I'm looking forward to covering the 2016 Laser States Championships in Busselton this year and I'll keep you up to date with plenty of photos and a bit of the goss as to conditions and who is doing what, with whom and when.
The three days are up now and the presentations are up as well.
The three days are up now and the presentations are up as well.
Saturday the 5th of March
The day started off a little cloudy with a light offshore breeze. It was warm enough though and one of the parents remarked that the kids should be out there sailing right now! Well as I'd driven the last 240 odd kms at break neck speed to get there I was glad that they weren't. Busselton was busy..... cars up and down the main streets and every inch of the place booked out. Even the camping grounds were chockers in anticipation of a bumper long weekend.
So around eleven the event started to fire up with briefings and what not, then we had the official opening with Barry House in attendance as club patron. The formalities dispensed with, the sailing could commence. The RO Robyn Olsen had the start boats out on the water about 1 pm and shortly thereafter the lasers started to pour onto the water. We had just under 80 boats in all... not bad for a regional states and indicative of the interest in the class.
The first attempt at a start was made at 2 pm and with all the fleets away eventually ( the radials were a bit eager ) the wind decided to drop out and the RO had no choice but to abandon the race. General sitting on thumbs followed, with a few of the younger sailors horsing around trying to fill in time. As I was on the water with Keith Stewart, a past commodore, he was a wealth of information and indicated where the breeze should fill in from and sure enough, in it came from the nor west.
With about 5 to 8 knots to play with the racing was on and away went the fleets working the breeze to their advantage. At one stage the pin end got quite favoured and one or tw0 were forced over and had to return to round again. As the sun slowly set in the west the sailors made their way into shore. A long day, but satisfying and some results were available.
Enjoy the images
So around eleven the event started to fire up with briefings and what not, then we had the official opening with Barry House in attendance as club patron. The formalities dispensed with, the sailing could commence. The RO Robyn Olsen had the start boats out on the water about 1 pm and shortly thereafter the lasers started to pour onto the water. We had just under 80 boats in all... not bad for a regional states and indicative of the interest in the class.
The first attempt at a start was made at 2 pm and with all the fleets away eventually ( the radials were a bit eager ) the wind decided to drop out and the RO had no choice but to abandon the race. General sitting on thumbs followed, with a few of the younger sailors horsing around trying to fill in time. As I was on the water with Keith Stewart, a past commodore, he was a wealth of information and indicated where the breeze should fill in from and sure enough, in it came from the nor west.
With about 5 to 8 knots to play with the racing was on and away went the fleets working the breeze to their advantage. At one stage the pin end got quite favoured and one or tw0 were forced over and had to return to round again. As the sun slowly set in the west the sailors made their way into shore. A long day, but satisfying and some results were available.
Enjoy the images
Sunday the 6th of March
A Day in Two Halves.
The beginning of the day was great with an average 8 to 10 knots sweeping over the course from the East. The fleets were sent away with some great gusts being utilized as they worked their way up to the top mark with the leaders making the top without much difficulty. In the radials Richard Maher on Reach Around made it to the top mark with Conor Nicholas in hot pursuit. Zoe Thomson found the first leg to her liking as well and continued on in that vein for the rest of the day.
The second race began with the radials sent off on a light easterly that promptly started to die and any one who went south found themselves stranded. Those who went north picked up the last of the easterly and did well while those in the middle struggled to keep moving. It led to some interesting finishes as the first two or three radial boats who rounded the top mark in the second race were able to use the breeze as it picked up again and stay in front for the rest of the second race. The 4.7’s were less fortunate and started with an AP for the 4.7’s and they were sent off again minutes later. The Full Rigs were also beset with an AP while the breeze swung around into the south and the change of course advice went out to get the last two fleets onto different tracks. An unexpected win by Marcus Fisk in the full rigs, who picked the breeze line to begin and was never headed.
Racing finished around 4.30 pm with a heart felt sigh of relief by all and sundry as the boats flowed across the finish line and from then onto the shore.
The results from the second day were as follows.
In the radials Conor Nicholas is still locked head to head with Caelin Winchcombe with both on 12 points. If Conor had chosen to go north at the start, there may have been a different outcome to the second race. Still it’s a big six to drop. Richard Maher is backing up in third place with Sam King from Tasmania climbing up the ladder. In the girls Zoe Thomson has eased ahead of Elyse Ainsworth with some good sailing on these light days.
In the full rigs, Mark Wong is enjoying a one point lead over Alistair Young, but James Stewart is sitting two points back, having claimed his first bullet for the regatta ready to pounce on any mistakes. Lachy Gilham is in a near fourth spot. In the masters David
Whait leads both John Roberson and Bruce Utting who are separated by a point and there are a bunch of masters waiting for any of the three to make a mistake.
The 4.7’s overnight leader Josh Pang has been relegated to fourth following a bad fourth race when he essentially dropped out of contention. In his place Rome Featherstone put in back to back bullets to break the deadlock he had on second spot with Finn O’Dea, and even though Finn had an average performance for the last race he still ended up a little better off to retain third spot. The girls however have started to churn over and Geordie Sicree has shot to the top of the tree in the girl’s lists with a 4 point lead over Hailey Johnson who again is five points ahead of yesterday’s leader Bee Allison.
Enjoy the images
A Day in Two Halves.
The beginning of the day was great with an average 8 to 10 knots sweeping over the course from the East. The fleets were sent away with some great gusts being utilized as they worked their way up to the top mark with the leaders making the top without much difficulty. In the radials Richard Maher on Reach Around made it to the top mark with Conor Nicholas in hot pursuit. Zoe Thomson found the first leg to her liking as well and continued on in that vein for the rest of the day.
The second race began with the radials sent off on a light easterly that promptly started to die and any one who went south found themselves stranded. Those who went north picked up the last of the easterly and did well while those in the middle struggled to keep moving. It led to some interesting finishes as the first two or three radial boats who rounded the top mark in the second race were able to use the breeze as it picked up again and stay in front for the rest of the second race. The 4.7’s were less fortunate and started with an AP for the 4.7’s and they were sent off again minutes later. The Full Rigs were also beset with an AP while the breeze swung around into the south and the change of course advice went out to get the last two fleets onto different tracks. An unexpected win by Marcus Fisk in the full rigs, who picked the breeze line to begin and was never headed.
Racing finished around 4.30 pm with a heart felt sigh of relief by all and sundry as the boats flowed across the finish line and from then onto the shore.
The results from the second day were as follows.
In the radials Conor Nicholas is still locked head to head with Caelin Winchcombe with both on 12 points. If Conor had chosen to go north at the start, there may have been a different outcome to the second race. Still it’s a big six to drop. Richard Maher is backing up in third place with Sam King from Tasmania climbing up the ladder. In the girls Zoe Thomson has eased ahead of Elyse Ainsworth with some good sailing on these light days.
In the full rigs, Mark Wong is enjoying a one point lead over Alistair Young, but James Stewart is sitting two points back, having claimed his first bullet for the regatta ready to pounce on any mistakes. Lachy Gilham is in a near fourth spot. In the masters David
Whait leads both John Roberson and Bruce Utting who are separated by a point and there are a bunch of masters waiting for any of the three to make a mistake.
The 4.7’s overnight leader Josh Pang has been relegated to fourth following a bad fourth race when he essentially dropped out of contention. In his place Rome Featherstone put in back to back bullets to break the deadlock he had on second spot with Finn O’Dea, and even though Finn had an average performance for the last race he still ended up a little better off to retain third spot. The girls however have started to churn over and Geordie Sicree has shot to the top of the tree in the girl’s lists with a 4 point lead over Hailey Johnson who again is five points ahead of yesterday’s leader Bee Allison.
Enjoy the images
The final day of the 2016 Laser State Championships
Confirming the champions... the end game
Once again, the weather was the controller of several destinies.
It dawned bright and hard with a good offshore breeze developing. Without fail Robyn Olsen the RO had race one firing off at 9.30 am and the 4.7's had the inner loop while the standards and radials were doing the outer. We had a decent 8 to 10 knots and the promise that the wind would swing into the north by mid morning.
The racing was good and much to our surprise ( and to certain sailors ) they found themselves rounding the top mark on the first lap way in front of where they normally should be. Something about the gusts coming out of the left (north) I believe. Suffice to say there is an image of a rather surprised full rig Master; fist pumping as he rounded mark two. There were battles during this first race and the surprise outcome in the radials was that of Zac Littlewood nailing the race well and truly. Not so surprising was the results in the 4.7's with Rome Featherstone taking the cake and Alistair Young ( a late entrant in the full rigs ) doing the same.
Then the breeze dropped, an AP was put up and my driver and past commodore at GBYC Keith Stewart mused about a rotation into the north and the eventual nor wester springing into life. He was right and after a brief break the racing commenced again. With a black flag !
Boy oh Boy, didn't it get crowded at the radial start line ( pin end ). Twice world radial champion Tristan Brown found himself fighting for room.... trying to push people up as he could, but succumbing to the sheer weight of the boats forcing him onto the mark. As a true sailor he took his 360 philosophically and then set off to record a reasonable finish on the race. As for most of the others, a quick flick onto port tack allowed them to clear the current starboard tackers and then flick back into the building nor wester.
I'm not going to go on, though I could. The results may be found at: http://www.laserwa.asn.au/index.php?id=43&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1447&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=17
My thanks to Geographe Bay Yacht club and the organizer Andy Whittell who made it happen. To the sponsors whose names you see on the website and K1 Sails as well. To the Nails; Rob, Anna and Riley who put me up for the two nights ... thank you, it was most appreciated. To the RO Robyn Olsen and his team, well done folks a good regatta and to Robyn's wife Sue who kept me up to date with results. To the volunteers who fed us and kept us supplied with water many thanks. But the best is left to the last. Without the sailors we wouldn't be doing all this.
Most of us are sailors and we choose to support our sport ( and profession ) with our words and work.
Enjoy the images.
A disc of the regatta will be available shortly. $25 inclusive of postage and handling within Australia Images will be of a size that will be useable up to 20 by 30 cm prints. ( around 1.3 to 1.5 MB ) Larger sizes are available individually through the contact page on the website.
Confirming the champions... the end game
Once again, the weather was the controller of several destinies.
It dawned bright and hard with a good offshore breeze developing. Without fail Robyn Olsen the RO had race one firing off at 9.30 am and the 4.7's had the inner loop while the standards and radials were doing the outer. We had a decent 8 to 10 knots and the promise that the wind would swing into the north by mid morning.
The racing was good and much to our surprise ( and to certain sailors ) they found themselves rounding the top mark on the first lap way in front of where they normally should be. Something about the gusts coming out of the left (north) I believe. Suffice to say there is an image of a rather surprised full rig Master; fist pumping as he rounded mark two. There were battles during this first race and the surprise outcome in the radials was that of Zac Littlewood nailing the race well and truly. Not so surprising was the results in the 4.7's with Rome Featherstone taking the cake and Alistair Young ( a late entrant in the full rigs ) doing the same.
Then the breeze dropped, an AP was put up and my driver and past commodore at GBYC Keith Stewart mused about a rotation into the north and the eventual nor wester springing into life. He was right and after a brief break the racing commenced again. With a black flag !
Boy oh Boy, didn't it get crowded at the radial start line ( pin end ). Twice world radial champion Tristan Brown found himself fighting for room.... trying to push people up as he could, but succumbing to the sheer weight of the boats forcing him onto the mark. As a true sailor he took his 360 philosophically and then set off to record a reasonable finish on the race. As for most of the others, a quick flick onto port tack allowed them to clear the current starboard tackers and then flick back into the building nor wester.
I'm not going to go on, though I could. The results may be found at: http://www.laserwa.asn.au/index.php?id=43&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1447&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=17
My thanks to Geographe Bay Yacht club and the organizer Andy Whittell who made it happen. To the sponsors whose names you see on the website and K1 Sails as well. To the Nails; Rob, Anna and Riley who put me up for the two nights ... thank you, it was most appreciated. To the RO Robyn Olsen and his team, well done folks a good regatta and to Robyn's wife Sue who kept me up to date with results. To the volunteers who fed us and kept us supplied with water many thanks. But the best is left to the last. Without the sailors we wouldn't be doing all this.
Most of us are sailors and we choose to support our sport ( and profession ) with our words and work.
Enjoy the images.
A disc of the regatta will be available shortly. $25 inclusive of postage and handling within Australia Images will be of a size that will be useable up to 20 by 30 cm prints. ( around 1.3 to 1.5 MB ) Larger sizes are available individually through the contact page on the website.
PRESENTATIONS TO FOLLOW