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lukeBrazilian pro Wilhelm Schurmann will return to the annual Highland Spring HIHO event this year to defend his 2008 victory. One of the world’s premier water sports events, the 26-year-old Highland Spring HIHO combines seven days of competition and adventure with a yacht flotilla that visits multiple islands in the British Virgin Islands. The 2010 event, set for June 26-July 4, starts and finishes at the Moorings resort marina on Tortola.
“Returning to the event is a pleasure,” Schurmann says. “This has to be the best week of windsurfing of the year and I’m really looking forward to competing again.”
Schurmann, a three-time world champion racer and the top-ranked formula windsurfer in 2009, is expected to lead a strong Brazilian contingent of racers and non-racers.
Starting at the Moorings resort property on Tortola, the Highland Spring HIHO fleet sprints up to the top of the BVIs, then spends the week coming back downwind. A fleet of captained Moorings 43- and 46-foot catamarans serves as mobile homes for all participants. Along the way, the event covers and stops at Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Eustatia, The Last Resort, Peter Island, Cooper Island, Sandy Cay, Jost Van Dyke and Little Thatch.
The Highland Spring HIHO event is known for great nightly parties.
New for the 2010 event will be the addition of a stand up paddle board racing category.
“Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) is the hottest trend on the water,” says event organizer Andy Morrell. “Starting with this year’s event, we want to start adding other water sports categories that we think are in demand or up-and-coming.”
Inter-island racing is one of the features that attracts windsurfers from all over the world — last year’s field included entrants from 14 countries — and stand up paddle board entrants will enjoy the same basic experience as the windsurfers get.
“The response already has been fantastic,” said Morrell. “We are also pleased to confirm that Starboard team rider and champion paddler Ernie Johnson will be joining the event.”
The stand up paddle board portion of the event will run alongside the windsurfing racing. Each day, there will be separate starts and courses for each class. The two fleets will meet at lunch, which is always held on a beautiful beach. Typically, there is no racing in the afternoon, which affords all participants the opportunity to participate in other water sports or just relax.
Stand up paddle board racers can rent new 12’6” Starboard Cruiser boards while the windsurfing racers can rent Techno 2 boards and Neil Pryde sails.
Racers in both classes can expect to cover nearly 100 miles of racing as they wind their way through the British Virgin Islands.
A detailed itinerary for the event can be found on the Highland Spring HIHO website, but as with all true outdoor adventure events, it is more of a guide and is subject to change for logistical reasons such as weather conditions.
For entry information, visit go-hiho.com or call 284-494-0337.
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