Lyme: Storms a hit with top windsurfers (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Lyme: Storms a hit with top windsurfers

10:50am Thursday 26th November 2009

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THE storms that have battered the coast recently have provided the perfect conditions at Lyme Regis for daredevil windsurfers.

Four of the UK’s best windsurfers were taking advantage of the huge waves created by the storms and high winds.

The riders travel around the country chasing storms and Lyme was the place to be with waves reaching more than four metres high.

Murray Saunders, 24, was one of the surfers who goes as far as necessary to windsurf, but he found the best conditions in Lyme Regis just a few miles from his home in Combpyne, near Axminster.

Murray, who manages a distribution business selling windsurfing equipment, said: “The wind was west/south west, and what we call cross-shore, literally coming across the shore.

“Waves were coming in at 4.5m. It’s not totally unusual for Lyme but good because that’s what we want – it was big enough to be manageable.

“The conditions were good for jumping and wave riding.”

The former Woodroffe School student said Lyme Regis is gaining a good reputation for the sport and is now attracting more windsurfers.

“When the wind is blowing south west or west/south west and it’s a low tide, you quite often get the wind stronger in this area than anywhere else,” he said. “But it’s been quite exceptional lately and we have had ground swell rather than just wind swell.

“Lyme Regis is one of the best jumping locations on the south coast without a doubt. When it works, it’s arguably the best.”

Murray has recently finished the UK pro tour with the British Windsurfing Association (BWA) and has been ranked 13th in the country.

He was joined at Lyme by Jamie Hancock, who is ranked third in the UK, Timo Mullen and Paul Hunt, who are also among the top ranked.

“We did some jumps and Jamie got up to 30ft doing back loops, forward loops and a push loop, where you go completely upside down and the wind pushes you around,” said Murray.

“When there is a massive storm we find out where the waves are and we go where the waves are the biggest.”

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