Welcome to team15. A nationwide network of clubs where the coolest windsurfers aged 15 and under get together every week to have a great time and learn new skills.
Event 2
Venue: Oxford S.C., Farmoor
Date: 9 June 2007
Old habits are hard to break
The second south zone inter club event was held at Farmoor Reservoir in the green surroundings of the Oxfordshire countryside. A wonderful venue with great sailing, excellent facilities and ever welcoming staff. It’s also pretty famous for never having wind, especially when it comes to team 15 events! And sure enough, not wanting to break the habit of a lifetime Farmoor once again pulled off a near perfect impression of a mirror-flat calm with not a breath of pressure to be seen anywhere.
Very sunny and hot with no wind-exactly what you don’t want to see as a team 15 event co-ordinator, nor for that matter a travelling competitor or team coach. The prospect of freestyle, quiz’s and paddle races, although fun, are not the best way to award the highly sort after team 15 trophies.
Development opportunity
The team 15 event was to run alongside the UKWA’s Inland series event at the same time, this provided a great opportunity for team 15er’s to try the next step in their windsurfing development –a two day event and take part on the national tour! Team 15 results would be extrapolated for the Saturday prize giving but those staying for two days would take these results forward to Sunday and the national tour prize, so-giving double prizes and a national ranking for all! The UkWA Inland series is a tour of events that go to a number of different “lake or reservoir” locations around the UKWA, the events include a junior course just like team 15 which gives all team 15er’s to try out “touring” and travelling around the country on the national tour but staying with the same race formats they are used at inter club level.
Where is the wind?
Briefing was early, but it was clear that no racing would be taking place for some time with the wind continuing to not show up. So paddle race it was, hastily arranged, with teams choosing their weapons of choice-an inspired choice by Mo Guy of Poole meant that Poole’s academy all stars turned up to the start line with a custom surf board. Mo’s thinking was that this lightweight streamlined weapon would propel the all stars to a glorious victory, but Mo neglected to realise that the weapon not only needed to be quick but it also, and this is somewhat fundamental, needed to float-which this surfboard did not.
A tight race ensued between Farmoor and Queen Mary with Queen Mary being awarded the result following a number of infringements carried out by team “super keen” Farmoor! Still no wind, so the next challenge was to get as many team members on a Hi-Fly Revo as possible, the Revo being a huge floaty danger to shipping that is used for teaching beginners or in Farmoor’s case to race to many an event victory. It was Farmoor’s familiarity with this board that helped them to achieve a feat probably never seen before or never to be seen again for that matter as they piled 12 sailors onto the Revo and actually sank the board to the bottom of the reservoir, with them still standing on it! Quite an achievement.There it is!
And then the wind briefly showed up! A box course was quickly arranged and the fleets were sent out to the start line, hoping to get a race in before the wind disappeared again. The countdown began and the fleets left the line to do battle around the course. After much pumping, a little bit of paddling and a fair degree of self rescue we had some results!
However the 3.5m fleet and the 4.5m fleet still needed another race as only 2 people actually scored a result. With time running out a short and simple across the wind drag race course was set in front of the assembled crowd, gathered on the concrete banks of the reservoir. After the three minute count down a mad dash ensued with sailors and teams charging towards the finish line, barely 20 mins away across the wind. I say mad dash but the reality was that no one really moved, in fact the 20 metre mad dash took just as long as the earlier course race, and it would also be fair to say that that some of the 3.5m sailors required a little bit of extra boat propulsion to get them to the finish line! None the less the results were collected and prize giving was hastily arranged.
Results
Results The winning team was Farmoor. Their home advantage paid, with numbers and performances helping them to take their second event victory in a row. With two wins under their belt, they’ve already gone a long way to booking their place at the champion’s cup for a second year in a row. With two events left to go a serious challenge from the rival clubs will need to be mounted to foil Farmoors march to another series win. Who can emerge to challenge? Can Queen Mary take advantage of home advantage at the next event re discover the winning formula that saw them win the series 2 years ago? Will Phil’s army from Poole finally come good with the lucky breaks they so often miss out on? We shall go to Queen Mary and find out!
We are the Champions!
West Kirby Warriors
T15 Champions 2008
Congratulations!
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& obtain your unique number.
It's yours for life
& a free benefit of RYA membership
Contact
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to be allocated your official number.
Once you have the number
the actual sticky-back digits
can be ordered from
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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!
Check below for course dates.
Have you registered yet?
Click here for pre-requisites.
Courses are currenlty being
organised by RDOs.
More dates soon.
If your T15 club
can get together 4 instructors
we can run a
course at your club!
Contact:
gina.lindholm@rya.org.uk
(scroll down for other courses you have missed)
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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ADOPT-A-BEACH
The Green Blue is an environmental awareness initiative by the British Marine Federation and the Royal Yachting Association. One of its aims is to educate and promote the sustainable use of coastal and inland waters by watersports participants.
Some of the initiatives have a relevance to windsurfers - especially in achieving cleaner seas and beaches.
Adopt-a-Beach is definitely relevant to T15ers, which is a Marine Conservation Society project supported by the Green Blue.
Check out what parts of the Green Blue are relevant to you