Jason Williams crowned as Supreme Laser Champion 2024!

7 Lasers contested the Laser Cup with 2 others making up the numbers in a gusty F3-4. Danny took an early lead followed by Jason and Steve, but the gusts got the better of him and he capsized as Jason sailed into the distance with the rest far behind. Nigel plodding around in a Topper came 2nd on handicap.

The wind increased between races and half the fleet decided not to start. Jason wished he had joined them as he capsized 5 times on the run as the wind hit F5 plus and finally retired. Andrew and Steve battled at the front while Nigel’s high speed plodding earned him a first place. Trevor persevered and finished last, but with a record-beating (for him) last lap.

Overall Nigel takes the lead in the series followed by Neil, with Jason 3rd.

Results

Results

Not a lot of wind presented  fifteen sailors in the run up to the start but the race officer anticipated some increase in wind strength. The wind was coming from the due south.

Race officer set a course heading directly off shore with a direct beat and a triangular course up channel against the outgoing tide. Race one saw a clean getaway by the asymmetrics of Steve and Andrew appreciating the crosswind reaching, Andrew getting ahead by the end of the first lap and Steve managing to capsize at the windward mark of the second lap. Neil got away from the other lasers followed by Jake and Jason, with no place changes.. Teilo was nicely ahead of Mark and Karl in the Xenon, but lost most his lead by getting his kite mangled up round his bow.  Meanwhile the Mirrors of Jean and Rex kept in close contact but struggled against the flowing tide and lack of wind so they agreed to finish on one lap with Rex just ahead

Wednesday trainees Chris and Xavier set off in Topazes five minutes after the main start and followed the pack crawling round the course, and  both did really well just to get round once. 

The race officer was wrong about the wind, the sea breeze didn’t happen so race two was on a shortened course. The lasers followed a different procession this time , Neil still in the lead followed by Jason and Jake and Trevor, with the those at the front  managing four laps,  The shortened course maybe not favouring Andrew’s cat as Steve extended his lead and squeezed in an 5^th lap. This time Jean and Lawrence got the better of Rex in their Mirrors. Jean attributed this to his cunning use of a ‘jib stick’….(not often seen them being used at Sully !)

Big smiles on the faces of Chris and Xavier after their first races, and credit to them both for joining in and competing.

Results

A sunny Father’s Day with a south-westerly F4-5+ and with most of the Lasers missing the action due to family commitments the Laser Cup could not be raced and will be rearranged.

It was a day for multiple capsizes in the faster boats but Nigel and Jake in the Toppers kept things upright in the first race to get the 1st and 2nd. Neil split them in the second race but Andrew, out in his cat for the first time this year and screaming along with the kite up downwind, managed only a fourth in both races.

Nigel leads the series from Neil and Jason with the discards added this week.

Results

The first race saw challenging conditions with competitors in danger of being pushed over the line at the start – marginally called as a clean start by the race officer. Jason led for the first lap but overstood the mark on the second beat to allow Neil back in. Robin found extra speed to go from 3rd to 1st downwind with Neil holding off Jason. The three Lasers were jockeying for position at the gybe, and Neil went for a swim. Robin did a turn, leaving Jason to streak away for the win. Neil recovered for second, followed by Robin.  Steve broke his spinnaker pole fitting on his RS700 and decided the course wasn’t to his liking so went off to play in the channel finishing on one lap.  Andy kept close, ahead of Sam in his cat. Nigel sailed his usual steady race to lead slow fleet home (and win the race on handicap).

Bob Lang made a welcome appearance to help with the race 2 start sequence.  There was a good, close start to race 2 with a drop to force two in the wind. Neil had the best of the first beat from Robin and Andy. Jason went for a swim on the reach, leaving Neil to lead Robin by 4 seconds, followed by Andy. The Lasers battled closely with 20 seconds between the boats and Neil won, followed by Robin and Jason.

Thank you, Patrick, for the launch helm and Trevor for stepping in to enable racing to take place.

Results

The first cup series of the year was raced in a F5-6 southwesterly sea breeze which had appeared out of a warm and cloudless sky. Steve blasted away in his RS700 knowing that he needed to almost lap Neil over 4 laps to beat him on handicap and win the coveted Watler Cup. With it’s silver coating nearly worn off it looks almost like real gold. It was not to be. Things we going so well until a major and slow capsize on the 3rd gybe giving Neil a comfortable win. Jason looked in contention until a late equally slow series of capsizes left him in 3rd position. Trev, racing a Laser for the first time, and second sail in one, did magnificently to finish 4th having completed a full range of capsizes and found that it is quite hard to bear away in a Laser and stay upright with full kicker in a force 6 gust.

The second race with the tide turned, waves picking up and big wind shifts inshore caused Steve some grief and both Neil and Jason were too fast to catch. Trev continued through the full range of capsizes, including righting the boat with no dagger board, before deciding to call it a day.

Jason was sailing a Radial, but as there were no other slow boats the Centripump Cup couldn’t be raced. He opted to count his results as in a full rig but the places would have been the same if worked out as a Radial.

Results

Four competitors took to the water (initially five, but Lawrence took a cautious view and decided not to compete).
The wind was blowing a healthy force 4-5 from the south west and race officer set a longish course towards the Barry Pin with a beat from the dropped flag buoy with downwind and a reaching leg back through the line.

On starting the wind immediately dropped , making the course too big. Jason and Neil Chasing each other and Carmel close on Jake’s transom.
Lap two saw Jason ahead on the downwind leg, and Neil, in his glee at seeing Jason hit the mark, also hit the mark !. Neil managed his 360 quicker but was still caught again by Jason who was first over the line. The toppers of Jake and Carmel went round in close formation, Jake getting there first.

In between races the wind picked up, and the lasers planed up and down the start line, and then it promptly dropped again for the now shortened course. Race two saw Neil getting the best start and getting over the line first. The toppers were more spread out this time but with Jake still in the lead and over the line first.

Results

Results

Results

Results