20th December 2008

Ken Atkinson (Hamilton) won the Laser class with four first placing from Arthur Giffney (Ngaroto) and Ross Wrenn (Ngaroto) in a fleet of six Lasers. Arthur held first place in all but the last few minutes of race one, Ken picking the best of the northerly wind as the front arrived. There was nothing much between Ken and Arthur in the second and third races, but in the final race Ken managed to finish the first beat well, catch a great breeze in the following reach and then on the first down wind leg too. The gap never closed but a tight race developed for the second (Arthur), third (Ross) and forth placings (Duncan White), just a few seconds between them at the finish line.
The patrol boats were kept busy making rescues when the wind generally strengthened and flicked to the northwest occasionally after the lunch break. The shallowness of the water increased the frequency of the mastheads finding the lakebed, the mud and weed when yachts were capsized.
Fleets included Optimist, Open (NS 14, P Class and Frostply), Starling, Zephyr, Laser and 3.7 Class.