06 Report compiled By Steven Kennedy (Beach Master Windsurfing)
STEVEN KENNEDY (Stefano) reports on the Scottish Windsurfing Festival, Troon North beach, September 9th and 10th 2006.
You plan well ahead, but you can’t know just what the wind Gods will throw at you. And anyway, the different dudes are looking for different conditions. Barassie beach, or North beach as known to the locals is one half of Troon’s most popular and frequented wind and kite spots in the south west of Scotland. The other half is South beach (doh!) It’s a coastal spot home to an aging nucleus of hardcore wave sailors, (the current holder of the Tiree wave Master Title lives here), so too does the Tiree wave junior champion of ’05. More importantly Troon is spiritual home of the many windsurfers of varying abilities that pack their kit on the roof of the car and drive from all over central Scotland for a great day sailing at the coast. And remembering that the Scottish windsurfing festival was also being aimed at the Inland club sailors and in particular T15. Maybe, just maybe, there will be something for everyone.
Right here, Right now. Its Troon north beach, a large expanse of a shallow sandy bay that just weeks before had hosted the inaugural British Kite surfing Assoc Scottish grand-prix…where funnily enough the local boys competing with the best of British took two of the top five places in the amateur fleet…one was a Master, the other was that junior tiree wave champion. (There must be something in the water in Troon and I don’t mean fluoride!!!)
The sea is calm, the water glassy, Saturday morning the setting up having been undertaken on the Friday.
If the wind isn’t gonna play ball, then the sun has got his hat on: it’s a scorcher and the windsurf boys and girls are oiling up, still early and a warmth of expectation ripples with the incoming tide.
My task as Beachmaster was primarily to run the water based activities over the two days with help on the beach from fellow Beachmaster John Hill and the judging team Danny (the Bear), Ben Kennedy and Kate Bird, Out on the water Leanne Fisher and Cyril Dowson organised there safety teams. A special thanks to Jane Scott in the RYA tent for tips and advice.
Events planned but not promised:
- Slalom racing
- Course racing
- Supercross
- Freestylin’
- GO FAST Beach 2 beach
- GO FAST Speed trials
- T 15
The race base was my nice blue van sited prominently on the low dunes. I was issued with two handheld radios, one to keep in touch with the safety boats on the water, the other for shore based communication.
The cost of entry to the event had been kept especially low, and included free camping in a secure area and entry into the Beer tent for the Saturday night party (live band and DJs).
It was hoped to attract as many participants as possible from the varied Scottish windsurfing scene, with RYA Scotland putting the word around the clubs and instructors.
In the end, from my position of race organiser, the number of entrants was counted in the dozens rather than scores which made it easier to set in motion, but was disappointing from an event perspective.
However there is no doubt in my mind that the almost complete lack of wind was the main factor influencing the entries.
Similarly, the lack of wind certainly curtailed the race programme. Though by no means did it suppress the enthusiasm of the participants. This was, after all, a fun event……and I’ve yet to meet a bunch of windsurfers who lack in the ‘fun department’.
T15, downwind slalom, course races, Speed trials, and non-planing supercross with obligatory fun freestyle all produced results, much of which were enjoyed by the many day visitors turned spectators. As too was the impromptu wakeboarding session on the Saturday evening on the mirror flat water!
Arguably that same lack of wind, combined with the warm sunny weather, contributed to what was a great success for the event organisers, as the crowds over the two days must have been bigger than anything seen before on Barassie beach.
So many locals and visitors commented to me over the two days that the spectacle was ‘fantastic’, ‘excellent’, ‘great to watch’. I was so proud to be involved my head almost wouldn’t fit between the double doors of my van!!!
By being so heavily involved on the beach the downside for me was that I didn’t get enough time to mingle, especially with many of the sponsors. I did however grab a few shandies with the GO FAST guys Chris and Anita later in the beer tent and I managed to catch up with Starboards’ Martin Francis (aka Gopher), who must’ve been the busiest dude all weekend going by the number of demo boards out on the water. John Blackwood from Sailrepair had brought down JP kit which also drew a lot of attention. The conditions for the Sport Scotland instructor crew (Alex and Debs) taster sessions with the kit from Cumbrae were perfect and they, like Gopher, had a pretty fully booked weekend. Unfortunately I missed a blast on the blokarts, and was gutted not to try the free kite flying provided by the two local Watersports stores, Extreme Zone (who can supply F2, Fanatic, and Mistral kit) and Windthings (specialising in Kite equipment).
On the up side I thoroughly enjoyed liaising with the video/photographer Scott and his crew who were keen to question me as to what may or may not happen during any particular discipline to allow them to set up their equipment in readiness.
The Marquee (or beer tent) hosted the entertainment for the Saturday evening with live music from Sirkus followed by funky sounds from the DJs Stu and Hammy.
At midnight the official party ended, time for the unofficial groove to start…….
And my understanding was that the sound system in the blue van was put thru its’ paces (that was Kennedy the younger, I was already tucked-up in bed, honest).
Sunday
On the Sunday afternoon the crowds were entertained by a simulated rescue by the search and rescue sea-king helicopter based at nearby HMS Gannet (which we all know isn’t a ship, but a Navy base next to Prestwick Airport......that’s where we get our XC weather reading from).
The event was wrapped up with a small prize giving ceremony at the RYA stand, with the competitors, organisers, sponsors, helpers and officials, friends families and spectators that together had made the event a success, with everyone hoping that the Scottish windsurfing festival would be a firm fixture in next year’s calendar.
Results and Winners Pics
T15 overallPrizes donated by LOMO Watersports
1st - Jordan O'Hara
2nd - Stephanie Stewart
3rd - Amy Kenmuir
Prizes donated by Scotia Consultants
1st - John Meek
2nd - Alasdair(sorry didnt get your full name)
3rd - Iain Bloomfield
Go-Fast Speed Challenge
1st - John Meek (20mph)
2nd - Chris Dowson (16mph)
Richard Whitson
Gregg Miller
Expression Session
Prizes donated by Tiso
1st - Iain Bloomfield
2nd - John Meek
3rd - Richard Whitson
