Sunday's RC Laser Toti Regatta was well attended with a good fleet of some 20 odd boats making the trip south for the days sailing.
The long awaited cold front finally came through with a fresh westerly wind shortly before sailing was due to start at around 10:00 in the morning. The breeze came up fairly quickly and brought with it a large chop, in relation to an RC Laser that is, to the lagoon.
By the time the 1st race of the day started it was small sails all round. Large holes and big wind switches made life difficult for all and the sailing can best be described as frustrating although the frustration was in part made up for by some of the fantastic reaches with the small boats able to surf along on the chop if you got it right. Parking up in the hole at the leeward mark was not so much fun though with the boat bouncing around in the chop with absolutely no power in the sails. It never ceases to amaze me how when my boats is doing the standing still thing another will just sail merrily past from miles behind! And you wonder why I get frustrated!!
The wind was at times too strong with some gusts laying the fleet flat with mast just about in the water.
Once again the only sailor who performed with any consistency was Des Fairbank who mastered the tricky conditions well.
With the sailing over at around 13:00 the sailors adjourned to "Breezers", the deck of the "Oasis Restaurant", on the side of the lagoon. Nicely sheltered from the wind the sailors were able to enjoy cut price draught and later a fine looking braaied lunch. All in all it was another fantastic RC Laser production, good sailing, good people, good food and of course cheap beer. What more could you want? The top five places in the regatta were as follows:
