Martin Harvey Laser Open at Ranelagh Sailing Club

Messing about on the river at the Ranelagh Laser open © Nick Price

Messing about on the river at the Ranelagh Laser open © Nick Price

High pressure sitting over London made any significant wind unlikely and just the strong home fleet of 9 Lasers started the day’s proceedings with a short race around the Putney moorings. Nigel Edwards, last year’s winner, led at the first mark but clipped it with his boom and the whole fleet passed him. He nearly got back on parity but only by venturing out into the stronger adverse current that ultimately was to prove fatal when the slight breeze dropped, a foretaste of things to come.

Christopher Edwards made headway by the shore, took advantage of a small puff to round the leeward mark first and finished before the others could round. Another zephyr saw 4 more boats creep past the mark to finish with Sarah Edwards coming 2nd and Will Mackinnon 3rd, the last 4 boats being unable to finish.

The second race was a long beat with the tide and 4 loops of a circuit before returning to finish in front of the Club House but all 9 boats were lulled into a false sense of security by a passing breeze which then departed leaving the whole fleet drifting on the wrong side of the line with little chance of getting back. The start was abandoned and boats towed back above the line. The restart was treated with more respect and 7 boats got away cleanly. Light winds ensured that the course was shortened to a simple sausage to Crabtree and back to Putney. First to the mark in shifty conditions was Sarah Edwards from father Christopher and she held him off on the long run home, these two extending their lead over the rest of the fleet A beautiful day for messing about on the river, but hard racing, with Christopher and Sarah Edwards each having 1 win and 1 second place, the tie decider was the second race and Sarah duly won the inaugural Martin Harvey Trophy, presented by Martin’s mother Irene Mumford.

Overall Results: