Aussies day out in the Laser Standards at Worlds

by Di Pearson on 19 Feb 2008 Reigning world Standard Apprentice Brett Beyer (AUS) got off to a good start to reclaiming his 2007 crown winning both Races 1 and 2. “It was close racing until three quarters of the way through when the wind picked up and I made gains downwind.

“We had the normal 5 degree shifts, but nothing massive. It was all about setting your boat up correctly, getting through the slops and steering well,” Beyer said.

Overall, Jyrki Taiminen (FIN) is second with five points on equal points with third placed Rohan Lord (NZL). Two British sailors are next best placed on equal 10 points; Orlando Gledhill and Simon Barrington.

The Aussies scored again in the Standard Masters as Jan ‘Clogs’ Scholten (AUS), a helmsman and tactician of renown won both races in the Yellow fleet. “I put in a bit of practice at the Asia Pacific Championship at Sail Melbourne last month, but this is another level up and I’ve held my own today. It was textbook sailing,” he said.

Results in the Masters were mixed in the opening two races today. Scholten has a seven point lead from Mark ‘Freddy’ Phillips (AUS) in second place in the Yellow fleet and a further point to third placed Larry Kleist (AUS). Next best is Rob Douglass on 12 points and Tracy Usher (USA) on 16.

In the Red fleet, Andy Roy was the standout with 1st and second placings, which puts him second overall in the Masters behind Scholten. The Red group fills out third and fourth overall with Peter Conde (AUS) and Murray Thom (NZL) on equal eight points.

Six were Black Flagged from the 140 entries in the Race 1 Master Red fleet following a couple of General Recalls, but Race 2 was more straightforward. Black Flags were a high price to pay for Colin Dibb and Chris Dawson in particular. Dibb won Race 2 and Dawson was sixth.

Aussies scored dividends in the Standard Grand Masters too, when World’s chairman Rob Lowndes took out Race 1 and defending world champion Mark Bethwaite won Race 2. Lowndes currently heads that scoreboard with six points.

Two other sailors, defending world champion Mark Bethwaite (AUS) and Wolfgang Gerz (GER) are on six points also, in second and third places overall, with Jack Schlachter (AUS) fourth, a further point in arrears and Michael Nissen (GER) fifth, a further three points away.

“I’m lucky to be sharing an apartment with two winners,” said competitor and member of the organising committee Colin Cain referring to Lowndes and Bethwaite. “It was absolutely sensational racing; it’s the best place in the world to sail, which is why we came halfway around the world to compete,” he said.

Standard Apprentice sailors had various takes on today’s racing. Christopher Gowers (GBR) “It was pretty good out there; shifty, wavy and a true course. There wasn’t enough wind for fat blokes like me! At its peak, it blew around 13-14 knots from the east.”

“I had an OK day – I finished in the early teens somewhere,” said Kiwi sailor Andrew Dellabarca. “It was hard to get a transit on the start line, but the racing was clean,” added Dellabarca who finished fifth Apprentice at the recent New Zealand nationals.

“The first race was alright, but I had a terrible start in the second; I spent the entire race trying to catch up,” lamented Jeffrey Myers (AUS).

“It was a good full breeze. I can’t complain, I didn’t do too badly,” said Kiwi match racer and boat builder Dean Salthouse, whose brother Don is racing here in the Standard Masters division.

Lionel Welch would rather forget his day. “The racing was good – great, actually, but my performance was bad! I made silly errors; if you’re error prone like me, you suffer.

“I made stupid errors today, like hitting marks, that sort of thing. Then I got a pumping penalty. I think the jury was a bit zealous on that one; I don’t actually know how to pump! I guess it’s quite flattering really,” laughed the Brit who lives in and is representing Hong Kong.

Alan Downes (AUS): “I was shocking. Not enough pressure for me, but you have to take what comes.”

The stories were similar in the140-strong Standard Masters fleet which has been broken into two fleets. Andrew Ringwood (AUS) telling: “I got my timing wrong – I thought ‘oh no’ and was Black Flagged after one General Recall!”

Rob Douglas (AUS) told: “I didn’t have a very good first race, but I think I finished fifth in Race 2. It was great racing; really good sailing conditions. It was about 8-10 knots in the first race, then built to around 15 in the second race, but then dropped off again to a pretty consistent 10 knots, which was nice.”

“I didn’t do as well as I’d like, but it was a really beautiful day out there,” commented Chris Sadler (NZL).

It was worse for Malcolm Courts (GBR). “I went badly. I couldn’t get any speed out of the boat. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something badly wrong,” he said.

Mauro Lentini from Switzerland had a similar tale: “I was not very good. I did not have enough speed.”

For Roy Andy from Canada it was just the opposite. “I had a great day; better than I could imagine. I got a first and a second. We got a nice 14 knot breeze with nice waves; just the way I like it,” said Andy adding: “It was good surfing downwind; it was beautiful out sailing, warm and sunny, not like freezing Canada.”

And from Colin Dibb (AUS), a former champion: “I was Black Flagged in the first, but came back and won the second race. I got off the line in the middle where I had good pressure and got a bit of a lead on everyone else. I had good speed and lead the fleet around course. It was a luxury race and made up for the first race!”

“It was fantastic, so much fun out there. There were plenty of waves and a bit of breeze and lots of Blue Bottles. Racing was close, it was really good racing. I haven’t sailed a Laser for so long, except for the last two weeks when I got in a bit of practice,” said Steve Brajkovich (AUS).

“I had a fabulous day, it couldn’t be better, it was really good racing and I thoroughly enjoyed myself,” said 2005 Standard Apprentice world champion Murray Thom. “The race officers did a great job; we had two very nice races. I’m happy to start my regatta with a fifth and a third,” the respected Kiwi sailor said.

In the Standard Grand Masters fleet, Ted Moore (USA) commented: “A good day. In the first race you wanted to be on the right side of the course, but in the second, you needed to be on the left. It was good breeze and good sailing. I’m enjoying the Australian hospitality too.”

“It was a beautiful day for sailing. Unfortunately I didn’t take the best advantage of the day. It was nobody’s fault but my own,” said Syd Barlow from Ireland.

Racing in the Laser Masters Worlds continues tomorrow with a further two races, weather dependent, starting from 12.00pm.

Results are provisional pending protests and ratification by officials and will be posted to the official website below in due course.

For all information on the Gosford Sailing Club hosted Laser Masters Worlds go to: http://aus08.laserinternational.org/

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