So you're sat in the office, just back from a 4 day student festival, with wakeboarding, kiting, land boarding and buggying as well as 4 nights of music and the telephone rings at approx 2 pm,  the last thing you expect is a request to travel another 230 miles to document an attempt to circumnavigate the Isle of Wight, ………..

The conversation went something like this:

AP ………….‘Hey how’s thing?’

ExPix……….‘Feeling rough mate, sore throat, bit fluey ……… why?’

AP…………. ‘No reason, don’t worry I wont ask my next question’

ExPix………..‘Go on ………’

AP ………….‘Tomorrow … its on!’

ExPix……… ‘ WHAT?

AP………….. ‘YEP’

ExPix……….. ‘TOMORROW? Really? Give me 30 mins and I’ll ring you back’

AP = Alex Parker SKA President and organiser of the circumnavigation

ExPix = Ian Edmondson chief photographer at ExPix

6 students from Southampton University were going to try and circumnavigate the Ilse of Wight and they had invited ExPix along for the ride …..well more like to document the attempt; I guess that thought that having done 3 crossings already we'd have plenty of experience to offer! The plan was to wait for a suitable forecast and then, with the help of Southampton University and their safety boats, they would all set off hoping to complete the journey together. This wasn't a race or an event but more of a leaving present to the guys, who after finishing their degrees are going their separate ways and wanted one last experience to remember their time at Uni.

So being ‘on call’ you never know when the phone will ring and just back from 4 days at Beach Break Live, still recovering and trying to distribute all the articles and images from there we got ‘that’ call. With 15 hours to pack, meet up with ExPix team rider Ali Barrett who had made his way home to Blackpool after the festival, then drive 230 miles down to Southampton spend anything up to 12 hours on a small rib being tossed around then drive another 230m back up to Manchester for two meetings the following day, this was going to be one hell of a mission!

We eventually arrived outside the student's place at 1.30am and quickly got our heads down to grab some sleep before getting on the ribs in the morning.

5AM and another call to wake us up and it was all systems go. Breakfast, packing, throwing kit in vans, finding people who were late and making the dash to the boat yard to pick up the safety crew and meet with the guys from Red Bull who were tagging along.

With 14 people all tuned in, the tensions were beginning to rise and when a wetsuit was found to be left behind whilst stood on the dock waiting to board, things became strained. No one said a word but the culprit headed of quickly to retrieve the said item as the others watched in disbelief!

Once loaded, the Southampton Uni ribs under the guidance and leadership of James Topping, quickly headed for Calshot, the intended launch site for the challenge. With a dropping tide it was now going to be close as to whether the boats could get close enough to the beach to land and if they did …..would they be able to get away!

There in time, the riders quickly disembarked, unloaded and tested kit and refreshment packs before hiding them in wetsuits whilst James Topping became more concerned about the depth. Pushing the students hard to leave the dock James made the decision to send two ribs out and then with cm’s to spare we coaxed the big rib out with two people sat on the front to raise the rear and give the prop some clearance. We just made it and the challenge was now officially on.

On the other side of the spit, from the safety boats we could see the kites go up in the air. Flexifoil had given support for the event with kit as had Mystic who provided the rash vests and battle jackets, both have been backing the students throughout the year with support for events and this was just another bit of support provided by the industry.

On the water it was immediately apparent that some of the lads were over powered. A few asked if the could change kites but with small ribs it would be difficult to do this in the strong winds and heavy tide so boards were swapped as a compromise and the attempt began as the students left the beach and headed off up the Solent without grouping together. Within a few miles the first rider was on the boat; overpowered and alone at the rear he was ‘pulled’ so as not to split the group to far, gutted! The team carried on, already one man down and an hour and a half behind it was now a race to make up the time lost at the start before the tide began to push them backwards.

Tacking up wind was always going to take its toll. But the remaining 5 carried on for another hour or so before the next two were also pulled. Alex Parker and Matt Desmond climbed aboard disappointed and dejected, even with three kites still on the go there was now an air of scepticism as to whether they would be able to complete the task.

With the tide turning it was the ‘race’ to see if they could reach the needles quickly enough before it started to push them back. The idea had always been to use the tide to carry them up the Solent and then push them back down the seaward side of the island but the set off time of 7am on the beach hadn't been met and now it was a battle to see if they could make up the lost ground. Zac Andrews, Ali Barrett and Ali Shepard carried on.

Zac was approx ½ to 1 mile behind the other two who were looking very strong as they reached Hurst castle and even enjoyed a little boost next to the light house and it was here that the decision was made to pull the forth rider Zac. To have a split between the remaining kiter’s as they rounded the Needles would have been to dangerous should anything go wrong.

The water around the spit at Hurst wasn't inviting, with refraction from the island and the spit, as well as a changing tide the water was boiling and the two front runners were sticking as close to the shore as possible so as to hide from the tide. Crossing the Channel to the Island was interesting in the boats as they were buffeted about but once on the other side the swell became more consistent.

With over 4knts of tide running the two remaining kiter’s fought there way up wind and with the Needles insight the progress became slower and slower. With the boats almost at a stand still the more robust on board made time for a quick snack with red bull and jam butties.

 Ali Barrett on a twin tip was becoming more frustrated with not moving forward whilst Ali Shepherd began to go backwards in the tide. So after 51/2 hours of tacking up wind the remaining two tired and beaten kiter’s were dragged on board within 1mile of the Needles. Even if these two had rounded the headland they would have been faced with another longer stretch with tide against them which would have taken at least another 6 hours and then another shorter distance again upwind back to the start point. This was a good call by James Topping who was erring on the side of caution. So close yet so far !

So the attempt failed?

Well yes and NO! Back on dry land and a debriefing a lot discussion was had. Timings have to be right, a crossing is easier than going up and down wind, with and against tide, and if you get it wrong your fighting currents rather than using them.

Wind direction could have been better, again tacking up wind trying to use the tide is difficult, with a slightly better direction a more forward motion would have allowed them greater speed across forward to combat a turning tide.

Board and kite choice has to be right, especially with small safety boats as there is little room to change kit.

Keeping together - provides moral and a sense of purpose and achievement as a group each one pushing the other and the main reason the two front runners gave for not wanting to give up. Kiting together the pushed each other all the way and even made the decision when to stop together.

Will they be back ???….. I think so! Yes they were beaten but they weren't broken and being students they evaluated the whole process showing that they could have done it with the right conditions.

So here I sit …..waiting for another call!;-)

Good luck guys can't wait !