Open Meetings
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LASER OPEN 08
LASER OPENISLAND BARN RSC18 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 1Papercourt 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 2Not 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 3The 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 4For 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 5With 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 SC2nd Full Rig Ben Elvin Wembley SC3rd Full Rig David Goddard Bewl Valley SC4th Full Rig Colin Smith Papercourt SC5th Full Rig Kevin Pearson Thames SC1st Radial Aaron Smith Papercourt SC1st Island Barn Paul Wright-Anderson IBRSC1st Youth Aaron Smith Papercourt SCNational Solo Open Meeting at the Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club West Molesey Saturday 12th July. Thames Valley Series
16 Visitors from 11 sailing clubs with 10 home boats met in fine weather with a South West wind force 2-4 gusting 5. The race officer set a course making most of the 122 acres of raised water. There were four races with three to count, a break for midday lunch, and the day finished with the presentation of trophies and a cream tea.
First Race, Mike Hobin from Oxford, a previous winner here, was first to round the windward mark and went on to win from Godfrey Clark, Fishers Green and Will Loy of Reading sailing club.
Second Race, was tight with Will Loy winning from Simon Corper, Reading and Daniel Goodman of Kingsmead.
Third Race, here spectators were treated to a real nail biter with Will Loy and Rob Wilder of Tamesis, quickly getting clear of the fleet and battle throughout with often only a boats length to separate them. Will winning from Rob with Godfrey Clark third.
Forth Race, was another close race with Mike Hobin winning from Daniel Goodman and Rob Wilder
The Home fleet trophy was won by Arthur Philips 11th from Gareth Griffiths 12th and Peter Halliday in 15th position.
Final results were: -
Posn. Sail Name Sailing Club Score
1 4835 Will Loy Reading 5
2 4927 Mike Hobin Oxford 6
3 4836 Rob Wilder Tamesis 9
4 4120 Godfrey Clark Fishers Green 10
5 4922 Simon Corper Reading 12
6 4735 Daniel Goodman Kingsmead 13
7 4850 Joe McLaughlin Tamesis 16
8 4772 Mike Wilkie Littleton 23
9 4441 Andrew Voysey RYA 24
10 4741 Steve Jones Littleton 24
11 4048 Arthur Phillips Island Barn 33
12 3385 Gareth Griffiths Island Barn 35
13 4215 Claire Clark Fishers Green 38
14 4190 Paul Johnson Rickmansworth 39
15 4071 Peter Halliday Island Barn 39
16 4762 Anthony O’Connor KGSC 41
17 4647 Michael Lipscombe Island Barn 44
18 606 Malcolm Barnes Island Barn 52
19 4686 Hugh Jervis Island Barn 57
20 4064 Keven Fuller Datchet 58
21 4252 Glen Cole Island Barn 59
22 3457 Mervyn Cinnamond Island Barn 60
23 4073 Peter Cottrell Island Barn 67
24 978 David Lawton Island Barn 68
25 3171 Richard Wall-Budden Island Barn 69
26 3262 Stuart Whitmore Island Barn 76
Our grateful thanks to:-
Race Officer Peter Curtis and his Duty Team
June and Janet for catering
Jim Champ for his work on the computer.
And all those helm’s who took part.
David Clark
Laser Open – Results
| 183952 | John Reay | IBRSC | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| 178519 | Kevin Pearson | Thames | 10 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
| 178737 | Rob Sumner | IBRSC | 8 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 15 |
| 170487 | Paul Wright Anderson | IBRSC | 15 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 15 |
| 161421 | John Peck | BA Silverwing | 3 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 16 |
| 178516 | Julian Smith | IBRSC | 6 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 21 |
| 180392 | Andrew Barnett | IBRSC | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | DNC | 22 |
| 164469 | Daniel Scott | Wembley | 7 | 4 | 7 | 7 | DNC | 25 |
| 169278 | Mike Curtis | IBRSC | 11 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 34 |
| 155849 | Pete Roberts | BA Silverwing | 13 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 36 |
| 175470 | Russel Jones | Broadwater | 9 | 18 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 38 |
| 186244 | Julia Hancock | Queen Mary | 4 | 10 | 11 | OCS | DNF | 49 |
| 44519 | Alasdair Maclean | IBRSC | 17 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 54 |
| 144282 | Brian Greenaway | IBRSC | 14 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 11 | 55 |
| 186193 | Quentin Andrews | IBRSC | 18 | 22 | 19 | 12 | 10 | 59 |
| 155736 | David Baldwin | IBRSC | 22 | 13 | 20 | 14 | 13 | 60 |
| 165372 | Simon Bean | IBRSC | 2 | 12 | DNC | DNC | DNC | 62 |
| 176285 | DJ Goodway | Littleton | 21 | 11 | 17 | 21 | 14 | 63 |
| 132281 | Alan Fuller | Hampon | 16 | 21 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 63 |
| 168115 | John Magrath | IBRSC | 12 | 19 | 18 | 15 | DNC | 64 |
| 140044 | David Bean | IBRSC | 19 | 15 | 15 | 17 | DNC | 66 |
| 85172 | Martin Yates | IBRSC | 20 | 20 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 75 |
| 118493 | Owen Padfield | Maidenhead/ Oxford | 23 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 81 |
