The third of the four Grand Slam events was pivotal to the success of current
series leaders SP Systems (Luke McEwen & Emma Evans).  At the first two events
early in the season, they scored a 1st and a 4th, while 4000 veteran and recent
5000 convert Pete Barton had a 1st under his belt, having missed the first
event.  Pete has teamed up with Quattro Cup champion Hilary Sutton in her boat
"Preferred IT" for the second half of the Grand Slam series and poses the most
serious threat to SP Systems' lead.

On the Saturday the 45 Laser 4000s were greeted with fog and no wind.  This
improved to glorious sunshine and no wind, and stayed that way for the rest of
the day.

Sunday looked to be a carbon copy of Saturday's weather, but with gales forecast
by the evening, race officers John and Andy held on in hope of some wind.  Their
patience, and that of the thirty boats that stayed to race, was rewarded when a
southerly force two filled in and the fog cleared.  They decided to fit in three
races back-to-back, with no discards, and organised it perfectly with only the
shortest of breaks between each race.

The first race was won after a four-lap battle by MGT (Ronnie Millar and Gillian
Hooton) who narrowly pipped SP Systems at the line.  Preferred IT were content
with 3rd place; in these shifty conditions, with no discards, it was going to be
important to sail three consistently good races.  Light-wind gurus Hugh Watson
and Helen Lloyd battled through to finish fourth after a disastrous start.
Newcomers to the fleet Sarah Griffiths and Neil Sims deserve special mention for
leading the race from the start for most of the first lap, their best
performance yet.  Great things are expected of them next season.

In Race 2 with the wind freshening to force 3 to 4, SP Systems led from start to
finish, with Richard Smith and Ian Turner taking second from Frijj (Jason Kirk
and Scott Dawson) and Peter Scott & Charlotte Ferriday.  Preferred IT fought
their way back to 13th place after a first-beat capsize left them trailing the
fleet.

The final race was a hotly contested battle between SP Systems, Preferred IT,
Frijj and Mutley (Sue McNamara & Andy Marshall).  After five laps of exciting
action both upwind and downwind, SP Systems held Preferred IT in second place
while Frijj and Mutley finished third and fourth.

Overall, SP Systems dominated with only four points, while Smith and Turner were
second on 17 points.  Only two points separated second and seventh positions,
with 'count-back' tie breaks settling the scores.  Preferred-IT came out ahead
of Frijj and Scott & Ferriday, all on 18 points, while MGT's first-race win put
them in 6th place ahead of Watson & Lloyd on 19 points.

In the final Grand Slam event at Weston SC on 30 October, Preferred need to win
to take the Grand Slam overall trophy.  If SP Systems come 2nd or better, they
win the series.

Laser 5000

Laser 5000 National Champions, Quattro Cup and Euro Cup winners Traxdata (Andy
and Dave Richards) fixed-it for the 5000s to join the 4000s at Draycote.  With
Andy as race officer, Dave Richards teamed up with 4000 Quattro Cup winning helm
Doug Baker, a newcomer to the 5000 circuit.

Baker and Richards sailed a good series to finish second behind Simon Spolton
and Ed Browne, who dominated the event by winning every race.  Meanwhile, the
white-haired Scammell brothers, up-and-coming stars of the 5000 fleet, missed
their opportunity to perform in Traxdata's absence by lacerating their heads on
the rigging in the first race.

Draycote Water Sailing Club deserve special thanks for laying on a superb event
despite Saturday's uncooperative weather.  The food was tasty, draught beer was a
pound a pint, and those who waited for the wind were rewarded with an excellent
day's sailing.