Laser 2000 Millenium Series at Rutland Sailing Club

The final event in the Laser 2000 10th Anniversary year at Rutland © Peter Davies

The final event in the Laser 2000 10th Anniversary year at Rutland © Peter Davies

The final event of the Laser Performance sponsored 10th Anniversary year of the class and the Millennium Series which saw 41 boats on the water sharing with the 4000s, 5000s and Vagos.

It was forecast to be a difficult weekend with challenging conditions of fickle winds, challenging shifts and exasperating holes, we were not disappointed!

Three races were sailed back to back Saturday over a windward leeward course with a final outer loop to complete. With many of the teams finding it hard to judge the conditions there were no real advantages to be had by going left for the shore hoping for a lift from any wind bend or right in the hope of clean air and a little more pressure. Rob Burridge sailing with daughter Katie mastered the conditions to win all three races with newcomers to the fleet this year Jasper & Laura Barnham and Jon Holroyd & Jane Rusbatch showing a turn of speed to challenge Rob & Katie.

At the end of the day it was still all to play for with many counting cricket scores without any discards yet to come into effect. The fleets enjoyed a meal at the club in the evening followed by a fun pub quiz hosted by the 2000 fleets Mr & Mrs Pink.

Sunday dawned to bright sunshine (the warmth after Saturday and Saturday night for those camping was most welcome!) but little or no breeze so the race team were forced to postpone the racing. By 1030 sufficient wind had arrived for the race team to launch the fleets for a further three races back to back over the same course.

With the wind more consistent than the previous day there were new faces at the front of the fleet with it paying to go down the middle of the course to the windward mark making for a port lay line ducking sterns if necessary. For the first leeward leg it paid to stay in clear air and go low to the leeward turning mark before reaching across to the outer course. In all three races there were places to be gained once the final downwind leg was complete with a reach followed by a fetch and maybe a double tack for the finish line.

After three excellent races it was Rob & Katie again showing how things are done to win the event with Jasper & Laura 2nd and Jon & Jane 3rd but once again the ‘Youf’ helms in the fleet were not far behind with Amy Hulley with crew James Price 4th and Will Hitchman crewed by Mum Wendy 5th.

At the prize giving the 2000 fleet took the opportunity to present the Laser Performance Millennium Series prizes to winners Rob & Katie Burridge (Weir Wood SC), 2nd Will & Wendy Hitchman (Bala SC), 3rd Chris & Gill Jordan (Burghfield SC) and Endeavor Winners Mark & Falco Wilkes (Burghfield SC).

A challenging weekend for all but more so for the team at Rutland Sailing Club having to cope with a sporadic power supply from a generator temporally installed in the adjacent field and for the Race Officer filling in at the last minute – Thank You

So now the Laser 2000 fleet eagerly await the start of the 2010 season and thank Laser Performance for their sponsorship of the class and Noble Marine for subsidising the Youth Entries

Overall Results: