Police investigate cause of surf rescue boat blaze
The Saunton Sands Surf Lifesaving Club was left without its surfboat after a fire on Tuesday.
Police are investigating the cause of the blaze which destroyed the 20 foot fibre-glass boat and trailer.
Firefighters went to Pixie Lane, Braunton, just after 2am today following a report of a boat on a trailer was on fire.
They found that the Australian-made sculls gig boat was well alight.
Andy Bray coaches the club's surfboat teams and the boat was on a trailer in the road near his home.
He said he was alerted by a neighbour and found the boat was burning with flames leaping 30 foot into the air.
Mr Bray said the boat was insured for £7,000.
He does now know how long it will take to find a new boat. They are built in Australia and cost about £3,000 to ship across to the UK.
The blaze has wrecked the club's winter training schedule and is a praticulat blow for the newly-formed women's team.
Mr Bray said a camper van parked in the same street also seemed to have been attacked on the same night.
He said: "I am absolutely devastated."
The Saunton Sands Surfboat team is part of the Saunton Sands Surf Lifesaving Club and rows in the UK Surf Rowers League, competing at venues throughout the south west of England and in Wales.
In 2007 the club reached the final at the UK National Surfboat Championships and came fourth.
On its website the club says surfboat racing is a relatively new sport in the UK, although well established in other countries, particularly Australia.
3 Comments
by Ann Baines, Barnstaple
Sunday, February 01 2009, 9:57PM
“Gobsmacked that someone has nothing better to do than reck other peoples property & enjoyment . As a new member of the team, I look forward to the training that Andy kindly does, giving up his free time, and ensuring the boat is maintained for us all.
Lets hope the mindless neanderthal that has no regard for others gets the same treatment when their time comes, lets hope it's soon.”
by Mike Sloman, Barnstaple
Friday, January 30 2009, 4:49PM
“It is beyond belief that someone would carry out such a selfish act of mindless vandalism. I do not understand what they think they would achive. We have worked hard at training this winter & I was looking forward to the new season. It wont be quite the same now, due to someones thoughtless actions. I echo Neils thoughts on Andys' efforts, he has worked very hard on keeping us competitive. I hope the small minded arsonists are soon caught & given the punishment they deserve.”
by Neil Phillips, Goodleigh
Friday, January 30 2009, 1:38PM
“I would just like to express my anger that someone would do such a thing to our boat. This boat has travelled all the way from Australia to us without damage and for someone just to set fire to it in a moment of vandalism is beyond belief. I was lucky enough to have rowed in this boat nearly every week for the last few years and she will be sorely missed. Andy Bray spent a huge amount of his own time maintaining this surfboat, the trailer and its oars and our sponsors have invested their hard earned money to help us keep it in racing condition. I hope that whoever did this will one day manage to find it in themselves to apologise to Andy, although I somehow doubt this will happen. Let us hope that the punishment this person receives reflects the damage they have caused.”