The National Watersports Festival delivered another superb three days of windsurfing and stand up paddle boarding at Rutland Water, East Midlands over the weekend (8-10th June).
In the usual packed style for the NWF the water was a hive of activity with racing, demos, taster sessions, sprint races, distance races, SUP Polo, mass starts and families simply enjoying Rutland’s only sandy beach! With the GP SUP National Race Series and Team 15 an integral part of this year’s festival, there was action across the whole three days.
NEW this year was the RYA who brought dinghy sailing to the NWF and looked after organising all the taster sessions, which also included kayaking, on top of SUP, windsurfing and diving. This is the only time of year that the public are allowed to dive the waters at Rutland, so has become a popular activity with PADI at the NWF.
Competition was fierce on the water and for full results visit http://www.windsurfingresults.co.uk/NWF2018.html and https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=140025
Competition was put to one side however, as everyone donned their best party gear for the party nights (the 90s making a revival on Saturday) and partied – hard – until the small hours. The music provided by NWF Sponsor, The Grainstore Brewery included Top Banana and Dirty Rumour, alongside resident DJ Al Cross! The Grainy also produced an NWF ale for the weekend – Daggerboard.
Allan Cross, events director of the NWF comments: “We’ve closed the curtain on another successful year for the NWF and would like to sincerely thanks everyone for their support in coming and making the event the brilliant weekend it was.
“We’re looking to grow the event year on year and there was definitely a step change this year with inclusion of the RYA, whose foiling displays helped show what the future of sailing looks like.
“Our thanks to hosts Anglian Water, our sponsor The Grainstore Brewery and our whole exhibitor family. Also, the biggest shout out to the competitors and visitors who travelled from far and wide to make this event so special again.”
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