LASER OPEN
ISLAND BARN RSC
18 10 08
VISITORS RULE OK
It was hard to believe we were in the second half of October. Blue sky and a gentle Force 3 being shifted this way and that by lines of white cumuli made for a perfect days tactical racing. The balmy conditions kept shortie wetsuits and sun-cream in use for another weekend and allowed the full programme of 5 races to be run with ease.
The sun and breeze brought out a fleet of 16 visitors that both outnumbered and out-sailed the home fleet. In all, 31 boats came to the start for Race 1.
Race 1
Papercourt youth Aaron Smith in a Radial was recalled, but the rest got away cleanly.
Island Barn's Paul Wright-Anderson and Colin Smith from Papercourt match-raced round the first 2 laps, never more than 2 boat lengths apart. But match racing is usually not quick and this pair allowed Graham Lund from Broxbourne to take advantage of a shift to the right on the final beat and take first. Colin Smith won the 'match race' and Wright-Anderson came in third.
Race 2
Not deterred by the individual recall on Race 1, a quarter of the fleet committed mass hara-kiri in Race 2 but luckily for them all racers were called back. The I-flag worked wonders and perfect restraint was exercised by all in the second start. Colin Smith again became engaged in a 2 boat duel - this time with Ben Elvin from Wembley. In lap 1, Smith led, Elvin second. In lap 2 Elvin led, Smith second. By the finish, Smith had regained the lead, beating Elvin by 2 boat lengths. Graham Lund almost repeated his first race catch-up trick, recovering from sixth to fourth after 2 laps, but had to settle for a third at the finish.
Aaron Smith did well to finish fourth in a Radial.
At lunch Colin Smith led on 3 points, with Lund second on 4, Elvin third on 6. These three looked the class acts.
Race 3
The impatience of youth was apparent again. Aaron Smith was again recalled after coming off worst in a pin-end scrum on a biased line. Coaches tell you to avoid these melees and Graham Lund did just that by coming off the middle of the line at speed, negating the bias in ten seconds of fast, clear air sailing. He led from start to finish. Colin Smith had a shocker, finishing in eighteenth.
Race 4
For Graham Lund, this was a carbon copy of Race 3. After another perfect mid line start, by half way up the first beat he was leading. This time, in clear air, he stamped his authority on the fleet and stretched his lead to half a leg by the end, deservedly taking the Open Trophy with an unassailable three firsts and a third.
Colin Smith, keen to make amends for Race 3, was (it seems) over enthusiastic at the windward mark and, coming in with no rights, on port tack, was protested by Ben Elvin. Smith later magnanimously retired, thereby negating his chance of finishing in the top two.
Race 5
With nobody now able to beat Graham Lund for first and Ben Elvin for second, the final race would settle third place. The wind went left fifteen degrees in the last 2 minutes of the start sequence, making the port end highly favoured. Dave Goddard from Bewl Valley made a perfect pin end start and led at the end of Lap 1. Colin Smith overhauled him in Lap 2 and though closely challenged by Ben Elvin in the final lap, held on to win and salvage something from a day that might have been much better. Dave Goddard's third in this race secured for him the final podium place, beating Smith (fourth) by 5 points.
Aaron Smith deserves a mention for finishing 9th overall in a Radial, a result that could have been much better had it not been for his two individual recalls.
1st Full Rig Graham Lund Broxbourne SC
2nd Full Rig Ben Elvin Wembley SC
3rd Full Rig David Goddard Bewl Valley SC
4th Full Rig Colin Smith Papercourt SC
5th Full Rig Kevin Pearson Thames SC
1st Radial Aaron Smith Papercourt SC
1st Island Barn Paul Wright-Anderson IBRSC
1st Youth Aaron Smith Papercourt SC
Overall Results:
Pos |
Rig |
Sail No |
Helm |
Club |
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
R4 |
R5 |
Pts |
1st |
Full Rig |
172351 |
Graham Lund |
Broxbourne SC |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
-7 |
6 |
2nd |
Full Rig |
192845 |
Ben Elvin |
Wembley SC |
-4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
9 |
3rd |
Full Rig |
186948 |
David Goddard |
Bewl Valley SC |
5 |
-6 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
17 |
4th |
Full Rig |
193497 |
Colin Smith |
Papercourt SC |
2 |
1 |
18 |
(RAF) |
1 |
22 |
5th |
Full Rig |
178519 |
Kevin Pearson |
Thames SC |
-13 |
5 |
3 |
8 |
8 |
24 |
6th |
Full Rig |
190719 |
John Peck |
Silver Wing SC |
6 |
-9 |
7 |
4 |
9 |
26 |
7th |
Full Rig |
193710 |
Peter Chaplin |
Burghfield SC |
8 |
7 |
6 |
-14 |
5 |
26 |
8th |
Full Rig |
170487 |
Paul Wright-Anderson |
Island Barn RSC |
3 |
-13 |
9 |
9 |
6 |
27 |
9th |
Radial |
184351 |
Aaron Smith |
Papercourt SC |
-16 |
4 |
15 |
7 |
4 |
30 |
10th |
Full Rig |
155849 |
Pete Roberts |
Silver Wing SC |
10 |
11 |
8 |
2 |
-14 |
31 |
11th |
Full Rig |
140100 |
Daniel Francis |
Papercourt SC |
9 |
-15 |
5 |
10 |
13 |
37 |
12th |
Full Rig |
177568 |
Calvin Merry |
Queensmead SC |
7 |
16 |
11 |
6 |
-18 |
40 |
13th |
Full Rig |
180382 |
Andrew Barnett |
Island Barn RSC |
14 |
8 |
10 |
-18 |
12 |
44 |
14th |
Full Rig |
180441 |
Tony Butler |
Island Barn RSC |
18 |
-19 |
13 |
15 |
10 |
56 |
15th |
Full Rig |
152767 |
Mark Taylor |
Island Barn RSC |
11 |
18 |
-21 |
13 |
19 |
61 |
16th |
Full Rig |
167943 |
John Leheup |
Island Barn RSC |
15 |
14 |
16 |
-19 |
16 |
61 |
17th |
Full Rig |
166483 |
Stephen Day |
Island Barn RSC |
(DNC) |
DNC |
12 |
11 |
11 |
66 |
18th |
Full Rig |
44519 |
Alistair Maclean |
Island Barn RSC |
-23 |
12 |
14 |
21 |
20 |
67 |
19th |
Full Rig |
192821 |
Roger Kirke |
Queensmead SC |
17 |
21 |
17 |
12 |
-23 |
67 |
20th |
Full Rig |
168115 |
John Magrath |
Island Barn RSC |
21 |
10 |
25 |
16 |
(DNC) |
72 |
21st |
Full Rig |
140044 |
Dave Bean |
Island Barn RSC |
20 |
22 |
-24 |
17 |
15 |
74 |
22nd |
Full Rig |
136401 |
Terry McCarthy |
Island Barn RSC |
12 |
24 |
22 |
20 |
(DNC) |
78 |
23rd |
Radial |
165219 |
Catherine Whitehill |
Papercourt SC |
19 |
20 |
19 |
-23 |
21 |
79 |
24th |
Full Rig |
142039 |
John Griifiths |
Queensmead SC |
-29 |
17 |
29 |
24 |
17 |
87 |
25th |
Full Rig |
141102 |
Rodger Stafford |
Island Barn RSC |
22 |
23 |
23 |
22 |
-24 |
90 |
26th |
Radial |
162786 |
Richard Dixon |
Marconi SC |
-26 |
26 |
20 |
25 |
22 |
93 |
27th |
Full Rig |
176285 |
Derek Goodway |
Littleton SC |
24 |
25 |
-27 |
26 |
25 |
100 |
28th |
Full Rig |
85172 |
Martin Yates |
Island Barn RSC |
25 |
-28 |
28 |
27 |
26 |
106 |
29th |
Full Rig |
75056 |
Ian Heinze |
Island Barn RSC |
-30 |
27 |
26 |
28 |
27 |
108 |
30th |
Full Rig |
137925 |
Mark Timbs |
Island Barn RSC |
27 |
29 |
(DNC) |
DNC |
DNC |
120 |
31st |
Full Rig |
121982 |
Peter Hughes |
Island Barn RSC |
28 |
30 |
(DNC) |
DNC |
DNC |
122 |