Build Up To Racing the Head of the Dart / by Hector Jessel, Starboard UK Team rider

Hi my name is Hector and I’m a SUP racer/team rider for Starboard UK and am the current National Champion. As the winner of the 2023 Head Of The Dart men’s fleet, I am hoping to return for 2024 and defend my title.

In this article and am going to talk about how I prepare for a race like this as well as offering advice for first time racers who might be feeling unsure about the prospect of entering their first event.

Physical preparation

Last year was my first international racing season which continued right up into November. I had some time off over Christmas and started training again in the New Year, working towards the first race of the UK 2024 season, at Bewl in a few weeks. Most of my winter training has consisted of long, “steady-state” paddling and as races draw closer I like to up the intensity of my sessions. Everyone trains differently, depending on where they live, the conditions and their time schedule. But one thing that I see all good racers do is cross train. Whether this is swimming twice a week at your local pool or going to the gym after work, cross training is a great way to stay fit off the water and it can be a great opportunity to give your paddling muscles a rest and work on other muscle groups. I also like to do paddling-specific exercises in the gym and I have seen a big improvement in strength and fitness from this. For a beginner racer, paddling 2 days a week and cross training 2 days a week would be a realistic target to reach on the lead up to an event.

My own training regime has steadily been growing over the last few years and as I will now be competing in the Open men’s division I am now training twice a day, 6 days a week with one rest day. At least 4 of these sessions will be on the board and the others I’ll either be in the gym, on the bike, swimming, or the occasional surf. I understand that most racers do not (need to) train this seriously, nor do they have the time.

Conditions

When preparing for a race it is important to know the possible range of conditions that you may be presented with on race day and to prepare for the worst. This way, when you turn up, you will be prepared for whatever the conditions present. An example of this is the HoTD. The Dart can have strong winds which may create small, frequent chop. It is sensible to practice in conditions like this at least a few times before the race just to familiarise yourself with the water state. Knowing the conditions will give you a slight edge on your competitors confidence wise. For new racers, the most daunting part of a race is normally the start because it involves the roughest water and there is very little space between you and the other racers. To prepare for this, I recommend paddling in rougher conditions and, if possible, practising your starts next to other paddlers. If, by the time race day comes, you are still not feeling confident, then you can wait behind on the line and start paddling when the quicker racers are ahead of you.

Clothing

There’s nothing worse than being too hot or cold during a race. This is why selecting the right clothing for the conditions is vital for an enjoyable event. Personally, I get quite hot when I am racing, so I tend to wear just a pair of board shorts and the race bib for most races. If the conditions are colder then I like to wear my 1.5mm wetsuit leggings and a few under-layers on top. It is important to account for your skill level and the water conditions when deciding what to wear. For example, if the water conditions are looking rough and you don’t feel confident with your balance, then it might be sensible to wear a wetsuit or extra neoprene layers. Something that is great about events like Head Of The Dart is that there is a massive range of abilities and everyone has different preferences when it comes to kit. If you are unsure what to bring, then it’s best to wear too many layers than too little.

My kit

For the race I will be riding my brand new 2024/5 Allstar 14’ x 21.5” along with using my Black Project paddle and fin. If you would like to test ride any of these then please speak to me after the race and I will happily lend them out.

Conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have  writing it. If you have any other questions about the race then you can contact Fiona through the race website. I would also be very happy to answer any questions through my Instagram account  @hectorjessel. I look forward to seeing you all at the 2024 Head Of The Dart SUP race.