The carpark was bursting and the racing tight at the 2103 Auckland Laser Masters Champs at Tamaki on the Saturday 20th April.

We were pleased the boys from Onerahi YC in Whanagarei made the drive South again. They bolstered the contingent from Lake Pupuke, Wakatere and Panmure. As always Ken Atchison came up from Hamilton. Richard Blakey has seen the error of his ways and returned to the Laser after a 4 year break. And Murray Thom came out for the first time in a while. Both proved they haven't gone stale. Thanks to all the competitors for making it the strongest Auckland Masters for a few years.

The light forecast drew some sailors over to the 29 boat Standard fleet at the expense of the Radials with 8. We were also joined by some Phase 2s having their championship event.

The northerly conditions and Tamaki's signature lumpy seaway provided a perfect mixture of challenges. Good shifts exposed tactical options. It was lightish for 3 races and quite breezy for 2, with 17+ knots brought in by menacing rain fronts.

Race officer Garth placed us in our standard spot just off the club south of the shipping lane and nicely clear of Rangitoto. He mixed 2 triangle + windward-leeward races and 3 straight windward-leewards. The windward-leewards seemed more popular.

Both fleets were quite compressed and very competitive. 2 general recalls for the first Standard race was a sign of the attitude. Mark roundings were particularly busy. It was rare to get a comfortable gap to the boats behind on the runs rewarding good downwind technique in the waves. One radial race finished with a 4 way tussle for second that could have gone any way.

Scott Leith stood out in the Standard, dropping one 5th to net 4 bullets. Scott is training for the Open Radial Worlds in Ireland in September. Kris Decke pipped Murray Thom for second in a closer points tussle netting 10 and 12. All 3 leaders were close on the water.

The Radials had a real battle for top spot. Tom Speed and Roger Winton ended up tied with identical total 11 and net 7. But Tom won on count back with 3 wins to Rogers 2. Jim Quinn was 3rd. At the prize giving Bob Blakey pointed out 74yo Tom was the Auckland Masters oldest ever winner. Although Tom is generally more interested in being the winner and less interested in the age.

Thanks again to Garth Briden and his race team and Tony Beckett and his volunteers for putting on a great regatta.

• Standard Results
• Radial Results

The RSA Regatta saw our car park fill rapidly with boats & hawkish competitors ready to mount their steeds for a jolly good day’s battle on the race track. We had sailors coming all the way from Melbourne, Taipa, Lake Ngaroto and many Clubs around Auckland. Weather started with 4 to 6 knots & rain which cleared to fine & winds up to 12 Knots & variable direction which laid down the gauntlet to the sailors. Nearly 50 Lasers hit the start line only to learn that sailing on the Lagoon is for the smart, the brave & the quick as like always the Lagoon had some very tricky winds to negotiate leaving the unweary floundering at the back of the fleet.
 

After racing was completed the club put on a fantastic BBQ with lamb on the spit which was soon turned to bare bones as hungry competitors refuelled. Prize giving followed with the top sailors collecting some fantastic prizes & those who were not quite so lucky in their sailing fortunes participating in a spot draw which saw all sailors come away with a prize thanks to your generosity. Against stiff opposition PLSC’s Dario Motta won the open standard, PLSC Kevin Welsh 1st Radial, PLSC Amy Linford 1st women, PLSC Andrew Coffin 1st Junior. This was all made possible with your very generous sponsorship of our event: Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre, the Water Shed, Survitec Group, Boat Books, Laser NZ Direct, Boating NZ, Coromandel Cacti, Sugarcraft, Yeehah Fishing Tackle, Joy Adams Sails, Seaspray and Predict Wind.
 

• Resullts
• Photos

Many thanks
Chantal Grass

The 2013 Auckland Laser Champs were held at Tamaki on 23rrd & 24th of February.
Many thanks to Garth and the team for getting all 6 races in the sometimes light and fickle conditions on the other side of the reef between Kohimarama and Rangitoto.
Jack Collinson, George Lane and Kris Decke lead the Standard fleet.
Andrew McKenzie, Scott Leith and Sara Winther lead the Radials.

Results

• Standard
• Radial

Many thanks to the volunteers at Napier Sailing Club
Raced Thursday 17th to Sunday 20th January
Final Results

• Standard Open
• Radial Open
• 4.7
• Standard Masters
• Radial Masters

A report on the 2012 South Island Champs from Hamish Atkinson

Results at
http://www.navalpoint.co.nz/results/LaserSI12.htm

For this years North Island champs we gate crashed the Napier Sailing Clubs summer Regatta. The club ran two courses with Optimists, Trailer Sailers and of Paper Tigers on the inner course, and Lasers sharing the outer course with a good fleet of OK's.
We had 7 races of Champagne sailing in the Hawkes Bay sun. Each day started with a light race then strengthed to around 10 to 13 knots. Classic oscillating sea breeze and compressed fleets meant the slightest mistake was punished.

21 boats in the Standard fleet.
Won again by Andrew Delabarca followed by Kent Copplestone - both from Worser Bay. In 3rd was Stu Fanshaw from Thames who is new to our regattas - but we hope to attract him back for the Nationals.

15 Radials.
Won by master Edmund Tam from Worser Bay followed by youth sailors Matthew Hughes from Murrays Bay and Michael Cressey from Napier Sailing Club.
Kevin Welsh from Panmure and Bruce Jones were 2nd and 3rd masters.
Laura Lowther from Royal Akarana was the leading Radial female. Followed by local sailors Gill Waiting and Jo Morrel.

Many thanks to Mike Shields, Paul Redman and commodore Barry Kerr for having us at Napier.
And to Clive Snow and his on the water team for running very slick races.

• Standard Results
• Radial Results

The regatta was a great teaser for the National Champs when we are back at Napier from 16th to the 20th of January 2013.

Also see regatta report on sail-world.com

There were good SW winds breezes for the North Shore Freshwaters at Lake Pupuke. But cold at times in the rain squalls.
Blair McLay dominated the Standard fleet, leaving the interesting battle for second with Mike Keeton (2012 Radial Grand Master World Champ) pipping Scott Leith (2012 Radial Apprentice Master world Champ).

The Radial fleet was a little depleted this year. Pete Thomas (3rd Radial Master at the 2012 World Champs) won a close battle with youngster Jacob Miller up from Cambridge followed by Jeff Coffin from Panmure.

Thanks to Garth, John Dowsett, Dave Lowe and the Pupuke boys for hosting us.

All results

Winds were light for the Auckland Masters Laser Champs at Tamaki on 21st April.
Garth did well to get us 2 races. But we need 4 for a series.
So to finish off the series racing will commence again for
Round 2 at Tamaki on Saturday 28th - 2:15pm first race.

Well it blew like hell on the Saturday. On the Tamaki YCs start boat Garth measured 2 solid minutes of the souwester at 30 knots during the the second race. Then his arm got tired. It didn't stop him setting 3 looong races into the tide. He has quite a cruel streak does Garth. Sunday was lighter, but more to the South and still shifty.

Of those that coped;
Scott Leith cleaned up the Radials mens (again, boring, whatever). At least he was properly pushed by Mark Orams in 2nd. Sara Winther took the female radials, with a cameo appearance by second place Jo Aleh to give the event an Olympic flavour. Our dear leader Nick Page gets his name on the Standard cup, alongside some quite illustrious company. And 2nd placed Ken Atchison made his trip up from Hamilton worthwhile. He often comes up and we appreciate the effort.

But for some of us Tamakis famous Roast Beef Sandwiches were the weekends highlight.

All results at: http://tyc.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Akl-Laser-Champs-20121.pdf

Nationals Report from Edmund Tam at Worser Bay BC.

Photo: Sara Winther – Laser Radial Winner and Andrew Murdoch Winner of the Laser Open (Photo by Bruce Jones)

The New Zealand 2012 Laser Olympic representatives, Andrew Murdoch and Sara Winther, confirmed their class by winning their respective divisions at the Laser National Championships held in Worser Bay Wellington. Both sailors continued from where they left off after successes at the recent ISAF World Championships in Perth.
After finishing third on the podium in ISAF Worlds in Perth, Murdoch won in convincing fashion winning the last four races in a row. Incidentally, this year’s win also means he has been also been unbeaten in the National championships for the last four years. The notable presence of a number of highly ranked international sailors added significantly to the competitiveness of the fleet with Jee Min Ha of Korea finishing second overall ahead of NZL sailing team member Andy Maloney in third. In fourth was Dutch sailor Rutger van Schnaardenburg and in fifth was another international competitor Kristian Ruth of Norway.

In the Laser Radial Sara Winther also extended on her top ten placing in the ISAF World Championships and her recent outstanding form on the World Cup circuit. Winther triumphed in the largest fleet in the regatta which included a competitive group of Youth sailors vying selection for the Youth World Championships. Winther’s scorecard included winning six of the ten races. Second overall in the Laser Radial after a close battle with Winther was Logan Dunning-Beck from Wakatere Boating Club and in third and first in the Youth division was Matthew Kempkers also from Wakatere.

The 4.7 class was won convincingly by Charlotte Corston who took five race wins out of the seven races completed. In second place was Emma Sullivan of Nelson and in third (and first male) was 16 year old Jacob Miller.
In the Masters full rig division, local hero  Andrew Dellabarca (Worser Bay) was eager to win the event having been the runner up for the last two years. Dellabarca sailed extremely consistently to finally win the regatta - His worst counting placing was a mere third place. Second overall was the regatta organising chairman Rob Woodward who managed to transfer his abundant enthusiasm into pure boat speed to finish one point ahead of Murray Thom. Woodward also took out the Apprentice Masters division. In fourth place overall was defending champion Mark Page who did well to overcome a few career threatening recent injuries, but only after utilising more strapping tape than Richie McCaw needed to get through the world cup!

The Masters Radial fleet was won by Double world champion Scott Leith. Leith salvaged a potentially regatta ruining gear breakage within seconds of starting the first race. However, he then went on to win the next four races to establish a defendable lead going into the last day of racing. Mark Orams of Torbay Sailing Club finished in second place just three points behind overall.  In third overall was Pete Thomas of Wakatere Boating Club who beat fellow Wakatere sailor Mike Keeton after a number of close duels during the week.

While the Wellington weather presented a number of challenges at both ends of the wind spectrum the race management team, headed by Brett Linton, did an outstanding job to make the most of the conditions available. In addition, the regatta was enthusiastically hosted in true Worser Bay fashion with a number of volunteers generously lending their support. If the amount of coffee sold was a gauge of competitor and spectator satisfaction then the event was clearly a huge success!
Finally, the organising committee wishes to sincerely thank the numerous volunteers that each made a significant contribution to the success of the regatta.
 
A full summary of the overall results can be obtained through the following link:
/content/2012-nz-laser-champs-results-reports-photos
 
To check out some of the action out on the water captured by the official regatta photographer – Chris Coad go to the following website:
http://yachtshots.photoshelter.com/
 
 
The organising committee would like to acknowledge the generous support of our sponsors in:
Find Recruitment; Opus International Limited; Ricoh; Catalyst IT Limited; Wellington City Council; John Deere; and Agriturf Limited.