Local athlete Mogsy Morgan breaks into world top ten in elite ocean discipline

TENBY waterman Gareth “Mogsy” Morgan is making a name for himself on the world stage after breaking into the top ten of one of the most demanding single-handed watersports disciplines.

Morgan has been ranked sixth in the world in the latest Hydrofoil Downwind leaderboard for 2026, based on performance over a 10km ocean swell navigation split—an elite benchmark in the sport.

Hydrofoil downwinding involves riding offshore ocean swells using a board, hydrofoil and paddle, often far from shore and exposed to challenging conditions. Athletes use GPS tracking to log their routes, which are then uploaded to global ranking systems for comparison.

Morgan said he is now competing alongside some of the sport’s biggest names, including Hawaiian world champions John Florence and Nathan Florence.

“I’m right up there in the world rankings,” he said. “I’ve trained hard to get into peak condition, and I’m continuing to improve my performance. The momentum is definitely on my side.”

He added that the sport offers a unique experience: “There’s a real flow state when you’re riding ocean swells—linking one wave to the next. It’s an incredible, almost meditative feeling, even though you’re exposed to real hazards offshore.”

Morgan has spent recent years travelling internationally to develop his skills, bringing that experience back to Wales as he pushes towards even higher rankings.

His recent success builds on a strong 2025, when he placed 69th in the world for the same 10km category and also ranked within the top 100 for shorter sprint distances.

“I’ve already improved on my 2025 results in the first few months of this year,” he said. “My goal now is to break into the top 50 worldwide.”

Morgan was an early pioneer of hydrofoiling in Wales, first adopting the technology during his time competing in the British Kite Racing Circuit, where he secured a third-place podium finish in his division.

He was also invited to take part in Olympic kite racing trials at the British Sailing Academy in Weymouth and has previously been crowned UK Kitesurfing Circuit Wavemaster Champion in his category.

Today, he continues to promote the sport locally by organising hydrofoil events across Pembrokeshire and South Wales, helping to grow interest and develop new talent.

With his sights firmly set on climbing the global rankings, Morgan added: “I’m still getting faster and pushing the limits. Watch this space—Cymru am byth.”

A PROGRAMME of talks, history and community events has been lined up in Pembroke this April by the Pembroke & Monkton Local History Society.

The society’s next Coffee Morning and Talk will take place on Saturday (Apr 11) at Pembroke Town Hall.

Guest speaker Rose Blackburn BEM will present a talk titled Romancing the Stone: Stories behind personal adornment through the ages.

Rose, well known locally for her long service as Pembroke’s Town Crier and her extensive community work, was awarded the British Empire Medal in recognition of her contributions. She is also a Fellow of the Gemmological Association and trained in stone cutting during her time in South Africa before gaining further qualifications at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London.

Her talk will explore the history and uses of gemstones, sharing lesser-known facts alongside personal anecdotes from her experience in the field.

Doors open at 10:00am for coffee, with the talk beginning at 11:00am. Pembroke Museum and the Council Chamber, located on the first floor of the Town Hall, will also be open to visitors. Lift access is available.

Following the Easter holiday, the museum will extend its opening hours to Monday to Thursday 10:00am to 3:00pm and Friday 10:00am to 1:00pm. Entry is free.

Later in the month, the society will host a Quiz Night and Buffet on Friday (Apr 24) at Pembroke Town Hall.

Doors open at 6:30pm for a 7:00pm start. Tickets cost £5 per person and include a buffet and refreshments. Attendees are welcome to bring their own drinks.

For more information, visit www.pembrokeandmonktonhistory.org.uk

A CARMARTHEN Italian restaurant has been named by HM Revenue and Customs after deliberately underpaying more than a quarter of a million pounds in tax — with the company now in liquidation.

Claudio Cernat Ltd, formerly trading as Florentino’s on Jacksons Lane, appears on HMRC’s latest list of deliberate tax defaulters published on Wednesday (Mar 26).

The company failed to pay £278,561.67 in tax between April 2016 and March 2020. A further penalty of £185,977.52 was imposed.

Records held by Companies House show the firm is now in liquidation, having been incorporated in March 2015.

Largest west Wales case

The Carmarthen case is the most significant to emerge in West Wales from the latest HMRC “name and shame” list, both in terms of tax owed and penalties issued.

It stands in contrast to other Welsh entries, which are largely made up of smaller businesses and individual tradespeople owing tens of thousands rather than hundreds of thousands.

Who is running the restaurant?

Despite the liquidation of Claudio Cernat Ltd, Florentino’s restaurant in Carmarthen appears to still be operating, with bookings being taken through its website.

However, the website does not identify the company or individual currently running the business. Unless a sole trader, it is a legal requirement to have Limited company name on a business website.

The Herald contacted the restaurant by telephone on Thursday (Mar 26) to ask who currently operates the premises.

A female member of staff answered the phone as “Florentino’s” but declined to provide the name of the business employing her.

The call was then passed to a man who said the restaurant was under “new management” and “nothing to do with the old company”.

When asked to identify the business now operating Florentino’s, the man declined to give a company name or confirm the identity of the owners.

He gave his name only as “John” and said he would ask the new management to return the call “when they come in”.

Director linked to new company

Records show that Claudiu Florentin Cernat, a director associated with the former Carmarthen company, is now listed as a director of a separate business, Maximus Italian Ltd.

The Swansea-based company was incorporated in February 2025 and operates in the same sector — licensed restaurants.

There is no suggestion that the new company is involved in any wrongdoing.

Swansea cases also named

The list also includes three cases from the Swansea area.

Koyuncu Ltd, formerly trading as Pepino’s Pizza in Gorseinon, failed to pay £46,975 in tax, with a penalty of £28,185.

Lee Andrew Dunn, a mechanical fitter from Portmead, underpaid £29,326.20 and was issued a £17,449.06 penalty.

Christopher Lance Whitcombe, an engineer from Fforestfach, underpaid £54,598.69 and received a £46,596.84 penalty.

High street crackdown

Around 140 individuals and businesses across the UK have been named in the latest HMRC publication.

The list includes restaurants, takeaways, convenience stores and vape-related businesses, alongside self-employed trades, highlighting what HMRC says is ongoing non-compliance across high street sectors.

HMRC said all those named had the opportunity to avoid being listed by making a full disclosure during investigations, but failed to do so.

Kevin Hubbard, HMRC’s Director of Individuals and Small Business Compliance, said: “We are actively tackling tax non-compliance among high street businesses across the UK, and today’s namings show we will act wherever we find it.

“Everyone on this list had the opportunity to come forward to make a full disclosure — and didn’t. HMRC will always pursue those who deliberately refuse to pay what they owe.”

No businesses or individuals from Pembrokeshire or Ceredigion appear in the current list.

HMRC only publishes cases where more than £25,000 in tax has been deliberately underpaid. The list relates to civil penalties only, and names remain public for up to 12 months.