EARLY BIRD
Steve Thorpe probably nailed the best few sets of the Sunday morning session before the rest of the crew had wobbled round the point up to the break. The south wind only lasted for a short window and once it was SSW the sailing and positioning on the lumpy wave faces was way trickier. By the time poor Ian Black was on it, the rest of the crew were all headed back to Fistral leaving him out at the Cribbar all alone as the dank, murky weather really set in. Believe me the Cribbar is probably the last place you want to sail on your own, especially on a cold December morning in the pouring rain. Fair play to Ian Black he, stuck around long enough to be able to claim a few bombs, but I think even he was relieved when he decided to call it a day and head back in.
So there it was. Two pretty heavy-duty sessions by British standards – and possibly a milestone for the size of waves ever ridden in the UK. Truth be told, there are most definitely places that are much more fun to wave sail than the Cribbar and I doubt many UK sailors will have this spot on their ‘bucket lists’. I’m sure bigger and better days are out there to be scored at the Cribbar and a few other reefs that can handle a massive swell too. Even though this weekend proved that it is possible for a sailor to go out there and flirt with the edges of this Cornish reef, to really get stuck into the deepest part of the pit, Jet Ski back up really is a must and the dangers of this place should never be underestimated.
