Laser Thames Valley Series Open at Welsh Harp Sailing Club

Thames Valley Laser Open at Welsh Harp © Luke Howard

Ross Williams wins the Thames Valley Laser Open at Welsh Harp © Luke Howard

Ross Williams wins the Thames Valley Laser Open at Welsh Harp © Luke Howard

A gentle 9 knot breeze was forecast. The swans sat in the mirror patches around the marks and the aroma of bacon butties rose undisturbed into the atmosphere. With one competitor confessing that he'd, "taken to greasing his blocks off", there was a sense that such preparations were worthy of better conditions.

By 11am the wind had arrived and from a favourable South Westerly direction. A long beat up the lake towards the Wembley arch, windward mark, a starboard rounding, short reach across towards the clubhouse then round on starboard again for the downwind legs. A mark on the south shore converted a reach into an awkward run before the relief of getting back onto the beat.

After two rucks at the pin end, the black blag was flown and the fleet got going. Ross Williams took the honours in race one overtaking Marcus Bird on the second lap.

Williams started well in race 2 but was constantly under threat from Peter Austin and Danny Stegmeier. Tentative, defensive, sailing was the order of the day on the run, where sitting still and communicating with your deity of choice seemed as effective as an extravagant gybe to sit somewhere less crowded. The beat was the crux of the race, with boats going too far into the middle missing the favourable shifts along the South Shore. Through some astute tacking Williams shook off the attention of Stegmeier and got the first hoot, with Austin finishing third.

After lunch another black flag, another early lead for Ross Williams, with four boats breaking away from the fleet there was more to occupy the leader over his transom. Wembley sailors Paul Beard, Peter Dann and Julian Bradley harried the leader. Dann stayed with Williams, the lead reduced to a few boat lengths at the last mark. Some diligent covering, a third event winning victory for Williams.

An extra downwind mark was introduced for the last race, this provided two awkward runs separated by a short tight reach.

Alain Renauld of WHSC lead at the end of the first lap. On the short run to the new downwind mark, Renauld was forced to sail high to protect his wind, letting in the boats sailing a lower course. The wind was backing and the reach across the lake was becoming very close, late tacks to lay the mark. Little separation in the fleet throughout. Peter Dann led at the end of lap two. On the final lap Julian Bradley, blocks running freely, gained the inside line and the lead at mark 3. Bradley hangs on until the leeward mark, the backing wind brings longer port tacks to the finish, reducing the options to seek out a favourable shift on starboard. Bradley first, followed by Dann and Beard.

Close competition in the 4.7s and Radials, Ben Salva won the 4.7 class from Jack Graham-Troll. Leila Moore was the first Radial Sailor.

Thanks to all at WHSC for an excellent event.

Overall Results: