Young Windsurfers ready for regional battle

Northampton's reigning regional windsurf champions, Pitsford Pirates, will be looking to get their title defence off to the best possible start when they compete in the opening round of the 2011 RYA Team15 Midlands Inter-Club Challenge in Birmingham on Saturday (14 May).

Team15 is the RYA's nationwide network of more than 80 youth windsurfing clubs set up to make windsurfing more accessible and appealing to youngsters aged 15 and under, and Pitsford Pirates enjoyed a triumphant 2010, winning three of the four regional series' events to be crowned Midlands champions and qualify for the national grand final, where they finished a creditable seventh against several teams much more experienced than them.

In winning the regional title last year, Pirates also ended the five-year Midlands championship reign of fierce rivals the Carsington Comets from Derbyshire. Pirates' Team15 co-ordinator Jon Sweet says the Pitsford team cannot wait to start trying to build on last year's success. "Winning the regional title and getting to the national final came a year earlier than we had actually expected but we had a great group who were all really enthusiastic, keen to learn and all got on fantastically well as mates, which really drove everything forward at a much faster rate."

For more information about getting involved in Team15 at Pitsford Pirates visit www.northamptonwatersports.com or www.team15.org.uk