Lucy Robson January 2013 training Fuerteventura from Lucy Robson on Vimeo.

Tiree has an abundance of spots to chose from, meaning that virtually any wind directions can produce great conditions. To find out all about the spots the riders could be sailing, plus more about the island in general check out the Tiree Beach Guide right here on Boards. 

Want to know more about Tiree? Click the image for the full beach guide. Image credit Dave White.

Before the competition kicks off we bring you a run down of the riders to look out for in each fleet:

Pros

Ben Proffitt the 2011 Tiree winner. Image credit Dave White.

Ben Proffitt – the previous BWA champion and last year’s winner in Tiree Proffitt will no doubt be out for the win again. Currently sitting in fourth position on the tour, he hasn’t quite had things all his own way so far this year and will need to step up his game to take the title once more. A fantastic all-rounder Proffitt manages to make all conditions look exceptional; in lighter, smaller conditions he may have the edge over his competitors.

Read more about Ben Proffitt on his rider stream here. 

Phil Horrocks – the current tour leader, with a first and third position, Horrocks can surely sense that this year could finally be his year to take the title. Sailing Rhosneigr and Cape Town regularly, Horrocks excels in port tack conditions and really stands out when the conditions get hard core.

Want to know what gear the pro’s use? Check out Phil Horrocks’ Pro Quiver piece here.

Phil Horrocks winning in Wales. Image credit Maike Sakschewski

Jamie Hancock. Image credit PWA/JC.

Jamie Hancock – currently places third in the tour, behind John Skye, Jamie has shown in Ireland what he can do when great conditions deliver. Being a little lighter than some of his competitors he has an advantage in lighter winds, this combined with his incredible riding style could see him rising to the top.

Want to know what gear the pro’s use? Check out Jamie Hancock’s Pro Quiver piece here.

James Cox – The Boardseeker whizz responsible for making all the features you see look so damn good, Coxy is also the man behind www.bigsalty.co.uk AND absolutely shines in starboard tack conditions. In Ireland when conditions switched he showed exactly what he is capable of by finishing fourth, with an awesome display of riding and jumping at Mossies, if conditions play ball can Coxy do it again?

James Cox. Image credit Duncan Dumbreck.

Want to know more about windsurfing and the weather? Check out this piece featuring James Cox and in conjunction with the Met Office.

Andy King

Andy King – Absent from Wales and Ireland Andy is yet to get a ranking on the tour this year, but with Tiree and then his ‘home’ event in Cornwall he could certainly cause some upsets at the top of the fleet. Andy showed last year in Tiree that he is still one of the best British sailors, despite not competing regularly like many of the others in the fleet. We are absolutely sure Andy will be one to watch again this year.

Read more from Andy King on his rider stream here. 

Others to watch out for: Polish PWA competitor Robert Baldyga, Andy “Bubble” Chambers, Sam Neal, Chris “Muzza” Murray, Steve Thorp and Timo Mullen (if they make the trip!)

Who won’t be there? Adam Lewis and John Skye. Adam Lewis should still be in title contention as he will be attending the Cornwall event, but with baby Skye due at any moment it looks unlikey that John Skye will be at either.

Amateurs

Alfie Hart. Image credit BWA/Dave White.

Alfie Hart – The Boardseeker camera man, responsible for all the awesome podcasts, videos and interviews you see on our sister site, Alfie is a fierce competitor too. Stylish riding and good jumping, including a killer table top, make Alfie a consistent performer and put him into the lead on the tour so far.

Ian Ross

Ian Ross – The BWA judge combines competing with judging at every event, a tricky business which meant he missed his own heat in Wales! When he manages to make his heats Ian excels, (he took the win in Ireland) and if the Tiree conditions suit his style he could be up there again.

Tom Bennett-Lloyd – The youth tour winner in 2011 Tom has stepped up to the amateurs this year and is more than holding his own. After spending some of the summer on the West coast of Ireland, Tom will be looking to build on two solid results in Wales and Ireland.

Check out the ‘Hidden Talents’ interview with Tom here.  

Tom Bennett-Lloyd. Image courtesy BWA/Dave White.

Scott McDowell – a stand out in the amateur fleet Scotty has been around for a while and has been on the verge of being kicked into the pro fleet a few times. Spending time in Cape Town over winters he really performs well when the conditions get gnarly, something we could be seeing this year (fingers crossed!). Scotty won in Wales, but didn’t compete in Ireland, no doubt he will be out for the win on his ‘home’ turf.

Others to watch out for:  Jim Brookes-Dowsett, Craig Hamilton, Russ Jenkins, Will Barrett, Ed Shearer.

Women

Justyna Sniady

Justyna Sniady – the current BWA tour leader, made the last minute decision to enter after breaking her foot very badly earlier in the year. Justyna has struggled through rehab over the summer spurred on by the prospect of windsurfing again and made the brave choice to enter Tiree once on the island. Justyna has now sailed for the first time and is feeling sore but confident and as ready as she can be for the competition.

Debbie in Sidi Kaouki, Morocco this summer.

Debbie Kennedy – a previous winner in Tiree, Debbie also took the win in Ireland earlier this year. Debbie excels in down-the-line riding and in her favourite conditions is very tricky to beat. Though fourth in the the series at the moment, after a discard comes into play and already with one win under her belt, Debbie could see herself in a great position in the race for the title.

Lucy training in Fuerteventura

Lucy Robson - the winner of the Cornwall event last year, Lucy excels in high wind riding and comes into her own in jumping conditions. Having been in Tiree for the past week, Lucy should be more than ready for the competition. With a fourth and second in the series she is currently in second position overall.

Read more about Lucy in this ‘Girls on Tour’ interview. 

Sophia Gilje in Ireland. Image credit BWA/Dave White.

Sophia Gilje - a relative new comer to windsurfing, Sophia is progressing quickly in waves and has done consistently well through the competitions this year with a third and third, putting her in equal second overall, joint with Lucy.

Who won’t be there? previous entrants including Sarah Bibby and Tanya Saleh.

Others to watch out for: Rumour has it there should be a fleet of eight women in Tiree, which is the biggest fleet at this event in quite a while. A new influx of competitors could see things shaken up in the women’s fleet and the numbers should mean it’s possible to run eliminations rather than straight finals meaning the pressure is really on for the female competitors.

Youth

Luke Raistrick – the winner in Wales earlier this year is already entered for Tiree and after a summer of windsurfing is ready for the competition.

Read more about Luke in this ‘Hidden Talents’ interview. 

Luke Raistrick. Image credit BWA / Dave White

Masters

Dave White

Dave White – is the current tour leader after a win in Ireland and a score of 5.5 in Wales. Whitey has some solid riding and jumping skills, and with an abundance of competition experience is dangerous in every heat; as long as he can make it out from behind the camera that is!

Davey Edmiston – always looks good in full on conditions; a jumping specialist his local spot of Troon is a port tack, cross on playground so in any conditions that a similar to this are sure to see Davey on top form. The winner of the Wales event earlier in the year.

Mark Lloyd - last year’s winner and third placed rider in Wales Mark Lloyd is always one to watch out for.

Who won’t be there? Jan Sleigh who finished second in Ireland and is one to watch when  the conditions get big unfortunately won’t be making it to Tiree, but will be looking for a great result in Cornwall.

Others to watch out for: Depends who makes the trip up! Stu Tilbury, Johnny Greatrex, Lee Medway, Phil Bennett-Lloyd, Andy Heath, etc are all up there in the rankings, it just depends who makes the decision to head up to Tiree.

Lucy Robson

Find out more about the Tiree event here http://boards.mpora.com/news/bwa-tiree-wave-classic-2012.html

And listen to the interview with Lucy below…

Lucy Robson returns to compete on the BWA tour for 2012 and beyond ……

It’s great to see the women’s scene thrive in the UK with the likes of Sarah Bibby (Puravida/Simmer/No Limitz) having progressed from the SWA at University to British Women’s Champion, and Sophia Gilje Joy (Puravida/Fanatic/North/Ion) also a student competing in Tiree 2011 for the first time and earning future support right away.

Lucy training in Fuerteventura. Image credit Sailboards Fuerte.

Cornwall’s Debbie Kennedy (Hotsails) has become a familiar face on the tour now and after some time out having a baby girl Marina, now two years old, and thanks to a very helpful mum….Lucy Robson is getting back into the swing of things.

Hailing from the South Coast and local to Nik Baker it was a no-brainer for Lucy to join Sophia on the Fanatic/North team with his support. As soon as she mentioned competing again Nik was happy to offer some valuable advice and coaching tips for the future.

Nik “Lucy has been sailing here for years and there is no question she rips in some solid conditions, giving plenty of the guys a run for their money at Shoreham! We talked about her joining the team with help from Puravida and I’m hoping to offer some useful help myself on making the most of the less ideal days you sometimes get on tour…basically being prepared.”

Lucy Robson

Lucy admits she is naturally competitive and really enjoys the banter with the other girls and the fun on tour….but wants to win!!

“In my first competition I had only been windsurfing for about nine months and I was pleased to even turn safely on to a wave, I was only about 24 years old and it was exciting. There was a similar size fleet back then in the girls, and I remember Trevor Funnel telling me I could be on the podium one day.”

Lucy took on the solid conditions in Cornwall last year for the podium top spot and currently sits in joint 2nd for the tour with team mate Sophia going into round three in Tiree.

Lucy training in Fuerteventura. Image credit Sailboards Fuerte.

“Back then I really took part just to get the experience and improve my sailing and mainly enjoy the scene. Now with more experience and with a more mature attitude I really want to do the best I can and enjoy the competition.”

“I did the UK wave tour for two years and then travelled to some great wavesailing locations like Cape Town, Western Australia and Indonesia and was stoked to come second in the Western Australia Wave Tour 2009 which gave me a real boost and stacks more confidence! That was three years ago and since then I took a break to have my daughter Marina, but not for long and got straight back in the water five days after she was born!”

So having a baby didn’t phase Lucy and what’s she been up to since then?

“I went back to Cape Town for their summer season in 2011, when Marina was five months old taking her with me and really properly getting back into my sailing with the consistency of conditions you get there. I then got the opportunity to travel to Morocco and spent time chasing forecasts in the UK at the beaches with the optimal conditions before hitting the Gwithian comp in 2011. It was a last minute decision as I didn’t plan to compete again, but all my friends from Brighton were going and they talked me into entering..I am lucky that I come from a town with a small but devoted windsurf scene and I have some very supportive friends that have been with me since I started windsurfing and never stopped helping me out and encouraging me. At the risk of sounding cheesy my friends and family make it possible.”

Lucy Robson. BWA Ireland by Dave White

It looks like the training paid off?!

“Gwithian was such a great comp with windsurfers everywhere., I remember looking down at the beach from the cliff and thinking I was at a festival. It was totally epic and the most fun I’ve had in the windsurfing scene since I started out. It’s been really cool to go full circle from a newbie full of questions to just enjoying competing alongside a great group of girls. I was SO STOKED when I found out I’d won, I knew I caught some great waves and really got stuck into the conditions, I couldn’t have been more pleased to hear I got first place.”

You’ve decided to do the entire tour in 2012?

“Absolutely! It seems I’m hooked now and more motivated than ever to do everything to the full. I’m really lucky my mum likes to see me enjoy windsurfing so she has offered to look after Marina so I can windsurf and compete. She knows I get miserable if I don’t windsurf and simply I just love it. So I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to do the tour and I hope to do well!”

Would you encourage other girls to get stuck in?

“Definitely, the standard of kit has really improved and it helps that the kit is easier to use and lighter so girls can get on well without too much of a battle to control the gear. From the early days the comps improved my sailing much more than just hanging at the local beach, and with groups like Flow Watersports there are more girls around who want to do it. The locations are awesome, it’s great fun and great for your sailing skills…..do it”

With a few more trips planned and the rest of the tour ahead Lucy may even be tempted to have a shot at some PWA events so stay posted and follow her progress.

Lucy Robson. Wales BWA by Dave White.

Don’t miss your chance to join the action and progress with your wavesailing among some of the best riders the UK has to offer in Tiree and Cornwall for the last two rounds of the BWA tour.

Follow the latest news and updates online at boards.co.uk and boardseeker.com

For BWA news and information about the upcoming events please like our event pages on stay posted at:

www.britishwavesailingassociation.com

www.tireewaveclassic.co.uk

www.cornwallwaveclassic.co.uk

Interview Jim Brooks-Dowsett, BWA Amateur Rep

On the second day of BWA Ireland local photographer and keen surfer, Tim Smith took to the lens to take some fantastic water shots.  After a solid first few hours of swimming, Tim had a great selection in the bag before the wind unfortunately died off.  Check out a selection of the shots below, for more from Tim head to his website  www.timsmithvisuals.com

Check out all the other galleries from BWA Ireland and Wales, courtesy of Dave White/Tim Smith/BWA:

Wales Full Gallery

Ireland Day One

Ireland Day One – part two

Ireland Day Two

Ireland Day Four

Final Day in Ireland

Final Day in Ireland

BWA Cornwall 2011 - Saturday at Gwithian

Ed Sinclair reports from the final day of the 2011 Pura Vida Cornwall Wave Classic.

Having been treated to an extra hour in bed due to the clocks going back, the sailors had just enough time to freshen up after last nights epic monster ball party hosted by the Sandsifter café.

Beaming sunshine shone down on Gwithian beach whilst mast-and-a-half high waves pounded the shore throughout the day, but yesterday’s wind was nowhere to be seen. The judges placed the sailors on standby with high hopes of finishing the double eliminations, however the wind failed to materialise therefore leaving the results unchanged.

Never one to sit back and relax Chris ‘Muzza’ Murray was first to pick up his surfboard to take on the extreme waves and keep the crowds entertained, but Mother Nature quickly got the better of him.

With the competition called off at 3pm all that was left to do was crown the event winners and the 2011 tour champions.

The 2011 Cornwall Wave Classic results:

Pro Fleet

1^st Jamie Hancock
2^nd Ben Proffitt
3^rd Timo Mullen
4^th Adam Lewis

Women’s
1^st Lucy Robson
2^nd Sarah Bibby
3^rd Jo Wright
4^th Arthur

Youth
1^st Luke Raistrick
2^nd Tom Bennett-Lloyd
3^rd Matt Cox

Masters
1^st Lloyd
2^nd Dines
3^rd Overington
4^th Cox

The 2011 Cornwall wave classic witnessed a record number of competitors make there way down to Gwithian beach and also made the fourth and final stop on the 2011 BWA tour, therefore all the points are in and the 2011 champions have been crowned, results to follow shortly here and at www.britishwavesailingassociation.com

The Cornwall Wave Classic is sponsored by Franklin & Marshall, hosted by Pura Vida Boardriders and the BWA, with support from No Limitz Masts, RB sails and Sandsifter, with thanks to the National Trust and Duchy of Cornwall.

Here’s the official BWA pic gallery of the weekend…