WIRRAL’S shoreline plays host to international visitors this week as the Sand Yachting European Championships take place.
The annual event, which has this year been organised by the Wirral Sand Yacht Club (WSYC), has attracted participants from the continent and even as far as New Zealand.
The sport involves a small wagon powered entirely by wind through a sail, with steering being controlled by foot pedals.
It works best in windy, flat areas and speeds can get up to 60mph.
This year’s tournament is being held in Hoylake until Friday, with up to six 35-minute races taking place each day.
The winner of each race is the person who has completed the highest number of laps by the time the race has finished.
And organiser Pat Nixon, from the WSYC, is pleased with how this year’s event has gone so far.
She said: “It is a lot of hard work organising an event of this scale but it is going really well. It is very good for the area because the participants are staying in our hotels and eating in restaurants – a major boost for the local economy.
“We want to encourage more people to get involved in sand yachting and possibly reach out to the younger generation as well. It is a very exhilarating sport and needs to be promoted more.
“We would also like to say how grateful we are to Hoylake Sailing Club for allowing us to use their premises for our visitors – they have been wonderful.”
Wirral Sand Yacht Club meet on the first Monday of every month and new members are welcome to go along to find out more about the sport.
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