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Laser Performance Masters Qualifier at Stokes Bay Sailing Club

by Gareth Edwards 24 May 2018 11:10 BST 19-20 May 2018
Laser Performance Masters Qualifier at Stokes Bay © Simon Ogden

So detailed was the planning for Harry & Meghan's wedding on 19th May that Royal staff were despatched to the Solent to create morning fog on the big day. This delayed the start of racing at the second Tideway Investments supported Masters qualifier of 2018, allowing all the competitors to witness the nuptials. As soon as the happy couple had both said 'I do', the fog lifted and the 70 boat fleet launched into glorious sunshine.

One celebrity who wasn't at Windsor was two times Olympic silver medallist and Volvo Ocean Race winning skipper Ian Walker. He'd politely declined his invitation, in order to come and meet and greet the crowds at Stokes Bay Sailing Club. Dressed suitably in Lewis Hamilton style Union Jack cap, the new RYA racing manager made himself more than 'useful' by recording finishing positions on the committee boat, from where he watched Saturday's racing.

Ian's success in sailing started early when in 1987, 88 & 89 he won the Mirror Nationals in a boat called 'Turn of the Tide'. Competitors at the Stokes Bay event would have been wise to study their sailing history books. The first and many of the subsequent races were all about just that, 'the turn of the tide'. Maybe radial sailor, Ben Elvin had been studying, or maybe the fact that he's a Stokes Bay member helped? As Ben later revealed in the post-race de-brief his calculation that the tide would turn against the beating boats first inshore gave him and others out in the middle of the Solent a handsome lead at the first mark of the first race. In the standard fleet it was Roger O'Gorman who looked like he'd had his history books open, crossing the finish line first in both of Saturdays races. Unfortunately, Rog had missed the chapter in Jon Emmett's Fernhurst coaching book on start line transits.

The Royal Wedding organising team felt that two races was quite enough time away from the festivities for the Stokes Bay massive, so after that they shut down the wind and the fleet returned to the shore to join the celebrations. About ½ an hour of catching up on whether Victoria Beckham had managed to smile or not was quite enough for those at the days main event and attentions quickly turned to an open forum with our A-list celebrity.

An hour of chat with Ian Walker about dodging icebergs, dead animals and all kinds of other debris in the Oceans helped us to realise just how challenging racing around the world really is! As one can probably imagine, Ian is a mine of gripping sailing anecdote. How Mark Covell's pre-Olympic shower accident actually helped him and Ian win a silver medal in Sydney, alongside updates and insight from the recent World Sailing meeting was a definite highlight of a great weekend.

Inspired by coaching tips from Ian and Saturday's top performers, the fleet launched for four races in 6 to 10 knots of breeze on Sunday. Andy Byrne from King George SC had suggested, in Saturdays de-brief, that starting and staying near Ben Elvin was a top tip. Wise words (!) as Ben went on to record a virtually perfect score-line. In the standard fleet, Nick Harrison pulled off the same feat.

Long distance travellers, the people that started the Master's circuit in the UK and winners from all the age and gender categories were rewarded at a crowded prize table. The treasure trove was provided by event and circuit sponsors Laser Performance, Southeast Sailboats and Fernhurst books. There was a special mention for David Catto of Hunts SC who helped Ben Elvin organise a superb, very well attended pre-event training day on the Friday.

Prior to the Stokes Bay weekend, several people had expressed concern about holding the Royal Wedding at the same time as such a big event as the second Laser Masters qualifier of the year. With record numbers attending the series it was feared the crowd size at Windsor might be substantially dented. There were also some concerns about holding the event on a spring tide. It would be fair to say that the tides were.... strong, but under the excellent stewardship of experienced Solent race officer, Mike Rayden combined with the enthusiasm and warm welcome of Stokes Bay members, like the 'party' at Windsor, it all went off like a rocket.

Overall Results:

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