Laser 4000 Four Grand Slam at Datchet Water Sailing Club

by Jeremy Collyer 26 Mar 2001 10:28 BST

24th – 25th March 2001

Prizewinnners at the Four Grand Slam at Datchet Water Sailing Club

The first laser 4000 event was always destined to be a fantastic event! Lady luck threw as many spanners in the works as possible; Foot & Mouth crisis causing suspension of the event with one week to go – only to have a last minute reprieve 1 week before the event was due to run, with the club re-opening, pulling out all the stops to get Datchet running again.

Somehow in spite of all the odds 32 Laser 4000s put on their thick thermals and braved the icy waters. Race officer Peter Short did a great job, keeping courses tight and getting a rapid turnaround for the 6 race series. Saturday was sailed in 8 to 10 knots, full trapezing upwind. There was virtually no difference in speed between the front 20 boats. Cautious starting and staying to the centre of the course paid with Hugh Watson & Helen Lloyd overnight leaders. Peter Barton & Simon Natchbul would have fared better had they kept their trusty steed from premature starting. Andy Peters & Mike and Jason Kirk & Scott Dawson showed that consistency on the racecourse was a better policy than being a one-race wonder. These 2 were 2nd & 3rd overall going in to the second day.

After a good night out on the Chiswick High Road, and an excellent Thai meal, the fleet put their clocks forward, put more thermals on and headed back to chip the ice of their boats. A few knots more wind for the first race on Sunday made the race course feel very small, but delivered some stunning sailing. Jason Kirk was an early casualty with a premature start. This allowed the Flying Scotsman, Ronny Miller & Gillian Hooton to take a commanding position only to be overtaken by Luke McEwan & Emma Evans who capitalised on a major downwind shift to take the race from the Scotsman, with their series starting to look pretty consistent. They consolidated by winning race 5, this time with last years Audi Quattro winners Doug Baker & Hilary Sutton coming a close second. Doug & Hilary continued their return to form with a commanding win in the last race. So who was to win overall, was it last years champions, or maybe the Scottish team, perhaps it was the ever consistent Hugh Watson. The number crunching was tight with only 10 points separating the first 6 boats. But worthy winners were Team SP systems, Luke and Emma. The fleet is now packed up, cleaned of Foot & Mouth disease, and at the gym training for the Supercup Slalom at Queen Mary Sailing Club on the 7th April. Come along and see the action firsthand.

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
1	4138	Luke McEwen	Emma Evans	LOCKS S C	6	7	7	1	1	18	22
2	4552	Douglas Baker	Hilary Sutton	HISC	12	8	2	DNF	2	1	25
3	4536	Hugh Watson	Helen Lloyd	Stokes Bay S C	1	2	5	9	10	8	25
4	4591	Ronald Millar	Gillian Hooton	Dalgety Bay S C	3	17	1	2	15	6	27
5	4544	Chris Fox	Bully	Itchenor	5	1	18	5	5	12	28
6	4422	Andy Peters	Mike Owen	Stokes	4	5	3	8	17	9	29
7	4436	Andrew Shorrock	Katie Shorrock	Frensham Pond S C	2	DNC	13	3	7	7	32
8	4059	Iwan Busten	Ollie Green	0	9	15	6	10	3	4	32
9	4600	Derek Bretherton	Carole Lovesey	Grafham Water S C	BFD	3	10	15	6	2	36
10	4454	Jason Kirk	Scott Rawson	Weston S C	11	4	4	12	BFD	10	41
11	4457	Ian Sandison	Susan Winter	Lymington	8	6	8	16	9	14	45
12	4556	Chris Anstead	Elly Haines	Stokes Bay	15	9	14	11	BFD	3	52
13	4147	Chris Balding	Ben Dutton	DWSC	10	19	11	13	12	13	59
14	4466	Mike Matan	Pippa Wheeler	Lancing S C	7	14	9	18	13	DNC	61
15	4523	Peter Barton	Simon Knatchbull	RLYC	BFD	18	OCS	6	4	5	67
16	4468	Jeremy Collyer	Liz Collyer	DWSC	14	13	17	7	18	20	69
17	4052	Nick Alp	Jo Morrison	Oxford	18	12	15	20	11	16	72
18	4518	Alistair Hodgson	Kevin Reed	Upton Warren	16	11	16	14	16	DNF	73
19	4336	Mervyn Hughes	Paul Robinson	DWSC	DNC	DNC	DNC	4	8	11	91
20	4543	Will Gatehosue	0	0	DNC	23	24	17	14	15	93
21	4307	Paddy Royall	Rob Jack	Grafham Water S C	22	10	23	22	19	21	94
22	4593	Andrew Hyman	V Ridler	DWSC	17	26	21	21	20	19	98
23	4209	Adrian Stell	James Nuttall	HISC	21	16	12	DNF	DNF	17	100
24	4492	Des Davis	Katharine Sampson	Harwick Town C S	23	25	19	19	21	22	104
25	4090	Robin Cross	Janet Sayers	Stokes Bay S C	13	21	26	DNF	22	23	105
26	4578	Mark Critchley	Tania Crithcley	Yarmouth & Gorleston	24	22	20	DNC	DNC	DNC	134
27	4179	Richard Newmham	Lucy Newmham	Gurnard S C	19	27	22	DNC	DNC	DNC	136
28	4189	Tim McDowell	Tom Sidaway	DWSC	DNC	DNC	DNC	23	23	24	138
29	4565	Fiona Ramus	Chris Gould	0	20	20	DNC	DNF	BFD	DNC	142
30	4323	Cliff Mogridge	Clare Jennings	HISC	25	24	25	DNC	DNC	DNC	142
31	4589	Tony Dawson	Stephanie Dawson	DWSC	26	28	DNF	DNC	DNC	DNC	156
32	4202	David Summerfield	Rezia Pearce	DWSC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	170

More Information:

• YachtsandYachting.com Laser 4000 Page
• Laser 4000 Class Association
• Datchet Water Sailing Club
• SP Systems