The annual event is firmly fixed in local windsurfer Scotty Stallman’s calendar, not only because it involves his love of windsurfing and is held in his local waters it also involves speed sailing, one of Scotty’s passions alongside slalom and wavesailing.

 Scotty started windsurfing just after his 9th Birthday, a couple of taster sessions at The Official Test Centre (OTC) soon had him hooked on the sport, and under the watchful eye of Tris Best Scotty progressed quickly in windsurfing soon becoming a competent sailor who tended to prefer challenging high winds…

Portland Harbour has a strong tradition of speed sailing and it was not long before the local speed sailors, notably Pete Young started mentoring him and introducing him to speed sailing, he quickly progressed from rotational sails to fully cammed race sails and at just 11years old broke 30knots for the first time (his current max speed is just over 36 knots). The speed sailing discipline clearly runs deep within Scotty making it even more important to win the local event, this ethos is also seen in local sailor Kevin Greenslade who also places great importance on winning the event.

Alongside speed sailing Tris Best at The Official Test Centre has made sure Scotty has been introduced to all the other styles of windsurfing, the winter slalom training series run by the OTC introduced Scotty into the world of Slalom sailing, again supported and encouraged by some of the top UK slalom riders Scotty now competes in the Amateur fleet on the BSA National Slalom Series, where not only topping his age group he has placed very highly within the whole fleet, even winning the Weymouth event in the Harbour earlier this year! Now sponsored by the OTC, Starboard and Severne. Tris has also made sure Scotty has been bitten by the wave sailing bug, taking him sailing to local beaches alongside longer trips away to Cornwall even allowing him to test kit and provide a perspective from a younger and lighter rider. It does appear the time spent speed sailing in 40-50knot winds has paid off well with Scotty soon settling into wave sailing enjoying the usually associated high winds the conditions often need.

Sailing all year round Windsurfing has become Scotty’s main sport with Rugby and Football making way to ensure he is available to sail when conditions allow, on dry and very light wind days Scotty will be out on his road bike clocking up the miles keeping him fit and active, and if its wet the mountain bike comes out.

Sailing all year helps in the training and preparation for Slalom events and of course Weymouth Speed Week. This year’s event saw no little or no wind on Saturday but a steady 20 knots on the course for Sunday. “The wind had built up nicely to a steady 20 knots on the course, unfortunately it was from South Easterly direction making the water choppy, far from ideal conditions for speed sailing but this was the last day of the Junior competition and we all had to sail in the same conditions. I soon settled into the conditions after a couple of runs, I was really pleased my best runs averaged just over 25knots over the choppy 500m course and were fastest in the Junior Fleet, I was very pleased to win the Tushingham Trophy for the Junior Fleet for a second year running”. 

With the final Slalom event of the series looming Scotty is busy tuning up his new kit from Starboard and Severne. The combination of 2015 ISonic Carbon Boards and Reflex 6 sails is working incredibly well for Scotty with some fin upgrades on the near horizon it looks like Scotty will be kept busy all winter. 

At 14 years old Scotty already has a fantastic grounding in windsurfing, he is quickly developing into a well-rounded sailor who enjoys the competition side of windsurfing along with the personal challenges he sets himself not only speed wise but by learning new skills and techniques.