Surf-ival tactics give boost to cancer fund

Some 20 miles as the crow flies, the distance was made much greater by the adverse conditions, which saw some windsurfers tacking as much as two miles out to sea while making their way along the coast.

But only one participant was forced to give up early, coming ashore at Pett Level out of sheer exhaustion. First windsurfer to reach the finish was Ian Kraft, who completed the sail in three hours four minutes.

And first kayaker home was Lauren Whiting, in just under four hours, while one man amazed all the participants by paddling the entire distance on a surfboard.

The aim of the sponsored event was to raise money for Cancer Research UK, and the group's efforts brought in more than 1,000 for the charity.

Organiser Marcus Whitney said: "When we set off it was sunny, with light winds and a flat sea, but beyond Hastings the winds rose to Force Five or Six and the water became extremely choppy.

"Everyone took a bit of a beating and it was pretty hairy, to say the least, especially as we were trying to keep together in a pack to provide each other with mutual support."

The surfers and kayakers set up an online donation facility at www.justgiving.com/bexhilltocamberchallenge to enable people to contribute via Paypal or by using a credit or debit card.