Builder: Dufour Yachts (FRA)
Designer: Michel Dufour
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News:
Laser 4000 Nationals at Mayflower Sailing Club - Day 2
Author: Hilary Sutton
After Sunday's unpromising start to the week's breezes, Noble Insurance sponsored second day of the 4000 Nationals and Eurocup dawned bright and clear with a North-Easterly force 3. Despite the direction of the wind, race officer Dave Curno expressed confidence that the South-Westerly sea
breeze would fill in later.
The seventy 4000s launched, still with mild hangovers from the Commodore's
Reception and buffet the previous evening, and started the first race of the
series. With the wind coming over the hills of Jennicliff on the Eastern
side of Plymouth Sound, the direction was anything but constant, with thirty
degree shifts every minute or two. Despite this, the race team managed to
lay a square course just outside the breakwater. Kiwi Olympian Simon Cooke,
sailing with Italian ace Luca Dragonetti, showed his calibre by working his
way to a clear lead at the windward mark and holding it to the finish.
Behind them, all was not so steady, with Team Control members Pete & Lisa
Nicholas losing their hard-fought second place to Hugh Watson and Helen
Lloyd on the last run, and ending up in seventh place. Team Control 2, Pete
Barton and Ros Allan took third place, with Fran Howell and John Reynolds in
fourth.
After the finish of race one, the wind died and for almost an hour the
competitors watched as boats sailed one side of the course in gradient wind,
and the other side in the new sea breeze. Finally it arrived and race two
got underway in a force 1-2 after a general recall in which two of the Team
Control boats, Barton & Allan and original Control sailors Mark Cotgrove and
Ian Gotts, were caught on the black flag rule.
At the second start, the race got away cleanly with Watson and Lloyd again
showing great form, starting at the port end of the line and making the
windward mark in one. The Scottish duo of Sandy McPhail and Andy Marshall
chased Watson & Lloyd but never touched their lead and were pipped at the
finish by defending National Champion Ricky Tagg, sailing with 1999 champion
Rob Andrews.
By race three, the wind had settled to a steady force 2 and Grafham sailors
Derek Bretherton and Carole Lovesey, sailing "Advanced Computer Solutions",
built up a convincing lead with Pete Scott and Pippa Bickerton in pursuit.
Watson and Lloyd were not letting this one slip though, working their way
through from fifth to overtake Bretherton & Lovesey on the last run and win
the race.
After three races the overall lead is held convincingly by Watson and Lloyd,
with Cooke and Dragonetti in second.
More Information:
- YachtsandYachting.com Laser 4000 Page
- Laser 4000 Class Association
- Mayflower Sailing Club with full daily results
- Crewsaver Website
See also: DUFOUR 30 CLASSIC for sale
