Laser Radial Qualifier at Pwllheli Sailing Club

by Jon Emmett 10 May 2011 13:18 BST 7-8 May 2011

Big winds and waves for the Laser Radial qualifier at Pwllheli © Andy Green / www.fotoboat.com

The final spring Qualifier was hosted by Pwllheli Sailing Club on 7 & 8 May and was used to decide the team for the Radial Women’s European Championships and the Men’s World Championship and it was certainly a weekend of two halves.

Saturday was raced in very light winds, although there were hiking conditions on the way to the start line accompanied by light rain as the weather “improved” (the sun did decide to show itself). The wind gradually became lighter, disappearing completely at around four with the fleet limping ashore at five.

However we did manage to get in one race. With the wind with the current there was less current on the left side of the race course and with the light easterly it was a long first beat. Emmett won the pin and moved forward on the fleet on the left hand side. However the final rain cloud came down the right hand side bringing the last of wind. Andrea Brewster and Tom Britz made the sensible choice and bailed out early to finish in the first half dozen, whilst those who stayed on the left were pushed into the teens or worse.

From the right Ross Harvey sailed a great race, to hold Chris Eames and British Youth Worlds’ representative Cam Douglas.

Sunday and with strong winds forecast there was a competitors’ briefing. Fortunately the winds were not strong enough to prevent racing and three races were sailed.

There was no doubt that race two was owned by Annalise Murphy who had finished 55th in the first race. Murphy’s upwind speed put the rest of the fleet to shame and she pulled well clear leaving the rest of the fleet to scrap over the minor places. Brewster who has been training with Murphy in Ireland obviously had some of the strong wind technique rubbed off on her to take second with Phil McCoy coming in third.

Race three and Hannah Snellgrove had the best start but Murphy footed off underneath and with the first shift tacked and was never seen again. Harvey showed that he can not only perform in the light but also the wind, putting in a convincing second, with Olly Porter taking third.

Race four and Murphy was unable to clear the pin at start time and had to tack duck the whole fleet, leaving her to claw her way back through the fleet which was being initially led by Harvey. The battle at the final windward mark was between Porter and Harvey who were well clear of the chasing pack, with Emmett holding off Murphy for third. This time downwind Porter got the better of Harvey, securing the bullet with Harvey second. This was more than enough for Harvey to take the event with Porter’s bullet putting him into second. Murphy had a disappointing downwind to finish seventh and a drop to third overall.

However upon returning ashore it transpired that Harvey had been black flagged, promoting Emmett to second in the race. This dropped Harvey to fifth overall and promoted Murphy to take the event on tie breaker!

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	R1	R2	R3	R4	Pts
1	199417	Annalise Murphy	55	1	1	6	8
2	200912	Olly PORTER	20	4	3	1	8
3	199867	Andrea BREWSTER	4	2	9	5	11
4	200643	Cameron DOUGLAS	3	5	4	8	12
5	193480	Ross HARVEY	1	10	2	BFD	13
6	195123	Hannah SNELLGROVE	35	8	6	3	17
7	195760	Jon EMMETT	17	6	11	2	19
8	200511	Elliot HANSON	29	3	12	4	19
9	195117	Phil McCoy	24	7	5	7	19
10	200260	Michael BECKETT	12	12.5	7	9	28
11	193455	John BOOTH	32	11	8	10	29
12	195120	James GRANT	10	9	10	11	29
13	198526	Christopher EAMES	2	17	16	33	35
14	198904	Andrew Green	7	12.5	20	18	37.5
15	193725	Tom BRITZ	6	19	26	13	38
16	198879	Hugh BRAYSHAW	28	15	13	12	40
17	197686	Lorenzo CHIAVARINI	16	27	15	15	46
18	195115	Aaron SMITH	15	14	34	19	48
19	197629	Dan Ellis	50	21	14	14	49
20	190564	Robbie URWIN	51	16	21	21	58
21	199861	Ben ELVIN	OCS	24	19	16	59
22	191794	Tom PIGGOTT	22	32	23	17	62
23	192525	Charlotte Greenhalgh	9	39	31	24	64
24	200888	Henry WETHERELL	44	20	17	29	66
25	199443	Andrew MCGOWAN	13	22	37	32	67
26	200510	Ian GREGORY	26	18	25	34	69
27	200261	Jack PREECE	27	31	18	25	70
28	199297	Sophie MCKEEMAN	21	25	24	26	70
29	197924	Edward JONES	11	49	39	22	72
30	200722	Alex BENBOW	49	30	22	20	72
31	194752	Andrew BRIDGMAN	14	37	32.5	31	77.5
32	197306	David PAIN	23	36	29	30	82
33	195034	Angus GRAY-STEPHENS	38	23	35	28	86
34	198896	Reuben MURPHY	5	42	51	41	88
35	200999	Anna Carpenter	63	41	28	23	92
36	183525	Rhiannon MASSEY	60	28.5	27	39	94.5
37	195847	Rheanna PAVEY	53	40	30	27	97
38	194872	Ellie MEOPHAM	52	33	38	36	107
39	197701	Jamie DIAMOND	41	34	32.5	NYF	107.5
40	196306	Ben ROBINSON	66	35	42	35	112
41	200481	Jonathan MORRIS	74	38	41	38	117
42	198164	Georgina POVALL	33	50	44	42	119
43	184204	Iain SYMON	8	67	56	56	120
44	196912	Kieran HILL	36	48	48	40	124
45	192842	Jonty Freeman	56	45	46	37	128
46	189514	Katie RUSSELL	19	64	57	53	129
47	192718	Abigail HEWITT	25	52	53	52	129
48	198892	Felicity FOULDS	45	44	40	45	129
49	198883	Alice BURFORD	40	46	47	44	130
50	196559	Kerry MORGAN	42	47	43	46	131
51	200262	Hannah TILLEY	68	28.5	36	NYF	132.5
52	188597	Ellie CUMPSTY	57	54	45	43	142
53	198434	Aaron WHITE	43	57	49	51	143
54	176839	Lottie HARLAND	30	72	62	55	147
55	195186	Charly CAPON	31	61	60	58	149
56	191709	Megan ADAMS	54	56	50	47	151
57	168846	Andrew STOTT	34	43	DNF	NYF	157
58	191316	Aimee SARACCO-JONES	76	58	52	49	159
59	197716	Alice WOODINGS	62	59	54	48	161
60	198929	Jordan BLACK	37	66	59	DNF	162
61	199441	Calum TAIT	46	62	65	59	167
62	184324	Katie MILFORD	65	53	DNF	50	168
63	199442	Iain MCLAUGHLAN	58	55	55	DNF	168
64	181575	Robyn COX	18	71	DNF	NYF	169
65	178751	Tom Cornthwaite	39	51	DNF	NYF	170
66	197307	Anna PIGGOTT	69	26	NYF	NYF	175
67	198542	Samantha FOSTER	64	65	64	54	182
68	185712	Jennifer Botterill	61	60	63	DNF	184
69	183201	Matthew HALL	75	70	61	57	188
70	195294	William MASSEY	47	63	DNF	NYF	190
71	198912	David Nicholson	70	69	58	DNF	197
72	200919	Sarah ALEXANDER	72	74	66	60	198
73	174380	Charlotte ALDERTON	59	73	67	NYF	199
74	112029	Oliver DAVENPORT	48	DNF	NYF	NYF	208
75	193262	Rosalind DUNLOP	73	68	DNF	NYF	221
76	190698	Laura CARVETH-MARSHALL	67	75	NYF	NYF	222
77	198602	Ben BROWN	71	NYF	NYF	NYF	231
78	18	Jack Lawson	77	76	DNF	NYF	233
79	88864	Tesoro MONAGHAN	78	DNF	NYF	NYF	238