Harriet Ellis on her way to becoming Raceboard World Champion

Harriet Ellis 1st place 2011 Raceboard World Championships. Mark Kay 2011 (and 2010) UK Cup Series Champion. Mark Kay 2011 (and 2010) UK Inland Series Champion. Mark Kay 2nd Master 2011 Raceboard World Championships. Once again in 2011 the UK Raceboard scene has been dominated by Demon Design Sails.

The UKWA Cup series runs over six events in the year, for 2011 Mark Kay achieved   four 1sts and two 3rds to take the series win in emphatic style. The next closest sailor was on more than double the points of Mark showing just how one-sided the 2011 series has been. Mark was using the new VG7 Raceboard sail from Demon Design, a sail specifically developed for out-and-out boardspeed across the range of conditions, indeed according to Matthew Burridge of Demon Design: “The VG7 is the ultimate all-round raceboard sail,  when buying a sail for a season, to use in the full range of conditions,  then nothing else compares. We have proven this 2 years running  in the only place that matters, the racecourse. Well done Mark, well done Harriet!”

Harriet Ellis, the young up-and-coming Raceboard sailor celebrated a hard won victory at the Raceboard Worlds in Spain. Harriet has only recently converted to Raceboard and is still learning how to make the kit go quick… so it was something special to win the Raceboard Worlds at her first attempt. Harriet was using the 8.5 VG7.

More from Demon Design at www.demonsails.co.uk

Mark Kay, 2010 & 2011 UK Raceboard Champion

Rob Kent

Dave Hackford reports on Tushingham taking the honours at last weekend’s British Open Championships…

The 2011 Raceboard season has been dominated by strong winds making it the most exciting for many years. The light winds had to come, and sure enough at the British Open Championships on 1st and 2nd of October at Portland, the high pressure and unseasonable hot temperatures set in. Light wind tactical racing, to the experienced  sailor, is as much a challenge as in the strong stuff – if it is not, it should be, because that is what makes a champion.

Rob Kent sailing on the latest Tushingham  XR Race 9.5m clocked in his most impressive set of results all year.  He won the Raceboard National Open Championships on minimum points, 3 firsts to count.

“The versatility that the new XR racing sail gives is amazing.  Tushingham wanted to design a sail that spanned a wide wind range at the highest level of competition.  This weekend we had winds as low as 3knots on the course.  At the start of the season Dave Hackford showed that this sail is blisteringly quick in planning conditions, and now having had the lowest wind regatta of the year this sail has proven to perform in all wind bands. Well done Ken Black”, reported Rob.

BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS: Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy

Men’s:

1. Rob Kent  – Tushingham XR 9.5m/ Starboard Phantom 380

2.  Chris Gibson – Starboard Phantom 380

3.  Mark Kay – Starboard Phantom 380

Women:

1.  Annette Kent – Tushingham XR / Phantom 380

The top of the British Raceboard fleet is now hugely competitive.  Mark Kay finished 4th in the recent World Championships in Spain – and Harriet Ellis returned home with the World title crown.  The Starboard Phantom 380 is the board of choice for pretty much all serious competitors.

If you would like to know more about the racing in 2012 log onto www.ukwindsurfing.com. The UKWA is the association responsible for National racing.

If you would like to know more about the championship winning kit then log onto:

www.tushingham.com to learn more about the XR racing sails

www.star-board.com for more about the Phantom race board. They have a new radical concept for 2012.  Check it out!

Windsurf Open 9.5s

David Eberlin reports from Notts County Raceboard week…

Raceboards are coming back into use on inland waters, they are ideal for the lighter and more gusty winds and allow performance windsurfing and comptetition in winds from a few miles an hour to 30mph….. if you are good enough!

Notts County almost in the centre of the country has a long tradition in Raceboards, and has a regular fleet up to 8 boards on a Sunday. As a result Dave Hackford makes an annual trip for a Wednesday night of coaching, this year he brought Mark Kay (who borrowed one of the club’s older Raceboards) and Jon White so we had the three top Raceboarders in the Country coaching.

Bob Ingram

David started off with a talk, both on rigging for the night, and railing when going upwind. Then it was out for an exercise to demonstrate sailing on the edge, followed by three short sharp races. The prize was a Starboard T shirt for the first back on the final race, won by one of the older competitors Russ Towns. A T shirt was also awarded to young Jack North, first time back on the water after a serious operation.

The following Saturday was the Windsurfing Open meeting which saw over twenty Raceboards and some great conditions, light to moderate with a shifty wind and sunshine and showers. With five races it was hard work but rewarding and John Parr did an excellent job setting a W type course.

Jon White, not surprisingly won every race in fine style, demonstrating his skill by Duck Gybing his 9.5m sail and raceboard, but further down the fleet competition was fierce

Jon White

Results: 9.5 Raceboard: 1^st Jon White (lt) – Bartley, 2^nd Bob ingram (Heavy), 3^rd Mike Playle (light) – Hollowell

Raceboard 7.5: 1^st Dean Hutchinson (Notts County SC), 2^nd Mick Steer (Carsington), 3^rd Russ Towns  (Notts County SC)

Techno; Zed Spencer-Milnes

Dave Hackford on his Raceboard

David Eberlin reports from Raceboard Wednesday at Notts County Sailing Club…

Notts County Sailing Club is one of the more active Raceboard clubs, with up to eight Raceboards on the start line some Sundays. The Raceboard is ideal for getting out and having some competition in the lighter winds found inland. For the last few years Dave Hackford, one of the leading contenders for the National Title, and the Starboard Tushingham supremo  has come down to give members of the club a training evening. This year he persuaded Mark Kay & John White, his two main rivals to join him so Notts County windsurfers were treated to the best in the fleet, in addition Rich from Dave Nobles brought lots of sails and some boards for club members to play on.

For a change there was some wind, and it was relatively steady (till the rain came through) and over 24 sailors listened to Dave talking about rigs, railing and upwind legs. Then the majority (over 15) got out on the water on their Raceboards, to do a 20 minute exercise, pushing railing to the limit.

This was followed by  three races with good upwind legs . A Starboard T shirt was up for grabs on the final race, won by Russ Towns, and a special prize was awarded to Jack North who chose the event to return to the water after a serious illness.

An excellent meal was provided by Pauline the club caterer and of course the bar opened.

Guy Cribb

Guy Cribb, alias Mr Intuition, joined the Raceboard Fleet on the 5th Round of the UKWA tour at Christchurch last weekend and won. OK, breezy it was, but it only goes to show that a sailor with a former international longboard history can show the youngsters and veterans how it is done. With all due respect to Fanatic and North (who as yet do not manufacture ‘Raceboard’ Class equipment) Guy chose the Tushingham XR Race 9.5 and the Starboard Phantom 380. The last day of racing dawned with 15 knots of wind and it was in these full planing conditions that Guy showed devastating downwind speed. ‘Longer Harness Lines’ he would advise a few of us on the beach between races. Approaching 100 racers competed in the various classes at Christchurch and Raceboard continues to attract more sailors wishing to race in all winds and experience tactical racing at its best. Races take place in anything above 6knots, and by 10knots a racer will be flying upwind on the plane. Congratulations to Guy. If you would like to join the racing drop an email to Tushingham at windsurfing@tushingham.com and they will allocate one of the three complete sets of Phantom/XR race kits for you to compete. Next event is at Weymouth / Portland. For series events please check out the UKWA website.

1st Guy Cribb, 2nd Mark Kay, 3rd Dave Hackford.