2009 Laser 4000 National Championships

The Laser 4000s descended on Beer SC for their National Championships 12 – 15 September.

With the market providing cheap used boats and a new deal drastically reducing the price of new sails, the usual suspects have been added to by an influx of new faces from all over the country. The fleet were particularly pleased to welcome the Howlett and the Wilson/Ace teams all the way from Loch Lomond.

The big shore break on first day presented the beach team and the crews with an interesting challenge of getting off and back on to the shingle beach! Out on the race course places were there to be made (and lost) getting in synch with the swells and the locally generated waves. Huw Powell & Kevin Barnard got to grips with the conditions quickest scoring 1,2,1 over the first 3 races. Mark Cotgrove & Ian Gotts won Race 2 and were second at the end of the day.

Day 2 kicked off with less sea but also significantly less breeze. David Marchant & Alayne Seymour hit the front in Race 4 and never looked back with Iain Reynolds & Adam Brushett showing some great speed to finish second. After a general recall in Race 5, the breeze switched off for 90 minutes but the race officer held his nerve and kept the fleet afloat. A shifty northerly breeze duly filled in to provide some complicated racing. Huw & Kevin made the most of it to win with Mark & Ian second, and Nick Alp & Jo Morrison storming through to take third. Race 6 was won by Chris Gould & Bonnie Moody.

Day 3 started breezy and got even windier. Chris Webber & James Baldwin found their pace and won Race 7. Huw & Kevin overhauled Iain & Adam to win Race 8 which put them in the right place for a grandstand view of Mark Cotgrove flouting convention by being towed across the finish line rather than being in the boat! By Race 9 the breeze was full on with the fleet raking back their rigs to maintain speed and control. The downwind legs took no time at all and will live long in the memory! Chris & James overtook Huw & Kevin on the penultimate beat to take their second bullet of the day. Adrian Heath & Carolyn Morgan proved that attendance at the Series events through the year pays dividends and raced round without capsizing to pick up an awesome 10th place.

With gusts up to 30 knots, racing was abandoned on Day 4 so Huw Powell & Kevin Barnard were crowned 2009 National Champions. Sarah Harston, crewed by Rachel Franks, won the Lady Helm prize and Chris Gould & Bonnie Moody were awarded the Tim Atkinson Memorial Trophy for winning Race 6. Iain Reynolds & Adam Brushett won the raffle for the brand new gennaker generously provided by sailboats.co.uk

Thanks for to all at Beer SC for a great event – the fleet were overwhelmed by the club’s hospitality and hope to return.

RESULTS