RC Laser Northern Series at Fleetwood Model Yacht Club - Round 4
by Tony Wilson 26 Nov 12:43 GMT
Fleetwood RC Laser Northern Series round 4 © Tony Wilson
For a change we had a wind direction from the East; a steady blow along the lake from the bridge end, enabling us to have some nice long full length races. Although this was an Open event that only really included two outside visitors, it also doubled up as a club race day.
Derek was a tad late at starting, missing out the first race and it would be him that would be the main contender on putting pressure on Shaun whom already had one of the wins from this series.
The nice long course had been set and with such a long beat, this helps spread the fleet out and save bunching up at that first windward mark. Two laps to be sailed and finish near the top end with all marks taken to starboard.
B rig was the order for the day and kept by all throughout. It was only at the begging and just before lunch that the smaller size down had threatened to be used. Five races on and lunch was called. Shaun Hollbeche was leading followed by Derek with John Sharman not far behind.
After lunch and some small tweaks of the sails and it was back to the same course. It takes just a couple of millimeters of adjustment on your sail lines to make your boat either perform well or put you at the back of the pack and if the wind changes, so sometimes must the trim.
Race six and John had decided to take a dip. Fortunately he kept his arm raised with the transmitter dry, and had left his car keys in the clubhouse. A quick change into dry clothing and by the end of that race he was back out with us. Most of us have been in the drink and John wont be the last.
Towards the end of the days racing, there was some good grouping and bunching up of boats, which bodes well for the standard of racing. A few breakdowns that were easily rectified, but it was Derek's line that broke on the beginning of the last race that was to predict the final outcome of results.
It had been calculated that those that had sailed all of the ten races, had walked in the region of seven and a half miles. In the likes of our water baby, seven miles and a fathom. Joking apart, we hope John wasn't hurt when he fell in as the water line is down by about a foot from the footpath, but maybe just his pride.
As predicted the results were going to be very close. Shaun had beaten Derek by just two points. But had Derek not broken down and maybe won the last race, then the results may have been reversed.
Top 3 results:
1. Shaun Holbeche, 10 pts, Fleetwood
2. Derek Priestley, 12 pts, Fleetwood
3. John Sharman, 22 pts, Burwain