This year UK Laser II national championships was held under the burgee of Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club over a long weekend. We were the first event held from the new Mount Batten sailing and watersports centre and kindly sponsored by Yacht Parts Plymouth.
The weather forecast promised and delivered storms and plenty of rain. In the practice race Graeme Bristow and Bryan Mobbs showed the boat speed they had demonstrated throughout the early session in a gusty force 4.
Race 1 started in a similar force 4 that died to a light breeze at the end of the race, making tidal considerations increasingly important as the breeze decreased. Ann Vaudry and Lee Sydenham caught and briefly passed Bristow and Mobbs, with Terry Palmer and Caroline Cooper in 3rd place being threatened by the Cross boat.
Friday dawned with a brisk breeze and sunshine. The breeze varied throughout the day as the rain showers were blown in. Bristow and Mobbs lead race 2 from start to finish, assisted by being the only boat in the fleet to get to the favoured right side of the beat. This was courtesy of an early port tack and thus being able to cross a Navel tug that deciding to cross the fleet just to windward of the start line.
Race 3 saw more shipping movements this time to the left of the course, which had become more favoured as the tide had changed. The race was won by Vaudry and Sydenham.
Saturday saw a full gale blowing and racing abandoned for the day with a large proportion of the fleet visiting Pete Goss's new boat under construction in nearby Totnes.
By Sunday the wind had decreased and the sun was shinning. Race 4 was sailed in an increasing force2 to 3 and was won by Vaudry and Sydenham again. The next start was delayed by a shifting breeze and then by a fleet too eager with a flood tide underneath them. The delay meant that only race 5 could still be sailed and that Vaudry and Sydenham were National Champions.
When the fleet did start the breeze was a force 2 and not as steady as during the rest of the championships, resulting in the moving of marks and requiring great concentration down wind into the tide. A significant header on the last beat ensured that the results outside the top three were in doubt until after the computer had been consulted. Nigel Skudder and Chris Seymour used thier luck for the week and found some fresher breeze to sail into third place behind Russel and Vicky Page.
1 Ann Vaudry & Lee Sydenham Datchet Water S.C.
2 Graeme Brristow & Bryan Mobbs Budworth S.C.
3. Martin & Sian Joesbury Budwoth S.C.
4. Nigel Skudder & Chris Seymour Bexley S.C
5. Matt McCarthy & Fiona Taylor Weston S.C.
6. Russel & Vicky Page Budworth S.C.