Beach racers set sail for speed battle

Sep 18 2007 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

A WEEK of high-speed racing got under way at Hoylake beach yesterday with the start of the European Sandyacht Championship.

High winds meant it was too dangerous for racing early in the day, but competitors took the opportunity to get some extra practice, and events proper got under way during the afternoon.

Around 110 pilots from eight countries are competing in the event, which will see them reach speeds of up to 60mph.

The sandyachts race along just a few inches off the ground in an “arena” provided by the huge expanse of west Wirral beach.

The sport has gained popularity locally since a 24-hour sandyachting endurance world record was smashed on the same stretch of beach earlier this year.

Organiser Vaughan Williams said the high winds and a more bumpy beach than usual meant only one of the four classes of races was able to compete yesterday.

But he predicted better conditions for today and the rest of the week.

He said: “The tide gets better for us from Tuesday, so we had always expected the first day might not see a lot of racing.

“There were some pretty strong winds and it wasn’t safe to race during the early part of the day.

“But a lot of guys took the chance to get some practice in.”

Mr Williams said there had been a few spectators braving the weather, but with more than 100 competitors the beach had stayed busy throughout the day.

Representatives from Britain and Ireland are among the Europeans competing.

The championship, supported by European funds, is being used as a platform to launch Wirral council’s new Peninsula Spring campaign, to promote the area’s beaches and countryside.

An official opening ceremony took place on Sunday afternoon, attended by the borough’s Mayor, Cllr Phil Gilchrist.

Racing starts today at 10am, and will continue until about 5pm each day until Friday.

liammurphy