National Dinghy Sailing Championships
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Police Sport UK - National Dinghy Sailing Championships |
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2011
The Police Sport UK National Laser & Dinghy Sailing Championships, 2011 were hosted by Leicestershire Constabulary Sailing Section at Rutland Sailing Club on 13th to 15th September, 2011.
POLICE SPORT UK With the remnants of Hurricane Katia still rattling the windows in the north of the country, at Rutland Water the Laser Day experienced winds gusting up to nearly 40 mph. This decided the choices of the competitors - Some remaining with the standard rig, others opting for a Radial or 4.7 rig or just to view proceedings from the shore and wait for the wind to relent. It was not going to be an easy day. The Race Officer, Val Millward, with some sympathy towards the racers, decided on triangular courses, evidently appreciating that some Laser sailors look askance at running downwind in a heavy blow. So to Race One, where nine of the 15 entries left the shore to make their way downwind through white horses to the start line. After a General Recall, 8 boats with various rigs got away to make headway to the windward mark situated opposite the clubhouse. Perhaps not unsurprisingly, the first boat up the beat was a 4.7 being sailed by Sean Moore. The leg to the wing mark was a close reach followed by a broad reach to the leeward mark. Whereas Moore maintained his lead to the wing mark, on the next leg three full rig Lasers - Stuart Jenkins, Simon Hawkes & Tim Mercer - overtook the 4.7. Gusty conditions at the wing mark presented boats following with the decision to gybe or wear round and lose time. Nevertheless there were some capsizes. Through the 'gate' for lap 2 and the 4.7 came back into his own; the smaller sail area being easier to control in the conditions upwind but otherwise losing out to the standard sails on the broad reach. Gear failure also affected some with last year's winner, Hawkes having to mark time and sort the downhaul and Nick Mason breaking his grab-rail. There were 7 finishers. Race Two after lunch with just a hint that conditions might lighten slightly. This persuaded 11 boats to start including Dick Sivers (4.7) sporting a change of headgear after a recent argument with the boom. As it was, conditions were little different — there were a number of capsizes including Moore and two boats were forced to retire. At the front end of the fleet there was close racing between Mercer, Paul Heath and Hawkes; they came to the last mark together. Rounding the leeward mark and making for the line, Mercer tacked off in the lead whilst third placed Hawkes continued on port before tacking off for the line. At the finish line Hawkes beat Mercer by literally inches with Heath third and Steve Brisley a distant fourth. Very few boats had not capsized throughout the race. Race Three followed and the fleet was back to 9 boats on the start line. At this point the Championship remained open between Moore, Hawkes and Mercer. Conditions may have slightly eased during the race but this did not prevent the odd capsize as competitors became tired. Moore again found the conditions suiting the 4.7. The important thing was stay upright. The odd stronger gust was catching out a few and this eventually put paid to Mercer's race and he retired. At the finish it was Hawkes first with Moore second and Brisley with his best result of the day, third. There were five finishers.
Laser Champs: Click Here to View
The wind still blew on the Wednesday but the forecast for Thursday was a wind-strength approaching 3mph. Not good news and, as a result, the Race Officer announced that four races would take place on the first day of the handicap event. This would leave just one race to be completed the following day but looked the best option. And so it turned out to be.. Race One got away first
time with most of the 33 entries taking part in winds not quite as
strong as the previous day and therefore manageable. The course was
again a triangle with a beat, a short close reach then a long broad
reach to the leeward mark and back through the 'gate', allowing for
the slower handicapped boats to be finished with times recorded in
respect of laps completed. Boats got away well with Fran Gifford in
the fast Merlin Rocket heading the fleet followed by a gaggle of
Phantoms and the two Blaze dinghies from Hampshire. Geoff Norman
sailing the Contender also made a good start. The wind conditions
were made for Alex Piggott in the Notts Flying Fifteen also the
combined Cleveland/Metro RS 400 with Nick Hunt & Andy Taverner on
board.. The wing mark continued to
catch out boats and gybing became a matter of also avoiding the odd
capsized dinghy. After nearly 40 minutes the slower boats were finished
on 3 laps with faster rated boats completing 4 laps. The race was
won by Gifford by nearly 20 seconds on corrected time with Hawkes second and Rob Jones
(Blaze) just 11 seconds further behind, third. Race Two was sailed
back-to-back; same course with wind conditions virtually the same.
The usual suspects made their way ahead of the fleet with Hawkes
close with the Merlin. At times the downwind leg became almost a run
obliging the asymmetrics to zigzag their way to the leeward mark and
Ingram's Enterprise to goosewing the
jib. Nick Hunt in his RS 400 finished the race leading on the water
but on corrected time it was Hawkes who gained a clear first place
with Gifford second and Jones again, third. Race Three after lunch
with the wind still blowing well. This time the Race Officer added
an additional mark beyond the previous leeward mark to create a
'reverse P'-shaped course, making the beat much longer. The fleet
got away with a clean start once more and after the second (wing)
mark found that the route via the next buoy to the leeward buoy was
almost a direct line. At the end of the first lap, Hawkes was just
ahead of Gifford with Husk third. One lap had taken the leading
boats around 15 minutes. Behind, Hyland was leading a bunch of
Lasers with Moore, now sailing a full rig as a separate entry, plus
Roger Glass and Steve Brisley which made for a close-fought race
between them to the end. Tim Mercer ended up over the side of his
Phantom, having missed the toe-straps before hyking out and ensured
that this race could be his discard. The race was a little short at
just two laps and by the finish Gifford was almost a minute ahead of
Hawkes which gave her the win on corrected time with Jones third
once more. Husk was a good 4th, making up for the previous race. Race Four - same course sailed back-to-back with the wind still blowing, but sudden drops in strength appeared during the race. This time the start was not so clean with the individual recall being sounded. Tacking off to clear air, Sivers (Laser Radial) found himself in the company of faster rated boats on reaching the windward mark but overtaken by Hyland in the leading Laser before reaching the leeward mark. Ahead of the fleet at the end of the first lap, Walters (RS100)and Hunt (RS400) were neck and neck with the Merlin a few seconds behind. Then came the Phantoms lead by Husk. This was a shorter race at two laps and Walters was the first to finish: also the race winner on corrected time with the Phantoms of Hawkes & Mason, second & third respectively. It had been a busy day but with the possibility of no racing on the next day, a wise move to get the four races completed. Race Five and a beautifully sunny morning but hardly a breath of wind. The start was delayed for an hour and a small course then set fairly near the clubhouse where it looked like that there would be enough puff to push the fleet over the water. Just 17 boats decided to join in. For leading contenders it was a must, as the last race would decide the overall winner. So the fleet trundled slowly round the course with Hawkes ahead of Gifford and Ingram finding his Enterprise going along quite nicely, thank you. Mid-fleet, Hyland was making ground in the Laser as was the single-handed Laser Vago helmed by Paul Welsh. Meanwhile at the front it was a matter of keeping still and concentrating, as the the small course did not invite the likelihood of a rogue breeze changing the order. Slower boats were finished after 2 laps while the lead was fought out by faster boats on the third and final lap with the wind strength hardly changing. Hawkes was first to finish on the water and on corrected time was the clear winner by a minute from Ingram with Gifford, third. Hyland came a creditable fourth in the full rig Laser. Five planned races were therefore completed with Simon Hawkes the overall winner having attained 2 firsts and 3 second places; the winner by just one point from Frances Gifford with crew Pete Walker and Rob Jones, third overall.
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Event Contact:
Inspector Johnny Monks, Oakham Police Station, 15 – 17 Station Rd, Oakham,
Rutland. LE15 6QT.
Email to: johnny.monks@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk .
2010
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Click Here to view Report, Results & Pictures of:
NATIONAL POLICE LASER and DINGHY SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2010 |
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2009
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Click Here to view Report, Results & Pictures of:
NATIONAL POLICE LASER and DINGHY SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2009 |
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2008
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Click Here to view Report, Results & Pictures of:
NATIONAL POLICE LASER and PSUK DINGHY SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2008 |
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2007
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Click Here to view Report, Results & Pictures of:
NATIONAL POLICE LASER and PSUK DINGHY SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007 |
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2006
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Click Here to view Report, Results & Pictures of:
NATIONAL POLICE LASER and PSUK DINGHY SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2006 |
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2005
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Click Here to view Report, Results & Pictures of:
NATIONAL POLICE LASER and PSUK DINGHY SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2005 |
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2004
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Click Here to view Report, Results & Pictures of:
NATIONAL POLICE LASER and PSUK DINGHY SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2004 |
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2003
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Click Here to view Report, Results & Pictures of: NATIONAL POLICE LASER and
PAA DINGHY SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2003 |
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Avon & Somerset
organiser for PAA
Dinghy Champs, 2002:
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Results from previous National Dinghy regattas can be viewed in the 'Stats' Section
