8 COLUMN CLARE ELLIOTT
CLARE’S
COLUMN
WHERE THE LADIES AT?
Windsurfing is, and
always has been, a
male dominated sport.
Women are generally
perceived to be the
spectators,
photographers, kit
caddies or simply
admirers of on water
antics. But why is this?
I’m writing to express
my thoughts and
explore the reasons
why I believe fewer
women windsurf than men. This is for every woman; to
encourage you and help you understand that
windsurfing is as much for you as it is for the boys.
One of the biggest misconceptions is strength. Here at
Club Vass I asked the team (both men and women) why
they thought more men windsurfed than women, and the
overwhelming response was: ‘men are stronger than
women’. Yes, if you look at statistics, men are generally
stronger, but you don’t have to be made of muscle to
windsurf. I believe learning to windsurf is often more about
the mind. I asked the Club Vass team (again) what they
thought was the most important out of strength or
technique, and every one of them said technique.
Proof of this is when you see kids as young as eight (who
are teeny) flying around, fully planing and even doing
freestyle tricks. A strong man may even find that using
brute force can be counter-productive in making progress.
A woman cannot use as much strength and so has to rely
on superior technique, therefore enabling better
progression. So ladies who believe they aren’t Mrs Hulk,
you’ve got no excuse, it’s mind over muscles!
Another issue is the intimidation some women feel within
such a male dominated sport. Recently one of my
advanced lady students said she had been doing the
intermediate course at Club Vass for years because she felt
too intimidated to join the advanced group with all the
men. But this year she saw that myself, Becky Willis and
Heidi Jabbari were teaching the advanced group and she
was more than happy to join in. For those ladies out there
who feel intimidated by men, STOP! If it helps, find other
women to sail with and learn from. Or sail with the guys –
uk
WIND
SURFING
Words: Clare Elliott
Pic: Richard Bray
Clare Eliott is a Club
Vass pro coach and
PWA competitor (as
of 2017).
they absolutely love and respect a lady who windsurfs, trust
me! I could list more reasons why I think ladies windsurf
less than men, but instead I’m going to give you a few
words of encouragement.
If you didn’t know, I’m a female windsurfer lucky enough to
work at Club Vass, alongside an amazing team of males
and females (including four RYA advanced level female
instructors!). I teach all levels, from beginner to advanced,
and am lucky enough to share my passion for the sport
wi