Press Releases

11 October 2011

Pirates chuffed after Champions Cup third

View footage of the event here

Pitsford Pirates' team of young windsurfers are celebrating after taking third spot at the 2011 RYA Team 15 Champions Cup national final, hosted by Northampton Watersports Centre, this weekend (8-9 October).

Some 100 youngsters representing nine regions across the UK took to the water for two days of fierce competition on Pitsford Reservoir, where Pirates surpassed all their pre-event expectations of simply finishing in the top five by claiming a podium spot. West Kirby Warriors, from Merseyside, clinched overall Champions Cup victory.

Teams hailing from as far afield as the north of Scotland and Cornwall went head-to-head for the title, with the youngsters competing across four different classes of board based on sail size. Typically the more experienced windsurfers use larger sails than the novices.

Despite challenging conditions, with at times next to no breeze, stand out Pirates performances came from Lewis Bowen – second in his class – and Alice Butts and Robin McAllister, who both claimed individual third spots in their respective classes.

Pirate Zoe Bowen received one of six special merit awards handed out to sailors over weekend, while Pirates also won the traditional Champions Cup closing event, the fun race!

Jon Sweet, Pitsford Pirates Team15 co-ordinator, said: “What a weekend! It was an amazing result. With a very young, inexperienced team, we were seventh last year so we set our goal simply to improve on that this year. But the kids had other ideas!

“It was a brilliant team effort, especially as Joe Patrick, who played such a massive part in us winning the Team15 Regional title and qualifying for the Champions Cup, couldn't race due to an injury. My thanks go to all the volunteer coaches and parents who helped the kids achieve this. Bring on 2012!”

Launched in 2001, there are now more than 80 Team15 clubs nationwide. Many of Britain's most successful young windsurfers, who are winning medals for Britain at top Youth and Junior international events, started with Team15.

RYA National Windsurfing Development Officer, Gillian Wright, said: “This year's event went fantastically. We saw some great races and the talent that seen out on the water was superb. It's very exciting to see some new teams coming through and qualifying for the Champions Cup and there were some really exciting battles going on throughout the weekend.”

Through Team15 youth windsurfing has undergone a bit of a revolution in Northamptonshire in recent years, with the number of kids attending weekly Pirates training doubling between 2009 and 2011. Some 40 kids were regularly involved in Pirates activity this summer. Last week the Pirates were named Daventry District Council Sports Team of the Year.

Supported by industry leaders Tushingham/Starboard, Boards magazine and Neil Pryde, T15 was set up by the RYA to help make windsurfing more accessible and appealing to youngsters at a grassroots level. Fun and informal training sessions, run by specialist RYA coaches, are held weekly at clubs nationwide typically from April to September. Kit can be borrowed from the clubs and the cost of sessions is kept low.

For more information about getting involved in Team15 at Pitsford Pirates visit www.northamptonwatersports.com or www.team15.org.uk

6 October 2011

PIRATES ARE DAVENTRY TEAM OF THE YEAR

Pitsford Pirates enjoyed the perfect inspiration ahead of their RYA Team15 Champions Cup national junior windsurfing final this weekend as they were named Daventry District Council Sports Team of the Year last night (Wednesday 5 October).

The Pirates' team of young windsurfers are now set to go through to the Northamptonshire Sports Awards 2011 next month after picking up the district team trophy in the ceremony at Daventry Leisure Centre.

It is a busy week for the Pirates youngsters, who will not only be going head to with the top Team15 clubs from nine other regions in the Team15 Champions Cup at Northampton Watersports Centre this weekend, but also staged a Team15 10th anniversary celebration party for Pirates T15ers past and present on Monday.

Created in 2001, Team15 was developed to form a nationwide network of youth windsurfing clubs and to introduce more youngsters aged 15 and under, and of all backgrounds and abilities, into competitive windsurfing. Kit can be borrowed from the clubs and the cost of sessions is kept low.

Through Team15 youth windsurfing has undergone a bit of a revolution in Northamptonshire in recent years, with the number of kids attending weekly Pirates training throughout the summer months doubling between 2009 and 2011. Some 40 kids were regularly involved in Pirates activity this summer.

There are now more than 80 Team15 clubs nationwide and many of Britain's most successful young windsurfers, medals for Britain at top Youth and Junior international events, started with Team15.