In just 5 days Zapcat Racers will be faced with the might of Mother Nature as the 2009 National Championship heads to the mecca of Zapcat surf racing; Watergate Bay.
Not only do they have to contend with the other competitors but they also do battle with the mighty Atlantic swells that Watergate Bay is famous for.
June the 13th & 14th will see Watergate Bay host rounds three and four of the National Championship, these will also count as the first two rounds of the King of Surf contest. A highly coveted title that is often more sought after than the National title.
Two times reigning National Champion and King of Surf Mick Pritchard gives us a round up on what the teams could face and who he thinks will cope in the conditions.
“There is no preparing for Watergate, anything can happen; no matter how long you’ve been racing or how good you think you are, racing at Watergate Bay requires 100% focus and respect of the sea as many of us have found out. The Championship table is already tight but the real challenge for the racers at Watergate will be contending with Mother Nature and whatever she throws at them! They will need to remain calm and read the conditions, unlike in other events this isn’t all about speed it’s about the team, and there’s some really good teams in the fleet this year. This event will separate the men from the boys.
Every team in the top ten of the championship knows what Watergate can produce and how hard the racing can be, current championship leaders Blue Sheets Racing 1(Zapcat 03) have been runners up in this contest for the last two years, if they can apply what they’ve learnt over the winter to surf racing they should get a good result. However Rana Park (Zapcat 25) and Speedy Hire (Zapcat 38) have returned from a year out, both teams did well at Watergate Bay in the 2007 Season and have the potential to take the King of Surf title.
If the surf really picks up, Commando State of Mind (Zapcat 37) will be one to watch and will be looking for a good results in the surf. The Cat in the Hat (Zapcat 39) know all about respecting the seas at Watergate following pilot Jim Crooks' injury there in 2007, he has put this behind him now and returning for their first full season the team are taking no prisoners in their battle for the top of the table.
But as I said before you can be the quickest and the most experienced Zapcat team on the water and then you get to Watergate and everything changes. It's all about reading the lines of the surf and using them to your advantage. Racing this early on in the season at Watergate there’s no guarantee of the conditions we are used to, so we’ll just have to wait and see. Ultimately Watergate Bay can provide some of the most exciting and challenging conditions a racer can face and whilst experience and skill play a part even the best of us can lose one to Mother Nature as I learnt last year. With this in mind my top tip has to be to wear back protection; you may think your above it but trust me your not that tough!"