RICH AND FAMOUS We set off from Salterns Marina in Poole with our 6.5m RIB full to the brim with freestyle and freeride equipment to cover all eventualities, plus an experienced driver and myself. I have spent a lot of time in and around boats over the years and generally most canny captains instantly recognize I am not a seafaring type and tell me to just sit out of the way while the others cast off and do all the important jobs. Normally it goes something along the lines of ‘Carter, you just stay out of the way!’: I know my place so just behave accordingly! Exiting Poole Harbour, we were treated to a decent view of some of the expensive home along Sandbanks, reportedly the fourth most expensive area in the world to live. Fifteen homes were up for sale in September of 2013 and their combined asking price amounted to 80 million pounds! Notable residents include, Tony Pulis (manager of West Bromwich FC), Harry Redknapp, Jamie Redknapp and Graham Souness to name but a few. After cruising past the Sandbanks chain ferry , five minutes later we were flying out of the harbour headed towards the unmistakable outline of Old Harry and the surrounding rocks. Now rewind right back to the beginning of this piece and sometimes it is really worthwhile just taking a moment to sit back and just soak up the stunning surroundings that our diverse coast has to offer. As we approached Old Harry, it really hit me what an outstanding piece of scenery this Dorset landmark is, The Needles obviously have the upper hand in my books, but the white cliffs coated in greenery on this side of the Solent are certainly not too far behind! We finally pulled up in the boat in the shelter of the cliffs, with the wind swirling around Old Harry at a solid twenty knots. Over to ‘Bubble’ to fill us in on the juicy windsurfing details.’’
