The Crossing Click photo for the Photo Collection

Day 3 - Thursday

As if the first world record attempt at distance crossing wasn’t enough we also had another kiteboarding first: the very first day of the event, and it actually happened!

Just before leaving and our final brief we had a talk from Adam that didn’t scare us and was a real inspiration.

The 70-mile epic journey began with the task of getting out through the myriad rocks and bays of the Scilly Isles, We had our bum bags, chocolate, water, redbull and flares, but the wind seemed a little light and fluky (or maybe we had too much chocolate on board.) This spread the field and made our planned exit point seem like mission impossible. This had to be abandoned, and new route was advised by Marc, our local boater who was accompanying us to Lands Ends.

But once outside at the edge of the open sea the wind was with us, we all regrouped and pulled together again and looked out across towards the shipping lanes and Lands End.

"The initial push away from land got the adrenaline running though the veins for sure..."

The start had not been without incident and I was glad not to have been in Adams’ shoes as I watched Fiona’s kite trying to re-launch and CJ having to land on a beach due to a wind shadow, which stopped her from getting up wind around a group of rocks. But CJ still had a key role to play. It was a devastating blow but it focused us to stay together and defiantly got the Adrenalin pumping.

Claire shared her experience with the initial shock of kiting downwind for the first time in ages, “Remember when you first learn to kite, you stand up very flat on the board, trying to go upwind then finally it clicks, it took me about an hour to have it click of how to go downwind again… The initial push away from land got the adrenaline running though the veins for sure.”

As the land receded into the haze behind us I felt a real sense of freedom in the changing and deepening blue of the ocean. The first air horn sounded at 10 miles and also as an indicator that we were entering the shipping lanes! A highly trafficked area. A highlight of the journey was meeting the cruise liner. In the intense flatness it’s sides seemed like Everest, as it effortlessly drifted past. The captain shut down his engines and announced our presence to the passengers. I imagined them staring down at us warm and safe sipping G & T’s. Seeing the liner was fantastic (but after two hours of nothing, I guess anything would be impressive!)

Soon we found the trick was kiting behind the boat in the wake where the water was flat. Cindy even tacked to the back to pass this gem of knowledge onto the girls bringing up the trailing edge. True to her champion form, “It was easier than what we imagined, I thought our legs would just die after two hours out, only at about five hours it got hard, if the wind would have been good we could have done 90 miles easily.”

You learn the funniest things out at sea: it’s very hard to open a bum bag to get food or drink, while working a kite, Kit Kat wrappers are not water proof, and if you are going to be travelling on one tack attach you bloody leash to your back foot!!! I think I had a hollow in my back foot from standing on the dam thing!

The fuzzy outline of Lands End raised out of the sea ahead and a huge mental lift came with it. We cruised on and time passed quickly with 60 miles under our belts. I saw St. Ives drift past, we we’re all fit, warm and racing for the finish. Suzi chasing Cindy all the way, Fiona out along side me, Claire whizzing along from toe to heel side. Laurel said, “One of the most awesome feelings was racing along with the Rib chase boats, the noise of the engine and the sensation of skipping over the waves made me feel like I was in Miami Vice!”