The 2nd - 3rd of March saw Bristol University and UWE reunited to host the return of their legendary event; WetDream II. Student windsurfers from far and wide gathered to showcase their talents and eye up the competition on Bowmoor Lake, in the final core event of the year before the BUCS championships. Tails Reports.....

The windsurfing kicked off on the Saturday, with the fantastic combinations BrUWE’s enthusiasm, a superb breakfast and beautiful sunshine quashing all thoughts of impending hangover, following the usual boisterous antics that constitute the Friday night reunion at a windsurfing event. 140 bleary eyed students came blinking into the light on Bowmoor Lake and were ushered into small groups depending on their level by the well oiled BrUWE machine. During the morning the beginners where talked through the windsurfing fundamentals and the intermediates where given the low down on beach starting, followed by everyone getting a chance to practice their new skills in the light wind conditions, on some fantastic kit provided by the ever faithful Boardwise. A lovely lunch was laid on at the centre for the first time ever at an SWA event, much to the delight of windsurfers seeking fuel for their afternoon’s antics. The advanced crowd were treated to a fantastic on land clinic covering everything from the first attempt at a carve gybe to wave sailing and freestyle, followed up by on the water coaching that ensured everyone tried something new in the light afternoon breeze.

Sunday was all about the competition – on and off the water. The breeze was light but what was lacking in wind was made up for in sunshine, and apparently the mere memory of windsurfing in a fairer climate was enough to convince most people to get back into their wet wetsuits and onto the water. With the revered titles of fastest beginner, intermediate and advanced windsurfer up for grabs, not to mention fantastic prizes, almost 50 students hit the water. The competition was feisty, with extended sprint finishes and inspired fancy dress adding a dash of colour to the proceedings. Exeter’s Lianne Cawthorne and Tom Badass-Thornhill dominated the beginner and intermediate finals respectively, but UWE’s Charlie Money crushed Exeter’s chances of a hattrick by storming into the lead in the advanced final. The universities then battled it out in the team racing, with the UWE dream team finishing first again. Finally the Boardwise freestyle competition took centre stage, giving the students a chance to really show off. The light winds did nothing to lower the calibre of the performance, and from heats to final saw everything from windsurfing on a mattress to Kirsty O’Callaghan’s signature rail-ride that wowed the judges and earned her 1st place, again. Off the water the action did not cease, with huge sumo suits and a paddling pool of jelly providing hours of entertainment as well as an opportunity to settle  age old disputes.

It goes without saying that no student weekend would be complete without fancy dress and sweaty dancing; WetDream II was no exception. As night fell on unsuspecting city of Bristol, over a hundred windsurfers, fuelled by mountains of pizza, disguised themselves as well-known supermarket brand names and stormed the waterfront. Live music from The Phoenix and the Turtle got everyone jumping around, and the feel good vibe continued long into the night thanks to the DJ that followed. A huge thanks and well done to the Bristol and UWE windsurf clubs for a really tightly run event, and to the sponsors who donated the brilliant prizes.

WetDream is the third round of the SWA Spartan race series and Boardwise Freestyle series.
 Results are as follows:

Beginners Racing:

1. Lianne Cawthorne, Exeter
2. Katherine O’Flynn, UWE
3. Damien Mounier, Nottingham

Intermediates Racing:

1. Tom Badham-Thornhill, Exeter
2. John Matthews, Birmingham
3. Olivier Ayache, Liverpool

Advanced Racing:

1. Charlie Money, UWE
2. Rich Maskey, Exeter
3. Alex Powell, Exeter

Team Racing:

1. UWE A
2. Exeter A
3. Loughborough B

Freestyle:

1. Kirsty O’Callaghan, Exeter
2. Alex Arnold, UWE
3. Alex Powell, Exeter