All jokes aside the Channel Tunnel was the main reason for the success and planning of this trip, we’d been speaking with the local windsurfers at Camber Sands a few years ago and they told us how they often, just for variety, jump in their vans and head to Wissant for a day of wave sailing. For them it’s a lot easier to score port tack sailing in France than driving 6 hours to the West Country. The forecast for Wissant was calling 25-35 knots, SSW wind all day and pretty much wall-to-wall sunshine, too good to be true, but exactly what we needed to press the ‘Book Now’ button – now there was no turning back!
THUR 22nd NOV
2 am JC: Head over to Portsmouth for a 3am rendezvous with Timo. Its cold dark and the wind in the UK is just starting to kick in. It seems an absurd idea to be heading out of the country for a day trip, but on paper the drive, even with the Euro Tunnel crossing is actually closer than driving to Cornwall. Either way its risky business leaving your home spot when you know it is going to be epic but at the same time it is a whole new adventure heading off to another country without the hassle of checking in at an airport or catching a boat.
8.20 am JC: We emerge into Calais on a bright and blustery pre-dawn morning. The sun’s not up yet but sky’s clear overhead and the trees are swaying in the wind. The signs are looking good. All we need now are waves! Wissant is only ten miles west of Calais from the tunnel so making sure we’re on the wrong side of the road we head towards our destination with nervous apprehension.