There's something about Lucy
Name: Lucy Robson
Age: 24yrs
Home town: Brighton
“Getting Competitive -
Part Deux ”
Everything seems to have got very busy lately,
from the Triple Crown at Bigbury to Poole Windfest
to Tarifa all in the space of a week. I really
am packing in my windsurfing!
Having regaled everyone about my new sponsored
kit last month I finally did my first event: the
Triple Crown freewave event at Bigbury, which was
a great inauguration into the UKWA scene and a
great adventure too...
The Triple Crown started on Thursday 9th September
but even with my talent for skiving there was no
way that I could get the time off and there are
only so many times someone can be sick. Not to
mention fuelling the rumours of the uncanny "coincidence" of
windy weather and "Lucy being absent"!
So I had to work Thursday and Friday and miss the
first two days of competition, however I got the
van packed and was ready to leave for the event
on Friday night after work.
Never known for my organisation skills I left
a load of kit at home and had to go back and detour.
Finally puffing and cursing from being in my suit
from being in court all day (in front of the dock
not behind it I might add!) I set off about 8pm
which was probably leaving it a bit late from Brighton.
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Lucy’s
first photo by a Professional Photographer at the
Bigbury event!!
Lucy and her “sponsored-up” van!
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On the road for a couple of hours and I suddenly noticed
the oil light flashing at me in between tearing around
corners and inadvertently flashing my eyes from the
road to the A3 map balanced on my lap! Grrrreat! So
I had to take another stop as I grimaced at the cost
of driving with no oil. By the light of my mobile I
managed to wrestle with the bonnet and get it filled
up whilst chatting to my mates already drunk on the
obligatory Friday night out and wondering exactly what
I was doing miles from anywhere in the pitch black
looking for a windsurfing comp!!
The trip culminated in a rally drive down these very
odd twisting roads to "Bigbury on Sea" which
strangely reminded me of the X-files! Arriving at
the sea I accidentally drove down the slip road to
the beach and then got the van stuck in the sand.
This was not going to plan! The tires did eventually
stop spinning, and although reversing into a wheely
bin to add another dent in the van I did get parked
up and managed to get a few hours sleep in!
I got up early Saturday morning looking for tea and
setting about getting myself registered! After what
seemed like a lot of waiting and chatting the girls
heat was up. In my naivety I did not realise the organisation
of fitting all the numerous sailors in and the timing
of running the heats. So my thanks to Andy Groom and
Trevor Funnell for being very patient with me as I
asked for the thousandth time "are we up yet" and "how
long till the girls again?!"
I expected to be nervous at my first event but surprisingly
I wasn't. Just pretty impressed that I had got myself
here and was sailing with some people I really respect
and admire. Bigbury is a great place to windsurf and
the conditions were great over the weekend, al be it
a bit southerly on Saturday which hampered picking
up speed on the way out. But all in all not bad at
all and taught me a lot about what I need to learn
and also "competition sailing" to get some
results in. And also, have a spare rig so you don't
have to spend a lot of time deliberately over your
sail choice and rigging and de-rigging just before
your heat is up! I did about 4 heats on Saturday and
then managed to get some great free sailing in when
the competition wound down for the day.
The torrential rain which had been about all day
finally eased and the sun came out with a more steadily
cross shore wind which gave for a nice end of day session!
Finishing off with some beers and pizza at the "Journeys
End" (oddly appropriate considering!) a few of
us sat in the pub before hitting the sack in preparation
for another day of competition. Sunday came and went
in a similar way. More heats and good wind and waves.
I windsurfed my socks off and loved it.
After the weekend with only 3 days left at the office
I was off again, this time to Tarifa via Poole for
a days sail at Windfest. What with the autumn setting
in and now working at Crawley on a 6 month placement
mid-week, windsurfing has been seriously hampered so
with cheap flights and plans to "budget" I
justified it was just that I needed! Having got to
the airport I was pretty pleased that I managed to
blag loads of equipment on the plane without getting
charged any excess. It is amazing what a sweet smile
whilst balancing the bags on the edge of the scales
will do! And it was all worth it. Reckon I was incredibly
lucky with the wind: 4 metre weather every day which
really let me practise jumping and aerials. 7 days
of this and I was shattered but happy. What could be
better than windsurfing all day in a nice climate and
then hitting the bar at sunset to down some mohitos
and gear up for an evening of drinking and watching
windsurfing videos in "La Tribou"?
I am now trying to blag a free van ride up to Tiree
for my next big event. Full report on my first taste
of Scottish weather, next month.
Lucy is an Ultrasport team rider and
is sponsored by: Neil Pryde, JP Australia, Neil
Pryde Wetsuits, Electric Sunglasses and Fairclaims.
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