News, 3rd Battalion, Sport | 21 August 2025

3rd Battalion Traded in Boots for Wetsuits

3rd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment traded in their boots for wetsuits on a water sports weekend in Portsmouth.

As part of the 3rd Battalion summer training, 3 Company traded in their boots for wetsuits on a water sports weekend at the Army Water sports Centre on Thorney Island, Portsmouth.

Funded by Army Sport, it’s known as the ‘hidden gem’ in the Army and for good reason- there’s a wealth of modern equipment from power boating to kayaking, along with the instructors and the real estate to take you from zero to hero… for some of us!

Saturday saw the group learning the basics of windsurfing and dinghy sailing. The day began with dry drills on land before launching into the waters for the real challenge. At times, it was pure chaos — sails spinning, boards tipping — but the laughter never stopped and everyone threw themselves into the task. Throughout the day, I became very well-rehearsed in de-capsizing myself and managed my first turns on a windsurfer.

3rd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment (Army Reserve)

Sunday morning brought paddle boarding, complete with some racing, team games and blatant sabotage! There was a lot of unexpected swimming, which certainly kept things interesting. A particular highlight for me was spotting seals and their cubs basking in the sun along the shoreline.

We also had a fascinating insight into Thorney Island’s history, learning that the centre was built on a roman fort, that the island was lit at night during the war as a decoy to stop bombers striking Portsmouth and it houses a war graves sight that includes 21 German graves after a bomber crashed nearby.

Overall, it was a weekend of skill-building (we all earned our L1 paddle-boarding qualification from the Royal Yachting Association), camaraderie, and plenty of laughs — proving once again that Army Sports is as much about the bonds forged as the activities themselves.

Private Georgia Middleton