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PKA National series report – Pembrey Beach
Pembrey beach in Carmarthenshire hosted the final round of the PKA National Kite Buggy Racing Championship on the first weekend of May and the 2019 champions were crowned!
The racing was particularly challenging on Saturday due to the turbulent offshore wind and wildly swinging wind direction which made the course completely different every lap, and even sometimes even when going from one mark to another. Wild swings in the wind and luck played more of a part than usual and in one race the leader was almost impossible to identify with pilots caught in pockets of good wind heading in different directions all to the same mark!
This year’s leader and reigning National Series Champion Ryan McGavin was challenged in the first and second races on Saturday by previous National Series Champion Adrian Lavelle, but then flew ahead to take 1st in the following two races of the day.
On Sunday the cold morning cleared to a sunny start, a new course was set out on the beach and once the wind arrived, in the middle of the afternoon, racing got underway. Unfortunately, due to the late arrival of the wind only one race was completed – the honors being taken by Ryan once again, completing the season of 24 races over four weekends.
The top three for the weekend reflected the final top three for the season overall, meaning both the weekend and Championship winners were:
1st – Ryan McGavin
2nd – Adrian Lavelle
3rd – Chris Wilson
In addition, prizes were also awarded to the top female pilot for the weekend and season: Karen Cutbush; and to the top newcomer for the season: Adam Whiston.
The next events for buggy enthusiasts in the UK include the upcoming ‘Beach Vibes’ event run by Carmarthenshire Land Sailing Club on 15 & 16 June at Pembrey; ‘Buggy Camp’ PKA skills events on 27 & 28 July in Hoylake and 10 & 11 August in Pembrey; and the 4 Nations racing from 5 – 8 September near Stranraer.
Further information about the upcoming events is available at:
http://www.parakartassociation.co.uk/buggycamp/
Images:
PKA National Series 2019 Winners: Karen Cutbush (1st Ladies), Chris Wilson (3rd Mens), Ryan McGavin (1st Mens), Adrian Lavelle (2nd Mens), Alison Summersfield (2nd Ladies)
PKA Round 1 Venue Brean Sands
PKA National Series Winner Ryan McGavin leads the fleet at Westward Ho!
Adam Whiston won this years Open Class
Karen Cutbush, 2019 PKA National Series Ladies Champion
