Elly Beach filled with colour as windsurfers reach new heights at Mayo Mayhem

Mayo Mayhem – Ireland biggest windsurfing competition – was held last Friday at Saturday on Elly Beach, Belmullet, writes Malcolm Scott.

This year Mayo Mayhem was a ranked two-star event on the International Windsurfing Tour, and Elly Beach was filled with colour as the competition attracted close to 50 windsurfers competing in both the pro and amateur fleets.

The event had a mix of the best of Irish competing side by side with international competitors from France, Germany, Belgium and Scotland.

The conditions were perfect for windsurfing, with strong southerly winds and three-metre waves.

Competitors were scored on their massive jumps and loops in the air and also how they surfed the powerful Atlantic waves.

The results were as follows: Pro Fleet Men - 1st Niclolas Quemener (France), 2nd Dieter Van Der Eyken (Belgium), 3rd Finn Mellon (Ireland), 4th Julius Byrne (Ireland); Pro Fleet Women - 1st Katie McAnena (Ireland), 2nd Aoife Cooke (Ireland), 3rd Amy O'Donnell (Ireland); Amateur Fleet - 1st Tom Lotocki (Poland/Ireland), 2nd Colin Colville (Northern Ireland), 3rd Phil Hayden (Ireland), 4th Sean Keane (Ireland).