World Laser Masters Championship 2007
Sat 29th September 2007 - Sat 6th October 2007
SPAIN, Roses
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Day 7, October 6th, 2007
Final Day of racing in the World Laser Masters Championship.
The closing day of the World Laser Masters Championship began with nice weather. The weather forecast predicted a northerly wind of about 10 knots which would be stabilized about 14:00 but the day began with a southerly wind between 4-6 knots. The Race Committe went offshore just after 11:00 to check whether racing could commence.
The Race Committee managed to set the courses very quickly and racing began without too much delay. The sailing took place on two course areas and all of the sails on the water proved to be quite a sight. Unfortunately the wind was still shifting but most of the planned racing could be completed.
Day 6, October 5th, 2007.jpg)
Good weather allows a full days racing in Roses.
Rain and lightning in the early hours of the morning cleared and sailors went offshore at around 13.00 in cloudy conditions. In the Race Areas the wind was between 90º-150º and around 6-11 knots. There shifting winds unnerved the sailors and led to a few premature starts. Later in the day the sun came out and the sea was calm which allowed a full days racing, with the Race Committee trying to make up for the previous days bad weather. At 17:00 all the sailors were sent inshore due to the wind shifting in direction and intensity.
Day 5, October 4th, 2007
Shifting winds lead to a short day's racing.
The weather forecast predicted rain for the Catalan coast with mild wind from the east. The forecast was correct, except the rain!
The rest day yesterday was cloudy and with no wind so todays breeze was welcomed by the sailors. The winds shifted between 70º and 120º and were unstable at around 3-6 knots. The Race Committee monitored the shifting conditions and for some fleets only one of the ten planned races could take place.
The shifting wind direction gave a a tough days sailing and finally, at about 18:00, the Race Committee decided to send the fleets inshore after completing 50% of the planned programme.
Day 4, October 3rd, 2007
Rest day in Roses.
Wednesday was a quiet day in Roses. The competitors used the day to bring their boats back up to standard for the second half of the Championship.
Day 3, October 2nd, 2007
Lighter conditions for third day of the World Masters Championship.
The morning fog took some time to clear but the sun was fighting to break through the clouds and by 11:45 the 400 sailors went offshore in a 5-6 knot wind. The start was postponed by twenty minutes to allow the wind to stabilize. The waves were small with wind from the East at around 7-9 knots.
The fleets sailed in a quiet sea and were perfectly grouped. The races took place in succession without any problems. The participants began to arrive inshore at around 4 p.m. with the lighter weight sailors particularly enjoying the light conditions today.
Day 2, October 1st, 2007
Another day of good sailing conditions in Roses.
The Bay of Roses provided another day of good sailing conditions. At around 10am a wind of 10- 12 knots picked up and at 12:00 the red flag was flown and all sailors waited until the Race Committee gave them further instructions. A few minutes later, officials Mr. Xavier Rabadà and Mr.Lligè, confirmed that the wind was there and the fleet could go offshore.
Once again, the south-east wind was around 15 knots but some of the sailors were apprehensive leaving shore due to the gusts of 20 knots coming from the Lighthouse. The Race Committee used the black flag to control the start of the “blue” fleet resulting in a dozen sailors being disqualified.
Day 1, September 30th, 2007.jpg)
422 sailors get the World Laser Masters Championship off to a great start.
Beside a few clouds in the morning, the wind arrived on time for the first day of the World Laser Masters Championship. The participants were impatient to get started and racing commenced at 12 o’clock when the Race Committee announced that the wind had arrived on the Course areas. About 50 sailors could not wait for the signal and they were already on the course at the start. The 422 participants pointed their bows in the direction the Courses Areas and the World Laser Masters Championship commenced.
The wind was between 90º and 120º in direction and a gentle to moderate breeze between 12-15 knots. This allowed the sailors to follow the trapezoidal course which was designed to start this Championship in the best conditions.
Little by little, all the clouds disappeared and after the second race of the day, the sun came out. The races finished with 15-16 knots of stable wind and medium waves giving the sailors some great sailing.