Laser 2000 Welsh Chpionships at Cardiff Bay Our Team Laurie and Jo.
Published 10:36 on 31 Oct 2022
HBSC B team represented the Welsh members at the 2000 Welsh championships this weekend. Following a gruelling obstacle course around the m25 and arriving at Cardiff Bay yacht club 6 hours later, they were given a very warm welcome to the overseas visitors. Day 1: 4 races back to back. All races had a committee boat start, windward buoy, round to port to the spreader buoy, then downwind to a gate where you could round the left or the right buoy to then go for another lap . Race 1, first! And then it went downhill from thereon in. Being over the line on race 3, forgetting that port is not the same as starboard, and contending with fierce competition from the home club who held all the local knowledge, saw a decline in racing performance. However, after day 1, us and 2 other teams were on the same points, so it was all to play for the following day. The sailing club hosted a quiz (whereby Jo realised that she really didn't know what she should know). Luckily they teamed up with some local geeks who carried Laurie and Jo to victory.
Day 2 saw 4 seasons all in an hour, squalls and rain galore. Being in Wales, would any other weather suffice? Being rather near the back and still going upwind to the windward mark, an almighty squall hit the race area, toppling over all those in front on the downwind leg with their spinnakers up, like 9 pins. Yes this is our chance to overtake! So as the squall subsided, and boats desperately trying to haul in their spinnakers before righting them, we gracefully sailed pass, weaving through like fun fair dodgems, to claw a 6th. Final race, the sun came out and the wind died. However all sailors looked like drowned rats and shivering cold. We hoped that this would lead to concentration lapses in our opposition, so we dug deep, started at the starboard end right by the committee boat and straight onto port into clear air. And it paid off, we were first at the windward mark, horray! A couple of laps we were in the top 2, then didn't realize that the course had been shortened as we were heading to the right hand buoy at the downwind mark to go for another lap. We should have gone left and then left to the finish line, so we let a couple of boats through to finish 5th. Damn.
We had no idea how we faired until the prize giving so were pleasantly surprised when we were announced 3rd. A fantastic weekend, great racing and great people. Thank you to the 2000 community.
Last updated 07:04 on 19 August 2024