The first of Laura Baldwin's sailing diaries. Laura, who is ranked 4th Brit in the ISAF World Ranking, will be sending 'Sailsolent' reports of her training in Palma, Mallorca and her subsequent progress around the European sailing events. Laura's Diary starts here....

"RYA/ Holt National Ranking Event

This weekend (9th&10th Nov) saw the RYA/Holt Olympic Classes National Ranking Event at Rutland Water. Classes competing here were; Europes, Finns, 470 men & women and the 2.4m.

Fifteen Europes raced in 2-8knot breeze. The race officers did a great job getting the course right and races off on time.

I finished 4th in the first race which was ok. I put my nerves away and won the second race! My first ever race win at a National Ranking event.

After day one I was 3rd with ; 4th, 1st, 7th. Behind Chris Gill in 2nd and Debbie Winstanley in 1st. Debbie is the only British Europe sailor on the World Class Performance Team.

We had our Class Association AGM on Saturday night where I was voted to stay in the position of Magazine Editor for 2003.

Day two showed similar conditions to Saturday. I opened the day by winning the first race. I came 3rd in the second race and disappointingly after leading the fleet for 45mins lost first place on the last leg when I got stuck in an area of no pressure as the wind died, I finished the race 4th.

My results put me in 2nd place, my best National Ranking result before now was a 4th last year at Weymouth. Ben Ainslie finished 2nd to Andrew Simpson in the Finn Fleet.

Holt are sponsoring the event and award the top non-lottery funded sailor in each fleet with a goody bag and on the cut off dates the top two get grants towards competing in international events. I was the only sailor who won this prize to have featured in the top 3 prizes too.

The girls were really nice and congratulated me. I drove home very happy!"

Overall Results;

1. Debbie Winstanley

2. Laura Baldwin

3. Chriss Gill

4. Bryony Percy

5. Kirsty Bonar

6. Liz Mc Donald

7. Ian Stowe

8. Andrea Brewster

9. Nicola Muller

10. Sarah Webb

11. Natalie Lloyd

12. Chris Hughes

13. Helen Mc Hale

14. Alan Bird

15. Robert Laurir