WEYMOUTH BEACH CLASSIC IS BACK FOR ITS 43RD YEAR
The Weymouth Beach Classic is back on the beach this weekend for its 43rd year with lead sponsors We Are Weymouth and Ultra Maritime. The Weymouth event is the pinnacle of UKBT’s British Tour which takes in some 300 events around the UK but is just one of two events given ‘Grand Slam’ status and attracts nearly all the top players across the country to the town.
The event held at the Pavilion end of the beach will include a Centre Court which provides free seating for 150 in a covered grandstand . A bar will be situated at one end of the Centre Court and there will be commentary and music to entertain the crowd throughout the weekend.
The Classic kicks off for the first time on Wednesday with the National Crowns Beach tournament, this a competition for teams representing the various Services such as the Army, Navy , RAF, Police. Prison Officers etc. This will start at 10am with the final in the late afternoon
Then on Thursday evening the traditional Corporate Event, organised by Weymouth Round Table , takes place with 24 local businesses battling it out for the title.
This is followed on Friday afternoon with the qualifying event for the Grand Slam.. 16 teams will compete in the Mens and Womens competitions with the final two sides going into Saturday’s main draw. The qualifier includes local three local teams, Ryan Stout is playing with England Under 17 international Tali Rees-Tomkins and Liam Tewkesbury plays with James Bibby in the Mens event and Charlie Chambers and Immy Hollands will compete in the womens competition.
Play in the Grand Slam main draw starts 9am on Saturday morning with matches in the Mens and Womens early rounds of competition. Play will finish with the final group matches at about 7pm on Saturday evening.
Sunday will begin with the Quarter Finals in both Mens and Womens event and then the day will build to a climax with the womens final at 3pm followed by the men.
In the womens competition there are 3 teams standing out as possible winners. Katie Keefe who won in Weymouth in 2024 has now teamed up with Kirsty Star and they are currently ranked as the UK’s number 1 side but they wont have it all their own way , fellow England players Alice Jagielska and Isabelle Tucker will be looking to push them all the way as will Scottish Internationals and 2 times Weymouth winners Mel Coutts and Lynn Beattie.
In the mens event the Number 1 seeds are England International Nikko Gleed playing with Peter Soczewka but other teams such as Sottish Internationals Ben Mc Hardy and Ewan Fraser and Andrea Maggio playing with 2024 winner Piero Muller will push them all the waY
