Winning Team Hythe Hotshots Boards Magazine sponsored team         Hotshots hit their target again

Local youth windsurfing legends, the Hythe Hotshots, took the South East by storm again this weekend  (Sunday 1st June) when they obliterated competition from some of the region's most talented young windsurfing teams at the second heat of the RYA's Team15 (T15) National Windsurfing Championship.

Having won the first heat of the competition last month by just one point, the Hotshots who train at Hythe and Saltwood Sailing Club, where determined to claim a more convincing win this time and posted some impressive results. 

Racing was split into five sail size classes, 3.5m, 4.5m, 5.5m, 6.8m and 6.8m Techno. The largest class, the 3.5m's, saw a tight contest between the top three sailors with two Hotshots, Zara Petts and Guy Carney tussling with Eastbourne's Spray Sprite Jamie Howard, sailing at his first ever T15 event. It was Guy who pushed ahead winning four of the seven races contested, claiming individual honours and class victory for the Hotshots. It came down to a tie-break on points for second place and Jamie just lost out to Zara who posted one more first place than him securing second place.

The 4.5m class was owned by Hotshot Dani Conroy who totally dominated the water winning every race she sailed. Team mate Phillipa Hemphrey came in behind with a similarly flawless performance posting seconds in every race.

Despite being the only Spray Sprite in the class and a newcomer to T15, 15 year old Charlie Holman gave experienced Hotshot Alex Barry a bit of a shake up in the 5.5m class. Cashing in on Alex's slow starts Charlie took the first two wins but after lunch Alex retaliated and took the next two wins. Trading first places race by race thereafter class honours eventually fell down to the last race which Charlie won securing the Sprites' only class victory of the event.

Both the 6.8m and 6.8m Techno classes were won by Hotshots; Jamie Farnes in the 6.8m class and Sam Conroy in the 6.8m Techno. Sam, older brother of Dani Conroy, battled for honours against team mates Thomas Addison and Conor Wells in the top three places respectively and claimed the reaming class victory along with event victory for the Hotshots.

Sunday's event was the second of four regional heats taking place in the south east this summer. It was great to see a new team at the event - so welcome to the Spray Sprites and many thanks for hosting the event. We look forward to seeing even larger teams at the next T15 event in the south east, which takes place on Sunday 22 June.