Laser Masters World Championships - First titles decided on day 6

by Laser Masters World Championships on 19 Sep 2010 First to pass his winning post, clinching his title with a day to spare at the Laser Masters World Championships today was New Zealand’s Scott Leith.

His second and third from another day of fluky, conflicting breezes off Hayling Island which offered little in the way of a consistent pattern, was enough to bring his personal odyssey to a triumphant end, winning the Radial Apprentice Masters title.

Laser Masters World Championships - Scott Leith's (NZL) second and third from another day of fluky, conflicting breezes off Hayling Island which offered little in the way of a consistent pattern, was enough to bring his personal odyssey to a triumphant end, winning the Radial Apprentice Masters title.

Second last year in Halifax, Leith upped his game in each area and admitted to be simply relieved that his goal had been achieved.

Four months of hard training on the water, in the gym, on the roads, delivered the end result. With up to two races left to be sailed Sunday, weather permitting, his third place – his current discard – was enough to ensure he cannot be beaten.

British Laser sailing legend Keith Wilkins, the 1976 Laser European Champion, has moved seemingly effortlessly through the Masters ranks collecting world titles from Apprentice Masters, sailing to at least five Masters titles, at least three Grand Masters titles en route. His experience and consistency across the range of conditions means that this time he has had the measure of 2009 Great Grand Master title winner Peter Seidenburg (USA). The paid spent much of

Seidenburg, of Portsmouth Rhode Island, is this Laser Masters Championships most regular competitor, racing here at his 27th consecutive worlds regatta.

Sailing to a planned strategy, no matter how fluid, seemed fruitless in many of the classes. The common theme from the leading sailors was careful observation as to what was happening and being prepared to react as it happened.
Over the duration of the day the wind range was between 2 and 20 knots. After the first set of races for both Radials and Stadard fleets had to be abandoned when the breeze died away to next to nothing, it was the afternoon Solent sea breeze which rescued the day, but once again there was the influence of the gradient NW’ly to try to account for, producing big shifts in wind direction and pressure. But, to their credit, both race committee teams worked hard to get two more races completed.

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American Scott Ferguson, defending champion is also looking to have done enough to retain his Standard Masters title.

His second and first places today mean that he has no score worse than sixth in his locker after today’s racing. With a return to the same kind of conditions which were enjoyed on Monday, a full 20 knots of SW’ly gradient, anticipated Ferguson will have the luxury of deciding his own fate tomorrow.

In contrast it was a frustrating penultimate day for Olympic silver medallist John Bertrand who plummeted to 27th in the final race of today, meaning he needs a good final day if he is to restore himself to a podium finish.

Such is the nature of Masters racing that when a dominant sailor slides across into the next age-group, so it maybe ushers a sigh of relief as the class opens up again, whilst simultaneously signalling to the next division up knows the bar could be raised for them.

So Ferguson, and the rest Standard Masters fleet must be looking forward to next year when Sydney’s Brett Beyer will have graduated with honours from the Apprentice fleet.

At his tenth consecutive masters worlds Beyer is bidding for his seventh Apprentice Masters title and after a 2,4 today leads by five points in to his final world championship day as an Apprentice Masters.

And Britain’s Steve Cockerill is relishing the forecast return to solid south westerly winds for Sunday’s finale. He admitted that his third first of the regatta, in Race 7, was as much by good luck as good sailing. But his fourth Masters title should be within his reach if he can repeat the superiority he showed in opening day’s meaty weather and waves.

Standings after eight races including one discard:

Radial, Apprentice (35-44yrs): 1 Scott Leith (NZL) 10pts, 2 J-C Leydet (FRA) 18pts, 3 Matthias Bruehl (GER) 18pts, Masters (45-54): 1 Steve Cockerill (GBR) 18pts, 2 Joao Ramos (BRA) 27pts, 3 Hamish Atkinson (NZL) 45pts, Grand Masters (54-65): 1 Alden Shattuck (USA) 20pts, 2 Lyndall Patterson (AUS) 28pts, 3 Bruce Martinson (USA) 30pts, Great Grand Masters: 1 Keith Wilkins (GBR) 20pts, 2 Peter Seidenburg (USA) 33pts, 3 Johan Stam (NED) 43pts.

Standard, Apprentice: 1 Brett Beyer (AUS) 17pts, 2 Jyrki Taiminen (FIN) 22pts, 3 Adonis Bougiouris (GRE) 27pts, Master Gold Fleet: 1 Scott Ferguson (USA) 12pts, 2 Arnoud Hummel (NED) 23pts, 3 Gunni Christian Pedersen (DEN) 31pts. Grand Masters: 1 Wolfgang Gerz (GER) 23pts, 2 Peter Sherwin (GBR) 41pts, 3 Peter Vessella (USA) 43pts.

Scott Leith (NZL), Radial Apprentice Master winner

' I really don’t know what I feel. I am pretty amazed that it is all over just like that. I put a lot into it. The last four months of training have paid off. It is good to know that I don’t have to sail tomorrow and I have got it. It is a big relief. It feels amazing that it is all over so quick now. That’s it. After all that concentration, four months of effort and you cross the line and it is over.'

'We did one whole race which was cancelled and I was a bit deep when it got cancelled. And then we did Race 7 for proper and I was second all the way round. It was pretty light and patchy. It was pretty good for the light guys. The second race was a bit windier. I was quite content to take a third. I had worked out before that I needed third to take it, coming ashore happy.'
On his programme:

'I got here early, did four days training just with whoever was around, a couple of hours.
From last year I have improved all around the race track: strategy, starts I have been starting pretty conservatively so I am happy that I got away cleanly on every start. And my level of fitness is extremely high compared to last year. More time in the boat, more technique. Downwind I was probably the fastest in the fleet, and that is time on the water and just learning that it is all about timing, not trying too hard.'

Alden Shattuck (USA), leader Radial Grand Masters:

' It was very swirly. It was shifty and frustrating at times.You had to have your head out of the boat. You had to start each race with no plan, just seeing what was coming your way. You could not afford to be in a corner because the shifts were so big, you would get killed in extreme positions. At the same time you could not be in the middle because there was not wind in there.'

'I been to a few of these worlds and won three, in 2003 in Cadiz, in Korea, second in Turkey, third in Brasil.'
'It is going to be big winds, more like the first day. I like the lighter stuff myself by I had good results on Monday.'


Brett Beyer (AUS) six times winner and leader Standard Apprentice Masters:

'The first race was NW’ly and very shifty off the land and the second race we were up the first beat and the sea breeze came in and so they had to abdandon that one. They re-orientated the course and that was OK. I was in front of who I had to be today which is what I had to do, that was the key.'

'This has been very hard just for the variety of conditions, we have had some sea-breezes, light breezes, big waves. But it certainly gives you more satisfaction if you do well as its been the fairest regatta possible. But I still prefer it when you just stick your butt over the side and go for a bit of a burn.'

'I played around with the Laser in the late 1990’s, nothing serious. I got slightly more serious but not quite Olympic campaigning.'

'I have done very little sailing