WINDSURFERS ARE DEFINITELY GETTING YOUNGER - DONEGAL COURSES 2023
Another year, another set of Donegal courses and yet signs of the changing times. Instead of a bunch of gnarled old windsurfers, we had a bunch of kids. Well 3 to be exact and two were courtesy of Phil and Danielle, but still it's the new generation.
Week 1 wave course including the kids. From the top left - Tom (from Germany), Pavel (England), Mark II (England), Martina (Germany), Alan (from God), Robert (from USA - honest), John (Ireland), Danielle and Leo (England), Mark I (England). And the front row from the left, Roberto (England via Italy), Phil and Ella (England), Cat (England and shy) and Nicky (England).
Yes we had one person who flew all the way from Michigan with his kit just to do the courses. Fair play to Robert who first met the Hobbits at Bonaire.
Instead of rugged blokes in rubber sheltering under a van back door, we now have pictures of domestic bliss. At least it was bliss until the wind blew and Mark and Nicky had to fight it out as to which one went out on the water and which one ended up minding the kids. We do love a bit of domestic in Donegal.....
Another thing that hasn't changed is the scenery. A typical day at Magheroarty - except that the sun was out.
Or that perfect carve gybe was just at the end of the rainbow...
Before the two wave courses, there was the flat water course and Phil had the chance to play with his 360 Gopro.
And here is Waves II at Rosapenna. From the left, Phil, Roberto, Sean, Mark II, the Lord, Emily and Pavel.
The two wave courses got some wind, actually almost every day. I did both and was only on my SUP once and that was for an excellent paddle session on good waves at Dooeys. Part of this was down to the advent of bigger wave boards, my Kode is 125 ltrs although it turns like a much smaller board. But mostly it was fair wind.
In fact I sailed the Kode and my 6.2m sail for almost every session. I had the 4.7 out twice, once at Carrickfin when Phil was sweating about his call on the forecast. Then like a switch it turned on and so did we. Waves, wind and the daily flight to watch land - what more could you want?
And one day at Magheroarty, it was flat calm in the morning and then in it burst at around 30 knots but with massive gusts on top of this. The direction was over the dunes and at times it was mental - but all still on a perfectly flat Magheroarty. Very odd.
Here are a few shots of various people trying to hold their kit onto the water in mad flat and gusty Magheroarty - in the sun.
Even the ferry was having fun.
Tail walking or what!
Colonic irrigation was one way to slow down in 40 knot gusts!
Martina hanging on
Not so much a step gybe as a hop skip and a jump gybe
Another notable session was Rosapenna on the last day. Yes 6.2m for me again, but the Harty crew were all there too. Car park wars, I hear you say as the parking at Rosapenna is famously small. But Harty's local spy, Bendan or the Wizzard as one group member has heard to describe him, knew the local land owners. So it came to pass that the Harty mob parked on top the small cliff about Rosapenna which solved the problem very neatly. It also meant they had quite a carry down the cliff the water and, even more enjoyably, back up again when knackered after a long session.
It was a lovely backside session and I really shocked the troops by being witnessed jumping. That will be that for another 10 years....
We were joined by a good few Nordies - Fanta Pants was smiling his way to a good session, Jarlath, Paddy Lyner and Hern Dog were also blasting about. With around 30 sails in the bay it was of course never crowded. And Ming the Merciless finally made it up and spent 5 hours on his wing - although for once not troubling the local coast guard team.
Actually it's the first time in living memory that he didn't do the wave (fin) course - a real sign of the times. He did however stay at the Loch Altan where he endured a typical Donegal wedding. Suffice to say it got very noisy late at night and right through to breakfast.
One big day at Magheroarty Dave C and Big Robert appeared and had a good sail. Nice to see Robert taking some time off work ....
Most people on the wave courses had some great moments. A few had some shit ones as well. Chief amongst these was Sean, great to see him back after a couple of years absence. One day at Magheroarty he had 'the ride of my life' - windsurfing let me hastily add. Just one of these perfect waves where everything works out great and you get a zillion turns. Mind you, he did mention it a few times (every hour, every day after that). Poor Sean, that's his peak and it's downhill from now on. Indeed that's how it worked out for most of the rest of the week for him.
After he'd removed most of the kelp from his head and body, there was still plenty of evidence on his kit
In the interest of balance I also have to say that the genial Sean also has some 'shit sails'. Partially his own fault for not listening to my advice on sail size (6.2m always) and partially because of the kelp. He is now known as the kelp monster after one particularly intimate tangle when he rose from the water looking like a cross betweem a triffid and the Wookie.... Still he had had the ride of his life...
The Marks both sailed excellently, as we come to expect. Wave after wave and in the case of Mark I some excellent forwards.
Tom on the top turn - you can't see the Speedos but you just know they are under the wet suit...
Emily sailed well as ever, but was determined to get Mark II
Robert and Pavel were both new to waves, but you wouldn't think it to see them sail. Robert got on some nice waves and Pavel just kept going out for more and more. Roberto was much the same, but clearly needed to eat more pies as he (and Pavel) were always on ridiculourly small sails and yet still planing.
We had a superfluity of instructors too. Tom and Martina now teach windsurfing in Germany and Sean seems to have taken over Oxford Sailing Club and is even leading a group of them out to Bonaire this winter. Actually windsurfing around Oxford is really blooming with the number of people taking basic windsurfing courses is now in the hundreds!
Now I know this looks like a drugs factory set up near the beach, but actually Eugene is helping Pavel repair his board.
And we leave you with some ever optimistic windsurfers on the hump at Magheroarty - you can almost hear them saying 'I think the wind is coming up'....