It won’t be the first attempt at a Majorca
circumnavigation. Britain’s Richard Harpham
and America’s Cody White set off anti-
clockwise from Palma in December 2013.
They reached the northern cape of
Formentor in 10 days. Two-and-a-half-metre
waves and 35mph offshore winds then forced
them to abandon their mission. Conditions in
June should be much calmer, for this new
attempt to SUP a record distance around the
largest of the Balearic Islands.
More support needed
Cat and Valerie are assembling their kit for
the trip. They have already received
donations of Watershed dry bags, Tribe
energy bars and Oakley sunglasses. They
still need EPIRBs, CamelBaks/Aquapacs,
tent, lightweight stove, suncream and zinc
oxide tape for palm blisters. A lightweight
solar panel will enable them to charge their
phones and run an app. They will carry
spare paddles, buoyancy aids, first-aid kits,
flares, and basic survival kits. “Support with
kit from brands would be great,” Cat says.
“We still need some crucial things.”
And the paddle boards? “I’m in contact with
Starboard,” Cat says. “We have all our
fingers and toes crossed as these are the
dream boards we’d love to use.”
A support vessel will go with them through
some of the more challenging parts of the
route. Local SUP businesses and other
adventure-planners are helping. Valerie’s
friend Ruben (from El Niño Surf Centre in Can
Pastilla) is offering technical support. He is
also organising groups of people to SUP with
Cat and Valerie on certain days. The team is
looking for volunteers to bring water and
food to the pair’s stop-off points on land.
What will be the toughest part of the trip?
“When your body hurts from the paddling,
camping and sleeping rough, and you must
get up and go again,” Cat says. “Doing it
together and encouraging each other will
be a big part of getting through the trip.”
Having grown up close to the sea, both
women know how single-use plastics are
affecting the marine environment. “Every
time I paddle, I collect any floating plastic I
see,” Valerie says. She takes part in local
beach clean-ups and clears rubbish from
small coves that are accessible only by boat.
The ‘Soller to Soller’ initiative will not only
help increase awareness of plastics pollution.
Cat and Valerie have also set the goal to raise
10,000€ for Balearic marine conservation
body Asociacion Ondine. Cat’s godmother
(who has a holiday home in Port de Soller)
has offered to match-fund up to their goal.
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What will be the toughest part of
the trip? “When your body hurts
from the paddling, camping
and sleeping rough, and you
must get up and go again,”
Majorca-resident Australian diving
instructor Brad Robertson founded the
grass-roots organisation Ondine. This NGO’s
main work is in the areas of protected
marine reserves and plastics pollution.
Ondine works with government, scientists,
businesses and diverse Balearic
communities. Its activities are raising
awareness, educating, inspiring… and
making a difference.
Ondine’s popular schools programme
empowers teachers, pupils, and parents.
Last year, 350 local children worked on how
they could change their use of plastics.
Ondine’s Dos Manos (meaning ‘two hands’)
beach cleans take place all around Majorca.
In 2017, volunteers collected 2.2 tons of
rubbish from island beaches and removed
600 metres of ghost nets from the sea.
Although the Balearic Islands depend on
tourism, Ondine receives no government
money. Instead, the organisation relies on
donations, fundraising, and its 870
volunteers. The 'Soller to Soller' endeavour
will provide a welcome boost to Ondine's
funds and ongoing projects.
Fundraising goal
Cat says that fundraising, finding sponsors,
and the trip logistics have been taking a lot
of time. They have set up a ‘Soller to Soller’
web page and a JustGiving page for anyone
who would like to donate towards their
fundraising goal. The two women are also
undergoing the necessary physical and
psychological training.
“My family, friends, and colleagues are so
supportive – they believe we can do it,
which makes me think we can!” Cat says.
“But it’s been hard juggling my London-
based 9-6 office job alongside the project.”
To enable her to focus full time on the ‘Soller
to Soller’ mission, she has recently handed
in her notice at work. That’s quite a
commitment for someone who once
thought SUP would never catch on.
For more information and to donate:
www.sollertosoller.com
For more about Ondine:
www.asociacionondine.org