Any update on Ian's plans for today? I'm up at Horrocks with camera and kite at the ready! Wondered wether he would pop up on local radio this morning, being in Gero on remembrance today but didn't hear anything. PM me if you guys finish up at Horrocks and need a place to stay. Cheers
Select to expand quoteDave Whettingsteel said..
Any update on Ian's plans for today? I'm up at Horrocks with camera and kite at the ready! Wondered wether he would pop up on local radio this morning, being in Gero on remembrance today but didn't hear anything. PM me if you guys finish up at Horrocks and need a place to stay. Cheers
We farewelled Ian from Drummond Cove at just past 1:15 and as of 2:14pm he's already passed Coronation and 2/3 of the way to Horrocks. The plan for today is to make Port Gregory, with a possible stopover in Horrocks for an interview with the ABC. He and the crew will then assess the situation for the next few days, given the current weather conditions.
We got him kitted out with some footpads to soften the blow of the chop he's been riding and hopefully make the journey more enjoyable.
They'll overnight at Pt Gregory and if the conditions aren't suitable for a kite to Kalbarri, they may consider driving to Shark Bay to do the remainder of the trip from there. At the moment we've got a forecast indicating 20-30 knot southerlies with even some east in it at times along with some 3-4m swell for the next 4 days or so, making a traverse of the coast of Dirk Hartog generally unwise.
Updates as they arrive. Stay tuned!
Dave, PM me and I'll text you the support team's mobile numbers
Ian Young walks into a bar full of kiters....
NEVER buys a beer, never, ever again......
Photos in reverse order.... Cruising through Little Bay on the way to Port Gregory, flying through the Horrocks lagoon and riding a wave over the Horrocks reef.
Very exciting!
Select to expand quoteDave Whettingsteel said...
Any update on Ian's plans for today? I'm up at Horrocks with camera and kite at the ready! Wondered wether he would pop up on local radio this morning, being in Gero on remembrance today but didn't hear anything. PM me if you guys finish up at Horrocks and need a place to stay. Cheers
Dave mail me your no and I'll pass it on , they'd be daft not to spend a night at chateau wettingsteel ,
By the way he made Horrocks around 2.45. Hour and a half from Gero, pretty good going considering light winds. Looked very relaxed.
Man I'm loving this thread! Every time I click on and see a photo of Ian traversing the coast it makes me smile,.. He's like the forest Gump of the kite world. Such a legend!
Spoke with Ian and he and the crew have checked in for the night at Port Gregory around 3:40pm. Dave, PM'ed Ian's mobile to you. Hope you were able to hook up with them.
Cheers,
Rob
Select to expand quoteGazuki said..
Man I'm loving this thread! Every time I click on and see a photo of Ian traversing the coast it makes me smile,.. He's like the forest Gump of the kite world. Such a legend!
Gazuki said..
Man I'm loving this thread! Every time I click on and see a photo of Ian traversing the coast it makes me smile,.. He's like the forest Gump of the kite world. Such a legend!
Robbo2099 said..
Spoke with Ian and he and the crew have checked in for the night at Port Gregory around 3:40pm. Dave, PM'ed Ian's mobile to you. Hope you were able to hook up with them.
Cheers,
Rob
Loving this thread as well. Wish there was more of this stuff for windsurfing and kiting communities ( I know what the remarks here will be LOL).
would you like me to add a red thumb for you NR just to bring the would back into balance. Also enjoying this thread and can't wait to see how Ian goes around steep point.
looks like he's skipping the rough bit or doing the Kalbarri thing, either way takes gusto to take on the next leg. Personally I wouldn't dream of it!
True pioners never receive the credit they deserve.
I don't know the guy but gotta say this journey is a classic.
They don't climb Mt. Everest in one day... do they..!!!
Success equals planning equals brains...
I say do it with the right weather...or the right way..!!
Ian said they're not real happy with how the weather is looking for the zuytdorp cliffs section so they going to drive up to steep point and continue from there. Said they might do the Kalbarri section later. Pity to not have a clear run, but totally understandable!
Wednesday night mission update: Haven't heard from the boys since about 1:30 this afternoon when the GPS tracker checked in just south of the Hamlin Pools turnoff on NW Coastal Highway.
Given the weather conditions (30+knot Sou'easters and 4m swell) the plan was to drive to Steep Point and assess whether it was feasible to safely restart the journey from there, so I suspect they'll be camped there tonight and check in tomorrow morning.
A few of Kat's photos from yesterday as Ian was pushing off from Drummond Cove:
Did he tackle the Port Gregory to Kalbarri section today 
or did he drive north from there,,, bit unsure
20 to 30 knots plus 3m seas and 3m plus of swell today.
Very nasty cliff sections in that area to , this would have been very high risk with an ocean as it was today.
Looking forward to the next stage / leg ... when, where and what ever he commits to up the coast a bit 
If he is off tomorrow and can hang on he will do some KMs .....bloody howling southerly 
Ian phoned me yesterday morning , they are going to kite from false ent or the camp at south passage near the rangers, he's then going to cross from the east side of dirky to denham and continue north, I've given the crew a few safety contacts and contacted my mate at dirk Hartog letting know the crews plans,
Select to expand quotecauncy said..
Ian phoned me yesterday morning , they are going to kite from false ent or the camp at south passage near the rangers, he's then going to cross from the east side of dirky to denham and continue north, I've given the crew a few safety contacts and contacted my mate at dirk Hartog letting know the crews plans,
Cauncy do you have any insight into why he didn't kite from port Gregory to Kalbarri?
Select to expand quoteDave Whettingsteel said..
cauncy said..
Ian phoned me yesterday morning , they are going to kite from false ent or the camp at south passage near the rangers, he's then going to cross from the east side of dirky to denham and continue north, I've given the crew a few safety contacts and contacted my mate at dirk Hartog letting know the crews plans,
Cauncy do you have any insight into why he didn't kite from port Gregory to Kalbarri?
Was blowing 30+ knots and 3-4m seas up that way yesterday and today , and swinging SE at times. Ian's smallest kite is a 10m foil...
Do a low-level fly-over on Google Maps through that area along the coast and you'll get an idea of how treacherous it is.
From the GPS tracker, looks like he's just pushed off from SE of Steep Point, headed for Denham.
nano.sjy.id.au/
He's about to clear the cape in the next 10 min. After that, he'll have a 25km trip across open water, kiting across the wind to reach Denham. He's absolutely MACKING along at the moment!
Doesn't look like he'll have to worry about running out of wind for the crossing!
Select to expand quoteDave Whettingsteel said...cauncy said..
Ian phoned me yesterday morning , they are going to kite from false ent or the camp at south passage near the rangers, he's then going to cross from the east side of dirky to denham and continue north, I've given the crew a few safety contacts and contacted my mate at dirk Hartog letting know the crews plans,
Cauncy do you have any insight into why he didn't kite from port Gregory to Kalbarri?
Could be that he'd like to live,
-- Crossing to north of Denham: Check.
-- Steady wind? Check.
-- Let's keep going.
At Noon, GPS is reporting his location as roughly 20km N of Denham, travelling at 36.9km/hr!
Select to expand quoteDave Whettingsteel said..
Off to carnarvon today do you reckon rob?..!
Hes flying for sure.
From the looks of things, I'd say so Dave. The crossing from the point at Peron Nat Park back to the mainland is nearly 40km and he'll be copping some of the swell across there. Better hope the wind and the swell cooperate.
That's a pretty wacky-looking coastline along there from where he'll make landfall up to Carnarvon. Hard to work out what the water/coast would be like from looking at the Google Earth the photos.
Select to expand quoteRobbo2099 said..
Wednesday night mission update: Haven't heard from the boys since about 1:30 this afternoon when the GPS tracker checked in just south of the Hamlin Pools turnoff on NW Coastal Highway.
Given the weather conditions (30+knot Sou'easters and 4m swell) the plan was to drive to Steep Point and assess whether it was feasible to safely restart the journey from there, so I suspect they'll be camped there tonight and check in tomorrow morning.
A few of Kat's photos from yesterday as Ian was pushing off from Drummond Cove:
Very pleased to hear safety being given priority.
Youngy is such a driven, goal oriented guy there is a fear the goal may over-ride caution.
Obviously giving full weight to his knowledge on how important safety & strategy planning counts.
Good call.
