Laser and Topper Open at Bexhill Sailing Club
by Wendy Morton 3 Jul 2008 07:18 BST
29 June 2008
Once again Bexhill Sailing Club played host to sailors young, and not so young, from across the South East for an exciting day’s racing on Sunday.
A fresh to strong southwesterly breeze and warm sunshine welcomed thirteen teenage Topper sailors, three Laser and eleven Laser Radial sailors. Race Officer Richard Eagleton set a classic triangle-sausage- triangle course which made the most of the challenging conditions. With two morning races back-to-back and two after lunch there was plenty of excitement.
The young Topper sailors all completed the first race unscathed with Jonathan Hewat of Medway Sailing Club leading the fleet. With national standard sailors among the Topper fleet, Bexhill was ably represented by Danny Hosie.
The Laser Radial sailors were less fortunate, with some finding the strong wind and increasingly high waves too testing either for themselves or their dinghy. Father and son Geoff and Ben Slater kept Bexhill well to the fore, while our other two local hopes, Colin Coard and Chris Beadle, were forced to retire with equipment failures. James Eastbury of Plymouth University was first to cross the line, with Simon Barrington of Weir Wood Sailing Club leading the Laser trio.
The second race was again won by J Hewet for the Toppers, J Eastbury for the Radials and S Barrington for the full rigs, and indeed this set the pattern for the day.
After a welcome break for lunch ashore, all the Topper and Laser fleet took to the water, along with seven Radials. Race four saw a diminished fleet of six Toppers, two Lasers and four Radials continuing to enjoy the exhilarating conditions.
Bexhill Sailing Club would like to thank Eastbourne Sailing Club for kindly lending us the Committee boat, everyone who helped with organising the event, and the competitors, for a successful and enjoyable day.
Overall Results:
Toppers
1. Jonathan Hewet (Medway)
2. Jonty Freeman (Newhaven)
3. Oliver Machett (Papercourt)
4. Charlotte Fenn (Newhaven)
Laser Radials
1. James Eastbury (Plymouth University)
2. Geoff Slater (Bexhill)
3. Ben Slater (Bexhill)
4. George Spedding (Queen Mary)
Lasers
1. Simon Barrington (Weir Wood)
2. Ian Clark (Weir Wood)
3. Chris Fayns (Weir Wood)