MASSIVE!
12 p.m. Finally, can I say that again, finally, we’re at the beach. Just the 24 hours since I left my front door yesterday. As we pull over the hill into your quintessential Irish harbour, my first vision is of a huge wave crashing down the reef. We’re not alone. A small crew of Irish sailors and kiters have cottoned on to this forecast and are casually rigging down by the harbour wall. These guys seem to be showing no signs of fear whatsoever for the mast-high mountains of white water they’re about to face – fair play!
12.30 p.m. The first half hour has been a bit sketchy with the wind but it soon starts picking up and the boys look overpowered out the back. I guess we’re at the very tail end of this storm? Definitely not 80 mph here, but mast-and-a -half waves will do us nicely!
1.15 p.m. One of the local Irish sailors goes down in the surf and looks like he’s broken his mast. The rip is taking him downwind fast towards a massive bombie and, with no rescue around, the sailor looks to be in a pretty sketchy situation. Finn (a.k.a. Red Bull Storm Chase Head of Safety) comes to the rescue, although the guy has to ditch his rig in order to ensure survival and enable a tow back in. A small price to pay against the possibility of drowning!
2 p.m. Timo drops into a big ‘un – probably mast-and-a quarter on the peak – but as he works his way to the inside bowl, the wave engulfs his rig completely and spits his sail out through the white water. Moments later he’s swimming like Michael Phelps as he tries to catch his rig before it smashes on the rocks. Ross and Finn sail in to check he is okay – and somehow he pulls his kit out of the boulders with no damage tendered. When the conditions are big and sketchy, it’s wise not to sail alone and, if your sailing buddy is in trouble, make sure they’re okay before you smash the next lip!
2.30 p.m. Finn is picking off the bomb sets, hugging the reef and dropping in deep. The big sets are easily mast-and-a-half high, although the swell direction seems a little north for the waves to fully reel down the point. Instead, these mountains of water are coming through like huge battering rams, heavy liquid walls that are tough to ride and bear nasty consequences if you wipe out. What is already striking a chord in my mind, is that I have to come back here when there’s another huge swell – but with the correct swell direction and cross-off wind.
The potential is there for this place to break like Cape Verde!
3 p.m. Ross is linking up some multiple turn waves on the smaller sets that are sneaking through along the reef. When I say smaller, they’re still logo high, hitting the reef with enough power where the consequences of wiping out will no doubt result in a trip to the rocks.
3.30 p.m. After nearly three hours on the water fighting with these huge waves, the boys finally return to the beach, somehow with all the gear intact.
