For me it all started about a month ago when looking on one of the forums I noticed a posting about the crossing. Having met Dreya I e-mailed her immediately and waited for the response. Being of the impatient type, I couldn't wait that long and later that day I phoned Jim at Barefoot Media with my proposal, again I had to wait whilst Dreya and Liz decided what to do.

Whilst this was happening, I started to do some research into the project and the girls taking part. I suddenly realised that this was a fantastic opportunity and I wanted to be a part of this project. My story will hopefully portray my observations of the crossing and my interpretation of its meaning to all those who took part.

I travelled down from Rochdale to Watergate Bay, a distance of 340+ miles to join the team and after 8 hrs in the van I finally arrived. At first I couldn’t contact anyone because the signal around Watergate is very sketchy but eventually I got hold of Dreya who directed me to the cottage. The first person I met was Dreya and as I have said I already new her although not very well. She seemed excited and somewhat drained as she told me that there had been several problems with accommodation and safety boats.... it didn't sound a good start.

Laurel was the next one I was to meet, very official, formally shaking hands as we were introduced and then one by one the other girls Fiona, CJ, Cindy, Suzi and Claire. I was then told that a couple of the girls couldn't make it due to illness or previous engagements, again the mood was somewhat strained as people were finding out the extent of the challenge that had been undertaken. Then Adam arrived, he had travelled almost as far as me and he began with a safety briefing after a spaghetti Bolognese meal. Myself, Jezza (Suzi's partner) Layton (Dreya's partner) and Colin decided that the pub was probably the best place to be whilst Adam put the girls through their paces.

What an atmosphere when we returned! Adam had really grilled the girls into what they could and couldn't do; even they began to doubt (only slightly) what they had let themselves in for.

After a good nights sleep the press conference was the next hurdle... but it all went very smoothly with press and TV behaving themselves and not being to awkward with the questions. The photo shoot on the beach followed by the flare training was very enjoyable and the mood picked up. This was it; it was going to happen no matter what.

The crew had already set off for the Scilly's that morning, taking with them all the kit and equipment and I have to say it was not easy letting most of my gear go without me! The flight across to the Scilly's again proved somewhat of an "eye opener".

 About half way across there was a comment "that's a lot of water down there!"

And again the atmosphere swayed until the sight of the Scilly's provided some breath taking views from the plane. The Scilly's ?? Or the Caribbean?? What colours, the water from above looked so clear, again spirits were raised in anticipation.... then the landing... What a runway, you feel as though you're diving into the runway as the plane descends, it’s really only the angles but it beats any white-knuckle ride I've ever been on.

At the airport Adam and Benji were waiting for us. The girls disembarked and made their way to the Min Carlo guesthouse. We were here. Excitement and anticipation took hold of the group as the Min Carlo prepared a barbecue for us. The food was fantastic with fresh fish kebabs and the real treat of the night, banana with chocolate wrapped in tin foil cooked on the barby, could it get any better?

The following morning the girls were given a time to adjust as the safety crew and camera crews went to find a suitable launch site. This was more fun than expected as the two ribs danced over the choppy water at speeds of up to 45 knots. A safety drill for passing passengers between the two boats was performed so Adam could see how it was done and myself and Tom (cameraman from Jack the Lad) got soaked as the Camel boat did a few high speed "fly by's" and I mean got soaked, we nearly had to send for fresh camera equipment.

The Scilly's that morning gave us a glimpse of how beautiful they can be and I will one day go back to do some landscape photography there. The sand was course but glistened with large flecks of a silicone type material reflecting the light like diamonds as the crew posed on the beach for the film crew, so idyllic.

Back at the guesthouse the girls were SLOWLY coming to terms with the speed of life on the Scilly's, very slowly infact. By the time we were all ready to go and find a spot to sail, the breeze was gone. Instead “Auntie Laurel” posed for some magazine shots, whilst the other girls had a play wakeboarding from the back of the boats. I even got to try out my new water- proof housing whilst Suzi and Fiona larked around in the wake.

That evening the owner of the guesthouse was competing in a gig race and everyone decided to go and watch, cheering from one of the support boats Bryony was, so it seemed, very embarrassed but again the mood was good and everyone was high on the atmosphere.

The forecast that night was saying that tomorrow, Thursday, was going to be the first chance to go. So the meal that night became a discussion about kit, emotions, Silke and the whole event.

Again the mood changed, the girls didn't believe me until later when they watched the images on a slide show. It was a visible change; smiles and laughter had gone, replaced with serious concentration and thoughts of an unknown. I don't know about the girls but I didn't get to sleep that night until late 2.15a.m. And I was up again at 6a.m. to start the day’s updates on the website.

Thursday morning. Breakfast brought again another change, the forecast was good, we were on! A big breakfast was had by all, washed down with plenty of water. The girls made last minute adjustments to kit and filled their food bags. The gear was sorted out into two piles, one for the boats and one to be taken back by ship. It was almost surreal, not much was being said and yet everyone knew what the others were thinking. Before we left the Min Carlo, Adam said a few words and then we took some last minute photographs; the hands with the flowers, listening to Adam and the Circle of Trust.

On the quayside the final briefing was done, the girls were obviously somewhere else and the 5 min journey to Tresco seemed to take forever. On the beach the kites were pumped up and the rest of the kit set up. And then, just before the launch, Laurel said a few words about Silke. I can't remember it word for word and I don't think it would mean anything to those who weren't there but the images say it all, the flowers were thrown into the water and once again the mood changed.

THIS WAS IT! The kites launched one by one until all seven floated proudly in the sky. Tacking back and forth the girls began to struggle to find a way out of the islands and almost immediately, within about a mile, the first to drop out was CJ. This must have been very demoralising for the girls, as CJ was the person who had sailed the greatest distance before this. Things did not look good.

Dreya and Cindy were first out of the islands and waited for up to half an hour for the others to catch up. This was a team event and they would sail together, the circle of trust, an “in-joke” between the girls, had built a very strong bond in a short space of time.

Once out of the islands the six remaining girls started to fly and it wasn't long before Cindy was showing off for the film crews whilst the others enjoyed their own experiences of being in the middle of nowhere, completely free, and at the mercy of mother nature. Light ships were seen in the distance and land was spotted (the times are on another page of this site). We'd already been sailing for over two hours but time had also stood still, we'd only just set off, hadn't we?

The girls were really enjoying the trip, everyone looked strong and then with 14 miles to go disaster struck. The wind just dropped, taking with it 4 kites. Only kite surfers will know the sound that a kite makes when it hits the water, it was sickening. Adam, with 4 kites down, tried to make a decision about what to do and having got so far felt that each girl was allowed one try at a relaunch. Fiona was first but there was not enough wind and she was dragged on board. I could feel her disappointment, as we all could, trying to put on a brave face whilst so cold. She didn’t speak properly until later that night.  The safety crew tried to relaunch Suzi and again disaster struck as her kite got caught on the rear of one of the ribs and ripped, that was the end of Suzi's challenge. Philosophically she came aboard, the words, "never mind" "we did well" hid the obvious heartache she was feeling. They had already beaten the previous record but this was little consolation. None of us knew now if any of them would make it. Suddenly the wind came back and Laurel’s kite lifted into the air. We had three kites up and running and with that two boats and three girls set off leaving the remaining boat to pick up Claire, or so we thought! It was now a race against time. Would the wind change again, could the girls lift themselves to the occasion after such a blow?

Now all the way across, unbeknown to the girls, I was in contact with the other side. Suzi's partner, Jezza, Dreya's partner, Layton, Liz at Watergate and Pirate FM who were putting out live updates from myself about how the girls were doing. I had planned to try and update the website on the way over but I was on the wrong boat. So I rang my wife back in Rochdale and talked her through what to do whilst travelling at approx 25knots and so the live updates along the way became reality. People all around the world were watching, feeling, wishing the girls on.

I rang Liz to tell her we still had three kites going but it was not the same. Anticipation had turn to concern and a sense of foreboding.

We began to see the Newquay headland; Layton was ringing asking where we were so the binoculars could be trained on the incoming party. Then in the distance behind another kite, we spotted Claire who was up and going and catching up very fast. The news lifted everyone, although the girls in the water still didn’t know. They were slogging it out battling against fatigue, swell and offshore winds. Watching each other was the only thing that kept them going. I transferred to a jet bike to come ashore I needed to finish the story.... I had to.... the girls would make it.......

On the beach TV crews started asking me for tape I didn't have and I spoke to family and friends of the girls. How are they doing, are they OK, whose left? It was all a blur. I tried to find some camera gear that still worked or that wasn't covered in salt water.  Dreya suddenly appeared at the top end of the beach she had made it. A mad dash sapped the last of my energy as I tried to get to her to document her landing. I just about made it with the help of an electric buggy from whom I hitched a lift.

No sooner than Dreya had landed, Cindy came in back down the beach closely followed by Claire. I later learnt that Laurel had ditched her kite one and a half miles out. Her kite was too over powered to tack up wind, with a waist harness and after six and a half hours on the water, she knew she wouldn’t get in. Claire was distraught having caught up she had made her way to Laurel to battle it out together.

  One by one the rest of the team came in. I watched the girls and the rest of the crew congratulate and commiserate with each other. But this was a success and all the girls revelled in the fact that THE TEAM had done it. Who came in first was just logistics this was for Silke. I turned away to collect my camera gear. Tears rolled down my face at the wonderment of this achievement. I had some really strange looks on my trek to the other end of the beach but so what!

I had met some extraordinary people, people who I can now call friends in the true sense of the word.

A bond that all of us will share forever.

At the gala dinner Claire asked if I was nervous about showing the images. (I must say they are not action packed fantastic images), but put together in sequence they tell the story of what these people achieved and experienced. The girls had already seen the slide show earlier that day, I had added some images of Silke into the slide show and watched with dread as the girls viewed the film for the first time. As the final sequence started…. that of The Crossing there was an eerie silence, broken only by Cindy “Christ hasn’t the mood changed”, then a further silence as the boat went to Tresco. The image of Silke appeared super imposed under the start of The Crossing whilst the girls paid their tribute to a dear friend. Suddenly the images made sense, the story and the connection to Silke complete. Tears of remembrance, love even, for the inspiration of The Crossing streamed down their faces as journey unfolded. They were back on the water racing, flying along reliving the highs and lows of this fantastic voyage of friendship, self-belief, and team work. “Beautiful” was the word that I heard as the slide show finished. It didn't matter what anyone else thought. I was there, I watched and I felt for those magnificent seven who set off, one goal in mind.

Remembrance through achievement.

Dedicated to all those who took part in the Crossing 2004.

And yes the date at the end does mean there will be another Crossing

 so keep watching ……….the story will continue