Krafty Megan Leads Way For Sprites At Champions Cup 

Youngster maintains 100% 2013 T15 record as Sprites take fourth

Megan Kraft showed why she is one to watch for the future after winning her class - making it five events, five wins for the season - as Spray Sprites took on the country’s best rookie windsurfers at the RYA Team15 Champions Cup last weekend (12-13 October).

Megan, 13, who went through the 2013 regional series unbeaten, again claimed victory in the 3.5m2 class at the national Champions Cup grand final, hosted at Pitsford Reservoir in Northampton, as Spray finished the event fourth overall.

As well as Megan’s standout performance, Sam Williams also claimed an impressive third place in the 3.5m2, while Louis Miles-Coppard picked up a special Champions Cup merit award for his conduct and effort in coming fourth in the 4.5m2 class.

Around 90 young windsurfers from seven teams across the UK took to the Pitsford waters with youngsters from as far afield as Cornwall and Scotland contending with challenging conditions including shifty wind, heavy rain and at times very little wind.

The nature of Team15 as the breeding ground for talented young windsurfers means the Team15 Champions Cup final encompasses all abilities from the very new racing windsurfer to the more experienced RYA Zone Squad sailors. The event introduces the youngsters to the formalities of more serious racing at a fun-focused event.

Oliver Richardson, Spray Sprites Head Coach, said: “The guys were pretty happy with fourth and this is a vast improvement from last time we reached the Champions Cup. It highlighted some key points for us to work on but overall it was a very impressive weekend of racing. The team were very enthusiastic and encouraging both on and off the water and the atmosphere from the parents and support was fantastic.” 

Craig Coupe, chief instructor at Spray Watersports, added: “The key thing for me is that the team all love windsurfing and are all so dedicated to the sport. The team and their parents have a great bond and the parents have started to windsurf themselves as the kids’ enthusiasm has encouraged them to get involved. I’m really pleased for them and am looking forward to next season’s Team15 programme.”

Team15 is the RYA’s youth windsurfing development programme making windsurfing more accessible and appealing to kids aged 15 and under at grassroots level. The regional Inter-Club Challenge Series takes place over the summer adding a competitive edge and race training for those keen to hone their skills with the regional winners progressing to represent the region at the Champions Cup.

Duncan Truswell, RYA Youth Racing Manager, said: “It was a great weekend. Even the rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the competitors and the standard of windsurfing we saw out on the water all weekend was fantastic. 

"The weekend allowed many of the competitors to experience their first taste of competing at a national competition and it was great to see them having fun whilst learning a lot about their racing. We hope they have been inspired to do more and will come back to compete for places in RYA Squad programmes next year.”

There are more than 80 Team15 clubs nationwide. Fun and informal Team15 sessions are held weekly, kit can be borrowed from the clubs and the cost of sessions is kept low.

For more information about getting involved at Spray Sprites visit www.eastsussex.gov.uk/spray while more details about Team15 can be found at www.rya.org.uk/programmes/team15 or contact 0845 345 0400.