The 2017 European Kite Buggy Racing Championships kick off in Hoylake today

There’s high-octane sporting action hitting a Wirral coastline this week.

The European Kite Buggy Racing Championship 2017 will be at Hoylake, Wirral, from today, Wednesday 30th August until Saturday 2nd September 2017. Four days of racing will take place on one of the best beaches for the sport in the world. The event will bring together Europe’s top competitors and spectators from around the UK and generate huge interest in the sport locally while raising Hoylake’s profile worldwide as a preferred venue.

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Video Credit: Steve Warren, Vimeo.

A European Championship for the sport of Kite Buggy racing, sometimes called Parakarting, is held annually. Each competitor uses a three wheel buggy with a powerful kite to propel them around a course that will span several miles. Kite buggy racers travel wheel to wheel at speeds of up to, and in excess of 50mph while battling to position their kites to get the best wind and avoid tangles with others.

Photo Credit: RNLI Hoylake Facebook Page

The last time the event was held in the UK was at Hoylake in 2011. Hoylake’s popularity as a venue is due to its significant beach area, smooth winds and unusual tides which allow competitors to spend much longer on the beach without being forced to stop racing by the incoming tides or unpredictable winds. Previous European Championships have been held in La Franqui Plage, France (2016); De Panne, Belgium (2015); and previously in the UK at Hoylake, England (2011) and Pembrey, Wales (2007).

Photo Credit: The PKA Facebook

Local Wirral Firefighter and top English pilot, Tommy Grierson, commented: “I’m really looking forward to getting out on the beach, kicking up some sand and seeing the skies above Hoylake filled with kites. Hoylake has been my practice ground for years, when anyone comes to the beach for the first time and they can see for themselves what a fantastic location we have here on the Wirral.”

With perfect weather conditions predicted, you’re invited to head down to the promenade at Hoylake during the planned race days, Wednesday 30 August and Saturday 2nd September to see this high speed spectacle.

Further information about the event, including race times and prize giving is available from www.kitebuggyeuros.com