New Zealand Laser Association

Results

Over 50 Laser turned up at Tamaki this weekend for the Auckland Laser Champs and Auckland Laser Masters Champs. In a new innovation this years the two events were combined, with the Masters being decided as a one day regatta over 4 races on Saturday as usual, but with a further 4 races on Sunday counting towards the Open Auckland championship, allowing Masters to elect to sail either a one or sail two days and qualify for both contests. This proved a very popular innovation with the sailors, with about half the Masters electing to only sail the Saturday while the other half carried on with the Open event on the Sunday. Unusually we therefore had two prize givings in one weekend, with Saturday's belonging to the Masters and Sunday being the turn of the Open sailors.

 

Unfortunately conditions on Saturday were, to quote one Master, rather sub optimal! Rain for much of the day, cold temperatures and a dodgy very light Southerly breeze that shifted and died regularly throughout the day provided a major challenge for PRO Garth Briden, let alone the sailors. Add to that the legendary Tamaki tide and slop and I think everyone was pleased to get ashore for a hot shower after 4 very testing races.

 

In Saturdays Masters Standards 4 different masters winners for the 4 races showed the quality of the fleet but in the end as usual consistency paid and Apprentice Dave Ridleys 1/2/2/3  was enough to secure the title by 3 points from leading Master Cris Brodie. Home club Masters Richard Blakey and Giles Grigg rounded out the top 4 with leading GM Mike Keeton coming out of retirement (again) to stamp his authority on the GM group with a couple of 3rd places underpinning his results. Gary Lock in 7th was the leading GGM. In the Radial Masters visiting Hamilton sailor Lucia Chagas (WM) took home the Radial Masters title and with it the Masters Womens title, pipping fellow Hamiltonian and leading GM Werner Hennig by a point. Behind them GM Kevin Welsh secured 3rd ahead of 3 sailors who were only split by a count back; club commodore Ross Roberts (M), Tauranga visitor Pete Thomas (GM) and yet another Hamiltonian Scott Mcdougal (GM).

 

So while the Masters trophies were back at the engravers the Open sailors, including about half the Masters who elected to sail both days, hoped for some better conditions on Sunday to complete the Open champs. Sure enough Sunday dawned sunny and with a 10 knot Southerly which, although gusty and shifty as is typical for Tamaki, provided a really great days racing. After day 1 Olympic squad sailor Josh Armit dominated the Standard results with 4 bullets. Unfortunately Josh could not sail Sunday, leaving it for the remaining Standard masters to fight it out with the rest of the open fleet for the title. At the end of the day it was again Apprentice Dave Ridley who took out the first 2 races of the day and followed up with a 3rd to secure the title. Chris Brodie won the last race of the day to secure 2nd overall on count back from an extremely consistent Giles Grigg with Wellington visitor Andrew Dellabarca having a much better day to claim 4th overall.

 

In the Radials the Youths dominated, with the top sailors continuing what has been fantastic season long tussle for supremacy. This weekend Harrison Baker overturned some of the earlier season results with a decisive series victory, including 5 bullets, over this years Youth Rep Luke Cashmore. Youngster Caleb Armit continued to show great promise with a 3rd overall, a point ahead of a consistent Thomas Mulcahy. First Woman was youth rep Sam Stock in 5th, with the first of the 2 day Masters Werner Hennig finding the pace of the Youths a hard act to match as the leading master in 7th.

 

Great prizes thanks to the contest sponsor Smart Marine while this years Laser traveller series spot prize winner was Matthew Rist from Manly, who takes home a new Laser sail courtesy of Dan at Watershed

 

So a very successful weekend and great to see a large Laser fleet out late in the season.

 

Nick Page