On a crisp November day what better way to warm the cockles and pass the time then curl up on the sofa with a cuppa and a read of a comforting blog, this week I think you will enjoy reading about the day two legends of the windsurfing world chased a storm, sit back and soak up stepping back in time and reliving the memories as told by the one and only legend Peter 'Harty' Hart, who along with his partner in crime the legend that is Dave 'Whitey' White. We must document these stories as time passes, let us not forget these memories and let us appreciate the legends we have in our sport! Here at The Official Test Centre we are lucky to host Peter Hart and his windsurfing clinics and we bow down to the tenacity and determination of Dave White when he continues to amaze all of us with his journey of recovery. Harty & Whitey! Legends in their own lifetime!
By Emma Nicholson.
Take us back to 2013 when you had the sail of the century! How are you feeling as you drove to the beach?
Peter said: "As always, it was a mix of anticipation, excitement and a dollop of deep trepidation. Since the Michael Fish miss-forecast of 1987, weather predictions have often been exaggerated with predicted ‘storms' turning out to be little more than an average day at the office.
"But when we got to West Wittering to find the car park closed due to flying beach huts, we took this to be a good sign – and diverted to neighbouring Joliffe Rd"
When you arrived, what was the plan?
Peter said: "Strangely to begin with as it wasn’t to go sailing. Whitey had been commissioned to do a photo book and was after some unusual images. So much to the consternation of confused onlookers, he wanted a shot of me hanging onto the telescope as if the wind was about to blow me to the next county. To ham it up, he asked me to throw my feet back to make it look as if the gale had literally blown me off my feet! It was actually quite effective, and that picture has made all sorts of journals, including the front page of my website!"
What kit did you use?
Peter said: "The challenge wasn’t so much the wind as the sea state. Waves were breaking out as far as the Isle of Wight and reforming and reforming. There were relentless barrages of white water as far as the eye could see. To punch out you had to have power, so we rigged bigger than was sensible. But we both had done our time on the speed circuit so were used to being overpowered. I think I ended up on a 47. It was WAY too much. As is often the case with storms, the wind was really unstable, and being caught between those bombs off the plane was just not an option. I think Whitey (115kg) opted for a 4.2, which was the first time in living memory that I was carrying more sail than him!The board was the smallest I had at the time, which was a 78L Starboard twin fin."
When you started sailing, you mentioned it wasn’t perfect but you he didn’t give up and conditions improved. Was it one of your best days ever in the waves?
Peter said: "There are so many things that go into making a special day. First of all it’s the company. Whitey and I travelled the world together for a decade. And although we take the piss out of each other relentlessly, he’s a brilliant mate, and an equally brilliant person who you’d always want to share good times with. So we always have a laugh (or a disaster) when we sail together. The following attitude is not really to be recommended… But a special day often comes from treading that line between being brave and stupid. When we got down there, the tide was really high (due to the tidal surge created by the low pressure, the water never actually retreated at all) and the waves were crunching up against the sea wall. No one was out – but we just had to give it a go.In pure wave sailing terms, we’d had much better, cleaner waves in places like Maui and Ireland. However, it was the wildness of the challenge, which made it so much fun… And the fact that we kind of got away with it."
Was it one of the best storms you have sailed?
Peter said: "I’m not sure how you measure storms in terms of ‘goodness!’ Some that I’ve been out in we’re not that enjoyable. When it’s 50 knots plus all you’re doing is hanging on. And sometimes the storms come through so quickly so they haven’t had time to build up any decent waves - just crazy wind chop - so you really can’t do much.
"The good thing about that day was that the low had been sitting out in Biscay for a couple of days and was really pumping some swell through. The swell lines were so long, you could literally do 20 turns – sometimes having to stop to hook in and have a bit of a rest before going again!
"The wind was really strong, but you could actually sheet in enough to depower and set the rail. Of all the storms … certainly one of the most memorable came through in January 1983 during the London boat show. On the Monday, four of us escaped down to Hayling Island to be greeted by a force 10.
"In that era, no one had really been out in that strength of wind before and the story became a bit legendary. To be honest, the events of that day have grown a bit with the telling. In truth, I think we just managed to get out and come back. But the photo, taken by Kier Francis, which made centrespread in WINDSURF, made it look very dramatic."
You and Whitey are legends of a sport… Do you have any other stories on the water that stand out as amazing memories?
Peter said: "How long have you got?!! So many. But on the subject of big waves, one time in Maui we were sailing a break called Spartans. It’s a bit like JAWs but a long way offshore and you didn’t need a JetSki to get to it. The problem with Spartans is that there are no land transits to help you line up with the peak so it’s very easy to get caught out the position. That’s what happened to me. I thought I was in the channel. I wasn’t and was suddenly confronted off the plane by three monstrous swells. I got over the first 2 but as the third started to pitch on top of me, I hit the eject button and dived as deep as I could. It was one of the worst rinsings ever. When I surfaced what felt like five minutes later, but was probably 10 seconds, my board and rig were nowhere to be seen and I was bleeding quite badly from a cut foot. The sun was setting - shark dinner time - as I started the mile swim back. After about 20 minutes, dear old Whitey appears and asks me what I am doing all the way in. “Swimming home and hoping to find my kit obviously.” I said not in the best of humour. “Well, your kit is still way out to sea!” He replied with that annoying Essex smirk of his.As you eject from a big wave, you try and kick the board, skywards so it lands on the ocean side of the wave and doesn’t get swept in. But in big waves, it rarely works … but this time it did!In fairness, Whitey did tow me back out again … and I didn’t get eaten."
Start your windsurfing journey with us today, call 07817 717904 and step on board with our expert team of instructors at The Official Test Centre. Looking for wave kit, speak to our team at SurfDoctor, they will help you find the right kit for your ability and you will be chasing your own storms in no time!
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