Laser: let the grass grow

photo: ken elsey

When I first looked at the forecast for Sunday, I nearly stayed home to cut the grass. The 4 to 6 knots promised could make for some extended sunbathing out on the water, but a Laser out on the lake in that wouldn't be much use for anything other than a sunbathing platform.

I headed down the lake anyway. The grass will still be there tomorrow, still needing to be cut.

I'm glad I did.

photo: ken elsey

There was more wind than forecast, northeasterly, so shifty as a northeasterly always is, but the shifts were much more predictable than usual, and the pressure more reliable. It made for some enthusiastic hiking up the beats, and with a well laid course, lucky timing with the gusts down the reach saw the Laser planing across the width of the lake.

And it was a very well laid course. Two good beats, a run and a fine reach, the best Frampton really has to offer. Both races were a general handicap, so a single start, all boats racing together. Amongst the fleet of around a dozen, there were four Lasers in the first race, three in the second. The Laser is one of the faster boats at Frampton, and leaving the rest of the fleet behind, both races reduced to very close boat on boat racing between myself and Rhonwen's Laser; on both occasions I held the lead for the greater part of the race, only to lose it mid way, and then win it back again by the skin of my teeth.

photo: ken elsey

For the second race, the start line was exceptionally port biased, but nobody else seemed to notice so I actually managed to pull off a port flyer with indecently and, admittedly, uncharacteristically good timing which, on the first beat, saw me reach the windward mark half a leg ahead of everybody else. It almost felt like cheating.

The shifts meant there was as much to be lost as there was to be won however, and I, back in character once again, squandered the good fortune of my excellent start across the next lap, and soon had Rhonwen's Laser back snapping at my heels.

photo: ken elsey

I don't know the final results. I finished first on the water in both cases, but being a general handicap, if any of the slower boats sailed well, they could easily beat me after the times get adjusted. The results are normally posted on the web, but there seems to have been a glitch  this time around, so I'll just have to wait until Wednesday to find out where I came in the end.

Doesn't really matter. It was brilliant fun. So glad I let the grass carry on growing.