Latest report from Rachel Horton

Roadford Racing - Rachel Horton

Rachel Horton reports on the racing at Roadford

Roadford

As part of winter training I have go with the south/south west zone squad to Roadford Lake in Devon. At our training weekend it was really windy and because of being a lake meant it was really gusty as well. As it was so windy we were only allowed in three groups which had about 6 or 7 people in each.

We were practicing carve gybes and with the amount of wind and the gust it was hard to do so at times. Both days most people dropped down sail size.

From the shore it didn’t seem as windy as it was, when we launched it seemed as light as five knots and when we got out there it got to 39 knots! When we were practicing our carve gybes we had to bouys that we gybed around each end. It was really good fun, even though some sails ended up with holes in them.

As we had three groups there were two on land doing theory which we went through rules, steps of a carve gybe and loads more.

At the end of the weekend the wind had dropped off a bit to let out everyone at once where we did as slalom race together. But where the wind had dropped of we could have all been on our normal sails as we would have gone a lot faster.

Thanks Rachel that is very interesting and hopefully will inspire others to join in

A busy life teaching at Rutland and testing for Windsurf

Daniel Newman works hard for Windsurfing. Teaching & Managing at Rutland, whilst making time to escape it all and test equipment for Windsurf.

And here some words from Dan

The new year has kicked off with full power up at Rutland, although a little chilly, (which isn’t an issue with a Spartan anyway!) we had some epic days over xmas and new year, with over fifty sailors out enjoying the conditions on the lake.
So things are already looking good for 2012!
2011 was an indifferent year for me, it kicked off with promise after a super windy  test trip to Dahab and a decent spring back in the UK. My summer however, was a bit of a write off after sustaining an injury to my leg which resulted in a week in hospital, followed by eight weeks recovering.
Fortunately I made a full recovery and just in the nick of time for the wave test in Tenerife.
Things got a lot better and on the last few days of this trip, we scored some of the very best conditions that El Medano can offer and the year was then wrapped up on a high with another top test trip to Dahab.

I’m currently busy making plans for my next trip out to Dahab in a few weeks time as well as organising instructor courses for the spring and am really positive for a great year ahead, both on and off the water.

Pic 2 – Wave board testing in Tenerife
Pic 3 – Freestyle testing in Dahab
Pic 4 – Testing with team mate Sam Ross
Pic 5 – The test taxi
Pic 6 – Wave kit testing at the wall in El Medano

Not a bad life really. Dan will post some of his course dates soon

Matt Cox reports on some hair raising conditions

K-bay, Forwards and 50knots

Despite Christmas being cancelled for me due to looming exams in January I still managed 4 sessions on the water, not too bad….

Christmas session 29^th Dec

Brackelsham 4.7m, 85l

Started the Wednesday morning with a short (90mile) drive to the south coast to meet up with Lee From LAR Watersports for a looping lesson, good chance for some revision in the van while Dad drove.

Arrived Brackelsham to find wind and small waves, with a warm wetsuit in the back.  Perfect combo to learn forwards.

Loop off with dad…first one to forward gets the boasting rights

I got round one but didn’t manage to waterstart away from it.  Dad only managed half way, and knocked his head on the boom. So first points to me.

Tide came in, wind dropped off, so that was the end of looping for the day.

Christmas Session 30^th Dec

Kimmeridge Bay, 4.2m, 85l

First time visiting K-bay

K-Bay has to be one of the nicest looking windsurf areas I have ever been in with the huge cliffs and the long narrow roads leading there its almost like it doesn’t want to be found but when you (finally) arrive at the beach its simply spectacular.

Decent waves south coast style, nicely spaced in the bay and monsters on the bench. Gusting 50knots, 4.2 heaven here we come….

Met up with some of the RAF windsurfers in the car park, about 5 brave souls with Craig Hamilton giving the briefing of how to sail the bay.

Lots of crash from me as I figured out how to cope with the conditions, but did manage a few tabletops and a layback jump.  Craig was throwing down some nice back loops.

By the time we came in there must have been more than 20 vans, so guess everyone had the same idea. Great way finish the year.

Hey Matt do you have any pictures of the event?

Thanks from all of us a great read

Phil Dobner Windsurfing at Shoreham Beach

60 knots out the back according to the latest weather data!!
It was either the 5.0 and 80l Witchcraft or Mistral Superlight for a
bit of Level 1 gybe practice (centerboard up of course).

Stacks of power in the inside with perfect dtl or neally anyway, just
a tad too offshore, I was reaching parallel to the beach out the
back..
Couldn’t really turn so survival tacks and both feet in straps hooked
in waterstarts but in the lulls it was perfect.

The board is just amazing in those conditions, I didn’t need to worry
about its ability to perform, the sail worked well, a bit more
downhaul and a few m2 less would have been nice and also loving the
Reflex with the 3mm on shoulders and arms just so comfortable and warm
bearing in mind the wind chill affect was fairly active..

I know if you had been there the superlight 360′s would have been the
trick of the day..

Cheers
Phil

Thanks Phil we love the look of the shorebreak – keep sailing hard

Long live windsurfing

An interesting day the 29th December 2011

Yesterday Ben Hanbury and myself went to Bigbury bay for a windsurf. We put up 5.8m sails and had quite a lot of fun zipping around gusty old Bigbury (which we love). And we talked about how its never that windy in Bigbury compared to Worthing and so on. We traveled in the same van so I took my big kit – ie 5.2m and 5.8m plus 100 liter board with a biggish fin.

Next day we thought – zero wind in Totnes so the forecast must be wrong. Let’s go to the beach anyway. No sign of wind on the way, well at least our surf boards are loaded. Still no sign of any serious wind until we came over the brow of the hill.  OMG. Force XXXX and once on the beach everyone had rigged 4.0m or 3.7m. Great. So with a combined windsurfing experience of 50 years and most of that in the trade we had two 5.0m’s or in my case a 5.25m, sheer brilliance. I am not a slim as I would like to be of course, I like beer far too much for that and the word slimming to me means ‘Becks Vier’, but I needed some extra pounds then and there.

What to do. Ah go for it. Shake rattle and roll. I tail walked all over the bay, had an amazing work out and fun time. Got so flattened by the power of the wind as the guys came over and said, Jesus John we can’t hold onto our 4.0m! 50 years experience, doh doh doh. Ben and I lasted a couple of hours but when I could not simply hold onto the sail in the water it occurred to me that Bigbury was having its revenge for the words uttered on its shoreline yesterday.

What was really brilliant was that 22 windsurfers were hopping, looping, jumpin’ and having great fun. Long live windsurfing there was just so much fun to be had.

Tomorrow I will be taking all my kit.

Working in Windsurfing by Danielle Lucas of Get Windsurfing

Here is a blog about women working in Windsurfing . Thanks Danielle

Dahab, Getwindsurfing, Living the dream in a warm windy climate…

Teach windsurfing, photograph windsurfing, go windsurfing, eat with windsurfers, party with windsurfers, live with windsurfers…..sleep

Phil and I are still living in Dahab, a mecca for windsurfers from all over, the UK, Russia and Germany making up a large number of regulars here to practise windsurfing in a beautiful, flat water, windy spot, with year round sunshine and wind.  We have just had a very busy month here, working hard as well as trying to get the most amount of time possible for ourselves on the water to go and practise our freestyle moves we are both training to land and improve.

Working in windsurfing is a great way for us to be able to practise the sport we love regularly, we get probably 275-300 days a year on the water out here.  Whether its teaching or personal sailing we can get out and windsurf.  This is why we have chosen to work in the industry, as well as because most windsurfers are a fun bunch of people, whether it’s at a hot sunny beach or cold rainy day in the UK, the working environment is generally that of a bunch of mates having a good time, sharing our knowledge and experience of the sport with people who want to learn or improve their windsurfing.  When you teach windsurfing you are passing on skills to help someone enjoy the sport as much as yourself, its brilliant to see people get the buzz of improving, going faster, water starting for the first time, making a dry gybe, even surviving the shore break after a first time coastal session.  Its such an addictive sport, and great to pass that addiction on as its probably one of the best you will ever get!

Working in the industry is a choice for the love of the sport, you unfortunately do it for lifestyle and not money.  Of course you can make money but unless you are world number one, its a job for the love of it…especially because you always need (want) more kit which doesn’t come cheap.  The kit these days though is an amazing change since even when I began to windsurf 6 years ago, and so having great gear is easier and really helps to get the most from your sessions, I have seen it make or break peoples days when they have the right or wrong set up for their ability or even their physique.  Part of this kit is not only the board, sail and all things that make up your rig, but the right choice of clothing.  Windsurfing in the heat, it’s great to have some nice colourful board shorts and a rash vest, to protect me from the sun and also make sure i look good on the water, but in the cold having the right gear is vital.  Since having Spartan suits to windsurf in, my sailing time has easily doubled, as I don’t have to go in because I am cold, I have more energy and enthusiasm and teaching is so much better as I don’t worry that I will be cold before my lesson has finished.  Definitely a massive recommendation is make sure you have the right wetsuit and sun protection to keep you out there, as you could have the nicest sail and board in the world but if you get to cold, or have too much sun, your session could be over way before you are ready for it to be.  Luckily for me I have always had good advice to help me with my kit, and so I have always had really good equipment suited to my ability.  This is another part of working in the sport I love, the part that means not only I have the right support and advice to help me keep progressing, but also that I can help others choose the right gear for themselves according to not just budget but more importantly, ability, sailing location, ambitions and sometimes just help people get more from what they have already got.

This week I have a group of students to photograph, all learning to windsurf well enough to pass an instructor course which they will complete after 2 weeks.  Its been great watching them go through the learning experience, they are so lucky to have been doing it here in Egypt, in a warm windy location surrounded by all levels of windsurfers, to inspire and also show them how far they have come themselves.  I was in a very similar position to them 6 years ago and since then have had such an amazing 5 years, travelling to some incredible destinations to find wind and waves, as well as working with so many happy, excited, enthusiastic, ambitious and adventurous people and helping them to enjoy the sport I love so much, I really hope they all find the buzz and get as much from their future as instructors as I have done……

Danielle Lucas | getwindsurfing.com

Matt Cox report from the BWA Cornwall event

And here is more news from Matt, come and race with him……

Matt cox 17 years old

Years windsurfing 8

Currently I live in landlocked Wiltshire, hoping to move to the coast after finishing my A levels.

This year I qualified as a windsurf instructor and I am keen to further this qualification with intermediate and possibly advanced tickets in the future.   Ultimately I would like to teach abroad, possibly in Vass or Turkey.

Last year I competed for the first time in the National Windsurfing Festival in the Youth fleet, finishing second overall.   This was great experience and convinced me to return this year.

The 2011 NWF was great, I won two of the races in the Amateur Fleet and was lucky enough to be picked to take part in the Spartan Pro tag team race.  I hooked up with the Tushingham team comprising most of the Sills family.  The wind was just right to get planning on a formula board and a 9meter sail, we finished first, and I got the choice of a brand new Spartan wetsuit!

Another first for this year was the BWA Cornwall event.  Probably the best competition that the BWA currently run, and this year blessed with big waves and a decent amount of wind, well for the Saturday anyway.  Sadly I broke my mast on the first wave of my first heat, even so I was third Youth!

My plans for next year include more BWA events (Rhosneiger and Brandon Bay) and also to start some BSA events.  Finally I have to be first in the race against my Dad, to loop!

Thanks for that Matt.

And dont’t forget to loop…. bear away and sheet in hard to get your first small spin loop off any lump that is out there, then you will get loop fever

Rachel Horton Windsurfing training 2011

South/ South West Zone training –Restronguet

Restronguet was the first South/South West zone training of the winter. For it being in the middle of November you would think it would be freezing but it was still very mild. We started each morning with a warm so we didn’t get injured windsurfing we would go for a run then do mobility exercises.

Our aim was board handling so we had many different exercises to improve our board handling. There were four different sail sizes 4.5m, 5.8m, 6.8m and 7.8m; so there were many different abilities.

On the Sunday afternoon we did three races which was a two lap windward/ leeward. It was hard work but really good fun. On the last race I was going up to the upwind mark and I saw a seal jump out of the water. It was amazing but distracted me and I almost missed the mark. It was good racing I got two 1^st and a 2^nd.

Overall it was a great weekend and I learnt loads. It was always a good weekend when you windsurf with lots of your friends who have similar ability and sail size to you but now we don’t have another training weekend till January at Roadford.

Rachel Horton

Jack trollope reports – Weymouth Slalom Final – 22nd/ 23rd October 11

Weymouth Slalom Final – 22^nd/ 23^rd October 11

After a great speed week brings us to the final slalom of the year. With over 60 entrants, 30 of them in the master blaster fleet, it was to make a really good event.

The Saturday brought us very light and frustrating conditions. The Amateurs got in one race but the Pro’s didn’t. I had taken my smaller fin out on my board thinking it was going to be windier than it was meaning that I struggled to get planing in the frequent light patches. Regardless of this I had a really good start and was fighting for 1^st down the first leg. However I couldn’t get planing on the second leg and Chris Guest, pumping like a mad man, crept past to take second. The standings stayed the same until the last leg where Chris made it into first to take a well-deserved win. I came in 3^rd which was ok but I felt I could have done better. That was all the racing for the Saturday and with a good forecast for the Sunday an early night was definitely needed.

Sunday we woke up to the big winds forecast. I rigged my smallest race sail (7m) and my trusty old rotational 5.5m. On the way out to the course I felt alright on the 7 but once there I realised there was a lot of wind (30knots+) and messy chop. The power in the sail felt fine but paired with an old 111 carve it was far from controllable. Not able to race on it I went in and changed down meaning I missed the first race. I went back out on the 5.5m and a little 81 waveboard. From then on I completed every race and was having consistently good starts but just couldn’t keep up with the pace of the guys on race kit. Over all if finished in 7^th far from what I had hoped but still well in the top half of the fleet.

In the Pro fleet, they got in plenty of races and watching them was quite amazing! Flying off down the first reach in 40knots of wind, managing to hold 7m’s. Ant Baker was in his element and won every race to win the series.

Results:

Master blaster – 1^st Zac Page, 2^nd Mark Page, 3^rd Finn Page

Amateur – 1^st Simon Langley, 2^nd Christopher Guest, 3^rd Duncan Pickup

Pro – 1^st Antony Baker, 2^nd Alan Jackson, 3^rd Simon Cofield

Next year I am going to be moving into the Pro fleet so bring on the challenge!

John Pink in action with crew Rick Peacock – Spartan wetsuits

John Pink in action with crew Rick Peacock

Dinghy racer John Pink knows the next few months will make or break his chances of representing Britain at the Olympics in 2012.

The Portsmouth-born sailor is among several members of the Skandia Team GBR squad vying to fill one of the few places remaining in the team.

Pink has been sailing the hi-tech 49er dinghy with crew Rick Peacock for the past four years and is clear that the waters of Weymouth and the Olympic Games are his only goal.

But it is his misfortune that Britain has strong representation in the class and he faces tough competition to get there.

While several of the squad for next year have already been announced, the 49er contingent will be asked to slug it out until a clear contender emerges.

‘The Olympics is the ultimate goal, it always has been,’ said the 28-year-old, who grew up in Hill Head and is a long standing member of the local sailing club.

‘We’ve put a lot work in to get there, not all of it in the right direction, but we are learning from our mistakes and getting better.’

Pink and Peacock made the best possible start to the year with a gold medal in Miami – with other Team GBR sailors taking up the rest of the podium – but struggled to find consistency thereafter, only finishing fifth in the Sail For Gold regatta.

‘Miami was great for us but after that a few things didn’t go our way,’ said Pink

‘The Sail For Gold regatta saw us sailing really well for almost all the week but we couldn’t keep it together right to the end.’

But a new coach in the shape of the well-respected Paul Brotherton has made a big impact in the two months he’s been on hand.

‘It all needed a bit of a shake-up – we’d got used to doing things in the same way and it wasn’t always working for us, so we’ve taken it apart and looked at it again,’ added Pink, speaking while training down at the Olympic venue in Weymouth.

The difference the changes have made for Pink was apparent last weekend when the culmination of a season of domestic Olympic classes racing saw him win three races to take the series crown, a title he also won last year.

Now the big test lies ahead – the 49er World Championships in Perth in early December.

A strong performance in Australia would be a huge step towards securing that Olympic slot but might not be quite enough by itself and the process could roll on through a series of regattas to the 2012 Worlds in Croatia in May or even beyond.

‘The selectors will leave it as long as they think they need to,’ said Pink.

‘They are looking for someone to be consistently good and while everyone has had their moments they’ve also been up and down.’

Reaching the Olympics would be the culmination of years of effort – but next stop Perth is where the battle for supremacy resumes.