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CABO VERDE CRUISING Never having quite come to terms with our Test Team striking it so lucky in Cabo Verde back in 2007, our Sales and Marketing Director, Fred Willis, pulls a fast one, ups the ante – and blags himself a trip on the ultimate purpose-built floating windsurfing centre... fter the epic 2007 World Cup event, Cabo Verde now needs no introduction. I first heard all about it from our Test Team, who were based at a centre around the corner from the main action. I don’t know how they managed to fit any spectating in alongside their super-busy test schedule, but I was certainly jealous! Indeed, it even got our editor so fired up he talked us into putting up $1,000 for grabs as a bonus expression session prize because the action was so amazing. The windsurfing world was buzzing about the place. So, when it was confirmed that this year’s event was on I was wondering how I could get myself there. Incredibly, just a few minutes later I picked up an email about Cabo Verde from the
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Club Vass team. They’d been looking at potential sites for another centre and came across the Itoma, a 70ft floating windsurfing centre in the form of a motorised catamaran, and wanted to see if it could work as a regular holiday option for the future. It sounded amazing – and (deep joy) because it was testing time the rest of the mag team were tied up, so I was the only man left to take the trip of a lifetime and find out what Cabo Verde had to offer... [Actually, this is the first we’ve heard about it! BOARDS Team.]
History of the Itoma The Itoma is the brainchild of three windsurfing friends. Imre Tamasi, chief cook / bottle washer (Hungarian), Thomas Eichenbaum (Austrian) and
skipper Max Haider (Austrian) met years ago while windsurfing on Lake Neusiedler in Austria. They discussed how great it would be to have a purpose-built boat for windsurfing with enough room to have all the kit rigged and ready to go in the back, and to set off on a windsurfing adventure to explore islands and have some fun. In 1996 the dream became a reality. The plans had been drawn up on the back of a cigarette packet one last time, so they dropped their day jobs and started to build the boat themselves. Pictures of the project are displayed onboard for all to see, and it’s a fascinating journey by the three friends. Conveniently, Imre (being an architect by profession) designed it, and what a job he did.
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The Itoma is 70ft long, 31ft wide, and draws 1.3m draft so it can get close to the beach if needs be. The design is superb as it sleeps 18 people plus four crew, all the kit is rigged and ready to go on the back, and it’s so easy to launch from. There’s also plenty of space inside for evening entertainment, and masses of deck area where the overflow of F2 boards are stored in triple boardbags. (BOARDS subscribers can check out the Itoma in all its glory in the F2 DVD supplied free in our May issue.) 1998 saw the launch of the Itoma, and since the beginning the homage to Dunkerbeck was ever present, as the kit onboard was (and still is) F2 and Neil Pryde. Later, Bjorn became firm friends with the guys and visits the boat every year, leaving some of his kit (including custom slalom boards) for clients and crew to play with. Footage of some of these trips can be seen on Bjorn’s Search DVDs. The trio set off at first for the Greek Islands, but their objective was always to sail the boat to the Caribbean, so they headed there via the Canaries and Cabo Verde. The Itoma never got any further, as Max et al decided this was it – this was their nirvana. German
and Austrian clients flew in and enjoyed the perfect conditions, but the Itoma has never been promoted on the British market – until now. Club Vass is the perfect operator to do so, and they offer their usual package – including a professional instructor, Colin Dixon the freestyle supremo, to look after and entertain clients.
The Trip We flew in from Gatwick to Sal, then leapt onto a puddle jumper to Sao Vincente to meet the Itoma in Mindelo port. Total travelling time was approx 14 hours, including a four-hour wait in Sal. The Cabo Verde islands make up a rocky archipelago off the Ivory Coast 15 degrees north of the equator and are slap bang in the middle of the NE trades, about 1,000 miles south of the Canaries. Only three of the islands are inhabited, but they’re very similar to the Canaries in many ways and remind me of those islands in the ’80s (pre mass development). Development in Cabo Verde began a few years ago on the habited islands, and the local population is promoting the year-round sun to tourists, who are flying
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in droves to make the most of the all-inclusive package deals, with Sal being the main hot spot. This is not my cup of tea, and I expect the majority of windsurfers will find their skin crawling at the thought of lobster pink chavs in Union Jack shorts, glinting with Argos gold on the beach. Oh, the luxury of being offshore on the Itoma and not having to rub shoulders with the great unwashed... Ironic, really, as the only washing we did was when we catapulted while windsurfing or got rinsed by a wave! The other great luxury was having all the kit onboard, ready to go. Now, I am a bit of a windsurfing snob and like to have my own kit on trips, but there just wasn’t room for it on the puddle jumper. It really didn’t matter though, as the supplied kit was excellent, with a choice of F2 07/08 Chilli, Spice, Guerrilla, Rebel and Stoke boards, Neil Pryde Search, Combat and Alpha rigs, and a few North Sails that Bjorn has provided
We spent a week on the boat and saw a total of about 10 other people – mainly local fishermen – and only one other windsurfer. It’s so idyllic; superlative scenery, no internet connections and very often no mobile phone signal. We were totally cut off and had the luxury of enjoying each other’s company and, of course, windsurfing. What more could you want?
Days 1 & 2 The first night onboard everyone was fully fired up. We popped on the Polakow videos, sat down, opened our duty frees and declared our objectives to Colin. Many of us opted for forwards and vulcans, and once it was written up on the board that was it – we were going to go for it! Dawn broke and we awoke to the beautiful sound of lapping water. The wind was blowing, the sun was shining, and the two Caterpillar diesel engines had been started. It was only
IT’S THE LIFE ALL RIGHT. EAT, WINDSURF, EAT, WINDSURF, EAT, DRINK, FISH, EAT, DRINK. REPEAT... now he’s switched sponsors. Something for every level of windsurfer, in fact, from small waveboards to big intermediate blasters. The other beauty of the floating centre is the ability to explore breaks and beaches on the uninhabited islands. As we cruised between islands to new windsurfing locations the views of spectacular red cliffs were fantastic – all the more so from our vantage point, sitting at the back of the boat, rods out to catch dinner, drinking beer and enjoying the banter amongst new friends.
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7.30am, but Max, our skipper for the week, was keen to get us going, so we set off across the channel to the island of Santo Antao, enjoying the game fishing on route. We anchored off the SE facing shore at the bottom of the island, 20 miles south of Porto Novo, which offers excellent bump and jump sailing. Our gang opted for sails between 4.7 and 5.8m, and enjoyed the chop-hopping and gybing in the swell the NE trades were generating at this cross-shore location.
As this was the first time Club Vass had operated this trip it was surprising that only seven out of the 12 places were filled. Talking to the other guests it soon became apparent that quite a few were put off by the image of the PWA event. People assume that Cabo Verde is a hardcore wave destination, but as we were discovering it actually offers so much more, and the Itoma is the perfect way to maximise its potential. On our trip we didn’t have groundswell running, but even if we had the boat rocks up and anchors 200m offshore, so if you’re a proficient wavesailor you can jump off the boat and turn right into the back of the wave break. (All our wavesailing was done on SE facing coasts with NE cross-shore winds.) From the Itoma you don’t have the problem of breaking through the white water, but can pick up a nice swell and literally ‘test the water’. If you’re less confident and more of a coastal burn and turner, then jump off the back and turn left. Here you enjoy the clean winds, warm water and gentle unbroken swells; blasting, jumping and gybing without the discomfort of waves breaking on your head. The crew know the beaches inside out and are always on the lookout for a client in distress, with two jet boat RIBs ready to go if the conditions overwhelm you or your kit fails. After a couple of hours we were tired and hungry, so we set sail for San Pedro, a lovely beach positioned at the bottom of the airport runway that runs SW to NE along a valley. This funnels the wind and gives excellent flat-water freestyle conditions and a speed run for the blasters amongst us. We anchored up having enjoyed the magnificent cliffs with the beautiful lighthouse set in the rocks, and Imre, now in chef mode, started serving up our lunch – an amazing effort considering the size of the galley and the swell that had been running. The
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food onboard was always excellent and plentiful, especially if you liked seafood. That afternoon and evening we got to work on our vulcans until we were too exhausted to sail any more, and clambered back onto the Itoma to enjoy more of Imre’s cooking while cracking into our duty frees and ship’s mixers. All food and wine is laid on in the package – all that needs to be paid for is beer at €2 and mixers / soft drinks at €1.50. Also on the menu is insurance at €40, which is very advisable if you are planning on sailing in the waves.
Day 3 – San Pedro Speed San Pedro is a deep shelving beach that runs 130 degrees to the wind – perfect for getting really close to the shore and maxing out on the mirror flat water. We anchored the boat another 500m upwind from the previous day, allowing us to hop off the back and sail in towards the beach where the group would bear off and get blistering speed. At the bottom you can gybe off and sail upwind again or try and show off in 4.7m weather and go for vulcans, spocks, or (showing my age) carving downwind 360s. It was great fun and we stayed all day waiting for another German client to arrive sporting his budgie smugglers (Speedos). Three two-hour sessions interspersed with fishing and Imre’s superb food. All very relaxing!
Day 4 Again the lapping waters woke us, and Max tacked the Itoma upwind along the SE coast of Sao Vincente to a wave spot on the very east side of the island. Tobino was its name, and it was the only place that we sailed with another windsurfer who was not aboard the Itoma. The fact that we had to tack this motorised catamaran into the NE swell was boding well for the wave beach. However, on arrival it was low
tide and the waves were about waist high. Unfortunately there was no groundswell and the reefs were making the most of the wind-blown short wavelength chop. It was good fun though, and with 5.0 to 5.8m sails it gave the group the opportunity to see what the place could offer, and allowed the less experienced wavesailors to have a go. The potential of the place was amazing, with a left hand peeling off the point and getting really peaky on the inside for aerials – or attempted aerials that is! We had a couple of sessions here, so were able to see its potential from low to high tide, and stayed for the evening, hoping the swell would pick up the next morning. By now we had all become accustomed to sleeping in the bunks and the rolling swell; it’s lovely and rocks you off to sleep. Not a single member of the group had seasickness, but if you are susceptible then do bring medication as you might need it.
After a good lunch we upped anchor and set off to the uninhabited island of Santa Lucia. Again we headed for the eastern point, where we enjoyed the NE trades blowing cross-shore at the break, offering up small peeling lefts and the opportunity to buzz John and his camera again. It was super-shallow and it was wise to follow Max, Imre and the other crew members, who knew where to sail. Max is a very accomplished windsurfer (and so he should be living and working in this paradise). Imre, on the other hand, was very humble, saying that he was just a beginner. He may be humble but he’s a bloody liar. He only goes out when it tickles his fancy, but out he went and out he stayed, really showing us all up. Due to his small stature he was making these small waves look good – always a sign of a good sailor. Lunch had been a massive pasta meal, and it’s eat as much as you can. With hindsight I Caption competition – admissions welcome
Day 5 Once Imre had stuffed us full of breakfast we popped out for a quick sail at Tobino again. The waves were definitely better – not much bigger, still waist to chest high, but definitely better formed. Not intimidating in the slightest and allowing everyone to smack a few lips or just blast around the break and get some jumps. To add interest to our sailing John Parker, our group’s photographer, opted to get in the water with his waterproof camera housing and we all tried to buzz him to get the shot. Bar Colin Dixon none of us managed to achieve this, and it soon became very apparent how the shots we all see in the magazines are the culmination of great conditions, good photography and most importantly the amazing abilities of pro sailors to ensure they are in the right place with the sun lighting the action and the photographer able to capture it.
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now see what the crew were up to. Feed us all full of pasta so we hit the lethargy wall and out they go for two hours to enjoy the best conditions while we lay on deck watching. I am sure once we battled the laziness the conditions dropped, and Imre came in all smug, knowing he’d had a ball. Perhaps it was just my conspiracy theory, but it was a bloody good excuse as to why I was sailing so badly... At around 18:00 we headed off to moor behind Branco, another uninhabited island. Max and the crew were insistent that this was the spot for the best fishing in the islands. Darkness fell and we ate well, drank wine, popped a few bottles of beer and hacked into the duty free vodka while fishing off the back of the boat. We didn’t catch anything, but it was good fun and we actually made an effort
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to party as we were to have the following morning off to go game fishing. After another scrumptious breakfast we set off with rods out for the back of Raso Island. Here we cruised up and down for a couple of hours looking for marlin or shark. I have always wanted to try this, and I was really looking forward to fighting with a game fish while reeling the beast in. However, it was not to be. All that concerned me was the flock of 10 cormorants that followed the boat and kept diving for the brightly coloured lures. How stupid are they? Well the answer is very, as we caught one and had to reel it in. It was quite upsetting until the bird got about 20ft from the boat, got frightened, let the lure go and flew away. What a pea-brain! As we cruised up and down a dolphin pod intersected the Itoma and spent 30 seconds surfing the bow in a very stereotypical manner. Clichéd it may be, but it was amazing! These dolphins were huge, and were enjoying the attention we gave them. I was most concerned as we had lures out and I’d hate to catch a dolphin, but they’re clearly more intelligent than cormorants and knew to avoid the glinting rubber lures. Off they went – and on we went to catch f-all. Disappointed, we headed back to a fisherman’s beach on the eastern tip of Santa Lucia, just a few hundred metres downwind from our previous day’s sailing spot. That’s the beauty of this trip – there are so many spots all along the coast and the only way to access them is from the sea. Again the conditions we met were small playful waves, and John was getting frustrated due to the lack of action (or our inability to do
anything for his camera). Colin was chuffed with a ponch, and Seb tested the safety boat when he needed to be rescued due to kit failure. That evening we sailed off to find a more sheltered spot. Lines were cast and we headed off into the sunset. After an hour of cruising we moored off the western tip of Santa Lucia and enjoyed an extravaganza of seafood, which had been caught fresh during the previous few days. As usual, once dinner had been cleared up the duty frees were cracked open and the lines cast for our evening’s entertainment. Success! Three barracuda and an eel were the haul that night. It’s the life all right. Eat, windsurf, eat, windsurf, eat, drink, fish, eat, drink. Repeat. And, had we been luckier with the groundswell, perhaps some surfing, too.
Day 6 The morning dawned and off we set back west to Sao Vincente, stopping off at a stretch of beach half a mile SW of Tobino, which was sold to us as a jumping spot. On the first evening we were saying how forwards were going to be done and dusted by the end of the week, and there would be no better opportunity than this. I got a couple of efforts in, but although it felt fast setting up for the move it was evident on Seb’s video footage that I was slowing down drastically, entering the move at half the speed before I pulled the trigger. No chance! To get some shots John was swung over the side on the RIB crane. It was amusing and let us blast directly underneath him to the port aft of the boat. I think the best shots were probably John hanging there rather than us sailing though.
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YOU CAN JUST JUMP OFF THE BOAT AND HEAD STRAIGHT INTO THE BACK OF THE WAVE BREAK... Our final destination was back to the flat water of San Pedro for one last opportunity to crack the vulcan. Seb was getting into spocks, Jason was learning what he was doing wrong, and I got my first willy skipper. It was the last opportunity to sail so we all tried our damndest. Once we’d finished and the sun was setting it was lines out, beer open, and time to reflect on what a great trip it had been. None of us had spoken to another person outside of the group in over a week, so we were looking forward to an evening ashore in Mindelo port and experiencing the culture of Cabo Verde. We treated the crew to a lovely steak dinner and they treated us to a pub-crawl of all the best and worst spots. Mindelo is a typical port town with sailors drinking into the small hours and ladies expecting to be paid for their company (if you know what I mean). We’d been afloat for a week and hadn’t spoken to a woman in all that time, apart from the dive instructor Rachel (who was probably getting a bit tired of Colin’s flirting), but there was no need to seek such services and it was actually quite intimidating. Friday morning was a sad, sad day. The trip was over. We’d only had three hours of sleep and had a whole day of travelling ahead with stinking hangovers. We settled our bar tab, got the jet
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boat back to shore and took a five-minute cab ride to the airport to meet the puddle jumper...
Conclusion This is such a different trip to anything I have ever done before, and I highly recommend it. Although £1,250 for a week sounds expensive, it really isn’t. All the kit hire, as much food as you can eat and all the table wine is inclusive along with accommodation and travel. The only thing to pay for is soft drinks and beer, and my final tally was a massive €28. For a week! I’m almost embarrassed to admit it, but after sailing all day, eating well and drinking wine, it’s all a bit too much to rack up a proper bar bill, so compared to your usual trip it’s really good value. Compare it to the land-based option and it’s a no-brainer. Life on the rocks is sparse and the breaks you can sail are limiting. You’ll probably spend just as much if not more – and have to rub shoulders with the great British public ashore. The locals will try to tax you, the ladies will try to sleep with you (at a price), and all in all, I would much prefer to be offshore taking in the fabulous unspoilt scenery and enjoying the banter with my friends. John, Jason, Andy, Kevin, Seb, and, of course, Colin, were tremendous company, and together with the crew we had such a great week. On my return I have now convinced my close
windsurfing friends that we’ll do this next year as our boys’ windsurfing trip. It’s a great opportunity to get away with your mates, but not ideal for your other half unless they also windsurf. On our trip there was no opportunity for people to get ashore and sightsee, and onboard, although the deck area is massive, there’s not much shelter so one’s other half would probably go stir crazy.
Future Plans Club Vass have confirmed that they will be selling places for trips in February / March 2009 for a two to three-week window. Contact the Club Vass office on 0870 145 1390 (www.clubvass.com) for confirmation and come along. There are six of us booking again and I can’t wait. Although we had no luck with groundswell we did sail six days out of six and we all had a ball. See you next February!