THOUSANDS of people flocked to a Windermere Heritage weekend organised by opponents of the blanket 10mph lake speed limit due to come into force in 2005.

Tony Kemp, one of the organisers, said between 2,500 and 3,000 people either took part in one of the 750 free taster sessions - for sports including water-skiing and wakeboarding - simply watched, or enjoyed a more sedate lake cruise.

So many people turned up at the two venues of the Windermere Motor Boat Racing Club and the Low Wood sports centre, that some were not able to try their sport of choice.

Organisers did, however, lay on more speed boat rides so visitors could at least get out on the lake.

"We were absolutely packed out," said Mr Kemp.

"I don't think there were many people who missed out altogether.

"We did not have one single person saying there should be a ban.

The comments that was coming through, without exception, were 'why is there a ban' and 'why are we banning fun', whether it was from young people, or older people.

There were pensioners sitting having picnics and watching watersports who were absolutely thrilled with wakeboarding displays."

Highlights included 360-degree turns, somersaults and other tricks by European ladies wakeboard champion Louise Moore and her colleagues, and coaching sessions given by six-times world slalom skiing champion Andy Mapple.

Mr Kemp said the organisers had succeeded in one of their aims, which was to expand their database of supporters.

From a starting date in April, they now had 2,000 people signed up to the campaign, and they hoped to increase that by at least 50 per cent following the weekend's events.

A large number of people took sports boat rides and only three of them said they had been in a boat before, which Mr Kemp said was indicative of the success of the weekend in introducing people to watersports.

This was especially important, he said, because a number of people had told him they had already decided to sell up and move their boats abroad.

Mr Kemp said his group planned to make the weekend an annual event, and still hoped to overturn the speed limit.