In this third part we will cover tuning, training and why people compete. 

BSA slalom action.

Tuning and Training

Simon Pettifer: When I go for a sail I try to have some sort of aim, this could be gybing practice. I’ll find two buoys close together (easy in Poole harbour), and gybe a lot, keep going until I cannot gybe any longer, this is the only way to improve – keep doing it! It’s also good to do this exercise with other sailors, if you make the two buoys really close together it makes for some fun sailing.

As for tuning I just try different things, maybe try a couple of different fin combinations to see which is faster; you need someone else to judge your speed against, or a GPS unit where you can go home and download your tracks from the day and see at what points you were going fastest.

It could be the downhaul, try a little more or less see and what happens. Once you find the sail at its best for you try to note where your downhaul is set to, so that next time you sail you can rig it just how you like it. The outhaul is the easiest to play about with, the adjustable outhaul systems let you sail around changing the settings all the time, letting you see where you want your outhaul for the appropriate wind strengths.

Sailing on your own is great for some things but to improve your speeds I think you need to sail with other people. We all know it sucks to be passed by other people so we try harder, if you get passed by your mate, go in pull on an inch of downhaul go back out and see if you can beat him; if doesn’t work try changing your fin – put a smaller one in – it’s all about finding out what makes a difference.

Simon Pettifer

Simon Cofield: Sail – I use a lot of downhaul, this allows you to accelerate in big gusts whilst the sail twists off. It’s important to have an adjustable outhaul. When the wind is up and down I’ll be adjusting my outhaul between heats, so I’m fully powered in the race. Board – You need a good fin, I have my straps as far apart as they go for control, deck plate position as above.

I do a bit of fitness training in the winter, on the water I do some practice racing around some of the marks in Poole harbour with Si Pettifer.

Kev Greenslade: Downhaul I rig dependent on the wind but always enough to get a nice amount of twist in the sail, I use very little outhaul until I get completely stacked but by then probably thinking about changing down. It’s also really important to find the right fin for you, your board and the conditions.

It’s really hard to replicate the conditions whilst racing as you would almost never sail that fast that close to that many people, when it comes to gybing you have wakes going in all directions space to find etc etc. So the best form of practice is to race. There are fun slalom series being run at Hayling, Poole and Weymouth now so get involved, and if they are too far away get your own going, it’s so easy. There is always a buoy to race around and if you do it in pursuit style, kit and ability doesn’t matter, everyone has fun.

Ant Baker. Image credit Dave White.

Ant Baker: As a chubber I like lots of downhaul and not much outhaul, this means I get great twist and a nice full body to hold my board down.

As I have to work pretty much everyday I get very little time to practice, in fact the last year I have only sailed slalom boards at events

James Dinsmore: When it comes to tuning your sail the single most important variable is the amount of downhaul you put on. It is really important to experiment and try to learn to feel what it is like to have too much or too little downhaul. If you have too much downhaul the sail tends to feel heavy and too powerful and when a gust comes you may feel as if you are getting lifted uncontrollably onto your toes. With my current iSonic board and Severne Reflex sails combination I notice that if I am under-downhauled it feels as if the nose of the board is being pushed down into the water. It feels ‘sticky’ and as if it might catch on chop. If I put a small amount of more downhaul (may only need as little as 5mm) the nose rides higher, the stickiness completely disappears and the board feels like it will make it’s way over even the nastiest bit of chop. When you have cranked on too much downhaul the sail starts to feel gutless and has poor acceleration. You may feel yourself over sheeting and the sail tending to drop backwards. Ideally with each of your sails you need to spend a session during which you start with the sail under-downhauled and then incrementally increase the downhaul until the sail is over-downhauled. It is a useful exercise as you will learn to recognise too much or too little downhaul and you will also be able to find the sweet spot of your sail.

If you don’t have one already then do get an adjustable outhaul. They are very easy to use and put at your fingertips the ability to massively increase the wind range of your sail. You will enjoy your sailing much more if you have one. Try to work towards sailing kit big enough that means that you are powered for the lulls rather than the gusts. An adjustable outhaul allows you to sail much closer to your limits. It may be more beneficial to have a very physical 30 minutes session quite over-powered than 90 minutes of cruising. It is a key skill to learn to get round a course while overpowered Make use of any buoys that may be in the water to practice gybing and starts. You will be forced to gybe whatever the water state is like at the mark, which is the same as on the racecourse. Otherwise it is only too easy to choose to gybe where it is flat and you will struggle in competition.

Racing at Weymouth. Image courtesy Dave White.

Why I Compete

Simon Pettifer: I compete because it keeps me keen, always trying to do a bit better than the previous event. The feeling I get when I’ve had a good heat and beaten someone that usually beats me feels great, you can’t get the same feeling from sailing down the park. When you do one slalom heat it may only last about three mins but it’s knackering, so much is packed into three minutes and the whole time I’m fired up, it’s hard to explain, something you’ve got to try.

If you want to try it, get down to your local spot and do some light hearted racing with your friends. Poole have a Poole slalom, Weymouth have the same thing going on, as do Hayling Island, all these places are ready for newcomers to turn up and give it a go, all abilities are welcomed. Any gear can be used, at Poole we do a handicap system where by the person that wins the first race starts last in the next one, the person that finished last starts first and so on, this means that the racing is good for all, there is always someone to catch up with or try to stop passing you.

I would encourage others to give competing a go because it will improve your sailing,  it’s definitely the best way to get better quicker, improve your gybes and go faster. Also you meet great people at events, all with the same thing in mind, windsurfing and maybe a couple of drinks – if there’s no wind of course! I’ve met some of my best friends at windsurfing events over the last 20 years even with a 15 year break in the middle.

Simon Cofield: I enjoy the challenge of racing against the top guys.

Kev Greenslade: I have been very fortunate to have been racing from a very young age, I have travelled the country and some of the World with my best mates doing what we all love. Doing well is just a bonus (a nice one though).

Ant Baker: I love the feeling of winning! The race course is a great place to practice your skills and gain some bragging rights over your mates!

Check out the other parts of the series here:

UKWA Freestyle at Windfest 2011

Jamie Drummond reports from the finale of the UKWA Freestyle season at Windfest 2011…

“It’s going to be windy!” Looking at the forecast a week in advance, everyone was pretty pumped and ready for some blowy conditions at the Animal Windfest in Poole. The excitement obviously caught on and come registration on Saturday morning we had a truly excellent turnout; 32 competitors across the 6 fleets with an impressive 7 ladies showing up to compete too!

The wind showed up on cue and the event saw gusty 5.2 weather increase to solid crosshore 4.7 – great conditions for freestyle. The Minim, Junior and Youth fleets were the first to launch and work there way through three rounds of competition. Ike Bradley Baker pipped Harry Davis to the post in the Minim fleet, while Nik Hibidge posted two 1^sts and a 2^nd to take the win in the Junior fleet. The U20’s fleet saw Alex Mitchell fighting off competition from Will White to take the win with smooth Flakas and Forwards.

Adam Sims

The level in the Amateur fleet was through the roof – a lot of the moves being thrown down would have been firmly at home in the Pro Fleet! The standout sailors having to be Ollie Action, Nick Bentley and John Yeomans – all putting on a really good performance for the crowds. Cana bravas, clew-first spocks, forward loops and shakas were the high-scoring moves and after three rounds Ollie Acton managed to push ahead of Nick Bentley for the victory.

The ladies were next to take to the water and they put on a great show! Carve gybes, duck gybes, downwind 360s, heli-tacks, chop-hops, bodydrags and vulcans were thrown down in the choppy conditions. The competition was close between Chloe ‘Snowy’ Goodyear and Julia Slack but Chloe’s consistency saw her win out in the end with a massive 7 point lead! The girls had a great time, pushing each other on all the way with bags of enthusiasm -  let’s hope we see them all back competing next year.

Bubble

As this was the final event on the UKWA Freestyle calendar it was all to play for in the Pro Men’s Fleet. To defend his four-time title, Andy ‘Bubble’ Chambers would need to win and current tour leader Adam Sims would have to come in at least 4^th.

Straight out of the gate the level was sky-high with huge shakas, air flakas, ponches and loops being thrown by all the sailors. The first round saw Max Rowe leading, in the second Bubble edged back ahead and then the third round final came about! Everyone was gunning for the top spot and Sims knew he needed a good result to secure his overall series title – with this in mind he launched into a sick culo, some slick shakas, flakas and loops to secure the win…and his first British title!

Mac Rowe

I must give a special mention to Oscar Carmichael – after securing the 2011 Junior title with one event to go, he decided to have a go in the Pro fleet. After seeing him sail in Fuerte I thought that he could probably do pretty well in the UK Pro Fleet – when he actually registered though I got a bit worried! He sailed brilliantly, finishing in joint 5^th – definitely one to watch for the future.

An amazing weekend was had by all and it was great to have some strong wind to let us show off our sport to the crowds. There was a great turnout and hopefully we will see the fleets continue to grow next year!!

Thanks to Trevor, Jules and all the judges, Animal, Gary and all the organisers of Windfest, see you next year!!

Oscar

Oscar Carmichael remembers his experience of performing in the Pro Fleet…

Having worked out that I had already won the Junior National Freestyle Championship on points before this final event  I thought it would be a good experience to try competing in the Pro Fleet at Windfest, alongside the UKs top freestyle sailors.  Although I am only 15yrs old I have done a fair amount of competing, however my first heat was drawn against Andy ‘Bubble’ Chambers and Max Rowe which was a bit of a reality check as these guys have been my idols for years.  Sailing in the Pro Fleet was a completely different ball game; it made my sailing strategy change and performance better.

After the end of three full eliminations I was placed 5^th which I was super happy with.  This experience has made me want to train harder ready for competing in the pro fleet next year and I also hope to get a wild card for a PWA event.  Being awarded the Andy Funnel trophy at the Windfest prize giving with my name amongst sailing greats such as Dave White, Bryony Shaw, John Skye and Timo Mullen has given me something to live up to and a drive to be the best that I can!

Poole Windfest action

Women’s Fleet by Julia Slack

A strong fleet of 7 female competitors turned up for the Poole event, with all the fleet entering their first competition there was no clear favourites for the podium, however fresh from a windy season in Vass, Bethany Mercer looked to have solid sailing in the warm up and Emily Hall straight from a top racing result in san francisco was also sailing confidently showing top form on day one taking the lead overnight after 3 heats .   Sally Lambert showed good form getting close to vulcans while Lara Johnston showed off her newly learnt downwind 360′s and crowd pleasing wipe-outs.

On day two, the level stepped up and positions changed all day with many of the competitors finding their feet .  Stand out sailor was Ellie Ross who pulled off some solid freestyle moves in the wavy conditions to impress the judges.  However, it wasn’t enough to squeeze into the top spots where Chloe Goodyear put the pressure onto Hall throughout the day taking the victory with 2 1st and a 2nd on day 2.

The girls made a great atmosphere on the water, cheering each other on and encouraging each other to do bigger moves.  Although everyone was nervous about competing at the start of the weekend, everyone came away super stoked with their performance, excited for future competition, and planning trips away to learn more moves ready for the 2012 season.  Big thanks to Trev and the Judges for encouraging us to get involved and talking us through the rules, flags and timings to make it a pain free learning experience.

Windfest women

Women’s Fleet by Ellie Ross

This year’s Poole Windfest saw a brand new type of competitor take to the water. Introducing…the ladies.

Seven of us from the fairer sex decided to show our male counterparts not only that we can we crank on our own downhaul, but also that we can hold our own when it comes to competition. OK, so we may not all be graced with an inbuilt ability to shaka, spock or eslider, but we can rock a slick carve gybe and chop hop to our heart’s content. It was high time for the ladies to shine.

Enthusiastic as that may sound, that’s hardly how it started on that slightly drizzly Saturday morning as we huddled into the skippers’ tent for what was, for most of us females, our first EVER competition briefing. The boys stood there, nodding knowingly and making throwaway remarks about “ladders” and “heats”. Meanwhile us girls exchanged bewildered looks. Different coloured flags? Streamers? And how were we going to manage not falling in on our tacks and looking like a total plum as we made our way upwind before the green flag went up?

Some of us had already made up our minds to take part; the weakest amongst us were coaxed into it with the following incentives: a) it would be fun; b) it would be fantastic sailing experience; c) we’d be involved in Britain’s freestyle event of the year; d) we would actually have a UK ranking and seeing as there were only seven of us, we would all make it into the top ten. Which sounds pretty good.

But the main selling point was that it was a great opportunity for us ladies to sail together, egg each other on and enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with being on the watery stage in front of a panel of judges that, instead of being scary, actually encouraged us to take part no matter our ability. It may have been X Factor for windsurfing wannabes, but there was no Simon Cowell here.

Lara and Beth

To say that we were the height of competitor coolness before our first heat would be a far cry from the truth. In reality, two minutes before the girls were up, you would probably have seen us all rushing around, frantically quizzing our fellow male freestylers for their competition top tips with a slightly crazed look in our eyes.

As all seven of us stood in the shallows, we quickly exchanged ”what the heck are we doing?” glances before setting off. I don’t think that any of us will deny that the first heat was a mixture of blind panic, adrenaline and nutty confusion as to whether to tack, gybe, jump or just try something bonkers for the heck of it.

Our five minutes turned to mere seconds in the thrill of competition. In no time at all we were back on the beach, buzzing from the epic crashes and mental sea state (for once there was wind at Windfest!)

Somehow, despite the chop and big gusts coming through, we all managed to pull off a couple of moves in front of the judges – including helitacks, chop hops, carve and duck gybes and even the odd vulcan attempt. We had survived Heat 1 and lived to tell the tale!

We completed no less than three heats each day, our bodies slowly festering in our wetsuits in between sessions. By the time day two was upon us, we were trying new moves and there was a great sense of camaraderie between the ladies. Massive congratulations to Chloe who wowed the judged and was crowned 2011 queen of freestyle.

Many of us are relatively new to the UK windsurfing scene but what a great thing to be a part of. One of the best things about competing is the people you meet and the support that’s around. There is nothing better than being out there sailing alongside like-minded ladies. With each new heat, you learn something fresh and someone is always on hand to offer tips on how to finish off that move you have been going for. Girls, this is your chance to come and get involved!

Jamie Drummond

Results

Pro Men:

1. Max Rowe

2. Andy Chambers

3. Adam Sims

4. Jamie Drummond

Amateurs:

1. Ollie Acton

2. Nick Bentley

3. John Yeomans

4. Dave Williams

Ladies:

1. Chloe Goodyear
2. Emily Hall
3. Julia Slack
4. Lara Johnston

U20s

1. Alex Mitchell
2. Will White
3. Charlie Wilson

U17s

1. Nik Hibidge
2. Ollie Bradley Baker
3. Jamie Howard
4. Josh Sparks

U15s

1. Ike Bradley Baker
2. Harry Davis

Poole Slalom off Baiter Park, by Roger Turner

Ed Britnell reports from the latest windy Poole Slalom meet – more at www.ukwindsurfing.com

Thanks to those that made it down to Baiter Park on Saturday to take full advantage of the best windsurf action in Dorset over the weekend!

The wind varied between a Force 4 and 6 depending on the proximity of the large dark shower clouds, though most of the wind was a stable Force 4 to 5 thoughout each race. This was near perfect for the 6.5 to 7.5s that most people rigged… all apart from Mandy Waite that is, who put us all to shame with her early planing skills and only using a 4.7m!

I set a 6 gybe downwind slalom course on the near side of the Shipping Channel, a decision facilitated by the WSW wind which was solid right up to the car park, but also made easier because the Harbour Master was lurking around and seemed to be monitoring us … Yes, Mr Harbour Master we were good boys and girls – but I should own up that when you disappeared, about 3 or 4 of us did play chicken (by seeing who would be last to gybe) with the side of the Truckline ferry as she set sail for France! Cribby; you’re not the only one who breaks the rules….

Anyway, if William Hill had given odds of only 1-10 (ON) for a Simon Cofield victory then they would have still lost a pile of money… the real competion was for the other podium places with Simon Pettifer, Russ Hanford, Simon Langley and myself all sharing the honours in some tight racing. I thought i was going to take a bullet in the last race as the wind picked up to max out my 6.6m and with Cofield heading off to the wrong last outside mark of an adjusted course… but then annoyingly he switched on his radar and came blitzing past me from upwind… and almost simultaneously I hit a power boat wake in the worst possible manner causing my harness to explode!

All good fun.

Many thanks to Roger Turner for coming down and taking the photos, a selection will follow later today.

www.ukwindsurfing.com

Adam Sims at WIndFest 2011 – see Josh Willmot's full pic gallery here

Trevor Funnell has announced results for the Poole Windfest Event and the Overall 2011 Freestyle Tour. The full results will be up on the UKWA website – www.ukwindsurfing.com – in the next couple of days.

UKWA FREESTYLE WINDSURFING TOUR 2012.

Poole Windfest Event Results Overall Tour Results

Pro Mens Fleet. Pro Mens Fleet

1^st Max Rowe                                                            1^st Adam Sims

2^nd Andy Chambers                                                2^nd Andy Chambers

3^rd Adam Sims                                                            3^rd Max Rowe

Ladies Fleet                                                                        Ladies Fleet

1^st Chloe Goodyear                                                1^st Chloe Goodyear

2^nd Emily Hall                                                            2^nd Emily Hall

3^rd Julia Slack                                                            3^rd Julia Slack

Amateur Fleet Amateur Fleet

1^st Ollie Acton                                                            1^st Nick Bentley

2^nd Nick Bentley                                                            2^nd Ollie Acton

3^rd John Yeomans                                                3^rd Richard Van Aken

Under 20’s Fleet Under 20’s Fleet

1^st Alex Mitchell                                                            1^st Alex Mitchell

2^nd William White                                                2^nd Sam Conroy

3^rd Charles Wilson                                                3^rd William White

Under 17’s Fleet Under 17’s Fleet

1^st Nic Hibdige                                                            1^st Oscar Carmichael

2^nd Ollie Bradley baker                                                2^nd Nik Hibdige

3^rd Jamie Howard                                                3^rd Ollie Bradley baker

Under 15’s Fleet Under 15’s Fleet

1^st Ike Bradley Baker                                                1^st Ike Bradley Baker

2^nd Harry Davis                                                            2^nd Harry Davis

3^rd Finn Howard

Max Rowe, Windfest UKWA Freestyle 2011 winner

Following last weekend’s finale to the UKWA Freestyle season at Poole Windfest, we hear that Max Rowe finished first, Andy ‘Bubble’ Chambers second, and Adam Sims third. Which makes Adam Sims the 2011 UKWA Freestyle Champion, followed by Bubble and Max. More (soon?) at www.ukwindsurfing.com and www.windfest.co.uk

Meanwhile check out the first picture gallery from our man on the spot, Josh Willmot…

Partying at Windfest 2010, by Simon Crowther

The south coast’s biggest beach and watersports festival Windfest (9 -11 September) knows how to get the party started with no less than three nights of ticketed parties scheduled to follow the day’s action-packed activities.

On the Thursday 8th September, Windfest welcomes back the UK’s premier event night, DUB OPTIC, to launch this year’s festivities in dub-style. From Reggae Roots to Jungle, Drum & Bass to Dubstep – focusing on Soundsystem Culture as the pinnacle – DUB OPTIC pledges to play the new sounds of the underground against a backdrop of visual splendour in production.

This year’s Sandbanks beach-based Windfest Life and Soul Ball has been subjected to a shake-up while still retaining its groovy roots. The dress code remains unchanged with formal black tie dressed down with funky board shorts for the guys and party dresses for the girls. However, organisers are aiming to top last year’s grand total of £7000 for the charity and to have more fun while they do it!

Come and seek your fortune from the palmist or the casino, be dazzled by magicians, adorned with body art from the tattooist or massaged while drinking cocktails in the Red Bull Beach lounge, accompanied by music from the excellent Rat Pack supported by Martyn the Hat and Pazstar on the decks.

Tickets are priced at £30 with a third going directly to the charity. Individually themed booths are available for £600 which includes 10 x tickets, waitress service and a drinks package. Make the most of your booth by sharing the space with friends throughout the evening.

For the legendary Saturday night bash, revellers are invited to solve the cube at the Windfest Rubik’s Party. At the beginning of the evening party-goers will arrive dressed in all six colours of the Rubik’s cube and by the end of the night depart dressed in just one. Guests are advised not to wear anything that they want to keep…

Tickets are priced at £20 and guests who arrive before 8.30pm will receive a free raffle ticket for the chance to win a GoPro HD Camera, Maverick Slackline, Power Kite and more.

DUB OPTIC event organiser Luke Murray said: “This year you can expect some serious headline acts for the launch of the 2011 Windfest. We have to better ourselves every year we do this show, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled on www.duboptic.com and our facebook for line up and ticket info which is released very soon.”

Windfest organiser Gary Willingham said: “The Windfest parties have become so popular that over the past couple of years we have responded to that demand by putting on three nights of parties. After a hard day of competing, it gives the riders the opportunity to relax and unwind. Nowhere else will you see such a mix of locals, visitors, business people and the biggest stars in the extreme sports industry socialising together on the beach.”

For more information about this year’s Windfest, please visit www.windfest.co.uk or www.facebook.com/WindfestUK

Partying at Windfest 2010, by Simon Crowther

Racing at Poole Windfest

Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC) has come on board as a sponsor for the 2011 Windfest to support young local windsurfers and sailors.

With sailing now introduced as a new sport to the already wide portfolio of water-based and beach sports demonstrated at the annual Sandbanks event, PHC is keen to use Windfest as a route to promote safe kitesurfing, sailing and windsurfing across Poole’s waters.

Now in its 13th year, Windfest (9th-11th September) will feature a new trophy and prize fund sponsored by Poole Harbour Commissioners to be presented to the best ‘up and coming’ local young windsurfer and sailor who will receive a share of a £1000 fund.

The prize cash will help them towards their goal of becoming a professional. The winning contestants, chosen by a panel of professional judges, will put forward their suggestions as to what they need to improve for the year ahead – this could be anything from a new piece of equipment to professional coaching or dietary, heath or training advice.

Jim Stewart, chief executive of Poole Harbour Commissioners says; “We are pleased to be working with Windfest this year and to support this well established diverse showcase of water and beach sports. It is important that we encourage people to enjoy and use the Harbour safely, especially in this critical period as we fast approach the Olympics in 2012.”

www.windfest.co.uk

Francisco Goya

This weekend British windsurfers will get the chance to rub shoulders with one of the most gifted wavesailors in history as Francisco Goya visits the UK. First up, he’ll be in West Wittering  on Saturday from 10am to 1pm. There is a free Goya demo and the guys from West Wittering Windsurf Club will be firing up the BBQ from about 12.30 and providing free food for everyone. So, no excuses: meet an icon of the sport on a nice beach in decent weather, try some free gear and eat some free food. If you are likely to head to the beach, please get in touch: sales@2xs.co.uk or 01243 512552 so that the guys can buy enough sausages!

Then Cisco heads up to Essex for a demo at around 5pm at either Chalkwell or Shoebury East Beach depending on wind. SX Watersports invite you to come and try the latest 2011 boards and sails, with rigging tips from the man himself – and even a preview of some of the new 2012 Goya sails and boards. For more info contact SX Watersports at info@sxwatersports.com or phone on 01268 881244

On Sunday, Francisco Goya, will be at the Poole Windsurfing school (10th July) to run a free windsurfing equipment demo day! Poole Windsurfing pride themselves on the quality of the windsurfing equipment they use in the school.  Much of our equipment comes from Goya Windsurfing, which is owned & run by windsurfing legend & all round nice guy, Francisco Goya. From 1pm to 4pm the Goya Windsurfing crew will be down at Poole Windsurfing, showcasing all the latest boards & sails. There will be free equipment demo sessions, where you can take out Goya windsurfing equipment on the water.  Demo kit will include the 2011 ‘Just Launched’ spring collection of FXR & FXRS, plus the TEST WINNING benchmark Goya Quad and Goya One/ X1 Freestyle.  Goya windsurfing sails will include the Eclipse, Guru, Nexus and Freesurf.  If that’s not enough, ex PWA world champion Francisco Goya will be on hand to talk you through the features of the kit you are trying out!

Lots of next season’s 2012 Goya Windsurfing boards & sails will be on display. As one of the few brands in windsurfing that produce both their own boards & sails the cross-pollination is immense and translates into seamless interaction of Goya sails and boards. The photo’s here give a sneak preview of the new 2012 Goya Windsurfing equipment and you can read more about what makes these windsurf boards & windsurfing sails so great on the official Goya Windsurfing website.

Francisco Goya will also be there to give some free windsurfing clinics.  Clinics will be run on topics that are in demand on the day.  If you need help tuning your kit, cracking those carve gybes or want to learn to forward loop, he is the man who has been there & done that when it comes to anything windsurfing! Come on down to the Poole Windsurfing school to test all the latest Goya Windsurfing equipment out on the water for free & chat with the man himself, Francisco Goya!

Event: Francisco Goya Windsurfing Free Demo Day

Place: Poole Windsurfing School

Date: Sunday 10th July 2011

Time: 1pm-4pm

01202 237247 / info@poolewindsurfing.co.uk / www.poolewindsurfing.co.uk

Windfest 2010 winners, by Si Crowther

Renowned for its consistent sunshine year on year, the Windfest team are hoping the surf gods will look upon them kindly again for 2011. The annual free watersports and beach festival, held in the second weekend of September at Sandbanks, Poole is due to be another action packed event hosted this year on 9-11 September.

Wowing the crowds last year, the Red Bull Matadors return in 2011 with their three gleaming gravity-defending planes. Tricks and turns with smoke trails and growling engines bring the event to its peak on Sunday afternoon.

Sponsored by Breeze Volkswagen, FCWatersports, and Fruit, the many sports represented include windsurfing, kitesurfing, paddleboarding, wakeboarding, skateboarding, slacklining, sailing, Frisbee, volleyball, surf ski and sea swimming. Many of these sports will be represented competitively by UK and International professionals and amateurs throughout the weekend and, where possible, free demo or trial sessions will be made available to the visiting public.

With plenty of showing off on the water there is also lots to see and do on dry land. The beach and promenade becomes a showcase of all things relevant to the watersports and beach community, including a Kids Zone to keep the juniors entertained. A dedicated marquee will provide activities, face painting, colouring and even acoustic live music for young families.

UKWA British freestyle returns to showcase some of the UK’s best windsurfers, battling it out to be crowned the champion of this year’s event. The RYA Team 15’s is an opportunity for young people to compete for the South Zone interclub championships, while the ‘Master Blaster’ is fun racing open to anyone who simply wants to have a go!

The usual popular evening events are also ready to go; Friday night’s more formal ‘black tie and board shorts’ charity ball will once again raise money for the Richie Keefe Life and Soul Trust amongst other charities. The Saturday night legendary party will feature the usual selection of live bands, DJ’s, silent disco, and beach bars for the full sandy feet effect.

Gary Willingham, event organiser, says: “As each year goes by we try to up our game and this year is no exception! Windfest has become so established in the annual calendar that we always aim to bring something new to the mix, whilst maintaining its free status making it accessible to all. We’d like to see even more visitors have a go at something this year and perhaps try a sport for the first time or reconnect with an old hobby – there will be lots of free opportunities for them to do so. The hope is they might get hooked!”

Google Windfest for the website and images from past events. The website includes entry forms for competitors and latest news about evening party tickets. Also follow Windfest on Twitter and Facebook for daily updates. Or just click here!

Dinsmore, Pettifer and Clark in action at Baiter Park

As ever Poole Slalomers showed their perseverance and adaptability by making the most of the changeable conditions at Baiter Park on the evening of Thursday 26 May 2011. Ed Britnell reports…

On arrival, with the wind fairly easy to gauge and still westerly, most people chose to rig 7.0′s to 7.8′s…. Only then to find that by the time they got on the water, the wind had shifted to the north a bit and it was also ABSOLUTELY HOWLING, especially over the other side towards Brownsea Island…. tail walking and slammings were common place and it was truly brutal!

On the plus side though, this did enable me to lay a simple downwind slalom course close to shore at Baiter because it was still windy enough even in this relatively sheltered zone. We managed to hold two races here using a very approximate starting order which ensured all involved had a fair crack of the whip…. Jim Crossley and Chris Martin both sailed well, working their way through the field to pick up some podium places. Also making an immediate impression (although not necessarily for the right reasons) was relative Poole Slalom newcomer Chris Beng, as he managed to take me out BIG STYLE at the first start, luckily no harm was done and it was graciously received… that was until the second race where he proceeded to take me out AGAIN at one of the gybe marks, and with such military precision that it left me wandering if he was on Cribby’s pay role!…. Talking of whom, needless to say was gybing almost flawlessly, staying on the plane round the corners more than anyone else and came away with a couple of bullets. The other hot favourite James Dinsmore (recently 3rd in Weymouth BSA) finished 2nd in the second race. For his first race though, perhaps even he might admit he extended his nationwide renowned “gentlemanly conduct” a bit too far, as he was still waiting patiently on the start line when Chris and i had surfaced from our dunking!

After the second race the wind eased and had swung further round to the north west, so it became obvious we needed to move the course. After a bit of reccy work from myself, for the third race we headed off to Brownsea Island for the longest leg and race of the evening. And were it not for one of the most basic and cardinal of errors from Messrs Cribb and Dinsmore, i’d now be reporting a Cribb clean sweep. As it was though, they had become so engrossed with their duelling that they completely forgot to concentrate on the sailing instructions and sailed the wrong course! That’s right, it happens to the best, and the only two sailors to whom all the rules actually applied totally fluffed it, and in the process handed me a first place – thanks chaps! …. I always thought that Cribby was prone to leading people astray, but for it to happen to someone as straight laced as James, i’m truly in shock! … and what a golden opportunity for him to put the pressure back on Cribb just thrown away, doh!

For the fourth and final race, the wind started jacking up once again and i wandered if it had been such a good idea to lift my boom up after all…. Anyway, it was business as usual with a Cribb and Dinsmore 1st and 2nd, but this time with Jim Crossley and Simon Pettifer hot on their heels in 3rd and 4th.

A big mention should also go out to Brendan Gould, Nick Shuttleworth and Roddy Cooper and everyone else who was there from start to finish and illustrated exactly what Poole Slalom is about… enthusiasm, determination, steady improvement and having fun…. Its quite incredible what the average sailor can actually learn by watching the likes of Cribb and Dinsmore gybe right in front of you… i mean – you can read all the magazine articles and watch all the videos you want, but nothing actually compares to being there and seeing all the little movements for yourself.

I’ve attached what i think is the best picture to illustrate just how windy it was early on, the star being Chris Martin…. although i can’t work out if he is holding his hands up in total surrender to the conditions, or he’s waving “bye bye” to his kit because he loves it so much!

Please find the rest of the pictures from the session here – thanks again to Paul Beames: www.beames.info/poole-slalom-26th-may-2011/

Chris Martin wipe-out

Poole Slalom 2011 - round 1

Fred Willis reports from the first Poole Slalom session of the year, Saturday 14th May . The 2011 plans are for Thursday evening or Saturdays with an email circulating to keep the ‘slalomites’ informed.

This week saw a NW wind forecast for Poole Harbour so it was decided to compete at Baiter Park in Poole Harbour. Mid afternoon saw the tide start racing in so we had a good 15 people turn up armed with sails from 6.5 to 9.5 and charge across to Brownsea Island and back. Over the 2 hour period the fleet managed 22 nautical miles with a 3 buoy downwind course.

Standout performances from Simon Cofield who makes sailing a 145 board with 9.0 in overpowered conditions look easy. However, when underpowered he still maintain a devastating turn of speed. For the rest of us it was a mixed bag. Simon Pettifer was on his new 9.5 Simmer race sail and found it a touch big but still turned out a consisted performance. Jono Clarke-Storey was coming in consistently 4th or 5th until a lack of fitness saw him not able to hold onto the board. Alex was as usual turning in a great performance on his Exocet and Naish from a few years ago but showing us all that talent outweighs the age of your kit!!!

It was also great to see some new faces with SWA’s Chris Beng coming along with several new face. Sorry that I didn’t get your names but spread the word.

The incoming tide caused a bit of havoc as it strengthened. Not only did it make the wind in the shipping channel two forces stronger and anyone with 9.5’s go out of control, it also meant that if you fell off in a gybe you got washed under the shipping channel buoy. This happened to me when I tried to be clever and cut the mark too tight. Also, one of our colleagues fell in the wind shadow created by a moored boat just after the first gybe. Pinned against the side he did a good job of escaping without any damage but it was a lesson to be learned by us all.

The next Poole Slalom is scheduled for Thursday 19th May. Sign up at ukwindsurfing.com/information/clubs/poole-slalom and you’ll be kept informed. Please note that we ask participants to be members of the UKWA for insurance reasons.

Oscar Carmichael at Animal WindFest 2010

The organisers of the south coast’s biggest annual action sports event, Animal Windfest, are pleased to announce that Red Bull has pledged its continued support in 2011. Flying high on the success of their involvement in the September event, Red Bull has come onboard for the second year running almost immediately.

Last month over 10,000 visitors descended on Sandbanks Beach to watch, take part or party at the UK’s only free daytime beach sports festival, with three nights of ticketed parties.  Now heading into its 13^th year, the 2011 Animal Windfest is confirmed to take place over 9^th-11^th September and set to host all the favourite features from this year and more.

Organiser, Gary Willingham said: ‘We are delighted Red Bull have already pledged their support for Windfest 2011 on the back of September’s successful event. Working with such credible companies as Animal and Red Bull gives Windfest every opportunity to push the boundaries even further into the next 13 years.”

“We will be announcing the exact elements that Red Bull will be bringing to the event early next year, but we can assure Windfest fans we are currently working on cramming an even more action packed calendar of extreme features into the one weekend to blow you away and draw in an even wider audience.”

For more information on all aspects of the event go to www.animalwindfest.co.uk

Oscar Carmichael e-slider

With the pro freestylers back in the country things were looking good for a great and competitive weekend with Animal putting up prizes for the prestigious UKWA National Freestyle Championship 2010.

Adam Sims tow-in

Timo Mullen kicked things off on Friday with some heats on the harbour side; falling tides, wind and sun cut things short but some sick freestyle was there to be seen and it was a great way for everybody to catch up and warm up.

Pro podium

Early on Saturday Trevor Funnell had everything set up ready for a solid session of pro and amateur competitions, with a good turnout of sailors for each category.  Conditions were improving with the wind coming in from the west, consistent enough for a set of heats for both the pro and amateur fleets.  It was great to see the pros effortlessly producing huge moves and giving all us amateurs something to aspire to!  …. And then came the huge Saturday night party with live music… with some more big moves being produced ….but this time on the dance floor … great night!

Junior podium

Sunday saw the wind shift to the NW, just not quite enough to get planing.  What were a revelling crowd of pumped up freestylers to do?  Trevor spoke to the Windfest organisers and they laid on two Red Bull jet skis to run a fully powered and planing tow in freestyle event!!  Thanks Animal!!  There were some epic wipe outs as everybody strove to pull off the move of the day.   While the Red Bull Aerobatics team put on a breathtaking show above us, Max Rowe took the tow in title on the water with a sick no-handed flaka.

Youth podium

Windfest lived up to its reputation and was a great weekend all round.  A very big thank you goes out to the organisers of Animal Windfest for hosting this event and providing the backdrop for the UKWA British National Freestyle Championships and to Duncan Coombes of the PWA and all other who helped judge.   Additionally, a huge thank you to Trevor and Linda Funnell who have put in endless effort this year running the freestyle tour, having made it made it what it should be, fun!

The results ….

Pro Fleet:

1st: Andy “Bubble” Chambers.K540, JP, Neil Pryde

2^nd: Max Rowe.K448, Simmer, Mistral

3^rd: Adam Simms.K669, RRD

4^th: Sam Neal.K31, JP, Neil Pryde

Amateur Fleet

1^st. Sam Ross

2^nd. Kieren Roan

3^rd. Nick Bentley

1^st Lady. Maeli Cherel

Youth Fleet:

1^st: Alex Mitchell. North Fanatic

2^nd: Sam Conroy. XO sails

3^rd:Glen Sullivan

Junior Fleet:

1^st: Oscar Carmichael.K668, RRD

2^nd:Charlie Jones

3^rd:Nic Hibdige GBR700.