The huge program of National, Regional and World Championships except for the postponed Laser Masters World Championships has now been completed.

What a fabulous job the Victorian Laser Association, its event organising committee and Sandringham Yacht Club and Royal Geelong Yacht Club did in staging these events.

The best way to track what happened at these events is via the Laser2020 mobile app which can be downloaded free from the App Store and Play Store at App Store HERE Play Store HERE. The event web site  Summer of 2020 is HERE.

There are summaries of the event outcomes and links to full results and photos from the events on the Australian Laser web site posts as linked below.

• Australian & Oceania Laser Masters Championships – Geelong
• Women’s and Men’s Laser Radial World Championships – Sandringham
• Men’s Laser Standard World Championship – Sandringham 
• Australian Open Laser Championship – Sandringham 

Based on safety and public health factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ILCA World Council and local event host have decided NOT to proceed with the 2020 ILCA Laser Masters World Championships as scheduled on 21-28 March 2020 in Geelong Australia.

The smaller entry preceding Oceania & Australian Laser Masters event is proceeding.

The ILCA notice on this decision follows.

We understand that some sailors may already be on site, other are en route and some have imminent departures. Given the extreme rapidity of developments and the uncertainty surrounding travel and participation in this event, the decision to take this extraordinary step was decided to be the most prudent course of action under the circumstances.

The Australian government has now issued advise against non-essential, organized public gatherings of more than 500 people as a precaution to reduce community spread of the virus. With the number of competitors, spouses, event personnel, and visitors expected, ILCA has chosen to heed this government health advisory.

Whether the event will be rescheduled to a later date or cancelled will be determined in the near future. Refund arrangements will also be addressed and communicated with entrants as soon as practical.

As well ILCA has reported on the status of the remaining three 2020 World Championships HERE.

• 2020 Under-21 Worlds July in Malcesine, Italy
• 2020 4.7 Youth Worlds August in Arco, Italy
• 2020 Radial Youth Worlds August in Dziwnów, Poland

Presently these events are under review as the COVID-19 situation in Europe (and elsewhere) is very uncertain. Sailors interested should monitor the ILCA web site for updates.

Tracy Usher President of the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) World Council has issued his outlook for the class copied below. In part of this statement Tracy is responding to a recent move by a group of disgruntled Europeans (and an one Argentinian) sponsored by the ex UK based Laser builder Laser Performance Europe (LPE).

LPE is about to be replaced or joined by three new European builders under the requirement by World Sailing that the ILCA open up the supply of Laser equipment. If you want more of the disgruntled group’s views courtesy of a web site set up and run by LPE then click HERE.

Tracy Usher ILCA President and keen Laser Masters sailor – His outlook is below

Throughout its 50 year existence, the International Laser Class Association has endured many challenges – whether it was the bankruptcy of the founding builder and the business failures of a number of other builders over the decades or the outside attempt to start a separate association with the “Torch” trying to supplant the existing class. And yet the Laser Class has worked to meet these and other challenges and continued to grow to become today the largest adult and youth sailing organization in the world and, significantly, the single-handed Olympic dinghy for both men and women.

While many international class associations organize a single annual world championship, ILCA successfully organizes seven annual world championships with charter support across our three rig variants and various age groups including Radial Women, Radial Men, Standard Men, 4.7 Youth, Radial Youth, Under-21 in both Standard and Radial rigs and the Masters. In addition, there are highly successful regional and district and local championships in many of the rigs and age groups. This is only possible because of the broad support of grassroots of the class — from passionate sailors and hundreds of dedicated volunteers all over the world.

This past year has seen another set of extraordinary challenges for the class: undergoing equipment trials to emerge as selected equipment for the next Olympic cycle and reorganizing builder relations in order to comply with the World Sailing Olympic Equipment Policy necessitated by European Union antitrust law. With the same determination shown by our members competing on the water, the association is on the verge of meeting these challenges to ensure the long-term success of the class.

The process to comply with World Sailing’s Olympic Equipment Policy has presented several significant challenges which have taken a substantial amount of time and effort to address. The fact is that nearly 50 years of activity has resulted in a complex web of contractual relationships, including some for which ILCA is not a party but which directly impact ILCA operations. The good news is that this process is finally nearing completion and new builders will be receiving molds and starting production in the near future.

During this transition, there has been understandable concern over supply, particularly in Europe – the largest region for the class – which had not previously seen many of the supply problems that had been plaguing other regions of the world for many years. While we would all like for this process to happen instantaneously, everyone is working hard to make sure it is done properly. And this takes time.

Additionally, we also appreciate the legacy of the familiar starburst logo on our sails, particularly for long-time class members, some of whom have been sailing the boat since the 1970s. All of us would ideally like to maintain the original logo but, unfortunately, ILCA does not have control over the Laser trademark on boats and sails and cannot unilaterally authorize the use of the starburst on the sails.

It is unfortunate that the company who does control this trademark in certain parts of the world has yet to accept the offer to be an approved builder and build boats in compliance with the ILCA Class Rules. Instead it seems that, with the support of some individuals in Europe who appear unwilling to wait for new approved builders to get up to speed, they are attempting to start a rival organization with the express intent to undermine ILCA and its sailors. It is difficult to see how this benefits sailors or sailing.

Regardless of the insignia on the sails, we remain the World Sailing recognized International Laser Class Association and will continue to conduct Laser Class events around the world as we have for the past 50 years.

As we have worked to overcome past challenges, the association is working to meet the current ones. We remain focused on getting additional builders on line in the very near future, including three highly respected builders in Europe. We anticipate that additional builders will enable improvement in supply conditions world wide and that the competition will ensure that the sport remains affordable.

The ILCA actively and fully supports the EurILCA Executive in working to ensure stability in Europe as we work to meet our common goals and address concerns of our membership.

Stay tuned for additional announcements in the coming days.

ALCA and partners OLCA, ILCA have pleasure in announcing the Lasers 4 Africa Appeal.

The appeal aims to collect 20 Lasers donated from clubs or members. Complete boats are preferred however we will be able to add missing parts. We are also accepting sails, spars and foils which are surplus to needs and which can be used with boats donated but incomplete.

These Lasers are the ones sitting in clubs that are no longer used that would be appreciated by young sailors in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. The boats will be shipped to these locations for training and for African events.

The boats and equipment will be shipped from our other co-sponsor PSA’s premesis on the Central Coast of NSW.

It is hoped that these Lasers will be shipped to Africa by June/July 2020.

If you have or know of a Laser in need of a new home under this program please contact Ken Hurling on 0417644086 or kenhurling@hotmail.com

The SPLM is on again this year at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron 9-13 July 2020.

This is always a great event with top organisation at a fabulous club.

You can get accommodation a stones throw from the rigging area and the club restaurant and bar.

The flyer for SPLM 2020 is HERE.

Entry is $200. This includes the Laser Forum on Thursday evening and the event dinner on Saturday night.

You can get information and enter HERE.

There is now a cap of 180 places on the Oceania and Laser National Masters event at Geelong 13-18th March.

There are around 15 places left so if you want to compete in this great lead-up event to the Laser Worlds at the same venue it is time to act.

The site for the event is HERE. The Notice of Race is Here.

You can enter online HERE.

Late entries are still open for the Laser Worlds. There are nearly 300 entries for this event including 166 Australians.

You can apply for Entry for the World Masters HERE.

NoR, SI’s and other documents for the World Masters are on the ILCA web site HERE.