Welwyn ERSA Race 2011

ERSA Summer League – 17th May 2011, Welwyn Garden City

Forty or so club members, consisting of some plastic racing stalwarts (of various ages) and many new club members for whom this was their first plastic race, made the short trip to Welwyn Garden City for the first ERSA Summer League race of the season.
We were greeted by an impressive barbecue laid on by Welwyn – but still only two loos!

The weather started fine and sunny but we were promised tropical downpours and heavy winds later in the day.

ERSA organised a group photo of all the racers, officials and spectators to kick off the season.

There was a good turnout from the other ERSA clubs. The Norfolk team looked impressive in their new lime green club sweatshirts with coordinating joggers (Amanda, can we have some new kit please? But note that lime green clashes with my hair!)

The age range of the competitors was literally from 7 to 70! Perhaps ERSA should get a mention in the Guinness Book of Records?!
A challenging course was set by those two Hemel/Welwyn ski gurus, Jon Reidy and Steve Saunders.

Highlights of the racing were impressive falls from club members Dominic Daley, Harry Boty and Elise Snow; and Richard Warmington giving an impressive demonstration of high-speed one-legged skiing twice in the same run.
Podium places went to Cordelia Stevens (1st in Minis), Katie Barder and Nia Boty (2nd and 3rd in BG1), Dominic Daley (3rd in CH1), Richard Warmington and Joshua Penning-Lambert (1st and 2nd in CH2), Oliver Krahelski (3rd in JN1) and Tony Sharp (3rd in MA2).

As the wind speed increased, other highlights of the day were the Boty family’s tent blowing away, and the smaller racers being almost blown off the hill during the team events. Luckily the tropical downpours turned out to be April showers in May, so we did not find out what the Norfolk kit would look like when it got wet.
The next two ERSA races are indoors at Milton Keynes and Hemel, and the next plastic race is at Tallington Lakes where you can mix camping, shopping for ski gear and sailing with ski racing so make sure you do not miss it - as long as you can find Tallington Lakes!