Source: About My Area
The event celebrates its 21st birthday and will run from Friday, 07 to Sunday, 09 March, with 1,000 anglers returning to the East Yorkshire Coast hoping to win a share of the £35,000 prize fund.
The huge prize pot and increased first prize has resulted in a massive surge in entries for this year’s event as competitors battle for the crown of European Open Beach Champion trying to win the large haul of cash.
Promotions and marketing across the UK and throughout Europe has resulted in overseas entrants from Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and Poland as well hundreds from all corners of the UK.
Anglers from a dozen countries are expected in the East Riding to compete in the hugely-popular weekend, which continues to attract ever increasing numbers of new faces despite the continued economic conditions.
The Beach Fishing extravaganza, which is organised by East Yorkshire Events and East Riding of Yorkshire Council, is an enormous economic boost for the whole coastal area. Local businesses will benefit from over half-a-million pounds which is spent within the East Yorkshire region in what is normally a very quiet time of the year.
Councillor Jane Evison, cabinet portfolio holder for economy, investment and inequalities at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said:
“The European Open Beach Championship is one of the East Riding’s most popular and successful events and has been a firm favourite with anglers from across the continent for over two decades and has really put this area on the map.
Tourism plays a vital role in our local economy and events such as this have a pivotal part to play in attracting visitors, who in turn spend in local communities safeguarding jobs and providing a timely boost for businesses.”
The weekend starts on Friday, 07 March with the eagerly anticipated EOBC Flattie Bash held on Tunstall Beach, in front of Sand Le Mere Holiday Village. This fun measure and release event is the ideal preparation for the weekend’s main competition held on Saturday, 08 and Sunday, 09 March.
Paul Roggeman, from East Yorkshire Events, said:
“We are really excited for this year’s 21st birthday event and the celebrations will be fantastic. Not only have we increased the prize fund, including doubling the first prize but the change to the new bigger venue at Sand-Le-Mere Holiday Village has given the competition a real boost.
Once again we have been inundated with enquiries for tickets and accommodation. The big increase in interest from across Europe is a fantastic reward for all the time, hard work and effort spent promoting the event. The championship is a massive boost for the area’s economy in a traditionally quiet period and continues our commitment of delivering World class events in the East Riding of Yorkshire.”
Although this festival of beach fishing now attracts the cream of European shore angling, it remains true to its original values of offering a fun and enjoyable event for all the family that is open and accessible to all.
With separate sections dedicated to juniors and women the fully-inclusive nature of the event really makes it stand out.
