It’s Back! – The Euro Tour 2016
Put the 6th & 7th of August in your diary as the Euro Tour is hitting up St Ives again this summer and it’s one SUP event not to be missed!
Bringing together paddlers from across the world for a weekend of none stop action. The ethos of is inclusion and there will be something for everyone from the Euro Tour Pro to the weekend warrior, courses and events will be tailored to best suit the needs of competitors. Elite fields will be lead into more challenging ocean conditions while, less experienced ocean paddlers will be kept in more tranquil waters that St Ives Bay provides.
Things will be kicking off on Saturday 6th at Carbis Bay, which will be the hub for all race starts and paddling related activities with local traders, food, music and paddle workshops.
Throughout the day Giant SUP’s Hawaiian Canoe’s and SUP’s will race in the St’Ives Bay providing a frenetic back drop for beach goer’s and spectators alike. This year the course will seek to challenge the true ocean skills of the Euro Tour competitors by racing in open water rounding headlands and through surf zones. To score points in the Euro Tour and be in with a chance of winning cash prizes competitors must race using 14ft boards. 12’6 board categories will also race over the weekend however, only the 14ft and elite 12’6 class will face more challenging conditions by rounding the ‘Island’ and chasing rides of over 200m at the ‘poles’. Both the start and finish will be held on the beach at Carbis Bay. Ultimately the direction of travel around the course will be dictated by the prevailing wind conditions to maximise the longest down wind route.
Sunday will bring a demo day with paddle clinics. Clinics will be available (booking in advanced required) and the opportunity to put leading brands through their paces and speak with paddlers in the know.
The fun doesn’t stop there as Sunday evening will show case closing ceremony of the event with a ‘one class’ Survivor over an ‘M’ shaped course followed by a fun Giant SUP knock out for local clubs and teams, which will be hosted in the heart of St’Ives for an evening of fun and excitement, the perfect way to end this epic weekend. All boards will be transported from Carbis Bay beach to the harbour.
Entry Fees
14ft Elite (female & male) 14km £35
12’6 Elite (female & male) 14km £35
12’6 Cruiser Class (female & male) 7km £20
Junior (17-18yrs female & male) 7km £15
Gromit (15-16yrs female & male) 7km £15
U14yrs (female & male) 5km £10
U12 (female & male) 5km Free
Club Discount
The discount for a club booking reduces the cost to £15.00 per person. There must be a minimum number of four people; maximum number ten with no more than one ‘Elite’ paddler (excluding 14ft category and age groups under 18yrs).
Accommodation
There are places to stay to suit every budget, from camp sites to 5 stars. See the event website for more details.
You can book tickets online here and for more information contact the Ocean Sports Centre on glenn@oceansportuk.com or by calling 07533 695031.
There’s loads of information on the event website; details of all the events throughout the weekend, course information and maps, booking, board transport, parking and more! So clear the dates in your diary and head to the SW for the biggest weekend of international SUP racing in the UK this year.