Rob & Alan Jumping the Waves (And Possibly Going for the Hoist?)

Lago di Garda was true to form - from the outset the winds blew Going into the 4th and last day the points were very close through fair and strong. The training days just before the Championship out the fleet notably: started were testament to what was to come: 20 - 25 knots of " One point separated first and second - Pete/Simon and Dougie/ wind and a warm 30o centigrade - just awesome. Hils " Third and fourth were on equal points - Luke/Emma and Pete/ On the first day of racing (Thursday 12 July 2001), one of the Lisa Team Control boats: Pete Barton, fresh from his honeymoon (a " Two points separated fifth and sixth - Alan/Rob and Mervyn/ little more sober than on his wedding day) and his cute usher Paul crew, Simon Knatchbull, shared A battle to the end. the lead with current UK Grand Slam As predicted Race 9 leaders Luke turned into a match race McEwan and Emma with ace team racer Pete Evans from SP and Simon sailing Doug Systems. and Hils down the fleet. Luke and Emma Unfortunately, convincingly winning the testing launching race and putting pressure facilities (which on Pete and Lisa. caused more anxiety than the racing In race 10 the roles were itself) led to a few reversed with Pete and boats not making the Lisa sneaking a win and start of the first Doug and Hils coming race - one casualty 2nd. was Mark (I don't have a mattress to With the wind conditions sleep on) Richards easing to 10 -12 knots, a and Sam Hoyland black flag flying and a from Whitegrove. port bias start line - it was However on day 2, all on for an exciting despite a holed boat Rob & Alan jumping the waves (and possibly going for the hoist?) finale. First and second and bent mast they © Ocean Images/Laser were on equal points showed their true (assuming 3 drops). Doug colours by getting a and Hils powered out of 5th in race 4 and a 3rd in race 6. the start to lead around the first 2 laps. At this point Pete and Simon shrewdly escaped Doug and Hils' cover to close the gap to within 2 However it was Douglas (now employed) Baker and Hilary (I boat lengths at the last top mark. On the last run down, Pete and am very glad) Suttton from Preferred IT who dominated the 2nd Simon managed to snatch the Championship. day of racing with 2 firsts. Racing gets no better than this! Day 3 promised some light relief to the sore muscles, blistered hands and bruised bodies as the day started a little overcast, but On behalf of the fleet we would like to give a big thank you to: alas the cloud lifted and the breeze just pumped in and kept " Pietro Negri, Sandy McPhail and Richard Gibson for all the hard building until finally the O.D. was able to finish his wine and work and support they give our class; lay a course! Again Pete and Simon from Team Control showed " Pete Harrison and Susan Winter for organising the event; they were certainly in "control" with 2 bullets for good measure. " Charlotte Scott, Juliette Richards and Sue MacBroon for 'cultivating' the next generation of Laser 4000/5000 crews! - 1 - Thursday and Before ......

Peter Lindley Broke kicker and decided to beach (5000) the boat at Torbole, rather than try to sail back to Riva. Was helped by some German tourists who lent Peter and his crew their bus pass to get back to Riva to collect a car/trailer.

Simon Knatchbull Booked onto the early morning flight the day before racing starts, Simon is running a little late. Unfortunately, he gets stuck in roadworks and misses the turning to the airport, meaning that he has to drive 15 miles further up the motorway to turn round. On finally getting to the airport, Simon has to decide whether to go to the short-term carpark, next to the terminal, or to save money by going to the long- term carpark. Suffice to say that any money saved on parking was spent many Our esteemed Chairman naming and shaming!!! times over when Simon had to book pic : Tony Kilby himself onto the evening flight!

John Archer Another man who likes to save money! Andy & Dave Have won every 5k event for 18 months. Turned up at Riva with no Richards (5000) Turned up late to this one - rigged boat, accommodation booked, but equipped got out on the water. First hoist - with a tent. As a student, thought he spinnaker rigged wrong!! shouldn’t bother paying a campsite fee, so pitched the tent in the middle of the 4000 Race Set a finish line that was so short it had to park next to the club. Got woken up quite Committee be crossed in single file (if you managed early - when the automatic sprinklers to actually hit the line in the 25+ knots of came on!! breeze!) Derek Bretherton Was so excited to be in Italy, that he decided to tip the taxi driver from the Pete Scott Decided to sail with Mark Cam with airport rather heavily - leaving £250 worth boat set up for normal crew - ie rack of Lire on the backseat in a plastic bag!! 8/4 weights - instead of a more judicious setting (eg rack 1!). Result ? Roger Lewis (5k) Broke his mast - took it down in the boat boat hits wave, boat stops, Mark and park, and managed to drop it on his mast keep going. carbon tiller extension, breaking that!

Tony Ainsworth Minor incident of losing a 4000 off the Mark Cam Despite desperate attempts to flag down back of the big trailer in the middle of a an attractive blonde German windsurfer, French motorway! DS Cam had more success with his Italian colleagues, and was brought back Richard Gibson Managed to get an 8th in one race while to shore following the above incident by hanging around near the committee boat the local police boat (complete with having abandonned the race - sat hove- flashing blue light!) to, not necessarily paying full attention, as he drifts across the (very short!) finish line! Ronnie Millar For breaking 2 masts in 2 days!

Now can you tell the difference ?? key : “Ladies & Gentlemen, pic : Tony Kilby we have a winner!”

- 2 - Pete Scott wears his Duckhams shirt with Friday ...... pride ...... Adrian Jones Sales Director of Laser came out to watch the racing - managed to fall out of the RIB! ..... while Ed tries hard, Peter “Forgiven, but not forgotten”! This but can only deliver a Barton performance qualifies by virtue of the fact pale imitation! that Garda was the 2nd part of Peter and pics : Tony Kilby Amanda’s honeymoon. Despite having a full-on stag weekend in Amsterdam, Pete clearly hadn’t got it all out of his system, and decided to go for a quick half the night before the wedding. Unfortunately, the quick half turned into a full lock-in, resulting in Pete throwing up before the ceremony, after the ceremony, and during the reception!

Mark Cam (i) Sat out by the race course for 1½ hours waiting for the race to start - 5 minutes before the start he noticed his shrouds were connected to the lowers D-ring, and vice versa. Pete Nicholas (i) Went for a port tack flyer on the start - (ii) Got up at the restaurant to visit the gents - and found he had plenty of room ..... walked straight into a plate glass window! after he had pushed all the starboard (iii) Having successfully pieced together his tack boats out of the way! trolley after it fell apart on the way to Quiberon, (ii) Did it again, and hit Sandy, making Mark was confident that it would last the course him capsize at Garda. Unfortunately, one of the locals “In control”?? ..... mmmmm, I think not!! discharged a gun near the boat park, at which point, one of Mark’s tyres spontaneously exploded! Diederik Boulters Capsized to windward on the startline - Sue Mac Forgot where the brake pedal was on her managed to get mast round Ronnie’s spinnaker beautiful TVR, so had to use a wall to stop the halyard, and as they both bore away, Diederik car instead. capsized on top of Ronnie. Mark Cotgrove Fell out of the boat in all 3 races!! Mark & Bruce New to 4000 fleet - didn’t manage to quite finish within the time limit, so finished the first 4 Andy & Dave Broke 3 inch chunk off bottom of centreboard lap race and had to drop the spinnaker, turn Richards while launching. straight round and start the 2nd race.

The “He woz Robbed” Award

... must surely go to Mark Cam - how could he possibly not win with 3 nominations in one day!!

A rare shot of Mark Cotgrove IN the boat! © Ocean Images/Laser

- 3 - Saturday ......

Pete Barton Had 2 drinks finished for him by his new wife in the bar last night! Charlotte & Ed 4000 Race Complaining that we were being slow getting strut their stuff to Officer off the shore; then took 2 hours to actually start the funky live a race. music by the harbour Ponsfords Driving to Garda, had heard that the Mont pic : Derek Bretherton Blanc tunnel is now open. Insisted on driving all the way up the winding road to the tunnel entrance, past at least 10 signs saying the tunnel was closed, before finally turning round to go through an open tunnel!

Katrina Percy Spotted Rob & Alan capsized near the & Susanna start line - carried on sailing past them, Bickford having a good laugh ..... on port tack. Failed to notice the starboard tack boat, that they rammed, breaking the u-bolt off .... don’t quite the bow and writing off the day’s racing! tall story ? recognise this version of the truth ? ..... think I’ve been making nominations up since returning Simon Scammell Managed to break his collarbone while on the from Garda ? It’s entirely possible, (5000) race course. Rescue boat brought him to as I’ve been relying on Ian Gotts’ shore, and sought a 5000 helm to bring the written account of events ...... to boat back with Dave...... Found Katrina in the say Ian’s writing is difficult to read bar (resting after her day’s sailing had come to would be an understatement, so an abrupt end!) ..... well, she’d only had 3 pints, apologies to anyone whose story is so was perfectly capable of sailing the 5k! forever recorded in a slightly Camera Boat/ Lot of abuse going from one to the other .... say different light, or to anyone whose Pete Harrison no more!! name is wrong!! CC Walking through the dinghy park, when her companion pointed out a pair of crusty black knickers. CC’s comment ? ... “oh, they’re mine!!”

Tony and CC, with their new logos (....and, we assume, with their knickers on!) © Ocean Images/Laser - 4 - POS SAIL NO SPONSOR HELM CREW CLUB R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 POINTS 1 GBR-4523 Control Software Peter Barton Simon Knatchbull Royal Lymington 2 2 5 3 1 1 1 2 17 3 1 13 2 GBR-4552 Preferred IT Doug Baker Hilary Sutton Hayling Island 5 3 1 1 DSQ 2 2 1 23 2 2 14 3 GBR-4477 Control Software Pete Nicholas Lisa Nicholas Dalgety Bay 1 4 4 4 2 DNF RET 4 3 1 3 22 4 GBR-4138 SP Systems Luke McEwen Emma Evans Locks 3 1 2 7 4 4 7 5 1 6 11 26 5 ESP-4423 Alan Hilman Rob Andrews RYA 4 11 6 2 3 8 4 8 11 5 DNF 40 6 GBR-4266 Mervyn Hughes Paul Robinson Datchet 6 6 3 19 5 6 3 12 8 4 DNF 41 7 GBR-4610 Yachting Life Sandy McPhail Andrew Marshall Dalgety Bay 9 5 8 6 10 5 10 9 10 13 4 56 8 GBR-4611 Control Software Mark Cotgrove Ian Gotts Hayling Island 7 8 7 9 18 10 8 15 6 20 6 61 9 GBR-4505 Russell Mead Phil Hildyard Royal Southern 19 10 12 23 6 7 9 6 18 22 DNF 88 10 GBR-4144 Andy Gould Ruairidh Mackenzie Emsworth 15 7 25 12 7 38 16 14 16 10 8 89 11 GBR-4514 Whitegrove Mark Richards Sam Hoyland Weston DNF 9 14 5 20 3 15 20 31 12 DSQ 98 12 GBR 4429 Chris Owen Scott Craham Largs 24 22 16 10 14 21 6 23 35 7 10 106 13 GBR-4460 Craig Hepplewhite Ben Schooling Helensburgh 12 14 15 16 9 17 31 7 21 18 21 108 14 GBR-4484 Henry Bawes John Mucklow RTYC 13 DNF 28 14 15 22 41 10 5 25 5 109 15 GBR-4499 Trident Jethro Gebhard Jessie Gebhard Derwent DNF 15 9 22 35 9 14 18 36 17 17 121 16 GBR-4373 Charlie Coulbom Tom Peters RYA 10 DNF 18 29 11 DNF 19 33 9 8 19 123 17 GBR-4445 Inspired Events Tony Kilby CC Summerhayes DWSC 23 19 11 11 DNF 20 13 19 24 43 9 125 18 GBR-4600 ACS Derek Bretherton Carole Lovesey Grafham RDG 13 31 13 22 DNF DNF DNF 7 16 7 127 19 GBR-4498 Trident David Gebhard Jackie Gebhard Derwent DNF 31 19 27 17 12 29 11 27 15 13 141 20 GBR-4504 Robert Hooker Bruce McFarlane Derwent 18 16 20 17 23 11 11 32 40 40 27 143 21 SUI-4011 Ralf Plaenkers Isaline Marcel CW 30 24 21 18 DNF DNF 5 13 28 19 16 144 22 GBR-4240 Mark Cam Susan Winter RAF 14 21 23 24 8 18 38 35 13 24 24 145 23 GBR-4572 Pete Harrison Andy Macintyre Stokes Bay 20 12 24 26 13 13 21 21 25 DNF DNF 149 24 ITA-4513 Luca Bacci Sergio Ghezzi CV Como 21 27 17 20 34 14 12 17 29 44 23 151 25 ITA-4367 Georgia Tulli Michele Perlo CV Como 28 DNF 41 28 27 15 20 28 12 9 15 154 26 NED-4575 Judith van der Akker Rob van der Akker R&ZV Naarden 11 DNF 12 DNF 21 26 24 27 30 32 14 165 27 ITA-4548 Duccio Colombi Paolo Pagliano Vela Club 17 18 22 DNF DNF 16 22 43 15 33 22 165 Campione 28 GBR-4539 Pete Scott Pippa Bickerton United Hospitals DNF DNF 29 36 25 39 26 25 2 11 12 166 29 GR-4201 Katrina Percy Susanna Bickford Hayling Island 8 17 27 8 12 DNF DNF DNF 20 27 DSQ 176 30 GBR-4264 Christina Summerhayes Kevin Balnard Bembrugh 16 26 30 38 DNF 34 18 26 19 21 25 181

Pete and Simon (left) snatched victory from Doug and Hils (below) on the last gybe of the last race!

- 5 - © Ocean Images/Laser

Info : " See more pics at Lasersailing.com (pulse) " The website address for the Italian video is www.slidebox.it (if it ever gets constructed!!)

POS SAIL NO SPONSOR HELM CREW CLUB R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 POINTS 31 ITA-4210 Roberto Caresani Pietro Negri CV Como DNF 29 10 40 DNF 23 17 3 41 26 35 183 32 GBR-4591 MGT Ronald Millar Gillian Hooton Dalgety Bay 22 23 32 37 19 DNF DNF DNF 4 23 32 192 33 GBR-4612 Lasersailing.com Richard Gibson Will Sayer Orford DNF DNF 26 15 29 19 23 29 34 31 28 200 34 GBR-4595 Joost Steltonpool Jetski Roodvolts Royal Corinthian 31 25 50 25 24 27 27 39 22 28 26 204 35 GBR-4468 Jerry Collyer Liz Collyer Datchet DNF DNF 46 21 32 28 25 16 14 41 37 214 36 GBR-4052 Nick Alp Jo Morrison Oxford DNF 33 33 33 16 25 30 24 26 37 DNF 220 37 ITA-4474 Marcello Mignone Gianluca Ghiringhelli UVM DNF DNF 38 41 26 24 DNF 34 45 29 30 267 38 ITA-4384 Paolo Rampulla Francesco Filippi LNI-Milano 25 30 40 DNF 30 DNF DNF 40 49 38 20 272 39 GBR-4517 Chris Stevens Andy Kaiser Lancing 26 20 37 31 DNF DNF DNF DNF 38 36 31 276 40 GBR-4543 Will Gatehouse Rachel Frands Royal Lymington DNF DNF 44 32 31 29 42 44 37 34 34 283 41 GBR-4184 S Davies A Parry Shoreham DNF DNF 48 39 28 42 35 31 43 46 29 293 42 GBR-4313 Ed Parsons Simon Gerdrarb Hayling Island DNF DNF 42 30 36 DNF DNF DNF 32 30 18 302 43 GBR-4532 Diederik Boulters Chris Perry Stokes Bay DNF 28 43 43 DNF 35 39 36 39 45 41 304 44 ITA-4434 Laura Strommer Michele Gandolfi YC Domaso 29 DNF 47 42 DNF 30 36 47 42 39 39 304 45 ITA-4112 Silvio Benedetti Francesco Podini YCD DNF DNF OCS DNF DNF 43 28 22 44 14 DSQ 322

46 GBR-4593 Andrew Hyman V Ridler Datchet DNF DNF 39 DNF DNF 31 44 30 33 DNF 33 324 47 ITA-4538 Anna Ferrari Luca Barbarito YC Domaso DNF DNF 51 35 DNF 36 37 42 46 42 43 332 48 GBR-4342 Simon Thomas Lucy Estcourt Oxford DNF DNF 35 DNF DNF 32 40 46 48 48 40 346 49 ITA-4439 Gianluca Roncoroni Emanuele Ghielmetti AVC DNF DNF DNF DNF 33 40 43 38 52 DSQ 38 358

50 GBR-4308 Sarah Kemp William Knight Grafham 27 DNF 34 DNF DNF 37 34 DNF DNF DNF DNF 360 51 GBR-4413 Peter Kirkby Chris Clarke Datchet DNF DNF 45 34 DNF DNF DNF DNF 47 35 42 374 52 GBR-4416 Carl Sullivan Matthew Greenwood Stokes Bay DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF 41 45 41 51 47 36 375 53 GBR-4452 Bruce Kemp Mark Smith Grafham DNF 32 49 DNF 37 DNF 46 45 DNF DNF DNF 380 54 ITA-4385 Fabio Cattaneo Roberto Beltrame CV Como DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF 44 33 37 50 DNF DNF 392 55 GBR-4080 John Archer Nicholas Burt Dambusters DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF 33 32 DNF DNF DNF DNF 407 56 GBR-4405 Mike Brown Jeremy Taylor Southwold DNF DNF 36 DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF 435

Editor’s “I don’t want to get bol*?*ked” disclaimer : the above results were taken from the Fraglia Vela been re-entered, so should not be viewed as official, and may contain inputting errors (cos it was very very Riva club website, and are believed to be correct at the time of publication. However, these results have - 6 - late when I did it!!!). In the case of any query, please refer to the official results.

Roll of Honour

Big fat bravery awards to all the following for going out sailing when they really didn’t need to :

Õ V - broken toe, twisted knee, and bruises that needed antibiotics on her return to the UK Charlotte - went out in Force 6 winds Sandy & Andrew showing off their tans Õ © Ocean Images/Laser while 5 months pregnant, with a harness that cut her in two! Õ 5k Pippa - damaged foot Joost & Jetski and some Õ all those inexperienced in 4ks or shopping sailing at all who went out every day in pic : Ed Parsons very challenging conditions Õ and me - broken fingernail

With very different conditions at the 2 EuroCup events so far, few people have achieved consistent results at the front of the fleet. Quiberon Garda Total Points

1= Alan & Rob 3 5 8

1= Luke & Emma 4 4 8

3= Mark & Ian 1 8 9

3= Pete & Lisa 6 3 9 Above - what the tourist board 5= Mark & Sam 7 11 18 would like us to think launching 5= Pete & Simon 17 1 18 was like. 18 2 Left - what it was 7 Doug & Hilary 19 really like. 8 Ralf & Isaline 2 21 23 pic : Ed Parsons 9 Derek & Carole 9 18 27

10 Sandy & Andrew 24 7 31

- 7 - NB : The above results are not official, and include no discard. Derek, Phil and I get down Bit more glam than the bar at Datchet, I guess! to the (very!) serious pic : Ed Parsons business of socialising pic : Tony Kilby

How sensible was this ?

70% of the 4000 and 5000 fleet travelling home on the Sunday night in a small plane in a big A word from our sponsors - not sure why thunderstorm ?? Sounds a good Derek is sniffing my shoulder, but we way to wipe out Laser’s profits!! reckon we hit that wave badly, and that’s why I’m adopting the famous bandy leg/ sway body pose!! (I’m sure there couldn’t be any other explanation .. could there ?!) © Ocean Images/Laser

NEXT-UP : The Nationals!!

Don’t miss out on the last leg of this year’s EuroCup - your chance to improve on your results to date (or just to get pissed for another week in a different location!).

See www.mayflowersc.org.uk (the “What’s New” tab) for entry form.

Accommodation : try Tourist Info on 01752 - 266030 / 304849 or e-mail on [email protected] OR university accom - contact Caroline Hodson on 01752 - 232061 ([email protected]); website www. plymouth.ac.uk/holidays

Thanks a lot to everyone who helped with pics, words, techie stuff and entertainment. Editor : Carole Lovesey e-mail : [email protected] tel : (home) 020 7228 7118 (mob) 07973 205755

- 8 - The Laser 4000 Class Association offers many benefits to members ... as well as producing the 4000 website and 4Play Lite that you’ve already seen, we publish 4Play magazine (including Top Tips, great pictures and event info/calendar - available to members only), organise the National and European racing circuit (and the socials!), provide club-level support and training, liaise with Laser on Class issues, organise the annual Laser Asymmetric Ball, police the Class rules, send out e-mail updates and basically do anything else that needs doing to support and grow the Class!!

Support the Class ...... enjoy the benefits ...... join the Association now!!

Simply fill in the form below, and send it with a cheque to : Laser 4000 UK Class Association Membership 61 Andes Close, Ocean Village, Southampton, SO14 3HS

Membership Types: Full: To be a full member, you must be an owner, a joint owner, or a nominated representative of an organisation who owns a Laser 4000. Only one full member is allowed per boat and only a full member can vote at a meeting of the Class Association members. Associate: If not a full member, a person has to be an Associate member in order to compete in events organised by the Laser 4000 Association (unless one member of the boat is a flexible member). Flexible: This is for members that are intending to race with several different crews during the season. With this membership, the different crews don't have to be a member of the association to compete in events.

Name: ...... Please tick for the chosen Address: ...... membership type ...... Full (£20) ...... Post Code: ...... Flexible (£30) Home Tel: ...... Work Tel: ...... Associate (£10) E-Mail: ...... Membership runs Jan-Dec. Sail Number: ...... Sailing Club: ...... After October, 1 year’s fee

gives membership to end of following year

Please ensure that you enclose a cheque (payable to UK District Laser 4000 Class Association)

Any queries - please contact our Membership Secretary : [email protected]

- 9 -