Moving on from our previous feature, Boards now catches up with some of the regular competitors in the women’s fleet of the BWA. It looks like there could be come surprise and very competitive faces on the women’s fleet for the new year too…
Name: Sarah Bibby
Sail No: K349
Fleet: Women
2012 results: I only managed to enter one competition last year: 1st place Cornwall wave classic.
Where have you been training? I live in Plymouth so get to sail all over Cornwall and Devon. My closest spots are Whitsands and Bigbury for after work sessions and I often head to North or South Coast Cornwall for the weekends depending on where the swell and the wind are! I went to Pozo last Summer for 10 days and Chile for 3 weeks before that, but that is all I have managed to get away for this year!
What did you want to improve after 2012 season? My jumping is weaker than my waveriding as I don’t often get jumping conditions, so I really needed to work on that.
Do you think you’ve achieved this? I am getting better and conquering my fear! I started training with Crossfit Plymouth this season which has helped my fitness, strength, endurance and confidence to not hurt myself when jumping, so I am trying more in every session I get to try jumping, they are just pretty rare! In Cornwall the weather fronts move over fairly quickly and the weather is quite squally, so the windy periods don’t last for long, but we do get better waves! With jumping you really need several days in a row to improve, which is what I am lacking in the UK, so I am looking forward to some trips to more consistent places abroad.
What competitions will you take part in this year? This year I will definitely do the Cornwall wave classic and will try and make Rhosneigr and Ireland, leave and fund dependent!
What are you aims for this year? If I can make most of the competitions this year I will aim to win back the UK Champion title, but there is some tough competition!
Have you changed/improved your equipment or equipment choices for this year? I now have a Simmer Flywave 69 litre which I use with K4 fins and I absolutely love for waveriding! I also have a Puravida custom 58 litre for when it is bigger/windier which helps my control. I have stuck with the Simmer Icons and No Limitz masts as these have worked brilliantly for me too.
Fighting talk…The girls level has improved a lot over the past years, Sarah Kellet is up and coming and doing well, Debbie has been training lots in South Africa and Justyna (if she competes on the UK tour again) seems to be back on good form – I have a good fight on my hands! Hopefully my fitness training will pay off despite my lack of time on the water this season, I would have liked to have trained much more but work and weather did not coincide!
Name: Jo Wright
Sail No: K592
Fleet: Women
2012 results: Not actually sure, only managed to compete at Gwithian and had a bit of a shocker!
Where have you been training? Tropical England! Currently living in Exeter, so managed to get out a few times at Daymer, Gwithian, Exmouth and Mothecombe when wind/temperature/uni have allowed.
What did you want to improve after 2012 season? I really want to get my forwards nailed, so to aid this I have booked a months trip to El Medano in June.
Do you think you’ve achieved this? As of the end of last summer I was getting round them but nowhere near sailing away, I need more time on the water and hoping El Medano will allow this.
What competitions will you take part in this year? Unfortunately Ireland/Rhossy fall right in the middle of my exams. So hoping to make a late comeback at Gwithian and hopefully Tiree if work/money allow!
What are you aims for this year? Have fun on the water, sailing as many different places as possible. Improve my wavesailing and jumping to hopefully finish well at Gwithian!
Have you changed/improved your equipment or equipment choices for this year? I got the new 4.7 Rock at the end of last year – it is awesome and felt like a major step up from my 2011 Rocks. Hoping to replace the 4m and 5.2m after El Medano. Still rocking out my 71 twin Evo, again looking to change this after El Medano, potentially to the new Quad.
Fighting talk…I think Justyna will be the one to watch this year, her backloops are looking good! Although now Debbie has the crown I doubt she will give that away without a fight! Assuming my boyfriend doesn’t put superglue in my ear again and impede my forwards training this summer 😉 I will hopefully be busting out some big ones at Gwithian! See you all there!
Name: Rachel Tucker
Sail No: K348
Fleet: Women
2012 results. Tiree = 5th, Cornwall 6th
Where have you been training? Well so far I’ve windsurfed once since BWA Cornwall last October…Southbourne, Dorset
What did you want to improve after 2012 season? Wave selection, fitness, general waveriding
Do you think you’ve achieved this? Well, I’m generally fitter!
What competitions will you take part in this year? I’d like to compete but with new job commitments I’m not sure what will be possible
What are you aims for this year? Enjoy my wavesailing whenever I get the opportunity to get on the water
Have you changed/improved your equipment or equipment choices for this year? No changes there, my Ezzys will never die!
Fighting talk…Ladies: HAVE FUN.
Name: Lucy May Robson
Fleet: Women
2012 results: 2nd place BWA Rhosneigr, 4th place BWA Ireland, 5th place BWA Tiree
Where have you been training? Fuerteventura, Canary Islands
What did you want to improve after 2012 season? I would like to improve my competition windsurfing
Do you think you’ve achieved this? I hope so! I’ve been training hard this winter and hopefully I will be able to windsurf in the competitions like I free sail
What competitions will you take part in this year? Rhosneigr, Ireland and Cornwall BWA. I might take part in the PWA comps in the Canary Islands where I am based.
What are you aims for this year? To improve on my competition results from last year.
Have you changed/improved your equipment or equipment choices for this year? I’m using the Fanatic Quad 69 and 74 now more than my other boards.
Fighting talk…Best not to underestimate anyone! Good luck everyone!
Name: Justyna Sniady
Sail No: POL 1111
Fleet: Women
2012 results: I opened the season quite good coming 3rd in Lancelin, 2nd in Margaret River and 1st in Greenhead (Western Australia tour) as well as getting the lead in BWA tour after the Wales (1st) and Ireland (2nd) events. After this good start.. I broke my foot. I could not compete in any of the PWA events last year and I was only commentating on the action from the beach. I came back on the water in the autumn and managed to defend the podium coming 2nd overall in BWA in the end. I was really stoked about this result considering I was still on crutches a few week before the comps and didn’t sail the whole summer.
Where have you been training? Last year I didn’t really get to train much. There was hardly any wind in Australia over the winter – I think it was the worse season in 20 years! Considering I was working monday to friday I got almost no time on the water. After that I went to Pozo full of hope to get some windsurfing in, but broke my foot already on the second day. I couldn’t even walk through the summer, so apart from few more days on the water during BWA that was all my windsurfing for 2012. That’s why I was even more stoked about this year’s training in Western Australia! We had wind and waves throughout the whole 3 months (and I wasn’t working) so I got some quality time on the water!:)
What did you want to improve after 2012 season? Well considering the circumstances of having my foot shattered into pieces and then put together with screws and wires I really wanted to come back to full form. I am now windsurfing but my toes are still not bending and my ankle joint is still not right and hurts quite a bit. I am hoping these problems will go away soon!:) Apart from that and getting back to the level from before the accident I wanted to improve everything as you always do! I hoped to hit bigger and bigger waves, get more consistent with the stuff I could do and hopefully land some new moves as well. Backloop being one of the most technical moves was high up there on the list. I only got few magic ones in 2012 – when the water was in the right place on the way down haha!
Do you think you’ve achieved this? Well I guess I came quite close! I am walking, sailing and jumping again. Despite being quite scared to get back to forward loops in the beginning (as that’s the move I broke my foot with) I got there in the end. I also started landing backloops quite consistently now, so I am really happy as that’s much more then I could have hoped for in such a short time after the surgery!
What competitions will you take part in this year? It all depends on how my foot will react to stronger wind conditions. I would like to do the BWA and PWA tours as well as the Polish competitions if they don’t clash with the PWA.
What are you aims for this year? No aims competition wise! I will just enjoy the fact that I don’t have to watch all the action from the wheelchair parked on the beach this time! 😀 I will give it my all for sure, but since I still can’t even run or go downstairs normally I have no pressure on me!:) I would like to sail a lot and go through my second surgery (when they take all the metal out of my foot) with no complications.
Have you changed/improved your equipment or equipment choices for this year? Yes, this year I’ve joined International Simmer Sails Team and well as Mystic and Powerex Teams while staying on Quatro Boards that served me well for the last 3 years. With all the amazing gear I am now using I really started to improve despite my injury, so I am really excited about all the new toys! 🙂
Name: Alex Powell
Fleet: Women
2012 results: 5th in Tiree
Where have you been training? Exmouth, Bigbury and Weymouth
What did you want to improve after 2012 season? Just my general wave riding and jumping. I only got into wave sailing a year ago so fingers crossed I can only improve!
Do you think you’ve achieved this? Unfortunately I have been tied down with a mountain of Uni work so have nowhere near got out as much as I would have liked to!
What competitions will you take part in this year? Gwithian and Tiree.
What are you aims for this year? Get forward loops nailed.
Have you changed/improved your equipment or equipment choices for this year? Sticking to my trusty Patrik boards.
Fighting talk…Biggest rival, Rach Ince…going to be living with each other in July so that might be interesting.
Name: Megan Gayda
Sail No: K127
Fleet: Women
2012 results: Can’t remember results from Rhosneigr but from the whole year I’m 12th overall!
Where have you been training? Was in Brandon Bay for the last couple of weeks of October had fun conditions over there then back home in Essex for the rest!
What did you want to improve after 2012 season? Confidence with jumping!
Do you think you’ve achieved this? Beginning to..
What competitions will you take part in this year? Ireland and maybe Cornwall and Rossi!
What are you aims for this year? Get more confidence with jumping!!
Have you changed/improved your equipment or equipment choices for this year? Buying some of my brother’s last year’ sails!
Fighting talk…Who’s my biggest rival? My brother hahaa!
Name: Eilidh (Ezza) Sutherland
Sail No: GBR987
Fleet: Women
2012 results: 14th
Where have you been training? Largs/ Barassie, it’s still freezing up north!
What did you want to improve after 2012 season? My down-the-line wave riding.
Do you think you’ve achieved this? Well on my way.
What competitions will you take part in this year? Was hoping to be able to do all but due to exams I can only make the Scottish event and Cornwall.
What are you aims for this year? To continue improving and get a higher ranking this year.
Have you changed/improved your equipment or equipment choices for this year? No I have stuck to the combination of RRD and Simmer.
Fighting talk… Bring it on, just up for some sick wave riding
Name: Evi Tsape
Sail No: GR2
Fleet: Women
2012 results: Did not do any competitions last year
Where have you been training? I have been training in Greece, in front of my laptop 🙂
What did you want to improve after 2012 season? I have been meaning to spend more time in the water 🙂
Do you think you’ve achieved this? Nope 🙂 but it’s getting better now.
What competitions will you take part in this year? I will take part in BWA Wales and Ireland. I am also going to go to some American Windsurfing Tour events (looking at Santa Cruz and Pistol River at the moment) and maybe the PWA in Pozo and Tenerife. Plenty of time ahead of me, decisions are made as we get closer to each event, so let’s see how it goes.
What are you aims for this year? I want all the competitors and spectators of the events to meet me and Weendy and reach out to tell me their opinion about our mobile app 🙂 On the competitor side, I want to sail some decent heats and have fun with the BWA wave events community.
Have you changed/improved your equipment or equipment choices for this year? I still haven’t confirmed my gear for 2013, but it’s definitely going to be better than last years and yes, it’s different.
Fighting talk… With respect to BWA events, I see last years’ winner is Debbie Kennedy. I know Katie McAnena is sailing pretty solid too, Lucy and Sarah too. Never met or saw the rest of the BWA girls sailing. Justyna (from the non-UK/Ireland residents) is a pretty strong opponent too. Some of these girls have been sailing a lot in the last few years, whereas I’ve been totally outside of the water in front of my computer. Let’s see what happens on the water!
Name: Amy Carter
Fleet: Women
2012 results: 4th Tiree
Where have you been training? I spent a little more time in Cornwall after the BWA event last year, then came back to the windsurf mecca of London before heading off for a short trip to Maui. Maui was a fantastic experience, even managing not to end up on the Ho’okipa rocks. Since then I have been back in London with zero water time, as I’m currently trekking to Everest Base Camp it’s unlikely I’ll get on the water more than once or twice before the next BWA event.
What did you want to improve after 2012 season? Personally, everything on starboard tack! In the grander scheme of things I want to continue to encourage more women to attend events, grow our numbers and consistency of attendance, so that we have more women rocking up at events that pros (we were almost there in 2012).
Do you think you’ve achieved this? To an extent, Maui definitely helped. Although it feels like years ago now!
What competitions will you take part in this year? I will be at all the competitions, whether or not I can fit in competing is another matter!
What are you aims for this year? To be able to sail a heat! As always the Boards team will be at BWA events keeping you up to date with all the goings on. This inevitably makes competing fairly tricky, as although women have multi-tasking nailed, being in two places at once is still out of our reach. The lack of connectivity in Tiree usually means I can compete a little, so I hope to do this again. Also, not to be talked into any ridiculous/dangerous activities if the wind does not appear.
Have you changed/improved your equipment or equipment choices for this year? Nope, sticking with my trusty Goya 72 litre Quad and Severne Blades.
Fighting talk…Girls, lets show the boys how it’s done!
Boards will soon be catching up with more competitors from the BWA and more tours.
