Jonathan Dunnett

Jonathan ("Jono") Dunnett (born 11 March 1974) is a British-born Spanish-based adventurer, writer, and a windsurfing instructor. He is currently (2018) part way through an expedition to windsurf the European mainland coastline on a windsurfer.

Jonathan Dunnett during his expedition Windsurf Round Europe

Biography

Jonathan Dunnett was born in London, England on 11 March 1974. He learned to sail in a Topper dinghy at Clacton-on-Sea, where his family spent weekends. He learned to windsurf at age 10, and competed in Raceboard class from age 15. His brother is novelist Gregg Dunnett.

He received his Joint honours degree in Biology and Psychology, from Swansea University.

From 1997 to 2012 he worked as a sailing instructor on the island of Menorca, where he retains a base. In 1998 he completed, with safety boat support, what is assumed to be the first single day round Menorca windsurf[1]. Subsequently he represented Menorca at the Natwest Island Games, taking gold for the island on three occasions (Rhodes 2007 - RS:X class[2], Aland 2009 - Raceboard class[3], Isle of Wight 2011 - slalom)[4].

Windsurf Round Britain

In 2015 he acted on his childhood ambition to windsurf round Britain, becoming the fourth person to complete the circumnavigation by this method, and the first to complete it alone - without support. Start and end of the expedition was at Clacton-on-Sea. To carry gear he used a waterproof barrel on the back of the board and a small backpack. He frequently used the sail as a shelter at nights. The expedition included the following crossings: North Devon to South Wales via Lundy Island; South Wales to southern Ireland; Northern Ireland to Scotland.

In 2017 he published his account of the expedition under the title "Long Standing Ambition: the first solo round Britain windsurf", which was selected by Amazon as a finalist for their 2017 Storyteller Award.[5]

Windsurf Round Europe

On 20 May 2017 he set sail from Grense Jakobselv, next to the border of Norway and Russia, at latitude 69 North in the Barents Sea, at the start of an attempt to windsurf the mainland coastline of Europe. The expedition is ongoing and has the target of reaching the european border with Russia in the Black Sea, though he concedes that the political situation in the Black Sea may frustrate that goal. At the beginning of 2018, heavy flu and difficult winter sailing conditions on the Cantabrian Sea forced him to take a two month break, during which time he returned to Menorca. He resumed the expedition in March 2018.

He is currently (August 2018) sailing along the west coast of Italy. Assuming current progress is maintained, that makes it likely he will reach Ukraine during the winter of 2018-2019[6].

Once again this is a solo expedition without support team. Dunnett carries all supplies and gear on the sailboard. His emergency equipment includes: EPIRB, handheld VHF radio, cellular phone, waterproof Headlamp, dried food and water[7].

The goals of the expedition, other than the personal challenge, as Dunnett defines them, are: "to get to know my continent, as a logical next step after getting to know my island (Britain)"[8], and to raise awareness for environmental and sustainability issues. The expedition, by its route and mode of travel, provides access to many difficult to reach coasts, and allows Dunnett to observe the status of the waters and shores, which he reports on through his website and on social networks[7].

Dunnett uses his expedition website to raise funds for World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)[9].

Sponsors

The following organisations, amongst others, provide expedition equipment:

  • Starboard
  • Severne Sails
  • Tushingham Sails
  • Aquapac
  • Stohlquist Waterware
  • YB Tracking

Books

  • Long Standing Ambition: the first solo round Britain windsurf
  • Can I Eat That?, by Jenefer Roberts, Jonathan Dunnett (Editor)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Windsurf Round Minorca".
  2. ↑ "IIGA Sailboarding results, 2007" (PDF).
  3. ↑ "IIGA Sailboarding results, 2009" (PDF).
  4. ↑ "IIGA Sailboarding results, 2011" (PDF).
  5. ↑ "Long Standing Ambition, a book by Jonathan Dunnett".
  6. ↑ From Dunnett's web site
  7. 1 2 "Blazer" Magazine, October 2018 issue (Hebrew)
  8. ↑ From Dunnett's web site
  9. ↑
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