Masterful Metros
Kirk Marcolina
DBSC played host to the Laser Metropolitan Championships last weekend. Nearly 100 Lasers competed in 6 races, with a great contingent of DBSC sailors participating; many dressed in our new club racing kit.
No matter what your wind preference, mother nature didn’t disappoint. The races on Saturday saw a classic Sydney Harbour NE’er with a steady 20 knots with gusts up to 30 knots. The three 45-miunte races tested the strength of even the fittest sailors.
A wild and windy start to the Metros. Photo by Diana Valia Chen.
Day two saw a S to SE breeze with the first race run in Double Bay, with very little wind. The final two races were moved to Rose Bay which offered a stronger breeze. The conditions were still tricky, with sailors needing to be conscious of the big shifts.
A calm Sunday morning at the Metros. Photo by @Paquerette Wannebroucq www.paquerettewannebroucq.com
DBSC members did quite well in the Championships, including Xavier McLachlan placing 2nd in the 4.7s, and Brett Beyer taking 1st, and Luke Parker 3rd in the Standard Rigs. In the Radials, DBSCers filled the podium with Otto Henry, Daniel Costandi, and Jack Ferguson taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. You can check out all the results HERE.
Thanks to the many, many DBSC members who helped pull together a great weekend of racing, especially to Mark Crowhurst for organizing the event for us and coordinating with the NSW Laser Association, and to Emily Ball for two days of RIB driving and for jumping in the water unprompted and retrieving everyone's Dollys as they launched.
Of course, we also had the help of many non-members. We’d like to especially acknowledge Mike Forbes for his race management expertise, and Richard and Patsy Batchelor for their work on the finish boat. Thanks also to the NSW Laser Association for putting on the Metros, PRO Andrew McLachlan and all the competitors for a great regatta.
Check out the Top Mark Facebook page for more photos of the weekend.