Race Director's Debrief: A True Test of Mettle at the 2025 Battle of the Bay

When you have an event named the "Battle of the Bay," you expect a certain level of challenge. It’s safe to say that the 2025 edition, our third round of the Black Project x GBSUP National Paddle Racing Series, delivered a battle for the ages.

It is always a privilege to bring the national series to an event with such a deep and storied history on the UK SUP scene. Hosted for an incredible 15 years by the team at BaySUP, the BoTB was a cornerstone of the very first UK National Series back in 2014. Its current home on Friars Cliff Beach in Christchurch is a superb venue, offering a natural amphitheatre for racing. With the event village bustling right in front of The Beach Hut Cafe, the stage was set for a fantastic day of spectating for the public and beachgoers.

The Morning Distance Race: The Plan vs The Reality

The day kicked off with the classic distance race. The forecast suggested moderate 15 mph winds and a small underlying swell—the perfect recipe for a challenging but manageable race. We knew these conditions would test our newer and inland-based paddlers, likely putting the advantage in the hands of the seasoned coastal racers familiar with reading the bumps and chop.

The course was a long, 3km diagonal lap set to make the most of the wind direction, creating a classic upwind and downwind race that would test both endurance and tactics. The plan was set: four laps for our competitive fleets for a total of 12km, two laps for our Challenge Tour paddlers for a 6km race, and a shortened course for our juniors.

The men's hardboard fleet launched first, charging off the line into the expected conditions.

But just three minutes later, as the ladies' fleet prepared to start, the coast decided to remind us who was in charge. The wind, as if a switch had been flicked, delivered a rude awakening, intensifying to fierce 22mph gusts. A challenging surf began to build on the shoreline, making a clean getaway a significant struggle. We saw a few early swims as paddlers fought to get clear of the breakers and punch through the formidable cross-shore wind on the first leg.

Our Challenge Tour, iSUP competitors, and Juniors were next up, launching straight into the heart of these strengthening conditions. For some, it proved too much, and we saw some early but entirely sensible retirements. I want to give massive credit to every single paddler who stood on that start line. In recent years, our series has welcomed a wonderfully diverse range of abilities, and to see so many Challenge Tour paddlers ready to go in conditions far beyond their usual comfort zone is a huge achievement in itself.

Safety, Sportsmanship, and The Toughest Calls

This is where our safety team is paramount. Speaking with paddlers who retired early, the sentiment was consistent: disappointment at not finishing, but a feeling of complete safety while pushing their personal limits. This is only possible thanks to the excellent team from the Bournemouth Lifeguard Corps, under the expert guidance of Lawrence and Em. Their local knowledge, professionalism, and seamless integration into our safety procedures are invaluable. We simply couldn't run this event without them.

As the race progressed, a new challenge emerged: the clock. Our multi-race formats operate within a strict window, and the distance race was allocated 2.5 hours. The brutal conditions were slowing even the most experienced paddlers down considerably, and it became clear the original 12km distance would take us well beyond our race window.

Our first call was to shorten the race, reducing the competitive fleets to three laps and the Challenge Tour to one. A huge thank you is due to Hector Jessel, who, after finishing his third lap to take the men's lead, showed incredible sportsmanship by offering to paddle back through the fleet to help us communicate the new plan.

However, the conditions continued to deteriorate. It became clear that most of the fleet would be on the water for well over three hours. With paddler welfare as our absolute priority, and a need to give our safety team respite before the afternoon's technical races, we had to make the second, much more difficult decision to call in the majority of the race fleet still on the water. This meant most paddlers were counted in after completing their second lap. We absolutely understand the frustration of those paddlers who were on their final lap, some even down the far end of the course, when the call was made.

We massively appreciate your support and understanding as we make these difficult decisions in extreme circumstances. This, of course, creates a challenging process for our timing team. Without universal GPS tracking, which would allow for a simple 'count back' to the last completed lap, we have to manually adjust and verify results. We appreciate your patience as we ensure the results are as fair and accurate as possible.

The Afternoon's Technical Turnaround

After a well-earned lunch break, there was a palpable sense of energy as we prepared for the afternoon technical race. We reconfigured the course into a fun but challenging 'M' shape, packed with buoy turns designed to test agility and make the most of the bumps for some exciting downwind sections.

Mercifully, the wind had eased, dropping back to a more manageable 15mph. While the extreme challenges of the morning were behind us, the conditions were by no means easy, promising plenty of action as our paddlers navigated the tight, technical course. The signature GBSUP beach start, with so many paddlers charging for the water, was quite a sight.

It’s amazing to see how much this discipline has grown. In previous years, a coastal technical race might see 40 to 50 competitors. For this event, we had nearly 90 registered, with around 60 dedicated racers taking to the technical course in the afternoon. To top it all off, the sun finally made an appearance from behind the morning's clouds, bringing the day to a thankfully sunny and more relaxed close.

Looking Ahead

The Battle of the Bay has always carried a hardcore reputation, and 2025 did not disappoint. We very much hope that the event was a spectacle for everyone who stuck around to watch.

It seems 2025 is becoming the year of the wind. As we continue to push our operating window for running events in stronger conditions, we will inevitably face these challenges again. We don't like to cancel events, and we want to give our paddlers every chance to challenge themselves. In a similar scenario, our Oxford event was also affected by strong winds. Let's hope the remaining races in the series are more favourable for us!

Next up, we’re heading to the North East of England for the next round: the equally historic, beautiful, and challenging coastal race of the Beadnell Belta, hosted by World Champion Anna Little and the Northern SUP Race Club. We can't wait to be there and hope to see many of you for another fantastic event.

A final, huge thanks and shoutout to Mike from BaySUP, and to Lawrence, Em, and their entire team from the Bournemouth Lifeguard Corps. It was a brilliant but challenging event, delivered to the highest standards.

Rest up, and see you on the water.

Scott Warren

Race Director

GBSUP National Paddle Racing Series