Windsurfing and kite surfing: Mahe-Praslin crossing-Kite surf best time established, no windsurfing record |15 September 2008

Alongside windsurfers for this year’s Mahe-Praslin crossing were kite surfers who competed for the first time.
The maiden winner was Steven Taylor with a time of 1 hour 22 minutes 27 seconds (1h22:27) which has gone down as a new record.

Taylor was followed in second and third places by Brendan Davidson (1h22:40) and Clinton Bolton (1h31:15).

The top three kite surfers received trophies by Takamaka Bay, books from Seychelles Tourism Board and cash prizes of R3,500, R2,500 and R1,500 each sponsored by Linro.

Four other kite surfers – Julien Million (fourth with 1h36:43), Herman Holtz (fifth with 1h38:43), Jemma Grobbelaar (sixth with 1h52:35) and Matthew Meagher (seventh with 1h55:40) – completed the 44-km race which started inside the Victoria harbour and ended on the beachfront of the Maison des Palmes hotel at Grand Anse Praslin.

Four other competitors – Calvin Dasilva, Pleu Paggaliy, Devan Blomestein and Malcolm Birmingham – failed to finish the race.

In the windsurfing category, only two sailboarders reached Praslin. The first one was Praslinois Jean-Marc Gardette in a time of 1h25:32 – way off the record of
57 minutes 51.62 seconds (57:51.62) belonging to eight-time winner Stephen Stravens who failed to complete the distance.

Gardette took the top cash prize of R3,000 and the first iron man trophy.
Last year’s winner Danny Gertrude finished second in 1h50:35 to win R2,000 and he also won two more prizes – R1,000 for Masters category (between 35 and 40 years old) and R1,000 for Veteran division (over 40 years).

Like Stravens, Jacquelin Languilla, Allan Julie, Robert Hoti, Clinton Léon, Bertrand de Charmoy-Lablache and Joel Fred did not complete the crossing.

G. G.