Kite surfers off to create history

Jason Cole gets his kite into the air as he prepares to sail for the race which was expected to last between five and six hours. (Rawle Culbard)

By Randy Bennett | Sun, January 22, 2012 - 12:03 AM

WHEN ALL EYES were fixed on the sailing boats competing in the Mount Gay Rum Round Barbados Sailing Race yesterday, five brave men set out to create their own history.

Kitesurfers Roland Boyce, Jonathan Bynoe, Jason Cole, Tony Lorde and Kevin Talma left the sandy banks of Silver Sands beach just after 7 a.m, in hopes of completing their trip around Barbados, and if everything went according to plan, in record time too.

This is nothing new for Boyce, 36, the organizer of the event who completed a similar journey over a year ago, nor is it for Lorde, who holds the record after kitesurfing around Barbados in just over eight hours.

However, the owner of Endless Kites Surf Shop still admitted to feeling nervous when SUNSPORT caught up with him as he was making his final preparations.

“Although I’ve done it before, I’m still feeling a little nervous. But once the wind is blowing away from the land and the sea is flat, we should be okay,” he said as he packed some liquids into a satchel to keep him hydrated throughout the race.

He said that the owner of the Silver Bullet, one of the yachts competing in the sailing race, contacted him just over a week ago and asked him if he would be able to kitesurf around the island around the same time that the race was going on.

Boyce, who has been kitesurfing for over ten years, noted that the most difficult points of the race would be navigating through North Point and the West Coast.

“North Point is going to be our toughest challenge. The winds on the West Coast might also be challenging as well, because they have the tendency to not be consistent, and this could provide some issues,” he pointed out.

At just 21 years, it will be the first time that Bynoe is embarking on such a trip, and he was excited.

“Nervous, but really looking forward to it,” he said with a huge grin, as he prepared to launch into the choppy waters.

For Cole, 38, he wanted to finish the race just as he started; on his board.

“This is my first time and I am a bit nervous, but I think that this is very doable. My main concern will be to finish the race without any breakdowns and without having to do any swimming.”