‘Pirates of the English Channel’’

June 2011-Maxsurf.co.uk  is hired for professional extreme sport photography  ‘sea yourself in action’.  by a local bunch of  surf heads, to cross the English Channel at Guinness Book record speed, whilst raising bucks for the children’s charity Demelsa.

V-Dub Victoria & danger john from Maxsurf  supported 2 ribs professionally skippered by Henk & Will from Rye ‘kites on board’’. During which time the English Channel had received strong south westerly winds for 3 days consistently!

Huge swell on the departure day Sunday 19^th, of June.  Touching force 7, 25ft  swells  when crossing the separation zone (13 miles out) 2 kitesurfers failed due to swell base & nerves. One rib went throw a wave flooding it & close to capsizing! Ending in stressed crew & a broken console. After contemplating calling it off a few times! we endeavoured to continue for the money raised for Demelsa charity, to which 2 kitesurfers arrived off Boulogne (Wayne & Tom made it) both boys where massively stocked and extremely exhausted! Recovery of the kites to the ribs was interesting to say the least (antics galore) only due to excellent helmsman ship skills by the ribs skipper. Battled huge house size waves to keep afloat and safe.

Camera footage was great upon departure but very limited during transit oddly enough…

Wayne AKA ‘Worsil’ & Tom AKA ‘tiny tops’ crossed in 2hrs 30mins, but sadly not recorded due to camera failure and the radical storm we rode through.

The boys ended up in a French bar & the ribs stayed in port until the next day, as no way was any one going aboard in that type of sea again. After spending 40 years at sea since childhood this was without doubt one of the most radical trips ever. Thanks boys!

Live coverage below (wait near end & see huge swell base to the right..)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1568TGb_DZ0

Words by Danger John

pictures by V-Dub Victoria from Maxsurf.co.uk