Breeze on for Midlands & North windsurfers at BYS Regional Junior Championships
Young windsurfers from across the Midlands and North were tested by full on windy conditions at their BYS Regional Junior Championships at Glossop Sailing Club.
With up to 20-25 knots of breeze blasting down Torside Reservoir in the Derbyshire Peak District, the event proved to be a test of skills and determination for the 38 entrants.
The event on Saturday 11 June 2022 was one of four British Youth Sailing (BYS) Windsurfing Regional Junior Championships taking place simultaneously around the country.
At Glossop SC for windsurfers from the RYA Midlands, North East and North West regions, the event provided a combination of coaching and competition to make the most of the conditions and create a fantastic environment for all ages and abilities.
Windsurfing coach Cam Coghill ran a training session in the morning and then gave a masterclass demonstration for the young windsurfers during a break for lunchtime.
The breeze then picked up even more for the afternoon which saw a separate course for the main fleet, ongoing support for the less experienced, and more OnBoard activities for those relatively new to windsurfing, who enjoyed practising beach starts and playing games close to the shore.
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Tim Hall, Regional Performance Manager for the Midlands, said: “The sailors were all superb and showed lots of determination in the very windy conditions. Racing was certainly not the main event for many of our participants but it was all about getting involved, having fun and gaining from the experience.
“There was a great feel to the event with music on site and lots of happy sailors and parents enjoying a fantastic day on and off the water. A big thank you goes to Glossop Sailing Club for their brilliant support in helping us to run the championship, with a special mention for Viki Packman and Tim Snellgrove, and the amazing cake and catering from the galley team!”
The club retaining the title for the most entries this year was Midland Sailing Club with 12 windsurfers and home club Glossop was a close second having entered a team of 11. Other clubs represented included Kielder Water SC, Burton SC, West Kirby Warriors, North Lincolnshire & Humberside Sailing and Debdale Outdoor Centre.
The overall winners in the racing fleets were: Bic Techno 6.8: 1st Adam Hoey (Kielder Water); Bic Techno 7.8: Oliver Cooper (West Kirby Warriors); Windsurfer 4.5: Phoebe Gay (Burton); Windsurfer 5.8: Jessica Perrin (Glossop Gladiators). The full list of results can be found here.
Chris Blackburn, RYA Regional Performance Manager for the North, added: “On what was a challenging day at Glossop, without exception the sailors excelled. Maximum effort was required, and with the determination the sailors put into the day, they all came off the water with big smiles on their faces, having experienced and mastered some strong wind and gusty conditions. A huge well done to all of the sailors who took part!”
Aspiring windsurfers across the Midlands and North regions are now invited to apply for the 2022-23 Regional Training Groups, which bring together young sailors for six weekends of on-water coaching plus off-water workshops to develop their racing skills.
Applications for the 2022-23 Regional Training Groups are open and will close on 11 September 2022. Find out more about RYA Regional Training Groups and how to apply here.
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