Ireland hosts Speed Windsurfing World Cup

New Irish venue will host top speed sailing names at the end of the month

Dungarvan, Ireland prepares to host the 2008 World Speed Windsurfing Championships from the 29 November to 6 December.

This is the first time the Speed Windsurfing tour has visited Ireland, and the ‘Copper Coast’s’ beautiful golden beaches will welcome the worlds fastest windsurfers for an exciting and tough week of competition.

Windsurfing legend Bjorn Dunkerbeck will be taken on by 80 windsurfers from over 16 countries battling to be the 2008 Speedsailing World Champion and for the 2008 Production Board title.

Other competitors include world number one Cyril Moussilmani of France, Ben van der Steen of the Netherlands, Irish record holder John Kenny, and Irish windsurf ace Oisin Van Gelderen. The event will be spectacular with the top guns keeping an eye on beating the windsurfing world speed record of 49.09 knots (91kph).

Remarkably Dungarvan was unheard of as a speed windsurfing location until earlier this year when event organiser Martin Waldron recognized that its strong winds and flat water had world class potential.

The event will have a carnival atmosphere on the shore where spectators and competitors alike will watch the blistering speeds on the water, set against the backdrop of the green hills of ‘An Rinn’ - the ancient Gaelic speaking hinterland of Dungarvan.