Building on the success of the first ever action-packed UK Indoor Windsurfing Championships in January this year, organisers of the Schroders London Boat Show are pleased to confirm the details of the January 2005 event, including a series of developments to the indoor watersports arena as well as the introduction of some fantastic new competition elements.

The 2005 Schroders London Boat Show will host a spectacular three-day Professional Windsurfing Association (PWA) competition from 14-16 January. Those that remember the amazing stunts and cheeky manoeuvres that wowed the 2004 crowds will be pleased to hear the world’s top windsurfers will once again be making the ExCeL centre their home for several days.  With the stakes upped and a prize fund of $100,000 the show promises to be amazing. Top international competitors hoping to compete include Great Britain’s very

own Nik Baker, Kauli Seadi and Ricardo Campello from Brazil, the Prichard brothers from the US, Douglas Diaz from Venezuela, and the top Spanish sisters Iballa and Daida Moreno.

On Thursday 13 January the UK Windsurfing Association (UKWA) is holding a competition featuring mens, womens, masters and youth categories. The riders that impress the judges will be selected to progress into the PWA competition.  Already the competition is heating up with the likes of Robbie Swift, Ben Proffitt, John Hibbard, Paul Hunt, Mark Hosegood and our other top guys all looking forward to the event.

 

Also new for 2005 are freestyle, jump and racing demonstrations by some of the best UK riders.  Our top riders will have the chance to show off their skills and excite the crowds over the course of six days 6-12 January.

The National Boat Shows team has been working flat out to improve the wind circulation and sailing conditions for the riders on the pool, as well as making some structural changes to the arena. A specialist wind flow company has been employed to help improve the wind

circulation on the pool.  By building a 1:50 scale model of the arena and studying in detail the wind measurements and dynamics from the 2004 event, organisers have designed an improved circulation system for 2005.  The following changes will be made:

        *       The pool width will be slightly reduced, this will allow the fans to be placed in their optimum position to increase air circulation.

        *       The pool will be lowered, this will increase the headroom giving the air more room to re-circulate.

        *       The pool has been moved to a more central place in the arena to make the air flow more uniform.

        *       The angle of the fans will be altered downwards to allow better control of the wind and to stop cones of air spiralling upwards.

        *       The majority of the seats will be moved to the jump ramp end of the pool ensuring visitors get a better view of the jumping.

        *       A dedicated foyer area will be integrated into the layout of the arena.

The massive popularity of the 2004 event led to unavoidable queues as visitors from the UK and abroad waited to catch a glimpse of the action.  To avoid disappointment this year the seating capacity of the stadium has been doubled in size to house 3,000 spectators.  Tickets to the PWA events will be on sale at £6 via the ticket office on 0870 060 0246 or via the website

 

Other new additions on the pool for 2005 include the first ever British Indoor Wakeboarding Championships.  The three-day wakeboarding competition will run from Monday 10 to Wednesday 12 January and will attract the best of British wakeboarders.  The pool is also staging the National Canoe Polo Championships where teams from around the country will be competing to be crowned UK champions.  In addition there will be RYA/UK Sailing Challenge sessions.

Visitors wanting to join in the fun will be able to take to the water themselves with new public coaching sessions, learning top tips from windsurfing, sailing and canoeing experts.

To complement the windsurfing action on the pool, the Windsurfing Village offering all the latest windsurfing kit, equipment and accessories will once again be located just out side of the Watersports Arena in the East Hall. With exhibition space selling fast, all the top suppliers should be there offering the perfect opportunity to buy everything from a new rig to the latest harness gear.