Laser Radial Spring Qualifier at Stokes Bay Sailing Club
by Ali Young 26 Mar 2009 11:58 GMT
21-22 March 2009
Action from the Radial Spring Qualifier at Stokes Bay © Eddie Mays
Over 100 radials arrived at Stokes Bay for the first Spring Qualifier of 2009. The fleet were greeted by light winds and sunny skies.
For the first race of the day it was wind and tide together and with the tide holding the fleet back from the line both starts got off cleanly. Unfortunately the wind gradually died out during the race and only a triangle was sailed. From the first start Rosie Chapman led around the windward mark having had a good start towards the port end. Not certain of the course she headed off downwind rather than onto the reach and was passed. Jon Emmett worked his way to the front along the reaches eventually passing James Grant who led for 2/3 of race with Aaron Smith taking third.
In the second start the wind had gone right a bit in the pre-start but the leaders still came from the left having been lee-bowed in stronger tide. Bob Cudmore led around the windward mark but was caught and passed by Cameron Douglas along the reaches with Andrea Brewster taking third. The wind continued to die off and the fleet returned to shore to wait for it to fill in again.
The fleet didn’t have to wait long before they were back out for another two races. The breeze was slightly further right than earlier and with wind and tide together it meant for long tack port to get to the right and weaker tide. In the first start most of the leaders came from the right having sailed in weaker tide and James Grant led around the windward mark having judged the layline perfectly. He was chased by Jeroen Belisof of Belgium, who had started at the port end and managed to get an early tack in onto port. There were few place changes in the light conditions and Grant extended his lead on the 2nd beat with Belisof holding off Matthew O’Dowd for 2nd. In the second start Max Robinson took the victory pressed hard by Ian Gregory and Sam Vandormael of Belgium.
The race committee got the third race off quickly as the breeze was starting to drop. The breeze went left as the first fleet started and the leaders were those who managed to take advantage of this. Max Robinson led around the windward mark and held on for his second victory of the day, pressed hard by Vandormael and Chris Penney. The second start saw James Grant hold off his younger brother David to take the win with Tom Willis taking third and as the breeze continued to drop off the fleet were left to drift down the final run.
On Sunday the fleet were split into Alpha and Beta fleets and launched in 10 knots in eager anticipation of two more races. With the tide under the fleet they suffered their first recall of the weekend but managed to get away second time around. The offshore breeze proved tricky to read and there were big pressure differences across the course. It was those on the right at the top that led around the windward mark having got the pressure and the shift. Jon Emmett led around the windward mark and he initially extended his lead. Unfortunately he thought he saw a shorten course flag at the end of the first sausage and headed for the finish with another lap still to go, this enabled Brewster to take the lead which she held to the finish. Emmett recovered to take 2nd from Cameron Douglas with Freddie Connor taking 4th. In the Beta fleet Lorenzo Chiavarini, took the win, Annalise Murphy was 2nd and Stephen Lloyd 3rd. Unfortunately the race committee were unable to get another race off and the fleet returned to shore.
Overall it was the youth sailors who stole the show filling the top 5 places, which should make for a close contest at the upcoming Youth trials in Largs. The next Qualifier is at Highcliffe next weekend.
Overall Results:
1st James Grant
2nd Cameron Douglas
3rd Max Robinson
4th Sam Vandormael
5th David Grant