West Lancashire Yacht Club RC Laser Winter Series - Round 4
by Tony Wilson 18 Feb 2015 19:30 GMT
15 February 2015
The forecast for this mid February meeting was 7 degrees with a 13mph breeze from the South/East.
Many were surprised on arrival to find the Lake like a mill pond. After bacon barms and a coffee, the first ripples appeared on the water. A few of the regulars had other engagements and couldn't make the event, but we were presently surprised to have a couple new faces.
In total 12 Laser and 8 DragonForce skippers sailed on the dry and sunny day.
Course layout this time was a simple triangle of 2 circuits in a clockwise direction. The first race in the light winds sailed in the 'A' rig was won by the Fleetwood Master Derek Priestley. He would dominate the day, but not without some close finishes. It took 3 or 4 races for the promised wind to pick up and 'B' rigs broken out.
During the break for Hot Pot, the wind veered to the South, so out with the rescue boat for a bit of buoy reshuffling. Again the triangular course, but this time in the opposite direction, leaving the marks to Port.
Derek had now unselfishly decided to share a couple of his first placings with Adam Kissick and John Sharman but still stayed consistently in the top 3 for a convincing victory overall.
By the end of the day everyone had stepped up to 'C' rigs except for Fleetwood's Trevor Bell who with the full support of the wind gods, was also able to steal one of Derek's firsts.
Overall Results: (top three)
1st Derek Priestley
2nd John Sharman
3rd Adam Kissick
Full Results can be found at Fairhaven Lasers
The Dragonforce RG65 fleet again shared the same course and were once again dominated mainly by Sir John Tushingham, allowing the two Tims to battle out for next place, with Tim Long pipping the well travelled Tim Lanigan, Liz Tushingham in 4th showed her usual consistency with a good handful of second places.
Thanks must go to the organisers and volunteers, boat rescue and crew, bar staff
and cook and also the nice lady that made the cake.
See you in 2 weeks on the 1st March 2015.