Weymouth Speed Week 2006 kitesurfer Nigel Bowley takes the title with 36.85 knots

Nigel Bowley recorded an amazing 36.85 knots on Sunday 2nd October less than four hours into the competition and threw the gauntlett down for the likes of Bjorn Dunkerbeck and Dave White. Nigel broke the Weymouth course record and laid claim to the $1000 prize fund put up by Da Kine.

Bjorn Dunkerbeck the previous title holder was not there to defend his title set in 2004 which previously had stood for over 22 years, as he was on his way from an international competition in Sylt,Germany. Bjorn arrived on Monday and showed great determination in retaining his title and the $1000 purse. Unfortunately, the deep low pressure that had materialised over the weekend disapeared for the next two days and it was a waiting game to see if it would reappear.

By Wednesday the forecast was looking more positive. By one o'clock the wind had filled in to more than 25 knots and the stage was set for another race for the title. The day ended with a 1-2-3 of Dave White, Bjorn Dunkerbeck and Nigel Bowley - all within half a second of each other with Dan Ellis coming in fourth. It was Whitey's posting of 36.64 in 27 knots of wind that landed him the fastest windsurfer of the week and a new windsurfing speed record for Weymouth harbour.

On Thursday the competitors awoke to heavy downpours and squally showers, however despite the conditions the course was opened and the record was close to being broken again. Bjorn led the sailors out and by the end of the day was within a whisker of Dave White's time of yesterday with 36.51 knots. Nigel Bowley was still proving to be a threat running a mere two hundredths of a second behind Bjorn with a speed of 36.36 knots.

By Friday morning the wind had picked up a further. The anomometers close to the course site clocked 50 knots during Friday and the rescue boats on the course were recording 38 - 40 constant and expecting gusts of more. We had a brief chat with Bjorn just after he had finished Friday's session and he commented on how challenging the conditions had been on the previous two days.

In a recent Boards forum message Graham Fuller gave his version of the conditions :

"I was standing at the end of the course, literally having been blown to a standstill at the end of my run and watched both Whitey and Dunkerbeck also get the same treatment. If it wasn't 50 knots, it was damn close."

Saturday and Sunday saw the low pressure start to move away and the run times followed suit.

So Weymouth is over for another year and appears to have been an incredible success. The organisers saw a record number of entries including a 40 foot racing catamaran called Basilica, and the largest number of 1st timers ever. No one could have predicted the strong winds amazing conditions. Just watching the spectacle from the beach has been great and the sailors have obviously been enjoying themselves given the cameraderie and banter that has been visible on the beach and on the forums.

We can't wait for Weymouth Speed Week 2007.

Bjorn Dunkerbeck at full speed on Friday

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