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The 2011 season has now just drawn to a close domestically and on the face of it the 2011 calendar looked action packed, with eight National Championship races along with a good mixture of European Cup races too. With places up for grabs in the National Team for the forthcoming World Championships, it was looking like it would be a hot summer of competition. The season started off brightly enough, a gorgeous Easter bank holiday weekend at Burnham-on-Sea produced the goods by getting the season of to a real flyer. With such good weather early on, May was destined to be a damp squid. Without a breath the poor weather and high wind put pay to Allhallows (round 2) and Lyme Regis Nationals (round 4). Bearing in mind this left just Marnham (round 3 and a river race) and Stone National (round 5) to pick a select few places for the World’s team.

So with a back drop of the doom and gloom of May, attention was turned to the European Cup in June. The pinnacle of the Cup every year is the Diamond Race. This is the most prestigious race in Europe, with usually ninety or so teams competing in a full day of racing on the Albert Canal at Viersel, just outside Antwerp. Viersel is really no more than a small rural village which happens to be the epicentre of waterski racing in Belgium. Once a year the show comes to town, and it is woken up to the sound of roaring boats. There have been some excellent victories for GB over the years, however without the talisman figures for Darren Kirkland and Kim Lumely to almost ensure GB podiums we looked to a new breed of skiers, like Lee Holland from Stone Water Sports Club, who took gold in the Eurokids (A) category. GB also took 3rd, 2nd and 1st place in Men’s Formula II thanks to gritty performances from Dave Sewell, Jack Lynch and Richard Kirk (first time a clean sweep on the podium for GB).

As a footnote to the European Cup, congratulations Russell Cox (Seniors) and Lee Holland (EuroKidsA), for both becoming European Cup Champions!

Back in the UK another cancellation, this time Weston-super-Mare. Things were a little touch and go at Hunstanton, where a shortened race got off to an extremely lumpy start. Still all the skiers took to the challenge in hand, with racing conditions reminiscent of the 2005 World Championships (at Hunstanton). The last round of the European Cup was held in Cardiff Bay on the 7th of August. This venue is probably one of the best venues in the UK to show case our sport. The Bay itself provides close quarters viewing for the spectators, and with the end of the course right on the Mermaid Quay there was plenty of people watching the high speed, high thrilling racing.

The sandwich of good, bad and good weather was complete for the final National race at Brixham. Again a strong field of skiers, with some from overseas, gave the crowd a real show just off the break water of this picturesque fishing port in the South of Devon.

With so much to cramp into this résumé it is hard to mention all the individual achievements. However, its good to report that British Waterski Racing is still going from strength to strength (despite the weather). It now has an air of change about it too. Skiers like Jake Frame, Toby Duggan, Dan Ellis, Lee Holland, Sam Clark, Ben Manchett, Robyn Veater, Tommy Smith and many other skiers coming through the ranks are going to make exciting times ahead in the sport for years to come!
Formula I Round 1 Round 3 Round 5 Round 7 Round 8 Total Total -1
1st Jamie Cramphorn 969.12 0.00 961.09 945.45 1000.00 3875.66 3875.66
2nd Harvey Robinson 815.73 1000.00 922.56 1000.00 0.00 3738.29 3738.29
3rd Steven Moore 967.56 0.00 1000.00 0.00 0.00 1967.56 1967.56
4th Darren Kirkland 1000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1000.00 1000.00
Formula II Round 1 Round 3 Round 5 Round 7 Round 8 Total Total -1
1st Dave Sewell 1000.00 0.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 4000.00 4000.00
2nd Richard Kirk 0.00 1000.00 928.85 998.70 991.68 3919.23 3919.23
3rd Will Newland 938.58 979.62 886.69 970.40 943.37 4718.66 3831.97
4th Jack Lynch 0.00 934.34 931.96 985.61 965.36 3817.27 3817.27
5th Matt Fielding 822.59 942.26 793.78 804.55 724.62 4088.11 3363.49
6th Barry Gibson 864.40 939.52 816.80 689.06 634.72 3944.50 3309.78
7th James Bartlett 908.20 983.41 0.00 0.00 898.09 2789.70 2789.70
8th Russell Cox 924.36 971.06 864.24 0.00 0.00 2759.66 2759.66
9th Kurt Brooks 924.59 0.00 934.80 0.00 0.00 1859.39 1859.39
10th Adam Murfet 0.00 927.77 0.00 811.62 0.00 1739.39 1739.39
11th Daryl Tyndall 0.00 0.00 730.50 857.86 0.00 1588.36 1588.36
12th Rob Sewell 0.00 0.00 0.00 850.14 0.00 850.14 850.14
13th Grant McCara 0.00 0.00 0.00 733.26 0.00 733.26 733.26
Formula III Round 1 Round 3 Round 5 Round 7 Round 8 Total Total-1
1st Martin Davies 1000.00 954.85 0.00 1000.00 1000.00 3954.85 3954.85
2nd Simon Dowling 940.67 1000.00 1000.00 884.64 972.02 4797.33 3912.69
3rd Ashley Murray 786.83 0.00 0.00 0.00 817.55 1604.38 1604.38
Seniors Round 1 Round 3 Round 5 Round 7 Round 8 Total Total-1
1st Glenn Manchett 883.73 0.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 3883.73 4000.00
2nd Brad Cannings 592.89 899.87 894.58 999.14 999.96 4386.44 3821.35
3rd John Grimes 1000.00 0.00 941.99 0.00 977.46 2919.45 2919.45
4th Rod Hawkins 0.00 1000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1000.00 1000.00
5th Geoff Watson 0.00 764.05 0.00 0.00 0.00 764.05 764.05
6th Clive Wyncoll 0.00 653.60 0.00 0.00 0.00 653.60 653.30
Ladies Round 1 Round 3 Round 5 Round 7 Round 8 Total Total -1
1st Paula Newland 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 0.00 4000.00 4000.00
2nd Clare Taylor 881.65 0.00 815.15 923.53 1000.00 3620.33 3620.33
3rd Lucy Gale 879.54 0.00 864.97 831.35 985.88 3561.74 3561.74
4th Kelly Ann Roberts 689.90 613.00 722.39 582.71 644.41 3252.41 2669.70
Juniors Round 1 Round 3 Round 5 Round 7 Round 8 Total Total -1
1st Jake Frame 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 962.54 1000.00 4962.54 4000.00
2nd Dan Ellis 919.46 0.00 815.15 923.53 970.66 3821.35 3821.35
3rd Toby Duggan 987.58 944.14 0.00 0.00 943.59 2875.62 2875.62
4th Thomas Smith 868.78 885.38 0.00 863.55 0.00 2617.71 2617.71
5th Charles Cox 0.00 794.90 895.06 861.45 0.00 2551.41 2551.41
6th Scott Brooks 920.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 920.03 920.03
7th Jordan Allen 0.00 0.00 0.00 716.26 0.00 716.26 716.26
Open Round 1 Round 3 Round 5 Round 7 Round 8 Total  Total -1
1st Chris Preece 1000.00 1000.00 0.00 1000.00 0.00 3000.00 3000.00
2nd Matthew Coleman 0.00 0.00 513.87 729.24 1000.00 2243.11 2243.11
3rd Rob Sewell 0.00 0.00 1000.00 0.00 0.00 1000.00 1000.00
4th Mark Bees 0.00 859.15 0.00 0.00 0.00 859.15 859.15
5th Harrison Whitehouse 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 845.40 845.40 845.40
Brit Kids B Round 1 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 7 Round 8 Total -2
1st Ben Manchett 991.72 1000.00 0.00 810.87 999.04 100.00 3990.76
2nd Lee Holland 1000.00 989.16 917.43 1000.00 1000.00 0.00 3989.16
3rd Samantha Clark 922.49 937.37 838.46 915.35 346.37 634.52 3613.67
4th Robyn Veater 0.00 0.00 995.43 688.17 747.97 770.81 3202.38
5th Nadia Mersey 0.00 0.00 677.72 588.43 633.99 0.00 1900.14
6th Grace Cox 872.88 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 772.13 1645.01
7th Beau Duggan 0.00 379.94 0.00 374.63 0.00 0.00 754.57
8th Connor Richards 0.00 0.00 0.00 421.50 0.00 0.00 421.50
9th Georgina Robinson 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Brit Kids A Round 1 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 7 Round 8 Total -2
1st Reece Perry 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1000.00 1000.00