Laser 2 Europeans at Teign Corinthian Yacht Club - Overall

Sailors from Ireland, The Netherlands and Germany joined UK sailors on 13th August for the Laser 2 Europeans held at Teignmouth South Devon. Sunday saw a brisk Northerly with a course laid 1.5 miles offshore.

The practice race proved a useful reminder for many crews that the kite does not always have to be flown down wind, along with a quick recap on capsize drill! Race 1 Nigel Skudder and Keith Hills showed their heavy airs speed to pull away throughout the race from the new Irish team of Connor Byrne and Kate Fitzsimmons, with the right side of the course proving a catch up lane for Mike Clapp and Mark Bond. Race 2 saw the breeze remain at close to 20 knots from the land proving an oscillating direction. Jude and Fred Fuller led to the windward mark only to be overhauled on the 1st reach by Skudder and Hills and Terry Palmer and Caroline Cooper, this order was maintained to the finish.

Monday saw sun and a patchy breeze still form the land. The fleet after having been held ashore for an hour started a race in 6 knots of breeze only for the race office to abandon it when the breeze died and then filled in from behind. No further racing was possible for the rest of the day.

Tuesday saw a very shifty 10 knot that built through out the day. There was no discernable pattern to the breeze so eyes need to be outside the boat spotting the bands of breeze at all times. Race 3 saw a large amount of place changes on the unpredictable beats with Palmer and Cooper making big gains on the last beat to take the race win from Mike and Di Croker who had led early on and managed to come back at the end. In Race 4 with gusts coming off the shore those that went close to the beach fared best. With the Irish pairing of O’Leary and Deacon taking first and Byrne, Fitzsimmons second with Jane and Chris Seymour in third. Race 5 saw the race officer ensuring that the sailors were still concentrating by changing the course from a traditional Olympic course to a trapezoid which provided some fast 2 sail reaching. Skudder and Hills got clean away with Palmer/Cooper and Clapp/Bond having a close battle for second.

Wednesday dawned with surf on the beach due to a south east that had built over night to 15 knots, the beach crew instructed the fleet to launch down the RNLI slip way in to the Teign river and sail in and out over the bar. Race 6 saw the course back to a traditional Olympic style with the waves large and short. The right hand side of the course proved the correct way to go with those on the left over standing into the mark. The reaches provided very wet sailing with big gains to be made for those that were in tune with the waves. The race was won by Skudder and Hills with the Irish teams in hot pursuit.

Race 7 saw a drop in the wind speed but not the size of the waves with Byrne and Fitzsimmons showing good speed on the run to take and maintain the lead.

Race 8 was dominated by the fleet being early on the pin end and some attaching themselves to it with Palmer and Cooper getting clear ahead and managed to maintain the lead to the finish.

By Thursday the wind had dropped to force 2, but as it was South-easterly the height of the waves remained from Wednesday. This meant launching was from the RNLI slipway with many boats needing a tow to get past the tide in the river mouth. The big waves and light winds proved a handicap for the heavier crews in the fleet. Race 9 saw a close battle between the two Irish teams of Byrne/Fitzsimmons and O´Leary/Deacon with Byrne/Fitzsimmons finishing first. Skudder and Hills had a slow start but finally managed a third place in front of the third Irish boat of McDonagh and McSwires. Race 10 saw the wind lightening further. A clear victory was achieved by Byrne and Fitzpatrick ahead of the eventual institute prize winning team from Bath University of Stockbridge and Atkins.

Friday morning saw storm clouds overhead and what wind there was could not decide which direction to blow from. A few boats were launched early and then retrieved onto the beach to help a film crew from Spotlight South West. The whole fleet was then held on the beach for three hours as a massive thunder storm passed over. As most of the top ten positions were dependent on the outcome of another race, the Race Officer called the fleet out at 3 pm in a freshening south westerly breeze. In shifty conditions there were continual position changes over the four laps of the race. The two championship contenders of Byrne and Fitzsimmons and Skudder and Hills ended up having a tacking battle up the last beat for first place with Byrne coming out first by less than a boat length. An incident after the finish meant the final outcome was decided in the protest room with the prize giving being delayed until 9 pm.

Byrne and Fitzsimmons were crowned the new European Champions with Skudder and Hills the new National Champions. Thanks were expressed to Teignmouth Corinthian Yacht Club and to the event sponsors including Sailsport, who provided a number of the prizes.

Photographs are available at www.fotoboat.com

Overall Results: