West Riding Sailing Club, Wakefield, Yorkshire

   Laser Northern Grand Prix and Solo Northern Travellers

30^th March 2008.

Almost 50 boats took to the water at West Riding SC on 30^th March for the opening events in the 2008 Laser Northern Grand Prix circuit and the Solo Northern Travellers Series.

Despite the weather forecast for 7-10 mph winds with a few sunny intervals, competitors arrived to find a white horse filled lake and scudding squalls out of a brilliant sunny sky. As a bonus, after weeks of bitter temperatures someone had turned the global warming on, if only to the first notch.

In his briefing, Race Officer Mike Woodhead warned of vicious gusts with wild swings in direction. The first boats rocketing away from the shore in sheets of spray realised he wasn't exaggerating, and some celebrated with an early morning swim. 

The Laser fleet contained a cross section of ages from 14-year-old Anna Langford in her 4.7, via youthful Radial helms to veteran campaigner Mike Budd. The swinging wind gave Mike Woodhead problems setting the line and the first race got under way from a start line with more starboard bias than he would have wished for.  Home sailors Owyn Wallace and Hamish Gledhill led round the first mark with Gledhill going ahead off wind and pulling away for a comfortable win.  Dave Poore from Sheffield Viking SC extracted himself from the chasing pack to overtake Wallace for 2^nd place with West Riding sailors Tim Keighley and Alasdair McQuire in 4^th and 5^th places.

Some of the wickedness had gone out of the strongest gusts by the time the second race got underway after lunch, but conditions were still challenging and pain inducing upwind.  Leigh & Lowton SC's Mike Budd made an early break to take a comfortable win from Poore and Gledhill.  Wallace made a late charge moving up two places to take 4^th place ahead of Stuart Belfield of Leigh & Lowton SC, and McQuire.

The sun still shone for the third race, but the wind gradually died as the race progressed.  Some sailors complained of being too hot! Budd, Gledhill and Poore were all in contention for overall victory, but in the event Poore made good use of the condition to pull out an unassailable lead, leaving Gledhill and Budd to battle it out for the places.  Adrian Sandilands from Dovestone SC joined the battle, eventually taking second place ahead of Budd and Gledhill, with Belfield again 5^th and Keighley 6^th.  Poore's last race win gave him the event win, with Budd taking second place from Gledhill on count back.

The Solo entry of 27 boats, representing 14 clubs, included all the usual suspects from the Northern circuit, plus a number from the Midlands.  The fleet was a little line shy in the wild conditions for the first start, and home club sailors John Gledhill, Peter Cogill and Mark Weston took the opportunity to lead round the first mark. Weston swiftly went into the lead, while the other two were swallowed up by the chasing pack.

Mike Hobin in his brand new Boon, and Steve Denison in his brand new Winder were soon hounding Weston. The conditions were perfect for sorting out any teething problems, not, and both came through the day unscathed, despite some smouldering reaches and muscle jarring beats. These three battled it out for the lead but ultimately it was Steve Denison, the lightest and probably the fittest, who made it to the line first, closely chased by Weston and Hobin. Chris Gillard and Oliver Dumbleton followed in 5^th and 6^th places.

After lunch, Gledhill repeated his first race feat, getting away cleanly from the pin end of the line and narrowly leading the first lap until Denison slipped through on the reach.  Gillard, Weston and Nick Brook took up the chase, but Denison stitched up the day with another win from Gillard, Brook and Weston, with Dumbleton filling 5^th place.

For the final race, the dying wind caused the fleet to alternately stretch and concertina as the breeze came through in lumps.  Denison soon hit the front again, but this time he had to give second best to Dumbleton who sneaked through to win. Gillard took third, Howard Frear having his best race with 4^th and newcomer to the fleet Mike Bishop 5^th.

Overall Denison was the clear winner, but the close racing throughout the fleet was demonstrated by one point covering the next three boats.

West Riding SC was relieved that the gamble taken in moving the event from mellow autumn to chilly early spring had come off.  Thanks to all competitors for making the journey, especially the twenty-nine visitors!

Laser Overall Results