Laser 2000 Millennium Series at Chichester Yacht Club

Testing conditions for the Millennium Series at Chichester © Clare Turnbull / www.fotoboat.com

Testing conditions for the Millennium Series at Chichester © Clare Turnbull / www.fotoboat.com

The last Millennium Meeting for the Laser 2000s before their Nationals was sailed at Chichester Yacht Club on July 19th and 20th in very windy conditions, although under a bright sky, following a fierce rain squall which swept over the dinghy park shortly before the briefing, thus helping to ensure that everyone attended it!

There was an entry of thirty-five, but among the last ten there was a high number of DNCs and DNFs on the Results Sheet, as the conditions discouraged some and overwhelmed others. Several boats from neighbouring Dell Quay did not even arrive, and the two that did came by road! Seventeen Clubs were represented, but the first three places went to sailors from Weir Wood Reservoir.

Race Officer Nick Colbourne set interesting courses : on Saturday a windward-leeward leg with a spreader mark at the windward end and a choice of two marks at the leeward end, either of which could be rounded “outwards” before the beat, passing through the gate. On Sunday a further set of decisions was presented by the fact that there were two marks at the windward end as well, either of which could be rounded “outwards” before the down-wind leg.

At the briefing on Sunday he remarked that the fleet was getting rather too keen, (it had taken three attempts, and recourse to the Black Flag, to get it away in one of the previous day’s races) and pointed out the dangers of going down the line too fast without rights. His wise advice wasn’t altogether heeded : in the first race on Sunday there was another General Recall, and an immediate Black Flag, which resulted in a second disqualification to add to the one on Saturday under this rule. After Saturday’s racing there was a Protest which resulted, unfortunately, in the disqualification of the winner of Race 3, which denied him what could have been an overall win.

After Saturday’s races the overnight leaders were Tim and Linda Hulley, with two wins and a second, and Rob and Katie Burridge with a win and two seconds. These two had had their own private battle, and behind them a number of different boats found places at the top of the results, and the tail-enders got well separated from the leaders. The wind was very gusty, with up to Force 6+ in the gusts, with sharp changes in direction as the came through, and there were quite a lot of capsizes.

On Sunday the conditions had moderated slightly, and for Race 4 all thirty-five boats went out and had interesting and enjoyable racing. The Burridges won, with Martin and Harry Wilson second, and Bill and Charlotte Dawber third. The Hulleys were back at sixth, behind Chris and Emily McDonald and Pete and Suzy Harrison.

Then the wind began to blow again, and the Dawbers won both the following races, but their DSQ on Saturday spoiled their final score. In Race 5 Amy Hulley and James Blanchard were second, and they were third in Race 6, to bring them up to third overall. Matt and Clare Sargent were third in Race 5, but in Race 6 were black-flagged. (Matt had tried a little psychological warfare by arriving at the club on Saturday by water from Thorney Island, single-handed and with the spinnaker set!) The Hulley parents were a little slower on Sunday, but did well enough to secure their second place overall.

The Club Tea Bar Team (led by Juliet Brecknell who this year was unable to sail with her husband, so the “green spinnaker” only appeared in one race on Sunday morning!) provided cream teas for all competitors on Saturday, bacon butties for breakfast and an “ordinary” tea on Sunday, while the Class Association provided entertainment after dinner on Saturday evening. A number of visitors used the specially-arranged Camp Site close to the Club, and relished the breakfast provision.

Overall Results: