it in about 8 kts of wind when we found him. He persevered for another 1 1/2 hours relaunching every 20 minutes but eventually the kite could not stay in the sky so we pulled the pin 3 nm northwest of Makara.

It was quite cool at times bobbing away by yourself in the middle of the strait waiting (praying) for enough wind to relaunch, but next time I think we will wait for a gruntier forecast.

Ali

Thanks to Dion and Willi for the photos.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yakers/sets/72157610947914159/

Note: I came across this previous attempt which came close to our experience.