In her first ever World Championships, sixteen year old local windsurfer Beth Williamson, surpassed all expectations of her National Coach Helen Cartwright. In a fleet of twenty six sailors from over twenty different countries, Beth received a medal for fourth place just five points off the Bronze.

Beth was appointed to the Great Britain Team in September 2003 after winning the British National Junior Championships in Weymouth. Winter training with the National Team and with her regional coach Ian Roberts saw Beth improve both mentally and physically. She capitalised on this form by winning the Welsh Open Championships in April 2004, which qualified her for the World Championships recently held in Bulgaria.

The sixteen strong British team, travelled the week before the competition in order to put in some extra training and acclimatise to the heat in the Bulgarian resort of Nessebur on the Black Sea. It was during this training period that a tactical decision was made to move Beth’s female team partner up to the next sail class., thus increasing the onus on Beth.

The day before the real racing began a practice race was held for all competitors. This practice race is generally used by competitors to size up the opposition and impose some psychological dominance. Beth was fourth at the windward mark and finished a very respectable second. Her peers had taken note and she had risen a few rungs in the ‘pecking order’.

Racing was held over five days with two races scheduled each day. After a shaky first race coming in eleventh, Beth regained her composure to score a creditable sixth. The efforts of the second race were not without its consequences and resulted in the palms of the hands being severely blistered. Going into the second day with confidence Beth scored a fourth in the first race. The rigors of the first race caused the badly blistered palms to open up revealing the flesh beneath. An extremely painful second race meant Beth limped home in thirteenth.

Day three and the application of several coats of ‘super glue’ had miraculous properties as a second skin. With the adrenaline masking the pain in her hands Beth completed the rest of the weeks sailing with a string of fourth, third and second places. The first five competitors received medals. Being fourth just five points off a Bronze medal left Beth contemplating what might have been but for the ‘shaky start’.

Beth moves up from the junior fleet in September to the Youth fleet and to the Olympic sail class. The British Championships are to be held again in September in Weymouth and Beth will now have to match her wits in the under 19s’ age group.

Beth and her family remain grateful to the sponsors who continue to help Beth fulfil her aspirations. Particularly, David Lloyd Leisure, Kirkby and SurfTech, Marine Lake Crosby.

August 2004