Past News

FRIDAY 12TH OCTOBER

I hope that over the last few days you have been watching the Sky coverage. Reaction here to the programmes has been very positive. Thanks to all involved, particularly to all those who came up with very positive comments about the event!

We also now have a confirmed date for 2008 it will be 25/26/27 th July. See you then!!

MONDAY 1ST OCTOBER

The times of the Sky sports coverage for the Classic are now confirmed and are as follows:

Programme 1: Tuesday 9th October at 9am, 12, 7pm, 10pm, 1.30am

Programme 2: weds 10th oct same times

Programme 3: Fri 12th ( no 10pm slot)

channels vary from sports 2,3 and xtra.

Hope you enjoy it and please let sky know if you do so that they come back next year.

Graeme

SUNDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER

I have now added a selection of photos from Tref bartholomew to my Picasa page. they give a more off beat image of the event. Sorry about the close ups. Use the link on 5th Sept to get to the page

THURSDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER

This link will take you to all of Paul Graham's photos of the Classic. There are some fantastic shots!!

http://fotocom.co.uk/events/

WEDNESDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER

Local 13 year old Ryan Stout won the Brighton Under 15 beach competition last weekend. Many Weymouth players have been aware of Ryan's talent for a couple of years and it is great to see him being successful in such an important event. He and Aidan lewis from Barry Island showed their class in this event where he beat players two years older than himself. Well done Ryan!
Ryan and Aidan with the winners trophy

More photos of the 2007 Classic are now available at the following link. These photos are taken by Malcolm Kitto.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/graemesawyer61

THURSDAY 30TH AUGUST

Returned and refreshed from holiday in Menorca. Will now aim to keep updating the site on a regular basis.

If you use the following link you will be able to find a collection of photos from Dave Bunting of the 2007 Classic. I hope you enjoy them.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/graemesawyer61

SUNDAY 5TH AUGUST

THURSDAY 2ND AUGUST

The coverage of the Classic will be shown on Sky sports on 9th/10th/12th October. Each show will be repeated 5 times during the day, including a 7pm slot! Make a date in your diaries.

Tuesday evening volleyball ended this week with another win for Terry Oldrid and alessio Boniolo, who took the overall title comfortably. Below is the ranking for everyone who scored a tournament point on the beach this year. Any point scored in an A series competitionm out ways a B series point. In all 56 players gained points!

Sorry there are few surnames missing, if you wanted it added please e mail me and I also apologies for the lack of straightness of the columns. Doesnt appear to want to go straight!

TUESDAY 31ST JULY

More photos from Steve Davis collection from the weekend can be found at: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/welshtrystevo/WeymouthBeachClassicL07

Here are the complete listings of final positions forWeymouth with the number of VEBT ranking points gained. To find your overall tour ranking please go to the Volleyball England website.

Men

Women

SUNDAY 29TH JULY


Legend of the beach Vince Joyce shows how it should be done in the qualifying compatition on Friday. Many more photos to follow.

THIS IS THE REPORT FOR TOMORROWS LOCAL PAPER, MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW TOMORROW

BOULTON AND JOHNS REGAIN THEIR CROWN

Lucy Boulton and Denise Johns regained their Waterside Weymouth Beach Volleyball crown when they defeated Zara Dampney and Shauna Mullen in a high standard womens final 21-16, 21 –17.

The mens competition saw one of the best and most exciting finals ever with Morph Bowes and Robin Meidzybrodzki defeating Steve Fee and Albrecht Glitz 28-26 –18-21, 15 –12 to take the mens title.

Both the finals were played in front of enormous crowds on the beach in the specially built stadium.

Boulton and Johns, the Great Britain number 1 ranked pair had stopped off to compete in Weymouth, only their second British event of the year, before continuing their progress on the World Tour. Both players were delighted to have regained their Weymouth crown and Lucy said ‘We didn’t want to miss coming to Weymouth, we travel all around the world playing Volleyball but Weymouth is where it all started for us’

Their opponents Dampney and Mullen were making their first appearance in a Weymouth final and they could have easily frozen but instead they played some exceptional back court volleyball which pushed Boulton and Johns all the way. However on the big points towards the end of the set Boulton and Johns greater experience told and some power hitting from Lucy Boulton saw them through.

The first set in the mens final was one of the tightest ever seen with 12 set points being exchanged before eventually Bowes and Meidzybrodzki managed to clinch the two point lead needed for victory. Fee and Glitz stormed back in the second set to level the scores and sending the match into a tie break.

Bowes and Miedzybrodzki gained a three point advantage early on and were able to hold their lead throughout the set and clinch the title at 15-12.

Overall the event was a huge success with all the teams expressing their pleasure at the weekend they had in Weymouth. Overall 250 matches were played on the 11 courts in all and there is no doubt that in its 25th year Weymouth yet again clinched its position as number 1 for Beach Volleyball in Great Britain.

Tournament Directors Graeme Sawyer and Pete Bennett said that they were delighted with the crowds that turned out to watch the finals and thanked everyone in the town for their support of this rapidly growing event.

Sky Sports filmed the three day event and were delighted with the action. The three one hour programmes will be shown in the Autumn.

THURSDAY 26TH JULY 10PM

The courts are all up and we are ready to go!! Although at one point this afternoon we wondered whether we would be as the worst storm in 25 years hit the beach! Luckily for us the marquees did their job and the evening ended sunny and warm.

John Hedlund, Mike Thornton and Matt Pierce have all been seen getting sneeky practice in this evening.

Greg Weaver and Steve Gratowsky wont be in Weymouth because they have qualified for the main draw in Cyprus. Good luck to them.

THURSDAY 26TH JULY

Bonus prizes are to be given for the mens and womens champions it has been announced this morning. Through sponsorship from Absolute Spain, the mens and womens winners will receive a week's holiday in Spain!

WEDNESDAY 25TH JULY 4PM

Saturday morning please arrive early to avoid disappointment , limited free car parking tickets are available from the marquee.For further details on Sat timings please see Monday 23rd July diary

For Friday timings please see Thursday 19th diary. Please note leave enough time for travel. In July on a Friday travel time from London allow at least three and half hours.

WEDNESDAY 25TH JULY

The BBC 5 day weather forecast for Weymouth looks good with temperatures rising to 24c on Sunday! Believe it when we see it!

Just a little reminder:

We do expect all teams competing in the qualifying on Friday to be wearing matching tops and to continue to do so if competing in the B series on Saturday.

Mens main draw sides will all be given a tournament vest and women in the last 16 will also have a tournament vest. All main draw teams must have matching shorts or bikini bottoms.

Last night's Tuesday league saw living legends Vince Joyce and Ian Fairclough on Weymouth beach warming up for the weekend. In the final they defeated local wildcard pick Terry Oldrid and Alession Boniolo 15-13.

TUESDAY 24TH JULY

HALL OF FAME. The Weymouth Beach Volleyball Classic has 11 members in its Hall Of Fame. All have been highly successful players on Weymouth Beach, in total winning the event 40 times between them. The photo shows 7 Hall Of Fame members gathered together on the beach in 2000. Missing are Garry Joyce, Mel Coutts, Tim Hollis and Richard Dobell. Of these 11, 7 will still be competeing at some level this weekend. In our 25th year will there be a new member joining this elite group this weekend?

MONDAY 23RD JULY

Here are the arrangements for Saturday morning:

Player Check in from: 8.15am

Players meeting: 9am

Play begins: 9.30am

If you are playing on Friday please find timings on Thursday 19th July's diary.

Please remember players tops are provided for mens teams in main draw and top 16 women. All other teams must provide their own tops whihc must be matching which ever the event you are playing in.

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Steve Fee hitting in last year's final.

FRIDAY 20TH JULY

The Centre Court for the Classic is now in place on Weymouth Beach. The organisers are delighted that because of increased sponsorship this year the seating at the Hotel Rex end is back for the first time for 4 years.

The site is being used this weekend for a Beach Handball event and then it is being used for a Beach Sports Youth Festival sponsored by the RAF during next week.

PICTURE OF THE DAY: Lucy Boulton clebrates victory over Jody Gooding in last year's co-ed exhibition match on Friday lunchtime

THURSDAY 19TH JULY 8.30PM

Friday 27th July qualifying for men and women begins at 2pm . Check in will be from 1.00-1.30pm and this will be followed by a players meeting. The format will be slightly diffferent from the last few years but will mean a minimum of 3 matches and probably a maximum of 4.

For accommodation details in Weymouth please go to the links on this site.

Directions if you have not been to Weymouth before: Head for the town centre, then take signs for Harbour or Pavilion. The main beach will be on your left and the volleyball site will be very obvious!

Car parking: We have (free) parking tickets for the nearest car park. On arrival come to the blue and white striped marquee to collect one. These tickets do not guarantee a space so leave plenty of time.

TRAVELLING TO WEYMOUTH ON A FRIDAY IS USUALLY VERY BUSY . WE USUALLY HAVE AT LEAST ONE TEAM WHO TURN UP LATE BECAUSE OF THIS . PLEASE BE AWARE!

THURSDAY 19TH JULY 7.30PM

APOLOGIES: There was a mistake on last nights mens qualifying list MARANHAO and DRNOVSKY are in but KLIK and WILKUSZ will be expected to play in the qualifying event on Friday. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

WEDNESDAY 18TH JULY 9PM

Please find below the womens teams to pre qualify for weymouth.i.e start play on sat . all other teams compete on friday. Details tomorrow. The list is in no particular order. This list has been increased to 14 teams.

WEDNESDAY 18TH JULY 9PM

Below is the list of mens teams to pre qualify for Weymouth i.e start play on saturday. All other teams are competing on Friday. Details of which will follow on the site tomorrow. the womens list will follow in a few minutes. The list is in no particular order. As you will see it has been increased to 20 teams due to the quality of the field.