Pitsford Pirates’ team of young windsurfers stand just one result away from their fourth consecutive national Team 15 Champions Cup grand final.

Pirates head to Draycote Water, near Rugby, on Saturday (28 September) knowing victory would hand them their fourth Midlands Team15 title in as many years, and the chance to again pit their wits against the eight other regional champions at the Champions Cup, taking place at Pitsford Reservoir next month.

So far Pitsford have won two out of the three regional Team15 Inter-Club Challenge Series events to have taken place in 2013, with Tewkesbury-based Croft Farm Flyers claiming the other victory.

But Neil Patrick, Pirates Team15 co-ordinator, says his sailors are in confident mood.

He said: “It’s been a another encouraging summer for the Pirates. No fewer than 18 youngsters have regularly attended our sessions, and following RYA Youth Windsurfing courses run in the summer holidays by Northampton Watersports Centre, we now have four new members who have joined in the last four weeks. We are hoping some of these new members will be attending the Draycote event.

“In terms of development we have ‘paired’ the younger members with older, more experienced sailors enabling them to pass on their skills and also building a good team spirit. Youngsters have been encouraged to move up a sail size by working with the older members but also by borrowing the larger sail from the club.

“Some weeks the group has been split into beginners/advanced/intermediate sections for more bespoke training, provided by the use of young volunteer coaches who were once part of Team 15 and the RYA Zone squads.”

This weekend’s Midlands Team15 decider is being run alongside the nationwide RYA Zone and Home Country Championships, with the West Zone event at Draycote.

Team15 caters for all levels of windsurfers, from absolute beginners to those youngsters who have been doing the sport for a few years and are looking to take the next steps in competing more seriously.

By running the final Midlands Team15 event as part of the RYA Zone and Home Country Championships, which attract over 1,000 young sailors and windsurfers nationwide over two days, the Team15 rookies get the chance to experience a big event and get a taste for what the next step up is all about. 

It is hoped a number of the Team15ers that compete on Saturday will stay to continue competing as part of the Zone Championships the next day too.

Team15 is the RYA’s youth windsurfing development programme making windsurfing more accessible and appealing to kids aged 15 and under at grassroots level. The regional Inter-Club Challenge Series takes place over the summer adding a competitive edge and race training for those keen to hone their skills. 

There are more than 80 Team15 clubs nationwide. Fun and informal Team15 sessions are held weekly, kit can be borrowed from the clubs and the cost of sessions is kept low.

Find out how to get involved in Team15 at Pitsford Pirates at www.northamptonwatersports.com or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

More information about Team15 can be found at www.rya.org.uk/programmes/team15 or contact 0845 345 0400.