PSUK Laser & Dinghy Champs

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday - 9th, 10th, 11th September, 2014
at Chew Valley Lake S.C.
Hosted by: Avon & Somerset Constabulary Sailing Section

Despite numbers being lower this year, a very successful Dinghy Championship was held on Chew Valley Lake. The forecast for the week had been for light winds and the first of the three days which holds the Laser & Singlehanded Championship had to be postponed due to the distinct lack of wind. Thus the Race Officer for the event, Keith Harris was obliged to recover the situation by holding 2 races for the single-handers on the following morning, with the Dinghy Championship commencing in the afternoon with 3 races, again back-to-back. Races varied between simple triangles, triangle/sausage and windward/leeward.

Conditions were someone better for Day Two and the Singlehander championship got under way in Force 1-2 winds with the odd gust thrown in. 10 single-handers took part in the morning's races. Of the ten boats, five were Lasers. The light winds made the beats something of a gamble.

The first race was a simple triangle and boats got away cleanly. Under the CVLSC handicap system the faster rated boats needed to get well ahead of the Lasers. There were two D-Ones; Simon Hawkes - and Rob Jones who had arrived with his Blaze, saw the conditions and borrowed a D-One from Simon, sailing it for the first time. Whilst Rob got to grips with his new toy, a battle was going on in the Lasers between Alan Marsh and Tony Hyland. Light winds continued throughout the race; useful to some lightweight helms. The race was fairly short and on corrected time Hyland won by over 20 seconds from Marsh with Hawkes third.

Race Two was held back-to-back. Conditions remained the same and a slightly longer race was completed. This time it was Marsh ahead of Hyland who had been obliged to restart and played catch-up throughout the race. Ken Daniels was a satisfying third in his recently acquired Finn.

With points equal after the two races, results in the last race decided the overall winner, Alan Marsh (Avon & Somerset).

Click Here to view Laser & Single-handed Race Results

For the Dinghy Championships there were 19 entries. There were notable absences this year. It was thought that among other influences, such a number was also reflective of the lack of new blood coming through; something that appears to affect other sports within the PSUK. Half the helms were retired or close to retirement.

So the three races comprising the normal first day of the Dinghy Championship were compressed into an afternoon's sailing making 5 races in one day for some competitors. However, conditions continued similar to the morning's weather with rather light winds that required little physical effort, but rather more strategic thought as the upwind legs remained something of a gamble. With the wind direction's continual changes, one person's good thinking became another's 'bad luck'.

The first start got away with the usual suspects making the running at the head of the fleet. Last year's championship winner, Frances Gifford (Merlin Rocket) and the runner-up, Simon Hawkes (this year with the D-One) were joined by Rob Jones (D-One) well ahead of the rest of the fleet. Of the rest, Tony Hyland managed to negotiate the beats successfully as did David Thompson sailing with Phil Chambers in an Enterprise. Pete Muggleton & Jerry Summers' Fireball struggled to get away in the light conditions but had their best result in this race. It was a long race with the last finisher taking nearly 80 minutes to complete the 2 laps. Rob Jones looked like having mastered the D-One already and sailed well to gain first place, 25 seconds ahead of Gifford on corrected time with Hawkes third.

The second race followed and developed similarly. The wind shifts were no help to some and Jones eventually fell away although still well ahead of the main fleet whereas Hyland this time, finished well ahead of his main challenger on the water, Ken Daniels (Finn). On corrected time it was Hawkes first, Gifford 15 seconds behind and Hyland third. Of the rest, Bob Trevis & Rich Bates had their best result in the Laser 2000 from Sussex.

Race Three; also back-to-back. Conditions had hardly changed - the wind a touch more positive but the same old wind shifts causing problems, particularly near the windward mark. At the start, a traffic jam at the boat end of the start line caught out Gifford who quickly recovered to pursue the D-Ones. A solid start by Nick Mason (Phantom), Malcolm Dykes & Angi Mastropietro in the A&S Bahia also Jeff Hines & Barbara Bradley in the Comet Trio threatened to change the order of things but guessing the tacks correctly remained a formidable challenge. The result of this race became crucial as the championship developed between the main contenders. On corrected time Jones just managed to secure another win by just 5 seconds with Gifford second and Mason a well deserved third.

Day Three arrived and the championship schedule had caught up with itself. Two races back-to-back in light conditions once more. There were clouds about that just might have produced altered conditions but apart from the odd gust, little changed and the correct tacks remained all important.

Race Four got away on a large triangular course. During the race the wind direction changed distinctly and The Merlin was caught out together with Hawkes in the D-One. Meanwhile Jones got it right and made for another 1st place. Second was the Enterprise with Dave Thompson at the helm and Hyland third in the Laser.

After moving the buoys for an altering wind direction the fleet faced another triangular course comprising the beat and two broad reaches. With cloud developing further, an increase in wind strength and even the odd spot of precipitation, Race Five start promised well but the wind soon began to fade with just the odd gust promising a change - which never happened. For the 4 lap race the majority of boats took over the hour to complete in the increasingly light conditions. Nevertheless, the championships had been completed with every race run. The first 5 places in the race reflected their eventual overall positions with Jones first, Gifford second, Hawkes third, Hyland fourth and Thompson fifth. Sixth was Daniels who had his best result in the Finn whereas Geoff Norman (Notts) struggled this year to make his mark; it was definitely not Contender weather.

Prizes were presented by Avon's ACC, Louisa Rolfe. Congratulations to Rob Jones (Hampshire), winner of this year's Dinghy Championship and also to Allan Marsh winner of both the Laser and the Singlehanded Championship.

Congratulations also to the Avon & Somerset team who put on another splendid event and can now recover before setting up their Open regatta for next year... Many hands made light work of every facet of the running of the event from reception at the club entrance gate to the final clearing up in the clubhouse after competitors had departed.

Currently, further pictures from the Event can be seen via the CVLSC website -
See their Photo Gallery - 'Albums' tab

At the Consultative Meeting held during the event, Sussex Police announced their formal application to host the Championships in 2015. Signs are promising for a confirmation at the PSUK Sailing Committee's AGM being held at Thames Valley FHQ, Kidlington on ~~Wednesday, 15th October~~ Now Wednesday 29th October, 2014 at 1100 hrs. No date is yet set for the regatta but two venues were being considered - Newhaven & Seaford SC, or Bewl Valley SC.

Sailing Secretary:
Barbara Bradley
Major Crime Investigation Team
Kenneth Steele House
PO Box 2781
Feeder Road,
Bristol BS2 2AS

Tel 01179 454060

Email:
Barbara.Bradley@avonandsomerset.pnn.police.uk