Keith’s windsurfing is now

1:14pm Tuesday 28th November 2000

THERES no stopping windsurfer Keith Atkinson. The 17-year-old from Warren Road, Wilmington, has just completed his first year on the UKBSA national windsurfing circuit, where he showed the adults a thing or two by finishing in fourth place.

To put his success into context, the three surfers above him were among the UKs top adult long-board competitors, all of whom have many years of experience.

Keith also picked up a trophy for being the top youth in the unlimited class.

His father, David, said: Sailing with the big guys, using big sales, few thought Keith would finish in the top ten.

As a measure of his achievement, he finished just behind third-placed Mike Smith, from Milton Keynes, who was second in this years World Championships held in August at Mar Menor in Spain.

In addition, Keith finished the season as overall South East regional champion in the unlimited class 1st youth, and second in the LBSA London regional series.

In the latter event, he beat Smith and was only beaten by this years UKBSA National champion, Xavier Ferlet, who is his winter training partner.

Keith has also done well at club level during the year. He won both the Winter and BIC Sport Spring series and retained his 1999 title as the Bewell Valley Sailing Clubs boardsailing overall champion.

Recently, in winds gusting to 40mph at his home club Bewl Valley, Keith captained the team to victory in the second round of the three-event LBSA 2000 Icebreaker Series.

The team had already won the first round at Londons Queen Mary reservoir. The Bewl team won this event last year, and is in with a tremendous chance of retaining the trophy.

They clinched the title at Farmoor in Oxford at the weekend, although two of the team members were absent through illness and injury. Finishing fourth, the Bewl team still had enough accumulated points.