Laser Open at Chipstead Sailing Club

Lasers at Chipstead © Sophie Poston

Lasers at Chipstead © Sophie Poston

A good number of 10 visitors made their way to Chipstead to join 18 home club boats at this year's Laser Open.

They were greeted with a cold damp morning with a North/Northeasterly wind blowing at about 10 mph, and whilst the weather dried up during the day, the breeze remained constant, if that is the right word to describe any wind at Chipstead!

The wind direction allowed the race team led by Alan Warren the comfort of setting courses using the club line with separate starts for the Standard and Radial/4.7 fleets.

Race 1 for the Standards brought the first general recall of the day, but on the better behaved second start, it was David Binding from Weirwood SC who took the early lead, but after he had found that Chipstead has shallow areas, the race was contested by Sergio Messina from the local club and Rob Cage from Thames SC, the two finishing in that order.

In the Radial fleet Matt Wolstenholme from Chipstead took his first win of the day, whilst Caitlin Hamilton from Weirwood took the gun in the 4.7s.

Race 2 saw Enterprise ace, Ric Lewis making an unfortunately rare appearance in his Laser established a commanding lead which he held for a long time, only towards the end to be reeled in by Messina and Cage, this time Cage taking the win.

Wolstenholme again dominated the Radials, and this time Dan Cowlard from Weirwood was first in the 4.7s.

After an excellent lunch provided by Shirley Sinclair, race 3 saw a close battle between Cage and Binding, with Cage, despite also testing the depth of the Chipstead water, eventually getting away for his second win of the day.

In the Radials Patrick Sarsfield of Chipstead managed to break the Wolstenholme stranglehold recording a win, whilst in the 4.7s there was a third different winner of the day, Freddie Hardwicke from Weirwood.

The last race of the day was the second general recall of the day for the Standard fleet, the starting lines having been hotly contested all day, and this time Cage gave the rest of the fleet a chance by having to do a 720 degree turn just after the start.

This allowed Messina, Chris Spencer-Smith from Weirwood and John Masters from the home club to have a battle up the first beat, with Masters coming through to establish a healthy lead. Cage however was not to be denied and assisted by a true Chipstead wind streak, tore down the run and overtook Masters on the final short beat to the line to record his third win of the day, and after the discard had taken effect, win the meeting with a perfect score, followed in second place overall by Messina with Binding third.

In the Radials, Wolstenholme was back to his winning ways, to also win overall, with Sarsfield second and Millie Hopkins from Weirwood, third.

Cowlard recorded his second win of the day in the 4.7s to also win overall, with Hardwicke second, and Hamilton, third.

Many thanks are due again to Alan Warren and his team, especially the rescue boat crews, for enduring the cold and damp and providing good courses and racing and to Shirley Sinclair for providing a very welcome tea for the sailors.

Overall Results: