The Royal Canadian Yacht Club (RCYC) Open this past weekend could have been called the Laser North American Championship Preview; this regatta had most of the contenders for that title racing, which will be given out at the Buffalo Canoe Club (BCC) in a few weeks. The field included Olympian, North American, National, Youth World and College champions. The competition was fierce in the light conditions.
Day one was overcast with a sea breeze competing against a northerly wind, making the racing shifty and frustrating for the majority of the fleet. Chris Dold pulled out to an early lead, which he never gave up. I finished second after passing boats on the second lap with other contenders close behind.
The second race featured sunnier conditions but similarly light as the wind occasionally dropped to almost nothing. Veteran Bernard Luttmer outfoxed everyone to cross the line first. I again finished second and Chris Dold finished a very consistent third to lead after day one.
Day two was sunny and warm and looked promising when we got to the racing area. A light five knots from SSW looked to be the makings of a nice gentle sea breeze. I started near the boat end and headed to the left side where I expected more pressure. Everything went as planned for me and I lead at the top mark and extended to a comfortable lead by the finish.
At this point, it looked like we would have nice racing for the rest of the day, but it wasn't to be. The wind died out and the final race was sailed in very light conditions. I found myself behind at the first mark having been unable to get to the little extra pressure on the left side and was faced with the long process of playing catch-up. On the reach to the finish the wind died to almost nothing and the fleet compressed. The confusion inspired a number of protests. After the dust settled both Chris and I found ourselves disqualified and Bernard sailed away with the regatta win. Congratulations to him. In spite of his time out of the boat, he proved he is still able to race at the highest level.
Thanks must go to the Royal Canadian Yacht Club for promoting this event and including such a massive dinghy contingent in this year's Open. It was fantastic to be at a regatta with so many sailors in different classes competing together. I look forward to seeing many of the same sailors racing in 10 days time at the BCC.
David Wright is a member of Canada's National Sailing Team and is the current North American Laser Champion. His home club is the Royal Canadian Yacht Club in Toronto, Ontario.
