Front Row for the Surf Show
One of the many cool things about world cruising is that you sometimes find yourself in the right place at the right time to experience amazing natural phenomena. That was the case early last week when Tahiti’s world-famous surf break, Teahupoo (Cho-Poo), swelled to epic proportions, and several boatloads of newly-arrived cruisers were there to witness the spectacular show.
Will and Sarah Curry of the Vancouver, BC-based Beneteau First 405 Hydroquest were among them: "We nailed it on the timing and caught one of the biggest swells of the year. Words can’t describe how amazing it was to be right off the break when the sets came through."
They, and fellow Pacific Puddle Jumpers from the Freemantle, AUS-based Gunboat 52 Kiapa, the Anacortes, WA-based Lagoon 440 Double Diamond and the Sweden-based Orkestern, drove out to Tahiti Iti (an appendage of the main island) in rental cars, and hired a launch for a front-row view of the action.
"We knew the swell was coming," says Will. "On Friday night (May 31) we felt it. Huge waves were crashing over the protective reef on Tahiti’s west coast, turning the normally flat calm anchorage and mooring area into a surging mess of water, with some waves even breaking inside the reef"
As Will explains, "The name Teahupoo translates in English to ‘broken skulls,’ so it’s predictably hardcore." In fact, just watching from the relative tranquility of a spectator boat can be a gnarly experience that’s likely to get the old adrenaline pumping.
Meanwhile, many 2013 Pacific Puddle Jumpers will gather at Papeete on June 28 to take part in the annual three-day Tahiti-Moorea Sailing Rendezvous. Both a celebration of the fleet’s successful crossing from the West Coast of the Americas and a celebration of Polynesian cultural traditions in music, dance, sport and cuisine, the Rendezvous draws cruisers from many nations. Click here to register online.