RC Laser Open at Burghfield Sailing Club

Chris Treagust receives the winners trophy from race officer Farquhar Mat © RC Laser Class Association

The final event of the TT series traditionally has been a light weather affair but this year it excelled itself, absolutely no wind! The classes AGM usually held after sailing but this was brought forward to give the 6mph forecast breeze time to settle in.

However, meeting over, the wind was still to make an appearance so a postponement for lunch was in order. Still no breeze but the decision was taken to at least try and get four races completed in order to constitute an event in order to settle some of the overall series trophies. Right on cue the lightest of zephyrs appeared and racing was underway but nature had another hurdle for the fleet in the form of floating weed that couldn't be seen from the shore. Frequent de-weeding pit stops were the order of the day along with patience and the hope you didn't find a big clump. Jon Sturmer coped the best in race one, beating Keith Tyson and David Wilkinson.

Gosport's Chris Treagust remarkably then made it two victories in a row from the equally consistent John Tushingham with a brace of second places, Jon Sturmer posted another good result with third in race three.

Local sailor Chris Jordan kept moving to score his first ever TT race win in the fourth and final race as the lake reverted back to a mirror finish. Martin Mason and Mark Deverell got their best results of the day in second and third with John Tushingham just edging out Chris Treagust for fourth.

With one discard, the overall result could not have been closer. At long last, Chris Treagust got the top slot, it might have been a shortened event but he earned it with great consistency in such difficult conditions.

So this drew the curtain on the 2007 series, John Tushingham had already tied up the overall trophy but the Best Newcomer and Best Improver trophies were still up for grabs coming into the last round. Cotswold's Martin Mason made sure of the Newcomers award with a sixth place at the event and an excellent sixth overall. Best Improver went to a surprised John Trimmer, a superb fourth place on the day shot him to the top of the Improvers table and the glass bowl will now have pride of place on his mantelpiece.

The 'Spirit of RC Laser' trophy is a special award that this year goes to class stalwart John Park, a trophy that has nothing to do with race results but goes to the person who most embodies the 'spirit' of the class.

See you next year.

Overall Results: