During what has seemed like the hardest UK winter in a long time, last week gave a bit of respite. The high that had been glued to the country for weeks finally shifted, allowing some warmer wet and windy weather.

Timo Mullen, Steve Thorpe, Murray Saunders, Andy and Steve King, along with a healthy handful of others headed to Gwithian for some fantastic sailing.

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Timo Mullen:
Saturday was amazing: It started with a check at Gwithian, the swell was pumping, way over mast high but it was just a tad too SW for Gwithian making it pretty choppy. Upwind at Mexico’s it was firing: on arriving, the car park was packed and the wind and waves were pumping!

It was pretty heavy, the bigger sets were easily mast high and very hollow, if you messed up your kit was history! It was a great day for aerials, and every so often the odd wave would peel perfectly letting you gouge 4-5 turns down the line… The best I’ve seen this part of the bay work and it was warm – about 14 degrees!

Steve King:
It never gets good down here. All the pictures were Photoshopped. There are weaver fish everywhere. The water is freezing and polluted with sewage with syringes on the beach. I heard Shoreham and Hovekipa were all time…

Murray Saunders:
Andy King called on Friday night to tell us all that we had to be at the beach at 8am for the tide. A few Rattlers later it was clear that wasn’t going to happen! The sailing was tricky and gusty but it was great to be out in some decent swell with a bunch of mates after a long break…

Andy King:
I turned up late after working until 3am the previous night to find the car park rammed. There was a great crew of people out though so I thought, why not join them? The waves were up to logo high on the sets and the gusty wind meant it was difficult to get out back at times. I set my quad up with some K4 fins that were smaller than I am used to. This made my board turn on a dime which helped as the waves walled up really quick before throwing out. I had a fair few swims but my kit remained in tact before I had to rush back to work again at 5pm…

Nick Moffat:
Tricky and heavy it served out punishment and fun in equal measure! After a few waves each, Blackie, Adam and I all had a big swim to the rocks in quick succession but unscathed…

Steve Thorpe:
On Sunday, I headed for home. I hadn’t got far though when the blue lights came on behind and I got pulled over for my enthusiastic cornering. As I stepped out the van and the policeman shone his torch at me, I realised I was wearing a bright white t-shirt with the words ‘Need help with drugs? Talk to Frank’.

Photos by:

• Ellie Boyle (Boylos)
• Paul Monnington (Galeforce8)
• Jonny Samuel