The two spring Laser 4.7 qualifiers for the British Summer Squad in May offered an extreme variety of conditions. Over two weekends in Rutland and Datchet, the top approximately 50 Laser 4.7 sailors in the country with Sam Van de Velde and Nick Parkes flying the Guernsey flag faced anything from 25 knots and temperatures close to zero to tropical heat and no sight of wind.

At the first event, the Eric Twiname Championships at Rutland waters, six races were completed in very rough conditions with freezing winds steadily above 20 knots. Sam and Nick sailed consistently and with finishes in the twenties and thirties throughout, Sam finished 32nd overall with Nick closely behind in 35th.

“It was our first big event in the class and we both aimed to finish in the top half of the fleet”, says Sam who has taken the step into the Laser from the Optimist this season. “We know we could have done slightly better but at this stage it was very much about getting into the mode of racing the Laser 4.7, it is a completely different pace than the Optimist, and so much more demanding physically when the wind picks up.”

Overall Henry Witherell took the championship crown followed by Andrew Bridgman in second and Robert Dyer in third.

At the second event in Datchet, Sam immediately put down a marker. Taking command of the first race on the Saturday, he led the fleet up the first beat and down the run. In the dropping wind, he missed a shift on the second beat but still managed a respectful fifth place finish. He followed up with two top twenty finishes to sit 11th overall overnight with Nick who found the light and shifty conditions less to his liking in 34th.

Unfortunately, the Sunday did not offer enough wind to even start a race and the sailors were left sunbathing throughout the day. With the 11th overall Sam ended up just outside the Summer Squad places in the two event qualifying series with Nick following just behind. Georgina Povell took first place overall with Dyfan Williams in second and Robert Dyer once again in third.

At the spring qualifiers, Sam and Nick have formed a two-strong Guernsey team but they will soon be joined by a number of others. Johanna Asplund will move into the Laser 4.7 after the Optimist European Championships in Poland in early July and RS Feva sailors David Sidebottom and Abigail Tanguy are both looking to focus on the Laser 4.7 after the Allen RS Feva World Championships in Brittany in late July.

Next up for the Laser junior sailors are racing on home waters, first the Atlas Recruitment Trophy race and then the PKF Regatta over the last weekend in June. Later in the season there will be more qualifiers at various venues across the country and also the National Championships in Mounts Bay.

“Nationals will be good fun and a great experience, it is obviously necessary to put in the hours on home waters but to develop we need big fleet racing in tough competition", says Sam. “And by then both Nick and I may have taken the step up from the Laser 4.7 to the Radial. The slightly larger sail clearly makes the boat more demanding but also better to sail.” 

Photos: Sam (top) and Nick training on home waters outside Castle Cornet.