SUPS AT FBOR’24!

This event is an ISA Sup selection Qualifier 2024 for the Welsh SUP Team. Terms and conditions apply, participants who wish to be considered are required to raise an interest by contacting Emily King at Canoe Wales for further information: emily.king@canoewales.com (Membership of the designated NGB is required).  All medals sponsored by Get On The Water, Cardiff.

N.B. ISA Competitors must enter all three ISA qualification races to be eligible for selection.

The Welsh National SUP Championships have been designated to be held at the Fishguard Bay Open Ocean event. The FBOR team have joined forces with Canoe Wales in helping the championships come to fruition. Canoe Wales are also in collaboration with the Welsh Surfing Federation, and together are teaming up to select athletes to attend the International Surfing Federation SUP World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark 2024. 

This amalgamation of organisations has come about through a change in Stand Up Paddeboard governance over the last year. As of May 2023 Canoe Wales became the sole national governing body for SUP in Wales, and are developing the governance around the sport as well as SUP safety, training standards and pathways from grass roots participation to international competition. 

Competitive SUP has two pathways at international level. This is the International Canoe Federation (ICF) pathway, which is made up of paddlers at the top level, as well as athletes just starting their journey in competitive sport. Currently with ICF SUP competitions, the entries are open to all, making this an accessible entry to international competition. The other pathway is the International Surfing Federation and European Surfing Federation competitions, which see athletes competing at the highest level and require athletes to qualify at a home nation race in order to compete at this level. 

The ICF and the ISA have had a challenging time sorting out the governance of competitive SUP, hence the two different pathways at top level international competition. 

Canoe Wales are partnering with the Welsh Surfing Federation to make sure that the athletes pathway to competition at ISA events is smooth and transparent. Canoe Wales will be responsible for working with FBOR organisers to create a fair event and selection process, and Welsh Surfing Federation will contact athletes who have been successful in their qualification and organise entries to the ISA/ ESF events. As the WSF are a member and national federation of the ISA, it is their responsibility to remain the main contact with the ISA and deal directly with them. Therefor athletes who wish to compete for Wales, will have to become members of the Welsh Surfing Federation in order to compete at ISA international competition. 

At this time, regrettably neither the Welsh Surfing Federation or Canoe Wales have funding to send athletes to international competition. To be clear, those wishing to represent Wales this year, will be responsible for funding the events themselves. This includes entries to each event. 

This collaboration in this event is a positive step for competitive SUP which we hope that you as paddlers will support and help us build. 

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

SUPs at FBOR’24 – the Courses 

Fishguard Bay Ocean Race 2024 (FBOR’24) is a major downwind race along Pembrokeshire’s wild, award winning north coast – starting at Goodwick beach and crossing many miles of exposed open sea to finish on the wide sandy beach at Newport.

FBOR’24 is our 9th year and the SUP races will be held across two days:

Saturday 15th June

• SUP Elite Offshore Distance Race

Sunday 16th June

• SUP Open Offshore Distance Race
• SUP Beach Sprints
• SUP Technical Race

In the distance races you’ll paddle deep clear water, past towering cliffs, a couple of fun tide-races, a skid turn around a wave-tossed rock and a final sprint up the beach at Newport Surf Lifesaving Club. And, of course, we’re keeping fingers crossed for stellar downwind conditions!

Saturday SUP Elite race

Start 13:00 

17km of exposed seaway – designed for elite level paddlers.

Ticket price: £37

Sunday SUP Open race

Start 13:00

13km of ocean – designed for Advanced and Intermediate paddlers.

Ticket price: £37

Sunday SUP Beach Races

Beach Sprints – All Competitors Welcome 15:30

Ticket price: £10

Technical Race – Intermediate and Advanced  16:00

Ticket price: £20

For more information including entry criteria please visit the official page/website for the event: SUPs at FBOR'24! - FBOR-24 (fishguardoceanrace.uk)