The Whitwell, Rutland Inland Windsurfing Regatta, UK turned on fantastic conditions this weekend for the 125 competitors that travelled from near and far to compete in Techno293, Raceboard, RS:X, Kona and Formula classes. 8 races including the marathon constituted a memorable series that will be remembered as one of the biggest windsurf racing events seen in the UK for some time, where so many age groups, divisions and sailors with diverse abilities gathered for one purpose, to race in the sport they love….windsurfing.
With winds ranging from 6-15knots, the gusty and sometimes shifty conditions made for interesting racing sifting out the skilled from the lucky, the fast from the experienced. Not only was the racing spectacular but the onshore activities were enjoyed by all. A few highlight moments were human fuzeball, and the dunking of Richard Jones in the lake for his 18th birthday resulted in the raising of an extra 110 Pounds for the NCH charity on top of the 2500 Pounds already raised from the Marathon.
The newly released Formula Windsurfing One Design kit was showcased by Allison Shreeve over the weekend. Her results of 1st Lady, 3rd in the more than 100 strong Marathon, 3rd Overall in the mixed fleet after 8 races, and 2nd in the Open Formula goes to prove that the new gear is very competitive with standard Formula equipment. “It was obvious that the FWOD equipment was the earliest planing board on the water and that it was very competitive with the Open Formula fleet” reported Allison. There was a lot of interest and excitement amongst competitors, parents, coaches and spectators alike at the prospect of a new Formula One Design kit being proposed for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Allison will now head to Christchurch for the British Open next weekend where the Formula One Design equipment will be showcased, before heading to Sopot, Poland for the next Formula windsurfing Grand Prix.
