80 AUGUST 2019 http://www.soldiermagazine.co.ukWINDSURFING
Picture: Cpl Jamie Hart, RLC"IT IS
PROVING
TO BE A
DYNAMIC
PART
OF THE
SPORT"
● ENTRIES are now open for this year’s Exercise Raging Ice 1 in Austria.
The ice sports camp is designed to introduce novices to the disciplines of
bobsleigh, skeleton and luge.
Training will be held on the weeks starting Sunday, December 1 and
Sunday, December 8 and cost £500 for UK personnel or £400 for Germany-
based troops. For more details visit http://www.awsa.org.ukSPORT SHORTS
TOUGH conditions and some
questionable refereeing overshadowed a
2-1 defeat for the UK Armed Forces
football team against Guernsey.
Searing heat added to the fatigue of
a long season and the Servicemen were
denied the chance of an equaliser in the
game’s closing stages when a stonewall
penalty appeal was turned down.
Army star Spr Dan Stoneman (RE)
had earlier equalised for the visitors,
who eventually lost the fi xture through
an own goal from the unfortunate Sgt
Lewis Brownhill (RAF).
“We played well and deserved more
from the match,” said goalkeeper LCpl
Joe Gorman (RLC, pictured).ATHLETES from across 16 Air
Assault Brigade went head to head in
six energy-sapping events in a battle to
be crowned the formation’s annual
Festival of Sports champions.
British Army warrior fi tness,
volleyball and an assault course
and stretcher race were among the
disciplines tackled at Merville Barracks
in Colchester and it was the soldiers of
3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
who claimed the overall honours.
“All the units put their best eff ort in
and it was a tough competition,” said 3
Para’s captain, Cpl Darren Little.Paras seal festival crownGuernsey gain advantageFOIL FORAY: ANYONE INTERESTED IN REGISTERING FOR A
WINDFOIL COURSE SHOULD VISIT WWW.SAILARMY.CO.UKSURFING IN A NEW DIRECTION
T
HE Army’s windsurfi ng set-up has
shown it is willing to move with
the times by investing in state-of-
the-art windfoiling equipment.
Soldiers have been using the cutting-
edge kit on a number of courses this
season and with the new approach being
backed by the sport’s governing body
the discipline looks set to become a
permanent fi xture for years to come.
The move sees a hydrofoil fi tted to the
bottom of a board, while individuals also
benefi t from lighter sails.
“This now means we can get out in
lighter winds,” explained Jon Metcalfe,
the Army’s windsurf and kite surfi ng
manager. “It’s a progressive sport really.
“Foiling is going to replace what is
known as formula windsurfi ng, which
is quite an old discipline with big, heavy
boards and sails.
“We can sail on anything around ten
knots and because the equipment is
lighter it means it is less physical.
“We’ve already run six courses this
year and if there are invidiuals out there
who already windsurf the transition is
quite straightforward.
“It is proving to be a really dynamic
part of windsurfi ng.”
With the Royal Navy and Royal Air
Force following a similar path, Metcalfe
said there are hopes to include an
exhibition fl eet in this season’s Inter-
Services competition. ■80-81-sol-aug.indd 1 25/07/2019 18:13