Keith Atkinson Wins British Formula Open Championship

Starboard's newly signed international Keith Atkinson was in top form at Christchurch with a spectacular run of 7 out of 7 first places. The three day UKWA event produced 4 very good races on the first day in ideal Formula conditions.

Day two saw the wind go offshore with very gusty marginal winds and only two Formula races were possible.

Day three dawned with similar offshore wind conditions but by 10am it had strengthened sufficiently for all classes to take to the water where the course was set a very long way out in an attempt to overcome the gust inshore conditions. The first Formula race was binned due to the wind dropping but the second race was run with strengthening wind and strong gusts and the fleet managed to complete the race before being hit by a squall which gave all the fleets some interesting sailing conditions for their long return to the beach.

This title has previously eluded Keith, who is the 2005 British Formula Champion and currently ranked 4th in the world, he commented after the prize giving ceremony:

I am so pleased to have won the title of 'British Open Champion' and with a clean set of seven first places, I am very happy with my equipment, now i have had the chance to tune it, to suit my technique. The starboard 160 is phenomenal and i'm looking forward to the next UKWA competition at Bridlington on the 17th-18th June.