Boards catches up with up and coming wavessilor, Sara Kellett who make a great impression on the judges at the BWA Gwithian event last year. From learning to loop, to pushing her riding, Sara is certainly one to watch on the tour this year. 

Name: Sara Kellett

Age: 18

From: Totnes, in Devon

Years Windsurfing: about 7

Favourite Discipline: Wave

Local Spot: Bigbury

Occupation: Student

Sponsors: None

How did you get into windsurfing?

I first tried it when I was on holiday in the Maldives when I was 9. It was a beautiful place, but at that time of year there was very little wind. Because of this I found it very difficult and frustrating as would just drift down wind and couldn’t turn around.

It wasn’t until a few years later when my Dad and I saw a whole load of windsurfers out at Roadford lake that we decided to give it another try. After a taster session we started regularly hiring kit, and after much perseverance and a lot of falling in, we became hooked!

What other sports do you take part in?

When it’s not windy I do a bit of surfing and slacklining.

What do your friends think of windsurfing?

When I asked them they said they think it’s cool, but don’t really get it……..

For the last two years I have competed in the BWA Cornwall event. To be honest I have found them pretty difficult. I get very nervous and there is always so much that you have to think about, so I find it hard to totally enjoy myself and relax. At the last event I came back through the doubles and did about 5 heats one after the other. After this I feel a lot more confident that I know how things work, so that should help.

Also the competitions are a great way to meet lots of other windsurfers, and it definitely pushes your windsurfing level.

This year I plan to try the Rhosneigr event as well as Cornwall again, but would love to try the whole tour some time in the future, maybe 2014.

I learnt on the lake, but it was always quite a long way to drive so as soon as I felt ready I started sailing down at the coast as it is much nearer. From here there was a natural progression into wavesailing. At first I would only go out on days when the waves were very small/non-existent, but as time went on my perspective of small got bigger and bigger. I think it really helped that there were lots of inspiring locals who I would see ripping up the waves. It made me see what was possible.

It’s a toss up between two.

Firstly I will never forget this sail I had a Wimbleball Lake. It was the only time I have ever sailed there and it was pretty windy. It must have been the first time I properly started planning. All I remember is zooming along in the footstraps, sticking my bum out and practically sitting in the water to try and hold the sail down.

The other was more recently. It was a lovely day down at Bigbury with a WNW wind and it was sunny for a change. I had been trying loops for several years by now and must have crashed hundreds. I was beginning to think they were actually impossible but I was coming towards a nice ramp so I sheeted in, looked behind me, rotated and some how, when I landed I was still on my board and sailing along. By this point I was so used to landing on my back in the water that I could hardly believe it. That’s the thing with windsurfing, things always happen when you least expect them.

Well at the end of June I finish my A-levels and am taking a year or two out before going to Uni. First I will hopefully be off to Vassiliki to work as a windsurfing instructor for Ocean Elements. I get back just in time for BWA Gwithian, and would then like to go somewhere sunny, windy and wavy for the winter, just can’t decide where….