Event 3
Venue: Hythe & Saltwood S.C., Kent
Date: 9 July 2006

The Hythe event is aimed at giving T15 their first taster of open ocean windsurfing. Usually you would expect July to provide a calm hot day, with perhaps a slight seabreeze. It is the perfect time for Hythe and Saltwood sailing club to host the 3^rd event of the year.

Prior to the event, the forecast looked ominous to say the least. If it was a wave event, then the competitors would be very excited, but if you were only at your ever 3^rd event and you saw a great big low pressure about to sweep the UK, you might start quaking in your wetsuit boots.

Rest assured, the CO, Clyde Waite turned up to howling winds, big seas and to find all competitors drinking tea and hiding in the club house from the rain and near gale winds. From the start Clyde was not keen on cancelling the event. Several discussions between Clyde and Mark Brooks, and a nearby pond based sailing club gave us a small window of opportunity to fit some racing inbetween their club racing.

That was when the whole race was on, with Swiss Army like precision, we gathered in convoy, RIBS and all with Walter Hurrell at the lead to find the smallest lake in the world. Approaching the lake we saw assymetric dinghys pitchpoling in the gusts. Even at the lake it didn’t look easy.

There was no time for flags, whiteboards, and tea. Everyone rallied round to get kit rigged up as quickly as possible. The call was for the smallest sails. As sails don’t really get smaller than 3.5, the 3.5 had to put up with. The plan was to try one race, get a result, test the water and see what the feeling was.

Sam Latham of the 6.8 fleet set to the test the water, to applause from the beach his techno reared up in a gust as if on a hydrofoil. His skill kept it down as he careered across the lake to the gybe mark, just then a gust hit him full strength – catapult. He was up and racing at full speed back to the beach with a big grin on his face. The rest of the fleet couldn’t wait to get out there – we were on.



1^st up were the 3.5 class and 4.5 class. Never have they been so quiet as they waited at the start line. Their race was purely to get round the mini head land and to the finish beach. It was real hold on and hold on. Clyde tried to coordinate the starts with lulls. Once up and running they were going in all directions. Thomas Addison, who is slightly bigger than the others surprised himself very well by admirably coping with the conditions. Both Fredo Edwards and Roland Sims all managed a first each. The overall positions were very close for these competitors. Dani Conroy put in an exceptional performance, as well as looking after all the dogs, running the startline, she also got a second in the last race. Conor Wells, missed the last race due to cutting his knee, but he still found time to go for a blast on the lake! Arthur Plant was the instigator of further racing – they all wanted more!

The 4.5 race had less competitors, the racing was equally hard. Sam Conroy coped with the conditions in the most stylish way. Happily planing to the buoy and back. Jessica Plant deserves special mention, she got hit by a massive gust, you could see that some of her wanted to give up, but most of her didn’t. She got to the buoy and somehow heard shouts from the beach, to get low and get further back on the board. This she did, and consquently ended up going the fastest she has been, planing right off the fin. The only thing was how to stop, well I think we can say that the finish line on the beach helped there! Well done Jess!

The 5.5 and 6.8 fleets were set a much larger course. A figure of 8 slalom across the wind. The racing was fast and exciting. Glen Sullivan from Danson Park tried his luck on a slalom board, but the wind was too gusty so he got lent a board. The course was certainly to the liking of the Techno boards, and even more to the liking of Sam Latham. Sam won every race bar one, those honours go to Claudia Carney. Claudia showed us who the girls from the boys were as she completed the course with every bit of speed and skill that they had. The fight for second place was between her and Will Lama. They even finished the 5 races on even points. Will just clinching the overall because of a better last race. Jack Brooks won the open fleet and young Stuart Hards and Glen had real battle against each other, Stu just edging it on the last race. All from Hythe Hotshots – the team prize was certainly in their reach!

After 5 races it was back to the sailing club for afternoon tea and some prizegiving. It would have been prompt had Clyde Waite and Mark Brooks, the event organisers, hadn’t err, gone for a quick sail on the sea. Tsk Tsk.  Hythe Hotshots once again proved what a force they are, by taking the team trophy.

Still what a weekend and experience for all…

Team Winners
Hythe Hotshots

We are the Champions!
West Kirby Warriors
T15 Champions 2008

Congratulations!

-- | --

Free National Sail Number
Make race scoring easy
& obtain your unique number.
It's yours for life
& a free benefit of RYA membership

Contact
tzaneen.mears@rya.org.uk
to be allocated your official number.

Once you have the number
the actual sticky-back digits
can be ordered from
UKWA

-- | --

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

-- | --

ADOPT-A-BEACH