PETIT NAVRE- EUROPEAN KITE RACE CHAMPIONSHIPS- DOURNENEZ

The small adventure to the European championships began when we tried to confirm our booking of our vehicle- originally a small car we now attempted to re-book  an oversized campervan. Not just the height was an issue- easily addressed by taking the stand up paddle board off the roof and sticking it through the rear window! Weight- something that we spend our lives trying to avoid on an aeroplane now get faced with an overweight vehicle trying to board a ferry to France! Kids, bikes and water off – we re-book the kids plus head of BKSA Training- Andy Gratwick- all decide to bicycle to France! A sweet smile and plenty of Carnage we blag our way onto the ferry backwards.

The 1^st day brief saw over 100 competitors with Brits including Jason Mc Caffrey & Darren Pompey –entering their first race event. A formal opening and then we headed off to find the beach 30minutes away- attempting to follow the van ahead to later find it was Alex Caizergues who holds the world speed record.

The quality of organisation is second to none- 8 ribs & a large committee boat manned by experienced volunteers with a coure laid correctly the operation is super smooth and professional. The first couple of races were run in marginal 10 knots- very tricky if you don’t have a flysufer or a 16mtr kite. The competition is totally different this year, everyone has new boards, better experience and all the kit. One mistake, a bad start or a bad tack and then you are down the pan! The first day I came in 1^st & 2^nd in the girl’s with overall 10^th in the mixed fleet.

A late finish we had a flat battery and took an hour to start the camper- only now does the fun start! Any letting off the gas and the engine would stall & we would need to ask another kind Frenchman to help us. With no power for the lights to work we get on it and get the damm thing back to the event site! This is a broken Alternator and tomorrow is bank holiday!

A full on race day with 6 races and more than enough jump starts to get us to and from the beach. The most useful bit of kit- the oversized jump leads! A proper work out in marginal underpowered 14mtr weather, I am struggling to stay with Fabienne who has a 15mtr kite, a  new board the same as ex boyfriend- Bruno (winning the mens) and super light weight. Normally one of the first over the line, clean starts at the right end I get to the windward mark in the top 6 only to loose downwind to the lighter riders on bigger kites. Andy Gratwick, Darren Pompey and Jason McCafrey all steadily improving their results and gaining so much knowledge in the big fleet. Just getting off the beach was a challenge let alone dodging 100 other kiters on the start line and learning to get the most out of the kites power.

Loss of bikes—

The evening van issues continued- many a jump start we eventually make it back to a large space at the port- only to find we were in the middle of an open air market that began setting up at 4am in the morning! – sorry French’s we couldn’t move the camper!

Day 3 saw a light wind start and my mission was to get the camper to the puergot garage- a lot of sweat, right foot and Jason Mc Cafrey close by with the much needed jump leads, we get it there, hand over the cc and say fix it- Merci!!

We load all the days kit into Jason’s rather tidy, unused, not particularly kid friendly van & head to the event site! With a building sea breeze hit the water and then the full on disaster occurs for me! Someone through my lines prior to race 1 then a lost fin in race 2 followed by not making it to the start in race 3!!! But Race 4 I am there at the Pin end on port crossing the whole fleet and make it 3^rd round the ww mark in the best wind so far! Only my dad would be happy with that start. I really thought I was over the line actually and raced the whole race not expecting to get a hoot. I finished 8^th, again still not keeping up downwind but a good leg and half ahead of the next girl. So, at least I end the day on a high. The evening celebration began with a prize given and huge draw at the tent followed by a sit down meal. A superb atmosphere we just get on it and enjoy the night in decent company. After making a good decision to Not steal a Dragon boat we take the car to’The Docks and mission on at the nightclub!

Day 4 started calm, the kids still asleep till mid day I enjoy a moment of peace and no issues!

TOO COME

Gendarmarie

Trip to Breast

Tyre blow out

Ferry mission

crashing motor home into garden wall!