9th August 2009
A bit of a delay in updating the news as the loft has been jammed with sails and kites for repair. The new machine is installed (making that 5 in total) and the stitching quality of all sail repairs has improved (was it possible??!!) to factory standard. Been a bit busy to take any photo's but i'll add some soon! Tuesday the 4th was one of the best windsurfing and kiting days in Brandon bay ever. I ended the four hour session on crutches after twisting my knee up after going over the falls in the straps. 2 weeks off the water will surely help the kite repair backlog clear! Turnaround is 2 - 3 days at the moment but obviously if there's something urgent it can be fast tracked! on the team front, Riks Windsurfing / Neilpryde team rider Tom Bennet-Lloyd, and Goya rider Lecky Gayda, 2 of the UK's upcoming junior pro windsurfers, are in Brandon Bay for the month of August as guests of Kerry Sail Company and will be helping out around the loft as part of their school work experience program. We will obviously be dragging them out into some killer surf at every opportunity (training) to trash their sails for some materials to practice on. If you spot 2 youngsters hitchhiking with boardbags around the streets of castlegregory, please stop and drive them to the beach.. They rip!
28th June 2009
Kerry Sail company are pleased to announce a new addition to the loft in the form of a Jentschmann long arm Industrial sailmaking machine. After some technical problems with the loft's main machine, and the worst couple of weeks halt in production, it was decided that the company had grown to such an extent that a bigger and better replacement was necessary. The old reliable Pfaff machine has now been repaired and moved to the kite department after 9 hard years of use and abuse! We look forward to feeding your sail through our new pride and joy soon! Pics to follow!
24th June 2009
The Dead Weather at the Forum in London.. ! We love loud music and we happened to clash a business trip with the best gig in years! check em out on youtube or get the new album on july 14th.. Else keep your ears peeled (blocked?) next time you're by the loft..
31st May 2009
Non stop in the loft trying to axe down the kite and sail mountain! Not helped by a delay in materials arriving (which i ordered last September!!) .. and a slight technical problem with one of my machines. Thankfully the sun is out, the wind had dropped, and there is only small surf, so work is back to full swing! Happy holiday weekend!?!!
12th May 2009
Great week for a contest! Ended up 6th in the Pro Men's fleet, after enjoying some good Goulane and Stradbally conditions between school bus duties! Well done to Jamie Hancock who ripped his way to first place on a very sick Quatro twin fin!!
5th May 2009
Due to UKWA wave contest on in Brandon Bay this week, in which I'm competing, the loft will be closed between 5th and 10th May. Back to normal service by Monday the 11th I hope! Apologies for anyone waiting for their stuff to be completed or returned.
11th April 2009
Back from Brittany. In the water everyday. Surfing, windsurfing et longboarding! Back in the loft for 2 hours today before a quick surf at Goulane.. Good to be back. No holiday weekend for me!
4th April 2009
Gone surfing in Brittany for a week! All sails and kites due to be collected have been dispatched accordingly! I'm back Easter Saturday! Apologies for the inconvenience. Sails and Kites in need of repair can be dropped off to the loft via the Hardware Shop downstairs. Please Please Please dont disturb the Furniture guy next door.
21st March 2009
Its been a busy couple of weeks since the wind kicked in for the spring. We had a few classic days sailing at goulane and stradbally as the quality sandbanks from the winter have remained. Everyone seems to be pulling out their sails and kites for the new season and we've been busy fixing leaking bladders, perished webbing along with the usual load of monofilm and kite canopies. Plenty more wind and waves (and work :( !) on the way this week . . Hope ye all get out and enjoy. Also. Please note: my email address has returned to being rob@rikswindsurfing.com .. tho email sent to the old one is still getting through!
28th January 2009
All back to normal in the loft. Kites and sails have been styling through the machines and back onto the water. I finally got the weather station back up on the roof after a 90knot gust blew the last one down. When i get a spare minute i hope to have realtime wind and temperature up online. Not much windsurfing since i got back but a couple of classic surfs, and surprisingly not too cold!
16th January 2009
Happy new year! After a 6 week stint in the Philippines (kiting) and South Australia (surfing) KSC is back in business! Apologies to anyone who wanted their stuff fixed while we were away. After aclimatising to the heat, i'd say we'll be happy to stay in the loft and out of the water for the next few weeks so turnaround on all repairs will be back upto speed straight away!
Loads of wind and waves on the way!
08th December 2008
After 3 solid weeks of intensive work, we finally cleared the decks in the loft and have got everyones kites and sails back to them! Still managed to squeeze a few days of sailing and climbing in, so still smiling. Smiling more now en-route to the Phiippines and South Oz for 6 weeks :D Unfortunately this means that THE LOFT IS CLOSED UNTIL JAN 16TH 09 - apologies for the inconvenience! Hope everyone has a windy christmas and 2009. Pray for duck tape from santa to keep you on the water till i get back! Rob
25th November 2008
What a month of repairs! Apologies for not updating the website at all but its been so busy keeping everyone on the water that i haven't had a minute to write. (Plus i'm still only getting the hang of this website stuff!). With Rosie sunning herself in the southern hemisphere though, i have had a little more time to concentrate on work!
More important than work though, has been this last unbelievable week of windsurfing in Brandon Bay. Mossies has been firing so we're well refreshed and back into work mode for a little while longer. Rumour has it though that the forecast is for more Reef action at the weekend :)
Eta of any repairs this week is 4 - 6 days.. Please WASH and DRY your stuff if you want priority! As i'm departing for warmer climes on December the 8th for 5 weeks, its advisable to get stuff in the queue for repairing asap to guarantee completion. Hope to see everyone at the beach this weekend! Stay warm..
21st October 2008
Irish Speed Nationals: KSC place 1st, 1st and 3rd!!
Kerry Sail Company sponsored Oisin Van Gelderen and Noelle Doran a 50L speed board, 4.7 and 5.4 Neilpryde RS Racing sails and GT31 GPS equipment to place 3rd (Oisin in the mens Gold fleet) and 1st (Noelle in the Ladies) on the Dungarven Speed Strip in Waterford over the weekend.
Gold fleet mens champion, John Kenny, also represented Kerry Sail Company by using a 'Severne Code Red' sail we had repaired only days earlier and fastracked back to the event site in time for competition. We can now claim that our repairs are officially 'the fastest in Ireland'!
Well done everyone involved, and especially to Martin Waldren who organised the event, placed a close second, and has now securred the World Speedsailing tour for the same location in early December.
19th October 2008
Kerry Sail Company finally makes onto the web. Yaah!
Wet and Windy in Brandon Bay. Sewing hard while waiting for the tide to fill and the wind to swing northwest for another Mossies session. It's cold!
We're working on our weather station and hope to have real time Brandon Bay weather on our website in the next couple of weeks.
