European Laser Masters Championship 2008
Sat 6th September 2008 - Sat 13th September 2008
FRANCE, Saint Florent-Corsica
Unpredictable weather in Corsica
The European Laser Masters Championship was held in Saint Florent, North Corsica. The host club was CESM Saint Florent.
The 2008 edition of the European Laser Masters Championship saw a record number of pre registrations (Up to 220) and even with a few last minute cancellations, there were a record-breaking number of entries: 165 sailors from 17 countries. Sailors were divided in two Fleets (Standard and Radial rigs) and 4 age categories (Apprentices 35/45 Masters 45/55 Grand Masters 55/65 and Great Grand Masters 66 and over) plus a women's event
With the well known Laser sailors taste for competitive, close racing and after sailing socialization, the logistics for a competition involving 165 sailors and four social events in a week, well the challenge was formidable for a beachfront sailing school but still it was done well.
The host club, CESM, organised the logistics of 10 rescue and scuba diving powerboats, a facility including food and accommodation for 100 people, right on the Roya beach at St Florent. Also, a big boat shed and an adjacent beachfront pine grove big enough to make a boatpark for 200 Lasers, but still it took lots of dedication from CESM volunteers, big help from nearby clubs and local authorities and lots of hard work under the blazing sun to make the event a successful one.
And successful it was although the weather did play some tricks on the sailors and organizing team:
The first week of September had been the perfect St Florent summer weather, with thermic breeze starting at 9.30 or 10 AM, reaching a 10 to 12 knots at 14 H and decreasing steadily to die at 18H30, as regular as clockwork.
This kind of weather encouraged a good number of Laser sailors to arrive a week in advance, officially for training, but to visit Corsica, the most beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea.
For the races it was a different story, as the second week of September marked the weather change from "full summer mode" to "beginning of fall mode", seeing occasional easterlies or strikes of Libeccio, a local south westerly wind, which is in fact a local name for a variant of the Mistral (normally a northern cold wind blowing through the Rhone valley and over Marseilles, but turning into a westerly or even south westerly wind, when it reaches the atmospheric low prevailing on the gulf of Genova).
After the registration and measurement process on Saturday and Sunday morning, it was time for the practice race sailed in a medium strong Libeccio with a cloudy sky gradually clearing.
The sailors could plane, hike, even capsize, but with the wind boxing the compass in big 60 degree plus shifts, it was impossible to set a proper trapeze course.
On Monday morning, what was left of the Libeccio had veered north, and joined forces with the thermic breeze, giving a good 10 to 15 kts wind combined with a choppy sea.
Two races were held, Ex Olympic campaigner Xavier Leclair FRA scored two bullets in the Apprentice standard fleet, Steve Cockerill GBR did the same in the masters group and ex Finn Gold Cup Winner Wofgang Gerz GER won the grand masters group.
Among the Radial Fleets Two bullets for Alessio Marinelli ITA (apprentices) as well as for Jacky Nebrel FRA in the Great Grand Masters category. Beatrix Fontius NED took the lead in the women's radial event.
Tuesday it was back to thermic conditions with flat sea, but the wind was rather light (no more than 8kts) and some new faces were seen at the forefront such as Lesley Hotchin GBR Women and Henk Wittenberg NED (Radial GM) Mario Orlich from Cagliari in Sardinia (Std GM) with a string of good scores.
Wednesday and Thursday saw splendid Mediterranean weather, perfect for sunbathing with warm water but NO WIND, quite a frustrating situation as only 3O km away a 20 Kt East to Southeast wind was blowing on the eastern shore of Cap Corse.
Friday seemed to start with the same light winds as the previous days providing a nail biting situation for the organizers, but somehow the thermic northerly prevailed and steadily picked up allowing 3 races to be run in a succession of 12 starts.
At the start of race 6 the thunder roars and distant flashes became more frequent and finally, when everybody was ashore and enjoying the Corsican food tasting, the deluge started for good, with the electricity mains being cut for more than two hours which didn't help those in charge of the computers and results but nobody seemed to care as there were ample supplies at the club to keep the sailors happy.
Ian Jones GBR scored three bullets in he apprentice radial group but failed to dislodge Alessio Marinelli ITA from the first place overall.
Beatrix Fontius, NED, even with a BFD in race 5 consolidated her overall first position in the women's group.
Peter Dietmuller GER scored a good string of races 2, 2, 1, and took the lead over Nebrel in the GGM Radial group despite his 1st place in the 6th race.
Wilmar Gronendijik NED, Xavier Leclair FRA, Wofgang Gerz GER, consolidated their overall first by scoring consistent results and Steve Cockerill GBR scored an impressive string of three more bullets.
Saturday morning a gale warning forecasted 25/30 kts plus Mistral / Libeccio and the chief race officer decided to cancel racing for the day.
Before the official prize giving ceremony took place there was an unofficial one as some sailors had scheduled early car ferries.
The official ceremony at 17H00 was well attended, and the winners received an ILCA cube PLUS a CESM trophy (a locally handcrafted model Laser, created by a local shipwright and wooden toys maker, Augustin Cantarelli.
Then it was time for drinks and goodbyes, but not for a good number of laser sailors who left their boats and road trailers at CESM and started a sightseeing tour of Corsica.