GRANITOLA and PUZZITEDDU, Wave Sailing Wonder of the Mediterranean

By
Chuck
October, 2001, Revised July 2003

Sunset at Capo Granitola

THERE is a lonely windswept place where the raw power of wind and waves has been unharnessed for centuries. In ancient times the Greeks built temples on its shores. Roman galleys sailed close by on their way to way to defeat the Carthaginians. Norman conquerors stood on the point and gazed out across the sea dreaming of future conquests. Now in the new millenium only a few have seen, let alone sought to challenge, the winds and waves of Granitola. Also known as Capo Granitola or Punta Granitola, (pronounced “Graan-EE-toe-la), the southwestern most cape point of the beautiful island of Sicily stands as one of the few remaining “world class” wave sailing sites yet to be discovered by mainstream windsurfing. Only a few have been lucky enough to sail this magic spot where sailors commonly find themselves doing 8-10 bottom turns on a single wave in perfect side shore winds.

Lone Sailor - Perfect Wave, Puzziteddu, Sicily

First sailed some 23 years ago by Albino Burgio, now known as the grandfather of windsurfing in Sicily, and current owner of the local wind and kite surfing shop in nearby Mazara del Vallo, “ Sea Store Sicily”, there still are only a handful of Sicilian sailors that regularly frequent the area. Many perfect sideshore, 2-3+ meter wave days come and go with maybe 3 – 5 sailors out, if any at all. Even with the few times that almost 25 sails were counted on the water simultaneously, the place is so big that there is room for many more. Located just about 15 minutes by car south east of the beautiful seaside community of Mazaro del Vallo, on Sicily’s southwestern tip, and a one hour drive south of Palermo, Faro (lighthouse) Granitola stands tall towering above the cape and the small community of Granitola, the Kartibubbo Resort. Just to the east is the prime windsurf beach the locals call “Puzziteddu”(pronounced PoozeeteAdoo). That’s the word for “The Well” in the local Sicilian dialect. At night Faro Granitola’s brilliant light sweeps across the wide half moon bay to the east and out across the Strait of Sicily towards Tunisia located only about 85 miles to the South. Strong Maestrale (North west) and Ponente (west) winds funneling down the straight, after traveling hundreds of miles from Gibraltar, Spain, and France, push waves against the lighthouse point causing them to break and peel off as they roll in across the bay. Thrilled wavesailors catch the waves and ride them down the line doing bottom turn after turn. Believe it or not local sailors have done 12 bottom turns and more on a single wave!

L to R: ??, Thomas Corsodoro (red shirt), Max, Albino at Puzziteddu


Local Wavesailor Paulino heading out at Puzziteddu,

If wave jumping is to your liking then this is the place. The strong side shore winds and waves coming straight in offer perfect 2, 3, 4 meter ramps to give even the hard core all the air time they deserve. Although there may only be a few locals sailing regularly, don’t underestimate their skills. These guys can tear it up and some are top notch shredders in their own right. They take full advantage of the frequent ideal conditions to hone their looping, and numerous other wave riding skills. After all who wouldn’t with a place to play like Granitola and Puzziteddu in their back yard.

Big Air - 30 knot NW Wind Day at Puzziteddu


Table Top –Scirroco Wind Day -Granitola

When the famous Maestrale and Ponente conditions turn to Scirocco (South East) and Levante (east) the geography of the cape still allows for sailing perfect side shore winds with starboard tack wave riding. Now you find yourself doing multiple cut backs and riding the peeling waves across the bay back towards the light house. About the only conditions that are not good are North, North East, and due South. Luckily prevailing winds are NW, W, and SE . Most of the great wave sailing days occur in the October through the May and early June with frequent 25 to 40 knots winds and 2,3, and 4 meter waves begging to be rode. Bring a full wetsuit if you are coming in the winter though as the water will be in the low 60’s and 50’s. The summer months from Late June through September generally offers flatter 5.5- 6.5 afternoon thermal conditions but occasionally higher winds and waves do occur.

Beautiful Spring WNW wave day- Puzziteddu

When sailing at Granitola and Puzziteddu you launch out onto the emerald blue Mediterranean off a beautiful sandy beach that runs east of the light house for almost 10 miles. If the winds are really strong Scirrocco from the SE everyone moves east about 300 meters west to the area of the beach in front of the big Karitbubbo Resort near the lighthouse. There the wave break is cleaner and getting out through the impact zone in strong winds and big waves is a lot easier. There are some areas with shallow sandstone fin snagging rocks to watch out for between the Puzziteddu beach and the beach area in front of Kartibubbo, however its only a problem if you try to sail in too close to the beach or step on your board to head out too soon in low tide. Once 25-30 meters out from the beach there is plenty of water depth and you can head on out all the way to Africa if you want. Be warned though that if you do venture way out beyond common sense don’t expect any quick pick up if anything goes wrong. Wind and current could make your next stop a visit to Libya or a port call in Alexandria.

Getting There!

So now your excited and you want to go, the best thing to do is to contact Thomas Corsodoro at “Sun & Surf Holidays”,Tre Fontane, Sicily. Besides being a local sailor his real job is managing a number of beach/vacation home rentals in the area. He can set you up with some great accommodations either right at Granitola or within a 5 – 10 minute drive. In the off season for tourism, Late September through May, he gives very reasonable special discount rates, to wind surfers. Thomas also speaks excellent English having lived in the United States for a number of years, as well as Italian. Definitely a good thing for those that don’t parle italiano. After you have made reservations for lodging with Thomas then get a flight to Palermo, Sicily and rent a car to get you to Mazaro del Vallo. Once there contact Thomas and he will give you the local directions you need to get there.
Also don’t let the thought of this far away place conjure up visions of a hot dusty off-road trip deep into the west coast of Baja, Mexico where you must bring everything with you. You will find that the area offers many amenities in terms of places to eat, shop, and enjoy the evening . Mazara del Vallo is host to many fine and inexpensive Sicilian restaurants, pizzeria’s and pubs. You can find some of the finest seafood in all Sicily there. A number of local wineries provide some great and inexpensive vino to add to your dining cuisine and there are all kinds of other places to shop from fine Italian designer clothing to ceramics. Also, where else can you walk centuries old downtown city streets paved with beautiful white marble stone?
If you need windsurfing gear, Albino Burgio’s “ Sea Store Sicily”, located on the boardwalk in Mazara, is a first rate and complete wind and kite surfing shop carrying many major brands of gear, boards, sails, accessories, and clothing. Sail repair is also available in the area and the local wind surfers are a great bunch of people to hang out with, proud of their rich Sicilian heritage, and anxious to show off the many great windsurfing opportunities that exist in the area.

Albino Burgio (Purple Shirt) and some of the locals at Puzziteddu

Wind not blowing? If this happens bring your mask and fins. The clear sea offers some great snorkeling and you can even swim out 100 meters off the beach at Granitola and see a sunken Greek Temple less than 10 meters down. Although not commonly seen, the waves at Granitola offer the opportunity to do some great traditional long board and short board surfing too. So bring a no wind stick with you too. If so inclined just hang out and catch a few rays, stroll the miles of beach, or take some side trips to the numerous historical sites in the area. Just 20 minutes away to the east are the beautiful Greek temple ruins in Selunite. Even greater temples and ruins exist farther east in Agrigento and to the north at Segesta but be ready for large crowds of tourists there. You can take a day trip to see the many wonderful and historic sites and buildings of Palermo or visit the spectacular medieval town of Erice overlooking the NorthWest coast of the Island. If you really get adventurous you can travel to 10,800’ high Mount Etna on the Islands NE coast and let the big Mercedes 4 wheel drive buses take you up near the summit to see the smoke and perhaps lava pouring out of the upper craters. You can even cross country ski there in the winter! Once down from the mountain enjoy a fabulous sunset meal at the beautiful and famous cliff side sea resort of Taormina looking out over the Ionian Sea towards mainland Italy and on towards Greece. Traveling south go to ancient Syracusa on the SE side of the Island site of the ancient battle of Syracuse between the Athenians and the Syracusians. There is a so much to do and see in Sicily that you could spend months just touring the island. If you want to check out other great windsurfing spots Marina di Ragusa on the South side of the island and the east end, also offers some great sideshore wind wavesailing particularly in west – north west winds.

35 knot day –Marina di Ragusa SE Sicily


30 knot West Wind Day at Isola Della Correnti / Portopalo, SE tip Sicily

Portopalo and Isola della Correnti on the very Southeastern most tip of the island is also a typically windy place the can also dish up some great wave and open ocean conditions. Up by Messina on the NE tip of the island you can find days when the wind funnels strong down through the Straits of Messina and you can race across the deep blue waters to the mainland in less than 5 minutes. There are a number of other sites as well if you have the time and desire to check out da spots.
Hopefully however, the famous wind and waves of Granitola will give you all the sailing you can handle and then some leaving you grinning from ear to ear as you head home already planning your next trip back- to the Lighthouse at the Edge of the World.

Contact Information:
Thomas Corsodoro
SurfSailing Holidays
Via N. Gentile 149
91021 Tre Fontane
Sicily, Italy
e-mail: thomas.corsodoro@libero.it ; thomas@puzziteddu.it
website: "www.puzziteddu.it"
Cell Phone: +39 333-3948499 From USA: 011-39-333-3948499

CAPO GRANITOLA - LIGHTHOUSE AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

THERE is a lonely windswept place where the raw power of wind and waves has been unharnessed for centuries. In ancient times the Greeks built temples on its shores. Roman galleys sailed close by on their way to way to defeat the Carthaginians. Norman conquerors stood on the point and gazed out across the sea dreaming of future conquests. Now in the new millenium only a very few have seen, let alone sought to challenge, the winds and waves of Granitola. Also known as Capo Granitola or Punta Granitola, (pronounced "Graan-EE-toe-la), the southwestern most cape point of the beautiful island of Sicily stands as one of the few remaining "world class" wave sailing sites yet to be discovered by mainstream windsurfing. Only a few local Sicilians and mainland Italians have been lucky enough to sail this magic spot where sailors commonly find themselves doing 8-10 bottom turns on a single wave in perfect side shore winds.

First sailed some 20 years ago by Albino Burgio, now known as the grandfather of windsurfing in Sicily, there still are only a handful of Sicilian sailors that regularly frequent the area. Many perfect sideshore 20-30 knot plus, 2-3+ meter wave days come and go with maybe 3 - 5 sailors out, if any at all. Even with the record of 17 sailors on the water simultaneously, the place is so big that there is room for many more. Located just about 15 minutes by car south east of the beautiful seaside community of Mazaro del Vallo, on Sicily's southwestern tip, and a one hour drive south of Palermo, Faro (lighthouse) Granitola stands tall towering above the cape and the small community of Granitola and Kartibubbo. At night it's brilliant light sweeps across the wide half moon bay to the east and out across the Strait of Sicily towards Tunisia. Strong Maestrale (North west) and Ponente (west) winds funneling down the straight, after traveling hundreds of miles from Gibraltar, Spain, and France, push wave s against the lighthouse point causing them to break and peel off as they roll in across the bay. Thrilled wavesailors catch the waves and ride them down the line doing bottom turn after turn. Believe it or not local sailors have done 12 bottom turns and more on a single wave!

If wave jumping is to your liking then this is the place. The side shore winds and waves coming straight in offer perfect 2, 3, 4 meter ramps to give even the hard core all the air time they deserve. Although there may not be many locals sailing Granitola, don't underestimate their skills. These guys can tear it up and some are top notch shredders in their own right. They take full advantage of the frequent ideal conditions to hone their looping, and numerous other wave riding skills. After all who wouldn't with a place to play like Granitola in their back yard.

When the famous Maestrale and Ponente conditions turn to Scirocco (South East) and Levante (east) the geography of the cape still allows for sailing perfect side shore winds with opposite tack wave riding. Now you find yourself doing multiple cut backs and riding the peeling waves across the bay back towards the light house. About the only conditions that are not good are North, North East, and due South. Luckily prevailing winds are NW, W, and SE . Most of the great wave sailing days occur in the October through late May, early June period with July, August and September offering flatter 5.5- 6.5 afternoon thermal conditions.

When sailing at Granitola you launch out onto the emerald blue Mediterranean off a beautiful sandy beach that runs east of the light house for almost 10 miles. If the winds are really strong from the NW (Maestrale) everyone moves east about 300 meters to a beach they call Pozzittedu. There the wave break is cleaner and getting out through the impact zone in strong winds and big waves is a lot easier. There are some areas with shallow sandstone fin snagging rocks to watch out for, however its only a problem if you try to sail in too close to the beach or step on your board to head out too soon in low tide. Once 25-30 meters out from the beach there is plenty of water depth and you can head on out all the way to Africa if you want. Be warned though that if you do venture way out beyond common sense don't expect any quick pick up if anything goes wrong. Wind and current could make your next stop a visit to Libya or a port call in Alexandria.

So now your excited and you want to go, the best thing to do is to contact Thomas Corsodoro at "Sun & Surf Holidays",Tre Fontane, Sicily. Besides being a local sailor his real job is managing a number of beach/vacation home rentals in the area. He can set you up with some great accommodations either right at Granitola or within a 5 - 10 minute drive. In the off season for tourism, Late September through May, he gives very reasonable special discount rates, to wind surfers. Thomas also speaks excellent English having lived in the United States for a number of years, as well as Italian. Definitely a good thing for those that don't parle italiano. After you have made reservations for lodging with Thomas then get a flight to Palermo, Sicily and rent a car to get you to Mazaro del Vallo. Once there contact Thomas and he will take you in from there.

Also don't let the thought of this far away place conjure up visions of a hot dusty off-road trip deep into the west coast of Baja, Mexico where you must bring everything with you. You will find that the area offers many amenities in terms of places to eat, shop, and enjoy the evening . Mazara del Vallo is host to many fine and inexpensive Sicilian restaurants, pizzeria's and pubs. You can find some of the finest seafood in all Sicily there. A number of local wineries provide some great and inexpensive vino to add to your dining cuisine and there are all kinds of other places to shop from fine Italian designer clothing to ceramics. Also, where else can you walk centuries old downtown city streets paved with beautiful white marble stone?

If you need windsurfing gear, Albino Burgio's " Sea Store Sicily", located on the boardwalk in Mazara, is a first rate and complete wind and kite surfing shop carrying many major brands of gear, boards, sails, accessories, and clothing. Sail repair is also available in the area and the local wind surfers are a great bunch of people to hang out with, proud of their rich Sicilian heritage, and anxious to show off the many great windsurfing opportunities that exist in the area.

Wind not blowing? If this happens bring your mask and fins. The clear sea offers some great snorkeling and you can even swim out 100 meters off the beach at Granitola and see a sunken Greek Temple less than 10 meters down. Although not commonly seen, the waves at Granitola offer the opportunity to do some great traditional long board and short board surfing too. So bring a no wind stick with you too. If so inclined just hang out and catch a few rays, stroll the miles of beach, or take some side trips to the numerous historical sites in the area. Just 20 minutes away to the east are the beautiful Greek temple ruins in Selunite. Even greater temples and ruins exist farther east in Agrigento and to the north at Segesta but be ready for large crowds of tourists there.

You also can take a day trip to see the many wonderful and historic sites and buildings of Palermo or visit the spectacular medieval town of Erice overlooking the NorthWest coast of the Island. If you really get adventurous you can travel to 10,800' high Mount Etna on the Islands NE coast and let the big Mercedes 4 wheel drive buses take you up near the summit to see the smoke and perhaps lava pouring out of the upper craters. You can even ski there in the winter! Once down from the mountain enjoy a fabulous sunset meal at the beautiful and famous cliff side sea resort of Taormina looking out over the Ionian Sea towards mainland Italy and on towards Greece.

Traveling south go to ancient Syracusa on the SE side of the Island site of the ancient battle of Syracuse between the Athenians and the Syracusians. There is a so much to do and see in Sicily that you could spend months just touring the island. If you want to check out other great windsurfing spots Marina di Ragusa on the South side of the island near the east end, also offers some great sideshore wind wavesailing particularly in west - north west winds. Capo Pasero and Isola della Correnti on the very Southeastern most tip of the island is also a typically windy place the can also open ocean conditions. Up by Messina on the NE tip of the island you can find days when the wind funnels strong down through the Straits of Messina and you can race across the deep blue waters to the mainland in less than 5 minutes. There are a number of other sites as well if you have the time and desire to check out da spots.

Hopefully however, the famous wind and waves of Granitola will give you all the sailing you can handle and then some leaving you grinning from ear to ear as you head home already planning your next trip back- to the Lighthouse at the Edge of the World.



Contact Information:
Thomas Corsodoro
Sun & Surf Holidays
Via Scuderi, 21
91021 Tre Fontane
Sicily, Italy
e-mail: thomas.corsodoro@libero.it
Cell Phone: 0333-3948499

Albino Burgio
Sea Store Sicily
Via L.M. Hopps, 17
Mazara Del Vallo
Sicily, Italy
Tel: 0923-93-3658


Sicily Wind Surfing Web Site: www.windsurfsicilia.it

Go Board on the Ionian Sea

GO-ing For It On The Ionian

The beautiful island of Sicily frequently offers up strong winds. Perfect conditions for great ocean and side shore wave sailing on your favorite wave board and gear. This last Saturday however, the big wind did not materialize but I was desperate to sail never the less. Last year I had purchased a 2002 Starboard Go Friendship for my sons, to teach my friends to windsurf, as well as to have a low wind fun board for me. Not having sailed it much myself I decided to take it out for the afternoon and see how she performed with a long fin, big sail, and light winds. Although it came with a stock 54cm fin I had also purchased a Curtis carbon 62cm fin to better maximize getting my 6’5”, 205 lbs body up and planing. .
Arriving at Lido Azzuro, home of the local Sicilian windsurfing/kiteboarding club “Vikinghi ” I found the winds light and side onshore. Located on the 10km long sandy beach just south of Sicily’s second largest city Catania, on the islands east coast, there were a couple windsurfers and kite boarders out playing. The wind was ENE 8-10 knots and gentle 1-2 foot surf was rolling in.
I quickly rigged my vintage 1997 Neil Pryde 9.3 fully cambered race sail on my old Fiberspar 5000 520cm mast and headed out. The first few minutes were spent just getting used to the feel of a big sail on a big board and a seat harness again since my most recent sessions had been in 4.5-5.5 wave sailing conditions. As luck would have it no sooner had I gone out than the wind dropped down to 5-6 knots. I decided that since it was such a nice sunny and warm day that I would just stay out for a while slowly cruising the beautiful blue waters of the Ionian Sea.
Soon I found myself just sailing slowly out, my mind drifting back thousands of years to the Phoenician, Greek, and Roman galleys that sailed these same waters. I could almost imagine the sails of Ulysses ships coming up over the horizon, or the great Greek fleet on its way to attack the mighty ancient city of Syracuse just to the South.
Soon however, a puff of wind blew up and my thoughts once again returned to March 2003 and windsurfing. I noticed a few small white caps farther out and the big sail started to pull. I watched the blue water up wind getting darker as the wind line approached. Suddenly I was up and planning along with the greatest of ease. The wind had quickly filled in to around 12-14 knots and the GO Board just took off and flew. I couldn’t believe how well it cut up wind with that long Curtis Fin! Seeing a wave approaching I initiated a big carving jibe timing it so the boost from the wave gave the down wind leg of the jibe the added sense of surfing. I was amazed at how well the GO jibed for such a wide board and I could easily keep planing through the whole jibe. Yes it did require a little more foot pressure but nothing difficult. It even planned straight down wind with no effort. The most fun was just blasting by other windsurfers out on smaller boards and sails schlogging along or barely able to plane.
After about an hour of this the swells and waves had started to pick up making some nice 3-4 foot ramps. I spotted a perfectly formed one coming right at me, cut a little up wind to hit it squarely, and jumped. Up went the GO easily clearing the fin, the big flat undersurface catching the air and helping loft it up. Wow, never thought I would be able to jump this board like that especially with such a big sail and fin.
Later the wind picked up to around 14-16 knots but I never felt overpowered on that 9.3 and the speed of the GO was quite impressive. By now the wave break near the beach was 2-3 feet and I was actually able to surf the GO down and backside. I must admit that since the wind was on shore, and with that big fin, I didn’t try any front side riding. I did however; make sure I jibed well before I was in danger of running the big fin aground.
After about three hours of just plain fun the wind dropped away as suddenly as it had came. I went in tired, thirsty, but with a big smile on my face. All in all I was very surprised, and impressed, with the fun I had riding the GO. Certainly it is not a Formula Board or a Hypersonic, and certainly others have already discovered these GO board characteristics, but it was way more fun than I thought it was going to be. Besides, how often does one get to sail the Ionian Sea, let alone with the spirits of the great sailors of ancient times riding along with you. I'll be out there again soon,
GOing for it on the Ionian!

Chuck Rhodes
Sicily, Italy
10 March 2003

Sicily Windsurfing Stories

THE VOLCANO UNDER THE VOLCANO

By

Chuck Rhodes

Dec 2002

(Written for Yahoo NW-Windtalk.rec)

Last Saturday I went out with local Sicilian sailor Luca Massimo. Winds were blowing steady around 22-25 knots out of the North so he took me over to the east side of the island of Sicily just north of the city of Catania. This part of the coast is mainly volcanic rock, cliffs, coves, and small bays bordering the Ionian Sea. We decided to sail at the famous Cyclops Rocks. These are jagged vertical lava spires, about 50-75 feet high, that jut up out of the Ionian Sea just off shore from the classic Mediterranean seaside town of Aci Trezza (Ahchee Trayzzaa).
This is the very historic site where according to ancient greek legend, the giant one eyed cyclops (now believed to be Mt. Etna) threw huge rocks down at the ships of Ulysses. Hence the name Cyclops rocks. It was a spectacular clear day as the strong north winds blew out any smoke and haze. You could look up and see incredible detail from sea level all the way up the steep slopes of Mt. Etna towering above everything to the west. Even up at the 10,900'summit level the visual detail was unusually clear. The upper regions of the mountain were covered in wind blown snow except where hotspots kept the snow from sticking. There was a long trail of white/brown smoke pumping out of the upper summit craters being blow downwind for miles out over the Ionian Sea towards Africa by the strong winds.
So there I was out having a grand time sailing on my JP Freestyle. Yes, I was somewhat overpowerd and overboarded for the outside conditions but needed the extra board volume and larger sail to get out through the very light wind at the launch point due to the wind shawdow created by the seafront buildings and the Cyclops Rocks. We had to initially swim our rigs out about 25-30 meters to get to the starting wind line.
After a few runs I was about 3/4 of a mile out and turned to head back in. I was looking up admiring all this fantastic scenery. There ahead of me were the majestic Cyclops rocks and the red tiled roofs of the villas and building of Aci Trezza against the background of Mt. Etna. The beautiful deep and cobalt blue Ionian sea ahead was broken only by brilliant white foaming and breaking seas. I felt very privileged to be out there on such a fantastic windsurfing day enjoying this magnificent view of the island and Etna while sailing the same waters that Ulysses sailed thousands of years before me. It then dawned on me that I was also probably one of few wind surfers anywhere who can say that they have sailed a Volcano under the Volcano. There I was riding my North Volcano 5.8 in the shadow of mighty Mt.Etna.
Overall it was a very memorable sailing day that I will not soon forget. Had a full wetsuit on but no need of booties, gloves, or hoods, and was plenty warm despite the strong cold north wind and looking up at the snows of Etna. This weekend the winds are forecast to be 20-30 knot NNE so perhaps another chance to sail the Ionian awaits.

Ciao e Buon vento (Good Wind)

Chuck Rhodes
Sicily, Italy

-----------------------------------------------------

CAPO GRANITOLA GOES NUCLEAR

By

Chuck Rhodes

May 2002

(Written for Yahoo Windsurfing.rec)

Thursday, April 11, 2002. Capo Granitola, 15 km east of Mazara del Vallo, SW corner of the beautiful island of Sicily Italy. Local sailors awoke to solid 30 knot + Scirocco (SE) winds blowing perfect side shore at Capo Granitola, or Puzziteddu (poozeetaedue) as the locals call it, world class wave sailing site. Waves were already 4-6' (1.5-2 meters) on the inside and building. Big breaking swells were running full steam down the Strait of Sicily on the outside towards Sardenia and Spain.
By 1100, the first sailors went out as winds increased to 35-40 knots. At 6'5" and 200 pounds, I rigged a 4.2 North Zeta on my Naish 8.5, the smallest board I have. Everyone else was on 4.0's and 75 liter or less wave boards. Once out big, beautiful blue-green swells and waves, well spaced with wind blown glassy smooth water between, made for exhilarating sailing and surfing. Racing out fully powered and up the steep, long ramps, one could not help but get big air off the top. Coming back at high speed, then swerving up backside on the incoming waves, followed by rocket rides down the face and down the line off now logo high and higher swell faces and waves was incredible.
Around noon - 1:00 pm additional sailors were showing up from as far away as Palermo, having heard via the cell phone wind net that Puzziteddu was going nuclear. Wind, waves, and swell continued to build. By 3:00 p.m. wind was 38-40+ on the inside and 40-45 + on the outside. Big 3- 4 meter (12-15) foot swells and breaking seas continued to build farther out as far as the eye could see South towards Tunisia.
By then only 4-5 hard core, brave, and talented high wind wave sailors still were out throwing big high forwards, back loops, etc. and surfing down the line on 8-12 foot waves. There was no such thing as getting out beyond the break as the outside swells were pitching and breaking like surf. The high wind was blowing the tops off the waves and that misty spin drift look of horizontally blown water was becoming more and more dominate.
Finally around 5:00 p.m. the wind started backing off some and the few remaining sailors had had enough. Two masts had been broken, one loose board was blown way down the beach, and excited but exhausted and humbled sailors were left with many stories to tell over Sicilian pasta and wine that night. By the next morning it was back down to 5.8- 6.0 conditions and by noon it was over. As amazing as the conditions were the day before, the wave sailing is even better at Puzziteddu when it blows a good Maestrale (NW)!! Capo Granitola is truly an amazing place. If you are interested in coming to sail this fabulous site, contact Thomaso Corsodoro at: "thomas.corsodoro@libero.it" or Thomas Corsodoro Surf Sailing Holidays +39 333.3948499 Cell Phone http://www.windsurfsicilia.it/Pozzitello/pozzitello_completa.htm

See you at Puzziteddu,

Ciao e buon vento,

Chuck Rhodes Sicily, Italy