Windsurfing boom at Burton Sailing Club

A thriving community of windsurfers at Burton Sailing Club is looking forward to getting back on the water with sessions for younger members and coaching for all ages. The windsurfing section at Burton SC in Staffordshire is growing and the club has become a recognised training centre for both beginner and intermediate windsurfing courses. Alongside a dedicated team of windsurfing instructors and volunteers, led by chief windsurfing instructor Andrea Langley, the club has invested in windsurfing equipment and is able to offer taster sessions and a wide range of training for both adults and juniors. Its regular Team 15 sessions for juniors now have around half a dozen younger children, plus more than 10 older ones aged from 12-17, many of whom are now working towards instructor and powerboat qualifications to support the club’s windsurfing provision. The club also has up to 15 adults on the water regularly, including students from Loughborough University, and when members of any age want to develop their skills further, coaches are bought in from outside to share their expertise. The club’s support for its community of windsurfers has encouraged regular participation and camaraderie and enabled it to keep up with new developments such as foiling. As Burton SC windsurfing rep Steve Ball explains: “We have worked hard to grow the windsurf section to a point where it is sustainable in terms of numbers in each age group and safety cover, and we now have windsurfers aged from eight to nearly 80!”