Laser 2 Inlands at Rutland Sailing Club
by Mark Bond 26 Oct 2004 12:36 BST
23-24 October 2004
This weekend saw the conclusion of the 2004 Laser II open calendar with the Inland Championships at Rutland Sailing Cub. A turnout of just six boats was disappointing but led to some close competition between those present. Two boats engaged in a tight battle for first place and the remaining four fought hard for third place. The event was combined with the Inland Championships for three other classes so there were plenty of other boats to watch out for on the water.
The breeze present for the during the first lap of the first race on Saturday gradually dissipated to such an extent that the race officer decided to abandon the third race. Helen Carroll and Bryan Mobbs, with two wins, knew they would have to work hard the following day to stay in front of second placed Nigel Skudder and Keith Hills who had a second and a third.
Sunday morning showed little sign breeze but, by the time racing had started, things had improved vastly. The wind continued to fill-in throughout the day and, by the third race, there had been some very exciting reaches and a number of capsizes. These conditions suited Nigel and Keith – as the wind strength increased their scores improved. Helen and Bryan, though, continued to put in a great performance which enabled them to maintain a one point lead and take the Inland trophy.
Overall Results:
1st Laser II 10496 Helen Carroll and Bryan Mobbs (Blackwater) 5pts;
2nd Laser II 10588 Nigel Skudder and Keith Hills (Starcross) 6pts;
3rd Laser II 5749 Michael Croker and Diana Croker (Lancing) 12pts;
4th Laser II 8423 Ian Savell and Dawn Savell (Budworth) 15pts;
5th Laser II 10626 Michael Clapp and Mark Bond (Datchet Water) 18pts.