Hayling report

27 March 2007

A successful start to the 2007 season

Sailors launch off the beach.The forecasted, cold, north / north easterly winds may have deterred some from attending but it was still a great turnout for the first event of the season.
Hayling Island has hosted many memorable windsurfing events over the years and last weekends event was no exception.
Indeed, it was a first for the UKWA - 3 events rolled into one !

Junior's crossing the start line.The windsurfing industry are backing the UKWA in 2007 to deliver a national programme of events that appeal to the "grass roots " of the sport -to the recreational enthusiast. Alongside the junior development programmes - Team 15 and Techno 293 - this new structure of events heralds a bright new future for the sport.

Tushingham Cup - at the very heart of the promotion is a simple "off the beach - master blaster" format: fun racing , with the emphasis on FUN!

As the title suggests, this event was sponsored by Tushingham Sails, importers of Starboard, who not only provided the prizes and sponsored the evening meal and entertainment , but also supplied competitors to the championship slalom series (including 007 !) and a demo fleet of boards / sails.

F2 Speedgun Challenge - 604 Distribution began the speedgun programme last year alongside demo events ; this year Matt Wemms pledged his support for the further development of the discipline by aligning the speedgun programme to the UKWA Slalom Series.

Fastest run over the weekend went to Alan Jackson (GBR 53) - 34.4 mph.

JP/Neil Pryde Slalom Series - the series visits 5 venues around the UK, and there was no better way to start ! This years series will revert to being scored by events - but it is vitally important to hold 3 rounds per event to secure maximum ranking points.

Despite the desperately cold wind and offshore conditions - the sailors and race crew stuck to the task admirably.

Special thanks to Carl et al at "Inn at the Beach"; Dave White, Peter Hart, Ken Black.

Full details of each event will follow and the slalom results are up.

Pictures courtesy of Mike Simpson.

Summary of Results

Tushingham Cup

  1. James Cartwright
  2. Mark Collins
  3. Henry Rock Evans

F2 Speedgun Challenge

JP/Neil Pryde Slalom Championship

Top Flight:

  1. Xavier Ferlet
  2. Alan Jackson
  3. Alexander Buch

Challenge Fleet:

  1. Adian Wallis
  2. Ed Strange
  3. Daniel Skudder

Junior:

  1. Sam Latham
  2. Sam Sills
  3. Ashley Barratt