Waterbourne shines despite rain

by Carl McRae

New Zealand’s biggest water sports festival brought kitesurfing, windsurfing and paddle boarding to Eastbourne once again in early March, for the second Waterbourne event.

Organiser Laurence Carey says that while the weather had some impact on proceedings, overall it was a massive success.

“Despite the torrential rain on day one, which was the Friday,” says Laurence, “the watersport side of things was exceptional. All events were able to be completed and all in all, everyone had a great time.”

Of the fifty athletes who took part in competition, 90 percent were from outside the Wellington region and it was two overseas stars who claimed top honours in the Windsurfing legs.

Ten times New Caledonian Windsurf Champion Fred Morin and Dutchman Casper Bouman, an Olympic competitor in Beijing in 2008, were too good for the rest of the field on a windsurf and windfoil respectively. Morin won the Slalom Windsurfing and Bouman the Windsurf Ocean Clash. The overall Ocean Clash was won by the Kitesurfers, who revelled in the conditions.

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