(Dún Laoghaire, Ireland) Dublin Bay served up a robust opening day to the Laser Masters World Championships, sponsored by DLR and co-hosted by the Royal St. George Yacht Club and National Yacht Club. The 302 sailors from 25 countries enjoyed competing in the first two races of the seven-day event.
Defying winds gusting from 20 to 27 knots, Australia’s Brett Beyer in the Standard Master class, Britain’s Stephen Cockerill in the Radial Grand Master class, and Bill Symes in the Great Grand Masters, along with Peter Seidenberg in the Legends event – both of the United States – all scored two wins each.
Consistency was key to the leaderboard, and Monday’s second day is also expected to have similar or perhaps stronger conditions to test the eight divisions racing under Standard and Radial rigs.
Yet Beyer, Cockerill, and Symes hardly have runaway leads at such an early stage of the regatta and each has a hunting pack close behind.
The Standard Grand Master class has Australia’s David Whaite tied for second place with Canada’s Ray Davies and Britain’s Orlando Gledhill just a point behind them in their 60-strong class.
Similarly, in the Radial Grand Master Class, Sweden’s Gustaf Svensson is second overall with just two points separating him from fifth place.
For host nation interest, 1996 Olympian Mark Lyttle had a promising start to the Grand Master event finishing seventh overall for the day. In the Master series, Nick Walsh lies 12th overall while Pete Smyth was third in the Standard Apprentice division. Shirley Gilmore in the Radial Master was 23rd overall and fourth woman overall in her class.
Sunday’s opener came as a surprise for some competitors after two days of near calm and drizzle. The westerly wind produced a tricky day with frequent shifts in the gusts, which led to plenty of capsizes and one or two minor injuries. A rest day is planned for Wednesday when lighter breezes are currently forecast to arrive.
Top 3 Results
Standard Apprentice
1. Leandro Rosado – ESP – 2 pts
2. Gord Welsh – CAN – 5 pts
3. Pete Smyth – IRL – 8 pts
Standard Master
1. Brett Beyer – AUS – 2 pts
2. David Whait – AUS – 7 pts
3. Ray Davies – CAN – 7 pts
Standard Grand Master
1. Mark Brink – USA – 6 pts
2. Tomas Nordqvist – SWE – 7 pts
3. Carlos Martinez – ESP – 8 pts
Standard Great Grand Master
1. Alan Keen – RSA – 3 pts
2. Michael Hicks – GBR – 6 pts
3. Wolfgang Gerz – GER – 8 pts
Radial Apprentice
1. Ben Elvin – GBR – 2 pts
2. Thomas Chaix – IRL – 4 pts
3. Andrew Byrne – GBR – 7 pts
Radial Master
1. Scott Leith – NZL – 3 pts
2. Robert Hallawell – USA – 9 pts
3. Sébastien Baudier – FRA – 9 pts
Radial Grand Master
1. Stephen Cockerill – GBR – 2 pts
2. Gustaf Svensson – SWE – 7 pts
3. Terry Scutcher – GBR – 8 pts
Radial Great Grand Master
1. Bill Symes – USA – 2 pts
2. Lasse Wastesson – SWE – 5 pts
3. Jean-Luc Dreyer – SUI – 8 pts
Radial 75+
1. Peter Seidenberg – USA – 2 pts
2. Lindsay Hewitt – USA – 5 pts
3. Jay Winberg – USA – 9 pts
High-res photographs available for editorial rights-free event coverage: dave@oceansport.ie