Issue date
A fleet of 37 Lasers participated in the 41st edition of the RSA Laser Regatta at Panmure Lagoon Sailing Club recently with sailors coming from as far away as Port Ohope, Onerahi, Hamilton and the four corners of Auckland to compete in this annual event.
Former Laser national champion and 1987 and 1989 RSA winner Rohan Lord (Pupuke Boating Club) turned back the clock to win this year's event, leading the field in four of the races in the Laser standard.
Luuk Van Basten Batenburg, also from Pupuke and another former RSA winner in 2003, 2010 and 2011 won the fifth race to take second overall. Mike Keaton made it a Pupuke clean sweep when he was third overall.
Panmure Lagoon Sailing Club's Kevin Welsh won his fourth title in the Laser Radial, finishing ahead of Samantha Stock from Murrays Bay Sailing Club. Stock is a member of the 2018 NZL Sailing Foundation youth team who will compete at this year's youth sailing world championships and was first woman and first junior.
Taylor Farrell (PLSC) was second woman and Helen Spencer from Hamilton Yacht Club was third woman and first master woman.
Jim Quinn (Point Chevalier Sailing Club), who is a former Laser Radial great grand masters world champion (75+) was third in the Laser Radial, an amazing achievement showing that skills not age matter.
The weather came to the party allowing for some great racing conditions on the Panmure Basin with winds ranging between 10 to 17 knots. Shifty gusts caught many, even the top sailors, by surprise and a spectacle of acrobatic capsizes could be enjoyed by the public.
The day closed with a BBQ of steak and sausages kindly donated by Manfreight followed by prizegiving. Thanks to the sponsors who supplied prizes, the army of helpers who kept the whole day running like clockwork and special thanks to Garth Briden and Jock Bilger for setting up a great arena for the regatta.
