Tweet

 

MASTERS PERSPECTIVE: CORNISH COLWATER CLASSIC

A few weeks ago, the Cornish Coldwater Classic event, saw competitors battle powerful swells, shifting winds, and the ever-unpredictable UK weather. Among them was Ivan Causer, competing in the Masters Division, who shares his first hand experience of an event that had everything, from jaw-dropping pro performances to intense heats and legendary post-sail socials. Here’s his full recap of an incredible competition weekend.

IVAN CAUSER

“What a weekend in Cornwall!!

The Cornish Coldwater Classic wave sailing competition was a triumph, held in some of the most spectacular conditions ever seen in a UK competition!

I’d entered the Masters Division after always wanting to sail Gwithian / St Ives Bay on a good day. I had very low expectations of progressing but I’ve had a fun time at a couple of previous BWA Rhosneigr competitions and it felt just great just to be part of these events. I was well chuffed to end up finishing 6th!

DAY ONE

Arrived at Gwithian at 8:45 to see the early Pro heats….just wow! The driving rain didn’t make for easy spectator conditions, although the lee of the vans and Joe’s horsebox gave some shelter. But what a view from the carpark! From above, it actually looked doable for mere mortals, with wide gaps between waves and no long closeouts. You had to go down to the beach to appreciate the size and power of what you had to get out through and the consequence of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then there was the high tide inside wind shadow to consider. Err, maybe not! Whilst down there, I watched Jamie Howard get an absolute bomb, with a great aerial to finish – you could sense the stoke, which was confirmed in the pub later!

The Pro final (2 waves to count, no jumps) was brilliant, but not easy to call for us watching in the car park. How would the judges measure the size and length of wave / number of turns / spray thrown / aerials / turns in the pocket? Legendary head judge Duncan Coombs explained more at the Prize Giving ceremony and Phil Horrocks (with his vertical approach) was crowned worthy winner – still the man to beat! Ben Page sailed fantastically to get 2nd and Andy King got some brilliant long, fast rides for 3rd. Current Tiree champ Lucas Meldrum was 4th, coming back from injury also sailed brilliantly and no doubt will be hungry for the next opportunity.

After that, the call was for other fleets to go to The Bluff for the comp resumption, where the waves were smaller and the wind more offshore. It was dropping as the sun started to appear and after running one heat in float and ride conditions for the Pro ladies, the comp was put on hold for the day. I free-sailed for a bit (5.0/92) but in truth got zero rides in tricky light, very off winds🙄My session finished with a swim after the kit, getting pearled on a pitching set wave. Ah well, time for the pub!

St Ives Brewery Tap Room proved a perfect venue. I knew a few people there already, but it was also great to meet other fellow competitors and organisers and chat to some of the pros after their epic earlier experiences. The beer was flowing with the prospect of light winds the next day – Meor and Hayle Pale come highly recommended!

SATURDAY

Saturday was gorgeous, warm and sunny, feeling like the first proper day of spring. Feeling slightly tender myself, to blow the cobwebs away I started with a run along the beach via Hayle and the Bluff to Sunset Cafe and back through the dunes. The waves had definitely stayed overnight! What a stunning beach with spectacular views. Despite no sailable winds, it was also great to check out the Bluff, Marazion and Praa Sands afterwards. Then all back at 4pm for the comp briefing and rugby at the Tap Room. Could be dangerous… After another great social, I showed enough restraint this time to get to the hotel at a decent time.

SUNDAY

The wind and rain were back with a vengeance on Sunday, with an 8am start at Sandy Acres (Mexico’s), a mile upwind of Gwithian. Clean, well-spaced waves, overhead high on the sets and cross off….

Keen to make rapid progress with all fleets (Pro and Am Ladies, Youth, Ams and Masters), Duncan had elected to run a dingle format, with simultaneous upwind and downwind heats of 12mins – 3 judges for each, with some of the pros stepping in. 1 wave to count for the first rounds and 2 for later ones. This worked brilliantly, getting loads of competition in in a short space of time with minimal time hanging around on the beach.

I sailed a total of five heats, on a 3.8m sail and the faithful 92 Twin (ditching the 75 after heat 1), doing plenty of swimming and not getting many scoring waves. But I got lucky on a couple that stayed open for a few turns and was surprised and stoked to do just enough to finish in 6th place and get in the prizes!! A very nice Boom Windsurfing hoodie and Finistere hat and socks. Ian Gibson, who had driven from Scotland, won my last heat and shortly afterwards won the 4-man final too! He sailed a blinder, including a superb long, 8.5 scoring wave…

It was also great to see Rob Loescher reach the Ams final after a poor first heat (his words!) I used to sail with Rob up north (Rhossi, Redcar, Fraisthorpe, Barmston) before he moved to Cornwall. I get why!

After all fleets had nailed a result, they ran a 20mins Expression Session for the Pros for a cash prize in the still-improving waves. What a show! Goiters, 360s, forwards off the lip and huge back loops and stalled forwards. Inspirational stuff. Andy King won with a huge back loop but there were plenty of other contenders, like Steve Thorp with his massive aerials.

After that, it was time to hump all the kit back up the monster sand dune; a killer after such exhausting sailing conditions. But the view from the top was fantastic, with lines to the horizon being ripped up by some of the best sailors in the UK.

The Prizegiving was great too, with speeches, superb trophies for the top 3 in all fleets and plenty of great prizes from the event sponsors.

What a brilliant job the organisers did: Joe Vernon and his crew- all just keen, local sailors who got a taste for BWA competition. And of course, the judges and plenty of others in support too.

But nothing would have happened without Willy Maclean, now BWA Chairman, for all the organising beforehand and then driving down with son Eddie (who won the Youths!), towing a trailer, from home on Tiree!! Wow! He and the BWA also deserve massive credit for establishing a proper UK wave tour for 2025, with future events planned in Northeast Scotland, South Wales, Rhosneigr and Tiree and potentially another one too…

But the success of wave sailing events is ultimately down to the one thing no one can organise: the weather. Ideal conditions don’t come around often and it’s one of the things that makes this sport so special.

This was special.