2025 WINDSURFER LT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
2025 WINDSURFER LT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
2025 WINDSURFER LT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Christchurch UKWA: Penny Way, Steamer Point, Christchurch!
Self-proclaimed Windsurfer LT ambassador Roger Turner reports in from the 2025 Windsurfer LT National Championship, held last weekend in beautiful Christchurch. At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking the event photos were pulled from a dusty early 1980s photo album…but spoiler alert: this was all happening last weekend. Retro is back big time! Fifteen enthusiastic competitors hit the water for a weekend of fast, furious and fantastically fun racing. And when the sails came down, the social scene lit up…true to the spirit of the Windsurfer LT ethos: 50% racing, 50% social, 100% stoke!
RT: “So, we got it done!
15 keen Windsurfer LT skippers turned up for our inaugural UK champs, great forecast and with the backup of the UKWA infrastructure. As a newbie racer all was made clear at the briefing on Saturday morning with Bob Ingram and his substantial team answering all my stupid questions. We were made so welcome, which is the nature of fellow windsurfers, plus perhaps also a recognition of where the Windsurfer LT racing fleet is headed. Throughout the world there is a massive return to the simple and fun racing offered by these versatile boards. The ‘retro revolution’ is under way.
After weighing-in (women, lightweight and heavyweight men) the racing got underway at about 11am sharing the split starting line with 14 race boards. We are at the opposite ends of the longboard spectrum, the race boards are narrow, with boxy sharp rails and hi-tech adjustable rigs, they’re really fast and efficient through the water, and expensive. Our Windsurfer LTs are essentially giant malibu surf boards with triangular sails, that can also be used as paddleboards and to teach on and much cheaper.
With simple upwind /downwind two lap courses most of us got through the three 20-to-25-minute races on Saturday, with quite challenging conditions for the second race, as a good 15+ knot breeze and steep chop challenged our light wind settings. The wind dropped for most of the chilled afternoon, and the third race of the day was postponed until 6pm. These guys love to race! Our BBQs were put on hold and LT maestro Paul’s ‘450’ riddle solution delayed. Eventually we got to the food and a couple of beers, but with a feisty 20 knot forecast for Sunday, there was some restraint.
5 races kicked off in rapid succession as the wind was building all the time, at least the chop was more manageable as the wind had swung round to the southwest. Some of the fleet struggled with conditions with fatigue showing in the 15-20 knot winds. (The Techno fleet impressed me with 30-50kg juniors hanging onto to 6.8 rigs, with iQFOiL and wingers zooming about at crazy angles.) Our top racers, Matt Wemms, Paul Leone, and Alysia Gibson showed their class with effortless handling and stunning speed, plus tactical skill. Matt has only used his new LT a couple of times, but his racing ability is awesome, with loads of wins.
Matt Wemms “The event brought back the feeling from my youth! Super fun and friendly racing with a good social aspect to it. The board is simple, easy to rig and perfect to teach the family on after racing. Looking forward to more”.
Although (or perhaps because) the boards are relatively low tech, kit setup and the ability to drive the board upwind with gentle railing and then surfing waves downwind are key. My takeaways are that while recreational sailing gives you a basic level of fitness and board control, more practice in a variety of conditions is vital for competitive race performance. Paul Leone talked a group of us through some of the kit set-up parameters that we need to understand with at least ‘450’ combinations, the riddle he has been taunting us with for the week leading up the racing.
The aim is to get everyone around the racecourse with enough energy left to have a nice social time off the water. We will now consider what makes for a great event for the Windsurfer LT fleet where the racing is only one part of the fun. That is the ethos of the Windsurfer LT worldwide’ – 50% sailing: 50% social. We are now attracting attention and sailors of all abilities and motivations. Watch here for news of what’s next.
This is the grass roots of our wonderful sport. Let’s let it grow!”
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