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Vincent makes his Mark on our web-site!
This week . . pembrokeshireSport.co.uk thought it would be nice to introduce you to our resident web manager because as well as being an expert in the html language, which is needed to run a successful and attractive web-site, Mark Vincent is also a keen participant in sport, despite the fact that he readily admits that anything he has been involved in has come about by accident.
He became a very adept windsurfer after his wife Carol bought him a lesson as a birthday present, did really well in archery because his children Clare and Michael took up the sport and he decided, along with Carol, to give it a go – and became Dyfed champion – and from his home in Capel Iwan, near Newcastle Emlyn, he is currently Hon Secretary and plays for Llechryd Cricket & Tennis Club after initially taking Michael there to play!
Main sporting love
The only sporting love that has remained with him throughout childhood and adult life is the fact that he is an avid supporter of Manchester City after being brought up in the city and preferring the blue to the red side of Manchester’s football followers! He was a regular visitor to Maine Road for many years and has also attended their new Eastlands ground – but on this occasion to watch Clare take part in the closing ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games as a dancer, for which she received a commemorative medal.
Carol bought him a windsurfing lesson . . .
When Carol bought him his windsurfing lesson, he took to it like a duck to water and was soon involved in racing events in the North West of England - eventually graduating to speedsailing competitions with courses set-up on open flat-water locations, exposed to strong prevailing winds. After joining the UKWA and being issued with sail number 143, Mark was all set to go.
He also took part in course racing, which requires larger boards and is far more tactical and, with typical honesty, Mark admits that he wasn’t as suited to that area of competition.
One of the more memorable events that Mark took part in was the Cross Bay Classic at Morecambe Bay, which required no little stamina since he had to windsurf up to the Lake District and back, a distance of 14 miles. It was hard work but there was a large entry, with bright sails everywhere, and great camaraderie amongst the competitors.
. . and Mark designed his own sails . .
With regard to the windsurfing, Mark not only did well in competitions but he also designed and built his own 'quiver' of sails at a cost-price of £45.35 each, when a manufactured one would cost in the region of £180 to £300 at that time.
He set out on sail-making with lots of enthusiasm but little idea of the work involved (which included using an old industrial Singer sewing machine, picked-up at a cost of £20) and his written account of the work – and the need to utilise a cellar to have space to build them – was featured in ‘Boards’ magazine – issue Nos 70 and 71 – for which he was paid the princely sum of £200 for his written skills!
His competition debut with his sails was a real thrill as he tested them on the 500 metre speed course at West Kirby in Cheshire, where he attained a creditable average speed of 30.23 knots (34.8 mph) over his best run. At a later event, he was up to 34.06 knots (39.2 mph) at a time when the world record was 38.86 knots (44.7 mph) - then held by the top French speed-sailor Pascal Maka. The record has since increased to an amazing 49.09 knots (56.4 mph, by Antoine Albeau in March 2008) aided by new technology & materials, and the introduction of sailor-weight-jackets which have really helped in the control of higher-powered large sails.
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Not all plain sailing
It wasn’t all plain sailing, however, (no pun intended!) because on one occasion he was trying his luck at some recreational ‘chop-hopping’ – using one of his smallest sails in a seriously heavy blow and leaping the wave crests – similar to snow-skiing over 'moguls' – but he landed awkwardly and wrenched his knee. It was sheer agony and since he was three-quarters of a mile out on the Dee estuary, it meant he had to windsurf back in on one leg!
Overall, though, Mark would say it was great fun and it is rumoured that he might just get the old boards out once again when he has some free time!
Mark first took aim with Castle Archers
Mark first took up archery with the Castle Archers at Newcastle Emlyn after Clare and Michael had joined, and he and Carol took their children to participate. After a couple of weeks as onlookers, mum and dad were persuaded to try their hand and were soon heavily involved – and all four became trophy winners.
Many of the members at Castle Archers shoot in the 'Bare-Bow' classification, that is a bow with no sights or stabilising weights attached, and some of their archers score almost as well as those using sights ('Olympic' classification) ; indeed, former Llechryd cricketer Tapani Kalmaru used to do this regularly, and has since represented Wales in archery events world-wide.
Competitors typically shoot at targets placed 100, 80 and 60 yards away, with juniors' targets set correspondingly closer, and each archer shoots twelve dozen (that’s 144 for those of you on metric!) in a day, with the rounds carrying names like "York", "American", "Windsor" etc, based on the requirements of the day's competition.
In British GNAS events, an arrow in the gold ring (nearest the bull) scores nine points, with the colours progressing down through seven, five, three and one – whilst in FITA competitions (international protocol, with each coloured-area split into two scoring zones) the scores start at ten, and work down through all the numbers - because they have already discovered the metric system!
Double winner and Three Counties champ!
Mark competed in SWAS events (the old pre-2000 South Wales Archery Society - now merged as WAA - the Welsh Archery Association) and was also the Dyfed A. A. Outdoor Champion two years in succession in the competitions held at the Three Counties Showground. In more recent years, these events have been hosted in Newcastle Emlyn by The Castle Archers.
He also achieved Dyfed & SWAS records in a "Double Portsmouth" indoor event. Entrants normally complete a 'Portsmouth' round by shooting 60 arrows either in a morning or an afternoon session, to allow entrants to do other things during the day, and facilitate a larger number of entrants. Mark had to stay to help-out, so shot in both sessions – and had the best score in both, so, in effect, achieve first and second places! In the interests of sexual equality it is also fair to mention that Carol has also been a Dyfed Women's champ in her own right!
Other former archery members at Newcastle Emlyn include current Welsh Under 20 rugby centre Scott Williams, former Whitland & NCE No 8 Derek Thomas and top Welsh junior track & field athlete Antoine Woodman. Mark would recommend the sport for youngsters, since it demands and develops self-discipline and concentration. Safety is paramount and Mark held the post of Equipment Officer for The Castle Archers, with the responsibility of looking after the club’s bows - and still helps out by marking-out the field for County Championships. Carol has served the club as Vice-chairman, Treasurer and Tournament Officer, to keep the Vincent family flag firmly flying at the Castle Archers’ camp.
Busy at Llechryd CC
But it is cricket that now occupies much of Mark’s spare time (as well as being a star with pembrokeshiresport.co.uk) and he occasionally opens the batting at Llechryd for the club’s second string, and bowls a few overs when required in Division Five. He has had scores of 30 and is still hoping for a maiden half century before he steps down – and has also claimed three-wicket hauls with a best of 3 for 20.
Mark remembers, ". . as kids back in Manchester, my big brother Chris and I used to play a lot of "back-alley" cricket & football with our mates - we even used to play tennis on cobbles, which was very good for sharpening-up the reactions. At St Paul's Primary, the only male class-teacher, Mr Fielding ( ! ), was a huge cricket enthusiast and used to take the top-class to Withington Indoor Cricket School every week, which at the time was run by Peter Lever - the Lancashire and England right-arm quick. - I remember being one of the "guinea-pig-kids" there, when Farokh Engineer was being assessed for one of his coaching qualifications. . ."
Mark continued to play some cricket at Burnage High School, a huge comprehensive in Manchester – acclaimed for its sports reputation – and although he didn’t play for some time afterwards, he renewed his interest when he moved to Capel Iwan and Michael began to play for Llechryd.
The village side, whose pitch is on the border of Pembrokeshire & Ceredigion, were struggling for players so Ben Graham roped Mark in to play. Kevin Evans, the first XI skipper at the time, mentioned that the Club needed a web-site – so Mark has been involved ever since. He likes the fact that the club has such genuine characters. His duties involve the taking of minutes at committee meetings, plus the 101 other things a secretary at a small club has to do.
Not content with that involvement, Mark naturally runs their web-site and takes photographs to keep it up-to-date – and showed his durability when Llechryd reached the two-innings final of the Alan Brown Cup, where he made sure he had a picture of every ball bowled!
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