SUP Twelve 2024

By David Partridge
Photos: Annagail Leaman, Happy Snapper @annagaill
A big bay, brilliant weather, bonkers, beautiful people, boundless enthusiasm, and brutal wind – it was all very much a Brendon event!

This was the second SUP Twelve curated by Brendon Prince. He probably needs little introduction, the man who set out from home and paddled, turning right to circumnavigate England, Wales and Scotland before getting back for his tea. 

A passionate advocate of water safety and endurance paddling, he masterminded an event to stretch paddlers of all abilities and to get them to understand more about wind, tide, and weather. Www.brendonprince.com. Brendon said, “You are out there all day, so you will see the tides come and go, feel the difference, and work with the weather. It’s not all about speed; it’s planning, feeding, and working out your stop strategy. I just want you all to gain from it.”

Behind the scenes, there had been a huge amount of planning and preparation. Brendon and his team had sorted out three locations in Torbay Bay, the English Riviera. A couple of days out, he chose Broadsands as the most suitable and sent detailed joining instructions to all the entrants: where to park, where to unload boards, how to register, etc. On race day, we had a short briefing, and once again, everyone was told to keep smiling and just enjoy it.

Well, we did! Starting at precisely 07:00, 79 Paddlers started from Broadsands Beach and headed out to the left of the bay for the first mark. It was downwind and easy, but what we all realised as we turned to cut across to the second mark over to the West was that the wind would play a key part in our paddling. From the next mark, another right-hand turn and back. At the start/finish, a gate formed of two markers then led you back toward the beach.

The paddling was straightforward. They were working to minimise lap time and not fall in too often! The wind increased through the day, so paddlers increasingly turned and headed back inshore to avoid the vicious cross chop developing in the bay. This was a brutal battle against a headwind gusting over 20 knots further out. The choice is at which point you start to turn, and the banana course back over to the second mark. 

Closer inshore, when windiest, meant a longer track but less risk of getting caught in the crosswind, which made paddling hard. Caz Dawson described power stroke corrective stroke and repeat as her strategy at one point! The wind getting under the nose would push you downwind and out toward the open sea, especially as you start to catch the bumps and surf away in the wrong direction! The final leg is back to the beach, hugging under the cliffs and sheltering from the wind, then the BIG push to the beach, which is, thankfully, shorter at low water. Over the day, the wind finally dropped, and the last few laps were a joy (we will return to that later).

Each beach landing required you to park your board up; at higher tide with a congested smaller beach, Marshalls provided valet parking. Standing up to his waist in the water, Karl Hobbs caught my board as I arrived, “I’ve got it. Are you going straight back out?” There was a signal for him to stand and wait as I shuffled up the beach, up the steps and over the timing mat. Each competitor had a tag on their ankle (make of that what you will) which pinged a timing system: you leave the beach mount onto the promenade and then run or walk or crawl to the down steps and then back out over a second timing mat and back to the Beach team valiantly working to control the boards and stop them floating away.

Here the strategy, as Brendon puts it, “Some of you will be sociable and stop for a chat, maybe too long, catch up with old friends, make new ones, swap your paddle for one of the trial blades, others will just grab a feed and run on down to the beach to charge back onto the water.” The promenade consisted of a bespoke SUP12 pit bay, camping chairs, nutrient bags, water bottles, and sun cream packed into your metre square area – many great helpers. 

Bemused locals cheered on from outside the crash barriers as paddlers ran or walked along, grabbing food or sitting for a quick rest. There were also paddlers’ portaloos. Paddlers ran through, grabbing energy balls or fluids (no eating allowed on board). Others stopped, gossiping or swapping strategies, or admitted to how often they had been caught by cross-chopping or errant wake.

So paddle round, run up the beach, and round the promenade, repeat. The day continued with endurance awards to the ever-present SUPjunkie and SUPfm team, which broadcast live all day. Huge congratulations to Sarah and Simon. You can catch up with their coverage online. 

There were lovely random moments; at one point, as we battled inshore, a giant T-Rex cheered on from the headland. Thanks to Gaby Lawson, one of the many helpers on the day, thankfully, she was tethered in the strong wind and didn’t join us in the bay! Tanya Ecker, competing in the UK for her first race, had a huge, the hugest of smiles each time I crossed her out on the course; wow, she finished third overall but must have the award for nonstop smiling. 

The beach butlers in their luminous shirts are frantically catching boards, and the fantastic sponsors ShoreTees and Oscar propulsion on the prom are more buoyant about the racers than their products. The guys from Bays brewery encouraging you to do one more to earn the finishers pint. The outstanding support teams and onlookers. It was a great day for the SUP community to demonstrate how supportive and inclusive it can be.

So, to the end, the last few laps in less wind, befuddled brains trying to work out who may be on the same lap or ahead or behind, taking the shortcut straight across the bay hardened now to 12 hours paddling on the sea. At 19:00, finish your lap, come in, have a beer, and reflect on a great day. Brendon, how did you arrange the sunshine? (We will blame you for the wind!). It is an opportunity to show how older people can hold their own. There are many ages and well-mixed categories, and everyone loves it. There were winners, but no losers; everyone with the medal, the pint, and the satisfaction of completing SUP12 holds a special place for Brendon and his team in their hearts.

Yes, it’s a physical battle, but 12 hours is all about the mind game. For me, my SUP buddy William Worthington is always in my head, guiding my strategy, coaching, and encouraging me. Sadly, he is a bit out of action at the moment, but I am sure he will be available to coach next year! (That’s if we can keep him off the water.)

I am so inspired. Yes, everyone is out in Torbay. I bet sign-ons for the Broads Ultra and Great Glen will skyrocket. I know Race to the Castle is coming up, and Head of the Dart, SUP the Creek booking opens soon. All these events allow average social paddlers to take part in challenges that will stretch them personally, mentally, and physically. They also provide a fantastic community of people who get it and love it. Just look at the social media outpouring after SUP12.

Yes, it’s an extraordinary event and a bucket list entry, but everyone who has even a few days on a SUP should consider one. 

The results:

1st
Male- PJ Simmons
Female- Tanja Ecker

1st 39 & under
Dom Hook
Tanja Ecker

1st 40 to 49
PJ Simmons
Vanessa Knowles 

1st 50 & over
Bruce Smith
Maria Buchanan

Fastest lap
Bruce Smith.

The winner, PJ, did 33 laps, Bruce Smith 31, and Tanya 27. I was scattered along behind a host of happy, knackered paddlers. I was thrilled to make 21, but I think they need to put in a stairlift for pensioner paddlers!

Link to results: https://www.whatsmytimeresults.co.uk/results.aspx?CId=17047&RId=6235

Paddle UK
Everyone who took part was a winner. They learnt about wind, tide, and the ocean, contributed to safe paddling and charities, and had a beautiful, big, bountiful, and Brendon experience!