Sailboat.co.uk Laser UK Nationals at the WPNSA - Day 5
by Alison Boyd, Jack Wetherell & Hannah Snellgrove 12 Aug 2016 12:04 BST
6-12 August 2016
As well as the racing, the competitors at the Sailboat.co.uk Laser Open and National Championships have been enjoying some off-the-water events.
On Tuesday, Max Hunt from Whitstable won a voucher for a new sail in a draw between competitors, and on Thursday night, after the BBQ, Franklyn Wright from Penine SC also won a new sail, all courtesy of LaserPerformance for whose sponsorship UKLA are very grateful.
There have also been two draws for Laser goodies kindly donated by Sailboat.co.uk who were very generous with their prizes. Sailboat.co.uk have also subsidised the BBQ. A big thank you to them.
Standard Rig Report by Jack Wetherell
Race nine of the Nationals was held in the harbour with a fresh WSW breeze gusting up to 20knts. Jack Wetherell and Jack Shepherd made the best starts off the pin and were able to tack and cross early. There were lots of opportunities up the beat and it was Wetherell who led around. These two were followed by Kian Andrews and Greg Bartlett who sailed very smartly. Alistair Goodwin and Jack Hopkins made good recoveries during the race to finish second and third whilst Wetherell was able to sail away with the victory.
In race ten, it was a close battle between Wetherell and Harry Gozzett up the first beat with Wetherell just edging it. Kian Andrews again put a great first beat together to round third. Wetherell managed to pull away in the race whilst Goodwin moved up to second on the final run with Gozzett taking third.
Tomorrow is the final day of racing, but due to a very consistent week, Jack Wetherell has already won the Nationals.
Standings after Day 5: (top three)
1st Jack Wetherell, 8pts
2nd Alistair Goodwin, 17pts
3rd Jack Hopkins, 29pts
Radial Rig Report by Hannah Snellgrove
Hannah Snellgrove has won the Laser Radial National Championships with a day to spare after an exciting fifth day of competition on the waters of Portland Harbour, and is now discarding only a second and a first from ten races.
With a 15–18knt gradient wind from the WNW being slightly to the right of the breeze seen on previous days, the conditions were the most gusty and shifty but with plenty of opportunities for gains and losses to be made.
In the first race of the day, Snellgrove started at the pin and played the shifts up the middle left of the first beat to lead at the top mark and plane away on the downwind from Ireland's Johnny Durcan and Fionn Conway. Snellgrove kept a loose cover on Durcan up the second beat to take the win.
The second race saw a large left-hand shift just prior to the start which Snellgrove capitalized on, tacking straight onto port at the pin end at the starting gun and crossing the fleet. Piecing together the pressure and shifts proved to be tricky, at times feeling like there were two conflicting winds coming down in pressure bands from both sides of the course. Snellgrove managed to play the shifts well and defend both sides of the course to lead at the windward mark by an unassailable margin. Australia's Jeff Loosemore played the shifts to great effect up the second beat to get up amongst the front runners, but Conway pulled away on the final run to take second from Loosemore in third.
Standings after Day 5: (top three)
1st Hannah Snellgrove, 8pts
2nd Johnny Durcan, 22pts
3rd Fionn Conway, 41pts
4.7 Rig Report
Going into the final day of racing, the 4.7 fleet also has an overall winner in the shape of Matt Beck. Having achieved a second and first in today's races, he now has an unassailable lead over Chloe Collenette. Although she won the first race of the day, with her two DNCs from day one counting as her discards, her ninth place in the second race today put the overall win beyond her reach. Thomas Parkhurst had a strong day on the water as he posted a second and third, while Fouad Ghareeb came third in today's final race.
Standings after Day 5: (top three)
1st Matt Beck, 11pts
2nd Chloe Collenette, 25pts
3rd Daniel Wellbourn Hesp, 30pts
Full results can be found here.