West Kirby Warriors crowned 2014 Team15 Champions

Young windsurfers crowned national champions

The West Kirby Warriors have been crowned Team15 Champions for a second consecutive year as the 2014 RYA/UKWA National Windsurfing Championships drew to a close at Rutland Sailing Club today (14 September).

The reigning champions from Wirral topped their T15 Inter-Club Series to secure their berth in the national final this weekend and continued their fine form across the four windsurfing classes (3.5m, 4.5m, 5.8m, Techno 6.8) to claim the coveted T15 trophy. The Axbridge Animals were runners up, while the Spray Sprites finished third.

With a light 6-10 knots of breeze greeting the opening day of the Championships on Saturday (13 September), stronger winds of 12-15 knots blew across Rutland Water on the final day of racing allowing over 220 competitors across the eight windsurfing classes to complete the full schedule of races in exhilarating conditions.

Racing on the smallest 3.5m rig, overnight leader Arun Brunskill continued from where he left off and added four race wins to the five he secured on day one of the Championships. The West Kirby Warriors T15 windsurfer was instrumental in helping his team clinch the prestigious T15 Champions Cup, finishing 16 points clear of second place Lucas Hay from the Spray Sprites. Rafferty Read from the Oxford Zoomers finished third.

Adding to the West Kirby Warriors T15 Champions Cup tally was Oliver Lloyd in the 4.5m rig. After a dominant display on day one, the young windsurfer once again demonstrated his qualities in the bigger breeze today with a further five race wins to seal the title in impressive fashion. Despite two OCS’s from today’s six races, Samuel Williams from the Spray Sprites rounded his regatta off in second position, while James Bulson from the Croft Farm Flyers slipped into third.

The West Kirby Warriors Isaac Bradley-Baker wrapped up the 5.8m crown with a consistent set of scores across the 12 race series. With four race wins to his name, the North West Zone sailor finished top of the pile by three points ahead of Libby Rodgers from the Axbridge Animals. Julian Tait from the Oxford Zoomers took the bronze.

In the T15 Techno 6.8 fleet Finn Hawkins from the Polkerris Pirates had a flawless day taking a clean sweep of race wins. The junior windsurfer from the RYA South West Zone clinched the T15 6.8 title by four points in front of Axbridge Animals sailor Mollie Densley-Robins. Ben Tweedle took the 6.8m National Junior Windsurfing title.

Simon Moore, West Kirby Warriors Team Coach, said of his team’s victory: “I am extremely proud of the team’s efforts this weekend, to win the T15 Champions Cup for the second year on the trot is a fantastic achievement. The team have worked really hard in the build up to the event, they have put so much effort into the their training and it is great to see all their hard work pay off.”

“It feels amazing to win the title!” expressed West Kirby Warriors Maddy Hughes who sails the 5.8m. “It is my last year as part of the team so it is an amazing way to finish. Credit must go to our coach Simon [Moore] who has been great, without him we would be nowhere.”

Andy Brown was in scintillating form in the Techno 7.8 cementing his position at the top of the leaderboard with four race wins to finish seven points clear of James Barnwell from the East Zone who raced the larger 8.5 rig.

The RS:X leaderboard remains the same from day one, with overnight leader Dan Wilson asserting his authority across the course of the weekend to take event honours ahead of Lewis May. In the larger Raceboard 9.5 class, Louis Morris wrapped up the weekend victory while Jason Clarke took the title in the Formula class.

Chris Blackburn, RYA High Performance Manager and RYA/UKWA National Windsurfing Championship Event Director, said: “Today we’ve seen another fantastic day of racing at the RYA/UKWA National Windsurfing Championships. We have had a bit more breeze than yesterday which has pushed the junior sailors in the smaller fleets, but all have responded magnificently well – we’ve seen the young sailors progress and develop their windsurfing skills over the course of the weekend which is extremely pleasing see.

“Congratulations must go to all of the competitors taking part as well as the winning team, as we’ve been witness to some great, close racing with lots of happy young windsurfers here at the RYA/UKWA National Windsurfing Championships and the RYA Team15 Champions Cup.”

For the full list of results from the 2014 RYA/UKWA National Windsurfing Championships please click here.

The 2014 RYA Team15 Champions Cup results:

1: West Kirby Warriors (North West)
2: Axbridge Animals (South)
3: Spray Sprites (South East)
4: Oxford Zoomers (Midlands)
5: Pugneys Pirates (North East)
6: Academy Allstars (South)
7: Kielder Kestrels (North Borderlands)
8: North Lincs Invaders (North East)
9: Siblyabck Water Warriors (South West)
10: Croft Farm Flyers (Midlands)
11: Hollingworth Hunters (North West)
12: Polkerris Pirates (South West)
13: Derwent Devils (North Borderlands)

To get involved with Team15 and locate your nearest local club visit www.team15.org.uk.

For more information on the RYA Youth Racing programme please visit www.rya.org.uk/racing.