Natalie Retains UK Windsurfing Title
Cadet member Natalie McWilliams ended her Bic Techno Fleet windsurfing career on a high by retaining her title as the first girl in the UK Windsurfing Association Inland Series. In 2010 Natalie was the first Scot to take this title and she is now also the first girl from Scotland to take the title of first overall winner in the 7.8 metre class of the mixed fleet of boys and girls. In order to achieve this success Natalie competed at four different locations ranging from Derwent Water in the North East of England to the final competition held at Farmoor Reservoir in Oxford on Saturday and Sunday 10 & 11 September where she was sailing at times in gusts of up to 30 mph.
Since the Holy Cross fifth year pupil started competing in the Techno Class in 2008 Natalie has won over thirty titles firstly on a 6.8 metre sail and then on a 7.8 metre sail in the last two years. However the two awards that are very special to her are firstly her being awarded the Phil O’Donnell award for sporting achievement by her school in 2009 and more recently she was thrilled to win a Gold Medal at the RYA Eric Twiname event held at Rutland Reservoir in May of this year.
As Natalie will turn 17 in 2012 she will no longer be eligible to race in the Techno Class and therefore she has chosen to move up to the 8.5 metre RS:X Class which is the race board and sail used in the Olympic Games by female competitors. Natalie entered her first competition in this class at the Scottish Windsurfing Championships held at St Mary’s Loch in the Scottish Borders on the weekend of the 3 & 4 September. There she won two titles firstly the RYA Scottish Windsurfing Series Youth Fleet Winner and then the title of Scottish First Lady. She took third place overall in the senior mixed fleet where she had to compete against older more experienced windsurfers. Her biggest thrill was actually beating one of her RYA Coaches for the first time!
During the winter months, in addition to training in Scotland, Natalie has training sessions planned at a variety of locations in England including Weymouth which will play host to the 2012 Sailing and Windsurfing Olympic Competitors.