Event 1
Carsington Watersports Centre
Saturday 21 May 2005
 
 
Record turnout for Carsington as they take on the best of the Midlands!
Carsington again hosted a great event on Saturday 21st May. It was the first round of the newly formed Midlands region team15 inter club challenge series and 41 entrants were fired up for action. With many new clubs hard at work developing teams, it was left to the old rivals Carsington Force XV to take on current series holders, the Bosworth Bullets (sponsored by Neilson) and the rapidly expanding Rutland Rockets team (sponsored by Bic Sport).

With the added incentive of competing in the T15 Zone Champions Cup at the end of the season, competition was intense from the first race. Unlike last season, it wasn't so easy to predict the winning team. However, Carsington looked like the favourites due to their fine winter training schedule and top coaching from Simon and Phoebe.

It was excellent to see so many new faces appearing on the start line. Congratulations need to go out to the Carsington club who have worked really hard to boost numbers. Word is getting round about their high quality staff and facilities and many windsurfers are flocking in from the valleys. The wind is also there every Sunday without fail for training. With many sailors advancing onto regional and national racing, there is plenty of opportunity for new or advancing sailors to succeed in team15.

The 3.5 metre fleet consisted entirely of girls, which has to be a first in team15, whilst old rivals were reacquainted in the other fleets. The newcomers were raced off the beach, persuaded out onto the water with promises of sweets, chocolate and ice cream. All sailors were given a challenging course to complete; Woodsie and Simon expressed concern that not all sailors would make it round. However, our nerves were soon settled when all fleets started flying round the course within 15 minutes. Furthermore all sailors spotted the starboard bias. What a start to the season!

The sailor showing the biggest improvement of the morning was Hannah Widish, who went from bottom of the 3.5m fleet right to the top by the end of the third race! We really thought Hannah would be racing in the international fleet by teatime! Well done to Olivia Fleming and Eve Turner for finishing 1st and 2nd.

Carsington's Kieran Martin set the 4.5m fleet alight. He had stunned everyone last weekend by gallantly taking on the UK's best in the inland series, sailing superbly in 25 knot winds. Today Kieran narrowed the gap on the top two competitors all day long, gunning each one down with his high level of fitness. He also sailed the course between races to make sure his tactics were correct. One tactic was to persuade Henry Jones it was lunch, get him a burger and clear off back to the racing leaving Henry blissfully unaware of race 4 about to start.

Well done to Zac King for seven bullets in a row. Happiest sailor in the 4.5m fleet went to Thomas Beddoes. Tom was so chilled out all day, always sailing with a smile. (It does make you go faster!)

Family rivalry got too much for the Yeates brothers. "The 5.5m fleet ain't big enough for the both of us," shouted Matthew as he rounded the gybe mark. At this point Jono sheeted in hard and took Matthew on the inside, only to cause the wipeout of the day. Jono went in for lunch with his tail between his legs, but was soon enjoying the BBQ, operated by Carsington’s barbeque instructor Sarah Barrett.

Check out the full results to see how it all went. As usual, Boardwise provided some excellent prizes and continued to show commitment to Midlands windsurfing. Big thanks to them, as well as our individual team sponsors Neilson, Tushingham and Bic Sport.

Winning team

Report & results by Chris Wood (T15 CO - Midlands Zone)
chris.wood78@virgin.net 
 

We are the Champions!
West Kirby Warriors
T15 Champions 2008

Congratulations!

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Team15
Coach Courses


T15 Coach-Red courses
will now be known as
Racing Instructor Courses
 T15 Coach-Freestyle courses
will change to T15 Freestyle Coach!  

For information
(previous courses in 2008)

Mount Batten Centre - Plymouth
Course type: Racing Instructor
Weekend course: 27/28 September 2008
Closing date: 5 September
Cancelled: lack of candidates

Lakes Leisure - Windermere
Course type: Racing Instructor
Weekend course: 30/31 August 2008
Closing date: 15 August
Fully booked

James Hamilton Heritage Park - Glasgow
Course type: Racing Instructor
Weekend course: 30/31 August 2008
Closing date: 15 August
Cancelled: lack of candidates

Gwent Adventures - Wales
Course type: Racing Instructor
Weekend course: 9/10 August 2008
Closing date: 25 July
5 candidates on course


Grafham Water Centre - Cambridgeshire
Course type: Racing Instructor
Weekend course: 5/6 July 2008
Closing date: 30 June
Spaces available
6 candidates on course

Wimbleball Lake - Somerset
Course type: Racing Instructor
Midweek course: 3/4 July 2008
Closing date: 30 June
4 candidates on course


Roadford Lake - Okehampton
Course type: Racing Instructor
Midweek Course: 4/5 June 2008
Organised by South West Lakes Trust
Fully booked


Carsington Watersports - Derbyshire
Course type: Freestyle
Weekend Course: 3/4 May 2008
Fully booked


Carsington Watersports - Derbyshire
Course type: Racing Instructor
Midweek Course: 1/2 May 2008
6 candidates on course


Mountbatten Centre - Plymouth
Course type: Racing Instructor
Weekend Course: 12/13 April 2008
Cancelled: lack of candidates

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