Paul Morris reflects on the day he got to fly!

When former speed sailor and Royal Navy windsurfer Paul Morris lost his mobility after a spinal cord injury, few imagined he’d ever return to the course at Weymouth Speed Week. But with a mega-SUP, three wings, and an unbreakable spirit, he proved that speed — and joy — come in many forms. In this blog Paul recounts in his own words how for a moment in time he experienced freedom and pure unadulterated happiness.

By Emma Maguire

Paul Morris on the day he got to fly!

It all began, as Paul Morris tells it, “on a giant SUP and a quick paddle around St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall.” Straightforward enough, you might think — until you realise that Paul is tetraplegic. Suddenly, the word straightforward takes on a very different meaning.

Before his life-changing accident in 2019, Paul was a highly accomplished windsurfer, driven by one thing above all else: speed. Weymouth Speed Week (WSW) had long been one of his favourite events — a simple but exhilarating concept dating back to 1972, where any sail-powered craft can blast down a 500-metre course across the wind.

The scene when Paul Morris suffered a catastrophic accident.

“It’s a very simple formula,” Paul says, “which can be a whole lot of fun when the wind turns up.”

After the accident, which left him paralysed from a spinal cord injury, Paul continued to visit WSW in his wheelchair — drawn back to the people, the atmosphere, and the sea. And every time, someone would inevitably ask the question:

“How are we going to get Paul down the course once more?”

Various ideas came and went — mostly involving a dinghy, something “safe and fairly organised.” But as Paul puts it, “who wants safe and organised?”

The triumphant fundraiser in all its glory!

An Idea with Wings

The spark reignited earlier this year after Paul’s mega-SUP adventure around St Michael’s Mount, where a crew of six paddled him around the island with another on safety duty. After that trip, his mind turned — as it often does — to Speed Week.

And that’s when the idea clicked: take the same giant board, but this time, add wings. “A couple of the crew could wield wings to power us along,” Paul explains, “and maybe someone at the back could provide a bit of steerage. It all sounded very straightforward.”

Five weeks out from WSW, Paul and a few of his close friends set up a WhatsApp group. Plans began to take shape. They all agreed — it was mad, but it could work.

But there was another layer to this challenge: a cause. Following his accident, Paul had been supported by several charities, but one stood out — Blesma, The Limbless Veterans Charity.

“Blesma gave me enormous support,” Paul says. “From helping with benefits to finding a care home during Covid, their rep, Steve Fraser, was always there for me.”

So, the challenge would also raise money for Blesma — and a JustGiving page was born.

A rescue boat was next on the list. A quick call to The Official Test Centre (OTC) in Portland Harbour, and the problem was solved. “They were more than happy to help,” Paul says of Tris Best and the Stallman Father and Son, Scotty and Andy. “Probably the most important ingredient in succeeding.”

Paul Morris surrounded by friends in Cornwall.

The Day It Happened

Five weeks later, the team was loading up in Penzance. Lawrence at Ocean High Watersports had kindly loaned the board, and a mountain of kit was packed in — along with Paul’s carers, whose “job description never quite included” what the day would entail.

At Weymouth, the team pumped up the wings and board, zipped into wetsuits, and worked out how to get Paul — securely strapped into a plastic garden chair — onto the board. The course lay a long way out in the harbour, so they were towed to the start by the rescue boat.

Waving to a crowd on the jetty, the team headed out into the chop. “We didn’t even have a moment of practice to see if this hairbrained idea would work,” Paul laughs. “Gulp!”

The setup was ambitious: three wings (flown by Gerry Northwood, Adrian Wallis and Richard Hobson), Paul’s brother Tony by his side, and Nic Dodd steering at the back. The wind built to 15 knots, and as the board pounded into the chop, Paul’s plastic chair began flexing alarmingly. “It started to feel quite real,” he recalls. “But there we were — time to get on with it.”

Paul Morris navigates the beach in Cornwall.

Flying Again

At the start line, the rescue boat released them to the soundtrack of Billy Smart’s Circus (for those who remember it), and the team launched down the course.

For the first 50 metres, all went well — until “it was clear three wings were probably one too many!” Richard Hobson, ironically the fastest wingfoiler in the group, took a blow from Gerry’s wing and ended up overboard.

“Without more than a moment’s thought, Richard was left behind and we bravely carried on,” Paul grins. “We managed a max speed of 5.7 knots — not bad, and the setup actually worked!”

As they crossed the finish line to cheers and laughter, there was only one thing left to do: go again. The rescue boat towed them back, Richard climbed aboard, and the second run began.

“This time, things were calmer,” Paul says. “I actually had a few moments to take it all in — the wings, the water, the team around me — and realised I had a smile bigger than I’ve had for many a while.”

He pauses.

“I was actually doing it — with the help of so many fantastic people, I was hurtling down the Speed Week course at Weymouth. It dawned on me what a huge achievement this was — for me, and for everyone who made it possible.”

The craft being carried down the slipway ready for the charity challenge!

The Finish Line

Two runs were enough. Back at the National Sailing Academy, the team defrosted with hot showers and coffee. Paul was freezing — “a spinal injury makes it tricky to regulate temperature” — but he didn’t care. “It was well worth the discomfort,” he says. “It was only temporary.”

And so, over steaming mugs, the debrief began — what worked, what didn’t, and what could be improved. The conclusion? Next year’s already calling.

“What a day, what a team, what an occasion,” Paul reflects. “Thoughts of how things could be improved were already being discussed. These tweaks could be put to good use next year…”

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to:

• Loz Smith at Ocean High Cornwall – facebook.com/OceanHighCornwall

• Tris Best, Scotty and Andy Stallman at The Official Test Centre – facebook.com/otc.watersports

• Adrian Wallis, Gerry Northwood, Richard Hobson, Tony Morris and Nic Dodd.

• Everyone at Weymouth Speed Week for their full support.

Royal Navy veteran Paul Morris didn’t just return to the course — he reminded everyone what courage, teamwork, and pure stubborn joy look like on the water.

To donate to Paul's fundraiser, click here.

Paul is raising money for Blesma, The Limbless Veterans helps all serving and ex-Service men and women who have lost limbs, or lost the use of limbs or eyes, to rebuild their lives by providing rehabilitation activities and welfare support.