Gareth high as a kite (From Western Telegraph)
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Gareth high as a kite
12:00pm Friday 28th September 2012 in Sport
Tenby Kitesurfer Gareth Morgan has been selected to compete in the British Olympic Ranking trials this Autumn at the British Olympic Sailing Academy, Weymouth.
The Olympic ranking trials is invitation only and is the beginning of the process to select the Kitesurfer to represent Britain in the 2016, Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Olympic ranking process will feature all the Olympic classes for Rio 2016 where kitesurfing replaces windsurfing.
The Olympic classes ranking process are held at the Olympic Sailing venue in Weymouth last week, and October 13th and 14th.
Kitesurf racing will be the fastest of all of theOlympic classes, hitting speeds over twice the speed of the wind.
Gareth will be using up to 17m square meter kites and boards with three large 42cm carbon fins to propel him around the Olympic race course both upwind and downwind.
Gareth is a British Skiff racing sailing champion and a kitesurfing wave master champion, and is hoping to utilise all these skills in the newest of all sailing classes.
Gareth is currently fourth in the UK British Kitesurfing Association race series held at various sailing locations throughout the UK.
He said: “I’m delighted to get this invite and sail in the presence of all the country’s best british sailors in Weymouth.
“I have been working and training hard on my racing skills and tactics over the last few years, and am particularly pleased to be an amateur rider competing at the same level as professional riders.”
Gareth works as a mechanical engineer at the Murco refinery in Milford Haven.
He gets riding sponsorship off Mike and Jan Prout at Surfcentre Penally and is a member of Surflink Surf Club, South Beach, Tenby.
He is hoping to gain more sponsors after his performances in the Olympic ranking trials this autumn.
Any local businesses looking to support Gareth an gain logo advertising on his kite and the boards he rides on, can contact him at garethmogs10@aol.com.
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