I thought that I would briefly describe my first real windsurfing experiences leading to my current addiction to the sport.

Having grown up in Chichester, I did learn to sail as a kid but other than a half hour hire in St Lucia I had not given windsurfing a go.

I happened to be at the beach on the Saturday of the 2008 National Windsurf Week and the local club Spray Watersports had a "Taster" event running. I thought I would have a go and ended up booking some lessons later that summer. I really got the bug and decided to buy my own kit. With a few more lessons and the help of the instructors, particularly the extremely patient Richard, and other club members, I took my first steps towards planing and developing my technique.

At 40 I am not the youngest learner, but am so pleased that I have found this marvellous sport. There is really nothing like blasting around on a sunny afternoon after work to relax and let everything else fad into the background.

Thanks to everyone at Spray whose participation in the National Windsurfing Week gave me the chance to try the sport and continue to derive so much pleasure from it.

 
Roly Gardner