Beginners very welcome!

We’re very happy to welcome beginners to take part in our LWA events. All you need to race is a board and sail, preferably with your official number on it, but if you haven’t got one we can sell you a couple of numbers. You must have 3rd party insurance which is automatic if you are a member of the RYA or the UKWA - the UK Windsurfing Association - which we recommend you to join because you can then take part in the programme of UKWA National events when you feel up to it. (See the “Windsurfing Links” page on this site). You must ALWAYS bring a buoyancy aid as sometimes venues will insist on this.

Classes raced at LWA events are:

Raceboard & RS:X 9.5m (men); raceboard & RS:X 8.5 (women); 7.5 raceboard including IMCO 7.4.

Unlimited: Most of our Unlimited sailors have now switched to Raceboard 9.5 but ther are still a few left. Any board, long or short (except Div 2), with any sail size. You can change board and/or rig between races. Usual kit is a Raceboard with up to 10.5 m sail

Formula Windsurfing:- FW boards and any sail size.

Techno 7.8 under 17; Techno 6.8 under 15; Junior Open 5.5 and Techno 5.5.
IMCO 6.6 - standard IMCO 6.6 class.

Other boards may be used at the discretion of the LWA Committee but NOT for competitive advantage - please check with us first!

What happens on a Race Day:

Most people turn up around 9.30 am as briefing is at 10.30 and first race at 11.00. Entry fees are £10 per adult and £5 for Youths and Juniors for LWA one day events (but not for the UKWA 2 day Inland Series events). Under 18’s will need a parental signature. You need to sign on and pay your entry fee at the Registration Desk. Weather permitting, we have 4 races, two before lunch and two after. If three or four races are held there is one discard and results count towards the Summer Series. The day ends around 5pm

Briefing:

At the Briefing you need to find out how the start flags work. the LWA uses the same flag sequence as the UKWA as detailed below. There will be an extra “Beginners’ Briefing” if requested to answer any further questions you might have. The rest of the fleet will be warned you are a beginner and will be asked to be especially kind and helpful to you, like pointing out where the next mark is.

At the Briefing you will find out about the course. Races usually last about 30 minutes for the leaders. We run a “Grand Prix Finish” system, so that even if you complete only one lap you still get a finishing position. This means that if you are near the back of the fleet you don’t have to keep slogging round the course when everyone else has finished. As soon as the leader receives the finishing gun, everyone else finishes as they cross the line.

LWA Event Calendar 2008 (As at 9 Feb 2008):
March 8th Sat Bough Beech SC
April 5th Sat Brogborough SC
May 10th Sat King George SC
June 14th/15th Oxford SC
(UKWA 2 day Inlands, LWA sat only)
July 5th Sat Queen Mary SC
Sept 6th Sat Fisher Green SC
Oct 4th Sat Bewl SC

ICEBREAKERS
Sat 25th Oct Queen Mary SC
Sat 8th Nov Bewl SC
Sat 22nd Nov Oxford SC

Contacts

LWA Publicity Officer - Rod Davis,
Tel 01895 846707 (day/evg),
email info@LWAwindsurfing.co.uk
website www.LWAwindsurfing.co.uk.