2014 Audi Laser Masters' World Championship at Hyeres
by John Roberson 17 Oct 2014 21:05 BST
5-11 October 2014
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Take over 500 competitors from 37 nations, put them into one of the world's most famous sailing venues, add plenty of sunshine and wind, you have a truly memorable regatta. This was the 2014 Audi Laser Masters' World Championships in Hyeres, France, from 4th to 11th October.
All eight of the major divisions (Radial and Standard rigs, Apprentice; Master; Grand Master and Great Grand Master) were hard fought, with the result hanging in the balance until the last race, in a number of divisions.
Tightest of the bunch was the 70 strong Radial Masters' fleet, where Britain's Steve Cockerill and Australian Mark Kennedy were level on 15 points when racing concluded, but with the Briton taking the championship on a countback. Also just scraping home for Britain by just one point in the Standard Grand Masters was Nick Harrison, who beat Canada’s Andy Roy in a fleet of 87 entries.
Another winning Briton, who collected the championship by just two points was Jon Emmet in the fleet of 25 Radial Apprentices, beating Kiwi Scott Leith. The Kiwis claimed the top spot in the Radial Grand Masters, with Michael Keeton a two point winner over trans-Tasman rival Jeff Loosemore of Australia in a 70 strong fleet.
Greece claimed its only top three place of the event in the Standard rig Apprentice fleet of 38, with Adonis Bougiouris claiming the title by four points from Poland's Macies Grabowski. Britain's Keith Wilkins defied his age and gravity by reclaiming the championship in the Radial Great Grand Masters, that he last won in 2011 on San Francisco Bay, beating Australia's Rob Lowndes by five points in a strong fleet of 77 boats.
Also a five point winner was Australia's Bret Beyer in the 116 boat Standard Masters fleet, the biggest fleet of the championship, with Dutch skipper Arnoud Hummel taking second. The only fleet in which there seemed little doubt about the outcome, from quite early in the series, was the Standard Great Grant Masters in which Australian Mark Bethwaite won all but one race, beating New Zealand's Bob Blakey by a substantial ten points.
For Bob Blakey, finishing second was enough to make sure he was still at the top of the family pecking order, with son Matt finishing third in the Standard Apprentices, while another son Richard took fourth in the Radial Masters. Perhaps one of the most inspiring performances of the regatta was that of America's Peter Seidenberg, at 77 years old he finished third in the Radial Great Grand Masters, which also gave him the best performance of the over 75s in the event. Currently the over 75s are referred to as "Amazing Great Grand Masters", but there is a move amongst those rapidly approaching this status to have the title changed to "Legends".
If one was to draw up a nations league table after this event, using just top three places, where a first counts for three points, a second – two, and a third just one point, Britain would just take top spot with four world champions and a third place for 13 points. Australia's second place on 12 points is made up of two world champions the three second places, while the Kiwis claim third place on 8 points from one champion, two seconds and a third.
lasermasters.coych.org