PRESS RELEASE:
Just one week till the National Watersports Festival returns to Hampshire.

www.nationalwatersportsfestival.com

There is just one week to go until the largest multi discipline event in the UK, the National Watersports Festival (NWF), returns to Hayling Island for a weekend packed with racing, clinics, taster sessions, trade show, demos, live music, partying and camping, over the weekend of the 4th – 6th September!

Incorporating the elements of windsurfing, kiteboarding, SUP and kayaking, up to 500 competitors and around 10,000 spectators are expected to make the annual pilgrimage to the Hampshire Island for one of the last big festivals of the season.

Some of the industry’s biggest names will be attending this year’s festival including Graham Ezzy, renowned as one of the very few windsurfers to have sailed ‘JAWS’ on a big day and Stephan Van Den Berg, who was windsurfing’s first gold medallist in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. However, what is different with the NWF is it’s become the festival where every day ‘weekend warriors’ rub shoulders with Olympians and world champions; all racing, partying and enjoying the weekend, side by side.

“The countdown is certainly on,” explains Allan Cross, event director, “and there’s a real buzz to the festival this year with tickets having sold really well in advance and the various communities involved all hitting the social media channels hard and creating a real hype about the event!”

The schedule is absolutely chocker block with activities and events, whether it’s on or off the water with freestyle clinics, group SUP cruises, ‘have a go’ taster sessions for the compete novice or intermediate, pro races including the new Chimet dash; all from the minute the event opens for registration at 8am on Friday, 4th September.

As well as a host of activities during the day the night time action sees no sign of slowing down. On Friday evening the NWF plays host to its first ever SUP water polo event which should see a mix of full on competition and a great deal of fun (to watch and indeed play!).

There will also be the floodlit night windsurf event on Saturday where the pros will take things to another level and ‘wow’ the assembled crowds with their freestyling jumps and phenomenal windsurfing skills. Of course the partying will never be far behind with a mods n rockers theme and Andy Lewis and the Perfect Blue rocking the house down on the Saturday night.

The festival will also play host to the launch of the ‘2015/16 British GPS Speed Ladder’ which will be sponsored throughout the year by the NWF. Starting on the day of the festival and running until the Saturday of the NWF in 2016 – the event’s 10 year anniversary – it will be based on a sailor’s fastest 250m run during the year (in UK waters). Everyone who uses the GPS Speedsurfing site will be automatically entered and there will be an annual trophy and prizes up for grabs. On any windy day sailors will be able to set out with their GPS at their favourite speed spot, which could be on the sea or their local lake and set their own personal record. They will then be able to upload their session to see how they did against the rest of the UK!

The event is completely free for spectators, who can watch all the racing, including the floodlit spectacles, visit the trade show and food/drink stalls plus have a go at all the sports. Tickets are still available to compete and camp or to join in the partying (with special discounts available online if both nights are booked). Visit www.nationalwatersportsfestival.com

The event has become known as the ‘people’s festival’ as there is no big title sponsor vying for the spotlight. Instead, The NWF is a consortium of clubs and associations- supported by the trade show’s big industry names – with the principle aim to get people on the water, having fun.

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