The Laser 5000 fleet descended on Felixstowe Ferry Sailing Club on the 12/13 June for the second leg of the 2004 UK Series. Building breeze on Saturday morning gave both competitors and the race committee something to think about, and made for an excellent days racing.

The first race began with the local team, Suffolk Sails, of Simon and David Scammell leading the way round the windward mark followed by Iain and Matt Lewis. Infocube sailed by Craig Johnson and Ben Lloyd stormed downwind to take the lead by the leeward mark only to be overtaken again during the kite drop. A squall bringing torrential rain and 20+ knot winds on the second lap presented some testing conditions, however the fleet coped well and after several more position changes the Scammell brothers on Suffolk Sails took the bullet with Dave Watson and Toby Linnell getting second.

The second race began with Watson and Linnell storming off followed by the Scammells on Suffolk Sails and the brothers Lewis. Constantly changing wind made the layline to the downwind gate difficult to pick as demonstrated by the Lewis brothers who capsized whilst trying to flog to the line. Infocube nearly became a cropper as well, but managed to hold and make it around the leeward mark in one piece. Watson and Linnell gave a storming performance to take the bullet followed by Mark Lawrence and Charles Morland who found the turbo button to get second.

The third race was uneventful until the final leg to the finish when Watson and Linnell missed the layline to the finish allowing the Scammells on Suffolk Sails to take the win with Infocube storming into second and Lawrence and Morland in third.

After much fun and frivolity on Saturday night, the fleet appeared bright and early on Sunday morning greeted by lighter 5 – 10 knot winds. These lighter conditions seemed to suit the Scammells on Suffolk Sails who eeked out a large lead to take the win followed by Watson and Linnell and Infocube and second and third respectively.

In the penultimate race the Lewis brothers appeared to have found the speed by rounding the windward mark ahead, but the lead was ephemeral and the Scammells on Suffolk Sails and Watson and Linnell had overtaken by the leeward mark. Lawrence and Morland found some spectacular pace to comfortably take the win followed by the Scammells on Suffolk Sails and Watson and Linnell.

The final race saw some close action at the leeward mark with the Scammells on Suffolk Sails narrowly in the lead. Infocube came in to take second from Lawrence and Morland but cut it a bit close to the Scammells on Suffolk Sails and conceded a penalty pushing them down to 5^th. Watson and Linnell took the wrong side of the last beat to drop to 5^th allowing Infocube to move up to 4^th. Mark Howell and Alistair McHardy were storming in third, but Infocube managed to overtake on the blast to the finish taking third and pushing Howell and McHardy into 4^th.

The friendly members of Felixstowe Ferry Sailing Club ran an excellent weekend, both on and off the water, and enjoyed by all. The fleet is now looking forward to the European championships in Lake Garda on 23^rd – 26^th June.

Final Results: 1^st: Simon and David Scammell, 2^nd: Dave Watson and Toby Linnell: 3^rd Craig Johnson and Ben Lloyd (Infocube.net): 4^th Mark Lawrence and Alistair Howell.