Last race for the year, and Tiree Wave Classic

Oct 30, 2016
3 min read

First up, earlier this month I competed in the last event of the UKWA National Championship Series for course racing. Unfortunately I was not in the running for the national title this year, having missed two events earlier this season. However, I was excited to use the Severne Raceboard 9.5 after good first impressions in 12-25 knots. Stokes Bay offered a real test, with very strong tides coupled with an incredibly shifty and gusty offshore wind between 4 and 14 knots. I got my tactics pretty good, and seemed just as fast in a straight line as I am in these conditions on the Tushingham XR-Race, which was pleasing. The Severne Raceboard isn't super grunty, it has a similar amount of power to the XR-Race, but it has a higher tension feel which contributes to it feeling efficient and stable as the gusts come through. It also seems to work well with the Tushingham mast: good news for anyone wanting to replace their XR-Race with a SV. In the end, we completed 8 races, most of them frustratingly short, and some of them with extreme start line bias and obscene wind shifts! I can't complain though, as I won 6 of them, not bad given this was my first time on the Severne in light wind. I must also congratulate Mark Kay for taking back the British Raceboard title, he sailed excellently all season, but Rob Kent was only 1 point off winning the series, excitingly close!

There is also UKWA inland series. I was in Tiree during the final event, but won the previous two at Datchet and Rutland, and with one discard, I won the series, happy days :).

The Tiree Wave Classic is an event that I've wanted to go for many years, but with University commitments and lack of money, never really managed to until now. And man was it worth it! It's a pretty historic event, and this was it's 30th edition. Tiree isn't very big, and it is really flat, bleak, boggy, and windswept. The shear sense of space and remoteness is pretty cool though, and its main attractions are several beautiful beaches and reefs facing just about every direction.

Light winds on day 1. Photo by Timmy Vowels

Day 1 was too tight for the contest, but I got out for some fun and frustrating light wind down the line conditions. Day 2 saw strong easterly winds with a small but building wind swell. The amateur single and double eliminations were completed. I was powered up on my 3.7 and 4.2 rocks and 77 Kode, and although it was hard to find good waves and ramps, I managed to make it to the final and finish 2nd behind local ripper Tristan Levie. After a rest day, we were excited for a big forecast on Tuesday. The wind was strong, and the waves built as the tide pushed, so after the Pro's completed their double elimination, the ams triple elimination took place in some really good down the line conditions. I went freesailing on my 4.2 for a couple of hours which a lot of fun, but left me very tired for my heats. By the time I competed I was on 5.0 and it was a game of patience to get the best set waves. I managed to defend my 2nd place from charging Jack Pettit, and then win the final against Tristan, forcing a super final to decide the event winner.

Day 2 contest day. Photo by Richard Whitson.

We had to wait 3 days until the prizegiving to find out who won. In the mean time, there was no wind, but a big swell, so I went surfing with everyone else and spent a lot of time either getting pounded, or waiting for waves and getting cold. I think I've improved though, just maybe overhead hollow closeouts aren't best for beginners! Then the prize giving - I won!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy and surprised to win, although the fleet wasn't large, the level was high, but I kept a cool enough competition head to make it through some heats and sail as well as I do when I'm freesailing.