GBR star Piran Phillips to coach Nippers at Holywell Bay

The day before the National Championships turn Holywell Bay into a racecourse, the beach becomes a classroom. Surf Life Saving GB is running a set of clinics there on 19 August 2026, and the coaches leading them are the kind of names young competitors usually only watch from the sand.

GBR team member Piran Phillips and Surf Life Saving GB’s George Haynes will take three one-hour sessions, each one built to help Nippers build confidence, sharpen their skills and read the beach environment before they race on it for real.

Who can go and when

There are three clinics, split by age group. The first runs from 1:00pm to 2:00pm for 8 and 9 year olds. The second is 2:30pm to 3:30pm for 10 and 11 year olds. The third takes 12 and 13 year olds from 4:00pm to 5:00pm.

Each session is capped at 75 participants, which leaves 225 places across the day. At £10 per participant, the fee is a fundraiser for the GBR Lifesaving Team, money that helps those athletes represent Great Britain on the international stage.

What Nippers will learn

The coaches and athletes will hand over the practical tips and techniques they use themselves. That means working on race skills and confidence, learning to understand the beach and the surf conditions, and picking up the small tricks worth taking into the National Championships.

The pull of it is the timing. This is a chance to train on the competition beach the day before racing, so the ground under a Nipper’s feet on the start line is already familiar. Surf Life Saving GB describes it as a fantastic opportunity that should not be missed.

Parents with a qualification wanted

The clinics can only run safely with enough water cover, and organisers are asking parents and guardians who hold a suitable water safety award to lend a hand. That covers anyone with a Club Activity Tube Swimmer, Tube Rescuer or Surf Lifeguard qualification, or an equivalent.

If that is you, George Haynes wants to hear from you at [email protected]. Volunteer help is what keeps the sessions running.

How to book

Places are secured through the Surf Life Saving GB booking page, with full event details on the clinic listing. The organiser is Surf Life Saving GB, reachable on 01392 369111 or at [email protected].

With 75 spaces per age group and racing the very next day, the front row of the clinic is likely to fill before the tide does.