We are disappointed to inform you that the 2019 English Interclub Surfing Championships at Croyde are cancelled. Hurricane Lorenzo has been generating uncertainty in the Atlantic all week & the forecasts are still constantly changing. The current models have seen the chances of contestable conditions to complete the event significantly reduced. Discussions with the RNLI have highlighted significant concerns over safety throughout the weekend. The impact of Friday’s storm & huge swell is also a concern with changing sandbanks & gulley’s which could create further problems throughout the weekend.
With clubs due to travel from all over England & over 100 surfers registered to compete, this is not a decision that has been taken lightly. In the days running up to making the call there has been continuous communication & discussion between the Event Managers, Contest Director, MagicSeaweed & the RNLI Lifeguards, as well as studying data from multiple forecasting sites.
Today’s official Magicseaweed forecast further highlights the uncertainty over conditions; “The chart at the moment is still dominated by Hurricane Lorenzo, which has become part of a larger, complex area of low pressure covering the entire northern half of the North Atlantic. This will generate a large, long-period pulse of swell followed by some consistent shorter-period swell for Devon and Cornwall. On Friday wave heights are expected to reach ten feet at Croyde, with gale-force onshore winds from the west. The swell weakens on Saturday, but still holds at around four or five feet, with fresh cross or onshore winds from the SSW. On Sunday, the swell becomes a bit more solid again, perhaps hitting six feet, but with very lumpy conditions in strong onshore winds from the WNW”.
We are hugely disappointed to have to cancel the event, but the bottom line is that the safety of our surfers in & out of the water is paramount. Full refunds will be issued to all surf clubs entered to the event.
We thank you all for your continued support to Surfing England & we very much hope for a favourable forecast in 2020.
For those of you seeking shelter this weekend, stay safe & please always follow the advice of the RNLI.
Thanks again legends, see you all next year – stay stoked, the Surfing England Team.
