Noble Marine Laser Spring Qualifier at Royal Torbay Yacht Club

The weekend of 28 February and 1 March saw the first Spring Qualifier for the Lasers at the Royal Torbay Yacht Club, Torquay. With a WSW forecast, 35 sailors rocked up expecting the breeze to build throughout Saturday and with a marginal looking Sunday.

On the racecourse, the sailors were greeted with 10–15kts and the classic Torbay shifts and puffs, with a messy sea state consisting of a steep chop and underlying side swell. In Race 1 it was Elliot Hanson who made a significant jump on the pack shortly after the start, playing the first couple of shifts to perfection. From then on he executed a sound tactical race to keep himself between the chasers and the next mark to take a comfortable win. The battle for second and third was tight throughout, with Alex Mills-Barton and Martin Evans switching places around the track until Mills-Barton took the final jump on the last downwind to the finish, leaving Evans to take third.

Race 2 saw the same three sailors leading the fleet with a tight first beat resulting in a constantly changing leader. The final shift at the windward mark placed Hanson in first with Mills-Barton and Evans shortly behind. The big shifts and messy sea state made the laylines tough to calculate all weekend. Mills-Barton fell foul this time resulting in a penalty spin, which left Evans to storm off after Hanson along the reach and Harry Blowers to sneak into third. Hanson held on for his second win of the day, with Evans taking second and Mills-Barton recovering to take third.

The final race of the day had some fresh faces at the front, with Lorenzo Chiavarini, Micky Beckett and the Wetherell brothers of Jack and Henry getting in the mix with Hanson. It was again Hanson who managed to lead the pack round and complete the perfect day with three bullets. Jack Wetherell pressured well to take second, Beckett third, Chiavarini fourth and Henry Wetherell fifth.

Sunday was forecast to increase up to the 30kt mark by the afternoon. The Welshmen, Evans and Beckett, were feeling good on St David's Day after a Welsh victory to France in the Six Nations, whilst Scottish-Italian Chiavarini was always going to be satisfied with his teams' results!

Ken Falcon confidently sent the fleet off racing. Race 1 saw Robbie Lawson make fools of the boys in the blue lifejackets by port tacking the fleet off the line! Evans made a jump on the fleet from a well-played shift, whilst Beckett and Henry Wetherell chased closely. Evans was first to round the windward mark, just edging young Matt Stephens, who had paced it out to the left and come storming in on the port layline. Evans extended his lead throughout the race and took a comfortable bullet with Beckett taking second place and Wetherell third.

Race two was the tightest of the day with all of the blue lifejackets at the front with the new faces of Harry Blowers, James Skulczuk and Kieran Hill showing some great pace. After frequent changes, Mills-Barton led around the final windward mark from Hanson, Henry Wetherell and Evans. A frantic final downwind saw the boats group together with Mills-Barton, Evans and Hanson gybing simultaneously in big breeze before the short reach to the finish. Hanson took the honours with Evans shortly behind and Mills-Barton third.

The final race was a 'dogs off chains' affair where many were in survival mode around the track. Five out of the seven British Sailing Team lads took a swim on the final lap of the race, showing just how extreme the conditions were! Mills-Barton took the win whilst the race for second was between Hanson, Beckett and Chiavarini – a case of who could right their capsized boat quickest. Chiavarini took second, Hanson third and Beckett fourth.

Overall Hanson took the regatta by four points, whilst Evans and Mills-Barton were second and third – joint on points, but Evans taking it on count back. First Youth was Henry Wetherell in sixth.

On behalf of the Lasers, a big thank you to the Royal Torbay Yacht Club, Ken Falcon and the UKLA for doing a cracking job in feisty conditions. A big well done to the Youth Squad who showed their faces at the front numerous times in conditions where in the past they wouldn't have, showing the winter training has been working.

Overall Results: (top three)

1 Elliot Hanson, 7pts
2 Martin Evans, 13pts
3 Alex Mills-Barton, 13pts

Full results can be found here.