Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club

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