 2008 turned out to be a successful year for the laser fleet after some quiet years at Draycote water. Often seen as a “second” boat for many members we have seen something of a rejuvenation due to a mixture of old and new members’ enthusiasm for what is still a very physically demanding boat to sail and some good post sailing conversation over a beer or two in the bar! In the summer we saw a large fleet of over 10 boats regularly out on Wednesday nights. This resulted in some competitive racing throughout the fleet and meant enjoyment for everyone whatever the level of experience. This has led to some sailors improving considerably, particularly Darren Cheshire and Alan Bennett, who have thrived in the fleet and will be looking to improve further this year. The overall Wednesday results were close, with William Whittaker only just beating Greg Irish on count-back. With the increase in activity, this has led naturally to larger turnout for Sunday racing, in particular the 1st race which allows for some morning fun before the realities of busy family lives mean that we have to head home! A Sunday, late last year was put aside for all lasers to have a mini open during normal club racing, which was won closely by Chris Dickinson who sailed consistently well throughout the day and had obviously taken inspiration from Paul Goodison who won gold in the laser fleet in Beijing in the same manner. During the winter we have seen the fleet continue to turnout, if in small numbers, however with Wednesdays fast approaching and Spring in the air we have seen a return in numbers on Sunday mornings in recent weeks with sailors ready to hone their skills in what promises to be a very competitive and enjoyable 2009.  |