Organisers of beach angling contest hope to net record

The 19th European Open Beach Championship, which is widely regarded as the largest three-day beach angling event in Europe, is aiming to beat the Guinness World Record of 785 entrants, which was set in 2010 during the Blue Sea Fishing Festival in Malta.

The championship, which covers the East Coast from Bridlington to Spurn, regularly attracts more than 1,000 competitors, but officials only became aware recently of the record.

More than 750 have signed up to take part so far, including over 100 overseas competitors, and for the first time anglers travelling to East Yorkshire from Germany and Poland.

The event, which also includes a section for children, and begins with the popular Bridlington Flattie Bash on Wilsthorpe beach on Friday, started life in 1992 as the Bridlington Open Beach Championship.

Competitors will be aiming to emulate last year’s overall winner Phil Darby from Guisborough who walked away with a large share of the £25,000 prize fund and the crown of 2011 European Champion.

Kieran Lawry of East Yorkshire Events said: “Our new world record attempt will hopefully confirm what we have always believed – that the event is one of the biggest and best anywhere on the planet.”

Large cods – which normally end up winning the prize – are “sparse”, said Kieran, but there are plenty of whiting about, which the cod feed on.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased on the day at South Cliff Caravan Park, Wilsthorpe.