Ainslie v Scheidt re-enacted

The Daily Sail speaks to new Laser 2 World champion Noel Butler

Friday saw Noel Butler and crewman Stephen Campion become the new Laser 2 World Champions after a tense five day, 13 race 70 boat event held on the MarkerWaard at Hoorn in Holland.

Competition included the much capped past World Champions Kevin Teboruk and Ryan Donahue from the States, along with two time European champions Nigel Skudder and Keith Hills and UK national champions Graeme Bristow and Bryan Mobbs and other top players such as Jon Chapman and Martin Joesbury.

Originally from Galway, Butler who now designs micro-chips in Dublin, says he only took up sailing when he bought a Laser 2 in 1996. "I taught myself how to sail, sailing with a couple of good crews and learned that way. I used to sail every day." Practise makes perfect and he has come from 67th in the Worlds when they were held in Cork in 1997 to winning the Irish Nationals three years on the trot and twice coming top five in the Europeans.

This is the third season that Butler has been sailing with Campion. He has also this year taken up Fireball sailing and is working with North UK on some sail development for the Fireball.

The Laser 2 Worlds turned out to be a very mixed bag weather-wise. The first day was light, so light that the first race was abandoned when the wind disappeared completely. The Thursday was full-on in 25 knots of breeze while on the last day it moderated to 15-20 knots.

"We were pretty consistent in all conditions," commented Butler. "Our goal was to keep all our results in the top 10. I think only finished outside the top 10 once, when we had a 24th as a result of a couple of turns off the start line. Other than that I think we were always in the top five."

The highlight of the event was the tight finish on the final day. Butler talked us through it:
"Going into the last day we were five points ahead, but we knew there was going to be another discard coming in so we worked that out to be two points up. After the first race the Americans had a second and we had a fourth, so we were equal going into the second race of the last day. And the Brits were also in there - Bristow and Mobbs and Scutter - they were about five or six points back, so we had to watch them as well.

"So we covered the Americans in the second race and got a good start and managed to win that race and they were second. The Brits had bad results and so they were out of the running.

"Going into the last race we were a point up and the Americans had to finish fourth or better and beat us to win. We had a fifth as a discard and they had an eighth, so our job was to take them down the fleet.

"We tried to match race them on the start line and went over the jury boat and asked them if they had the match racing call book with them! There was lots of verbal intimidation going on from the Americans. So we had a fair old match race. They defended very well. They sat on the start line, didn’t really move so there wasn’t much we could do to them and they managed to get a better start so we were struggling. They managed to get into fourth and we were in fifth, which was a winning position for them around the first lap. But we were nose to tail on their transom all the way round.

"Then at the first leeward mark they were just ahead of us, and for some reason they tacked to head out to the left and went under some kites coming downwind and we went to the right and avoided the kites and tacked back and we gained a two boat length advantage on them. Then we got to the left of them and we basically sat on their air and flapped our jib on them and used team racing and match racing tactics to sail them down the fleet.

"We sailed them 200m beyond the starboard tack layline and 8-10 boats went around the weather mark ahead of us. They then bore off to try and gybe round to get back to the weather mark. We bore off inside them, screaming at them not to gybe in our water, which they then did and then we gybed and protested them.

"Then we went around the weather mark and went downwind both on starboard. We gybed onto port and crossed ahead of them and then gybed back on to starboard and then luffed them, and we had a luffing match from an instantaneous overlap. So then we took them up really high and there was contact and we protested them again with a jury boat right behind us and then we bore off right downwind and they did too and as they bore off they chinese gybed and capsized. Then it was game over."

Quite a match... "It was absolutely spectacular I have to admit," says Butler. "I have a copy of the video from the Sydney Olympics - Ben Ainslie match racing Robert Scheidt in the last race - and that was almost exactly what we did once we’d got ahead of them. They were a bit shell shocked and protested us, even though it made no difference to the result. It was very close and it was very tense. Even talking about it now is making me tense!"

Butler sails out of the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club while his crew Stephen Campion sails from the Skerries Sailing Club. Their Laser 2 is 12 years old. Butler says that learning the finer points of sail trim and rig tune was what has made the difference between a year or so ago when they were finishing in the top four or five and now where they can squeeze a lot more speed out of the boat. "That really helped and I’ve spent the last three years every winter team racing. That experience of team racing and match racing was how we were able to take them out of it in the last race. Our knowledge of the rules was key to the whole thing. If I hadn’t know that, they would have wiped the floor with us."

More photos on the following pages

Results

Pos	Sail No	Owner	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	R12	R13	Tot
1	IRL8154	N. Butler	3	24	5	9	1	2	2	3	3	2	4	1	6	26
2	USA9856	K. Teborek	1	1	1	4	DNF71	11	1	7	8	3	2	2	DSQ71	30
3	GBR10588	N.Skudder	2	4	2	17	5	4	8	8	2	4	6	3	11	40
4	GBR10496	G. Bristow	10	14	24	2	6	14	3	1	1	1	1	18	3	42
5	GBR10592	M. Joesburry	BFD71	3	8	7	4	6	21	5	5	6	8	20	2	54
6	NED8976	R. Jansen	7	35	11	20	9	3	5	4	7	11	5	4	5	60
7	NED10503	J. Feitsma	13	9	4	3	15	13	6	2	12	20	OCS71	7	1	70
8	IRL9130	M. Spillane	BFD71	2	7	38	2	12	4	9	4	24	10	5	DNF71	79
9	IRL8597	J. Chambers	5	11	3	10	10	5	10	12	22	8	9	19	16	83
10	GBR10389	J. Chapman	4	8	10	5	22	1	23	15	10	19	16	16	4	89
11	IRL9958	M. Ennis	21	32	28	23	3	16	7	6	11	7	3	11	10	95
12	GER10591	C. Roll	8	13	6	BFD71	26	9	9	10	6	10	22	13	19	103
13	GBR10331	T. Palmer	15	17	13	15	14	7	12	18	9	5	11	15	18	116
14	GBR10607	K. Gerald	11	10	16	12	27	22	17	16	19	33	12	10	13	136
15	GBR10422	S. Lomas-Clarke	28	25	12	13	11	8	20	21	15	9	25	17	12	138
16	IRL8602	C. Byrne	23	5	14	6	16	20	26	45	30	16	18	51	8	152
17	GER7218	M. Koch	20	7	17	8	32	21	16	19	18	32	23	14	17	157
18	NED9277	J. Krijgsman	19	15	36	14	17	28	27	11	20	25	7	9	21	158
19	GER10610	CH.U.U. Scheer	9	20	20	22	23	15	18	17	27	21	13	8	23	163
20	NED9269	S. De jong	38	22	34	19	19	10	14	13	DNF71	14	17	34	15	177
21	NED10023	B. Goris	6	6	OCS71	21	12	NYF71	22	22	DNS71	DNS71	20	6	14	200
22	GER6458	K. Dieckmann	31	21	22	11	13	26	13	29	41	18	31	26	26	205
23	GER10512	R. Terheyden	27	33	35	27	29	23	34	23	17	15	21	22	22	226
24	IRL9753	R. Long	39	30	OCS71	1	20	38	DSQ71	32	24	23	19	12	30	229
25	GER9496	S. Uden	18	23	15	30	44	18	19	25	DNF71	DNF71	24	36	24	232
26	ITA9236	P. Bertelli	48	BFD71	23	BFD71	7	32	47	40	21	17	15	24	9	235
27	GBR10626	M. Clapp	34	36	50	37	39	31	36	20	13	12	32	25	7	246
28	NED10500	W. Poiesz	16	19	26	25	60	27	35	28	28	27	26	44	36	257
29	ITA8095	E. Sfameni	22	38	9	18	50	17	DNF71	30	32	DNF71	42	21	32	261
30	NED9414	E. Leeuw de	45	47	47	BFD71	40	33	15	14	34	26	14	28	29	278
31	ITA9728	V. D'arcangelis	30	37	21	33	8	30	28	37	37	DNF71	35	31	27	280
32	GBR10622	D. Annan	49	52	25	DNF71	35	46	33	24	14	29	27	27	20	280
33	GER5376	W. Greiser	12	27	32	36	25	50	24	36	29	DNF71	46	30	34	285
34	GBR8496	J. Baird	51	45	38	16	21	29	37	26	23	28	37	50	40	295
35	GBR10609	S. Skudder	14	46	33	31	24	45	30	38	25	35	41	38	35	303
36	NED10344	A. Fluitman	29	16	19	28	30	DSQ71	11	DNF71	DNS71	DNS71	33	23	46	306
37	NED8438	A. Lauteslager	17	42	49	41	38	39	31	35	DNS71	13	51	39	39	334
38	NED9226	J. Tromp	57	26	27	DNF71	31	47	29	33	33	38	49	37	37	338
39	IRL10006	I. McNamee	43	50	31	DNF71	18	51	48	34	38	30	28	RAF71	25	345
40	NED10416	R. Jansen	50	18	44	DNF71	36	24	39	27	36	31	44	54	50	349
41	ITA9418	D. Coppi	32	51	18	34	28	42	DNF71	DNF71	44	36	36	33	47	350
42	ITA9694	R. Cagliano	BFD71	40	29	DNF71	33	25	57	31	DNF71	39	39	41	28	362
43	GER9940	J. Lassmann	35	39	52	29	46	40	40	56	39	34	38	47	33	373
44	NED10401	J. Hendriks	26	DNF71	43	42	BFD71	35	53	42	16	40	47	46	48	385
45	GBR8423	I. Savell	47	29	58	DNF71	43	DNF71	NYF71	43	35	22	34	32	43	386
46	NED6465	B. Schrijver	36	48	60	DNF71	41	19	42	46	47	46	40	40	41	398
47	NED10400	J.J. Boom	46	DNF71	40	DNF71	34	53	46	39	DNF71	37	30	42	45	412
48	GER10003	M. Flatau	24	28	30	39	48	54	NYF71	DNF71	50	DNS71	54	55	31	413
49	IRL10355	S. Kennedy	40	DNF71	39	DNF71	47	43	44	57	42	49	29	29	54	416
50	IRL10386	J. Mc Carthy	52	53	37	DNF71	55	34	45	51	31	41	43	43	42	419
51	GBR8129	A. Kilby	37	12	41	26	37	36	25	DNF71	DNF71	DNS71	DNF71	DNS71	DNF71	427
52	NED10429	I. Volman	25	41	56	24	57	63	61	59	40	47	57	62	44	450
53	GER10002	M. Tellen	42	49	55	32	53	41	58	47	46	50	55	56	53	468
54	USA10166	A. Dorfman	33	DNF71	45	DNF71	54	57	32	41	52	DNS71	45	45	DNF71	475
55	IRL10346	S. Moore	54	44	53	35	42	60	49	54	48	DNS71	48	52	51	476
56	NED6857	S. Harkema	63	DNF71	51	DNF71	45	37	38	50	26	DNF71	56	57	57	480
57	NED10507	E. Kruizinga	55	DNF71	48	DNF71	51	48	41	44	45	42	60	60	56	490
58	ITA7143	M. Poli	60	31	61	DNF71	49	55	62	DNF71	49	DNF71	59	53	38	517
59	GBR10624	D. Forrester	59	DNF71	57	DNF71	58	44	50	48	51	45	63	49	59	520
60	GER7862	J. Horstmann	44	DNF71	42	40	59	52	59	53	DNS71	DNS71	62	64	61	536
61	IRL9296	P. Ruddy	BFD71	34	DNF71	DNF71	DNF71	49	60	52	DNF71	44	50	35	DNF71	537
62	NED10620	H. Lelivelt	BFD71	DNF71	65	DNF71	56	56	52	DNF71	DNF71	43	53	48	49	564
63	NED10511	B. Brouwers	53	DNF71	62	DNF71	62	65	DNF71	58	54	48	61	58	55	576
64	NED10616	D. Alma (snel)	56	DNF71	63	DNF71	DNF71	66	54	49	43	DNS71	64	59	52	577
65	NED8102	M. Rijlaarsdam	61	54	54	DNF71	52	61	51	DNF71	DNF71	DNS71	58	63	58	583
66	NED10396	M. Gerretsen	62	DNF71	66	DNF71	61	62	43	DNS71	DNS71	DNS71	52	61	60	609
67	GER9485	T. Bendig	58	43	46	DNF71	DNF71	58	56	DNF71	DNF71	DNS71	65	DNF71	DNF71	610
68	GER4961	M. Hoffmann	64	DNF71	59	DNF71	63	67	63	55	53	DNF71	DNF71	DNS71	DNF71	637
69	GER7394	A. Hoing	41	DNF71	64	DNF71	DNF71	64	NYF71	DNF71	DNF71	DNF71	DNF71	DNS71	DNF71	666
70	NED10069	M. Woort	65	DNF71	DNF71	DNF71	DNF71	59	55	DNF71	DNF71	DNS71	DNF71	DNS71	DNF71	676