ILCA NSW & ACT

Disco Trooper Big & Small

When too much sailing is never enough DBSC masters sailor Jules Hall and RPAYC and Avalon SC GM Jan Scholten are off at the end of the month (COVID permitting) to the Gold Coast via the Noakes Sydney to Gold Coast Race in the two handed division.

The two normally battle it out on the Laser Masters race track but for this event they will be sailing Jules’ J/99 Disco Trooper Contender Sailcloth.

There is more on the CYC site Here.

Due to the COVID-19 situation Queensland Laser Association has decided to replace the South Pacific Laser Masters Regatta with a weekend open (all ages) regatta on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th July. This is similar to the situation last year. All entries for SPLM will be refunded.

A NOR for the replacement two day five race event has been issued Here. You can enter Here. Entry is $50.

Entries will be refunded if COVID restrictions do not allow the regatta to go ahead.

There is an opportunity for coaching on Friday 9th July before the event. Details of the coaching are in the NoR as is the email for expression of interest.

QLA says “Please go ahead and enter the event if you can, we would love to see you there! Last year we ended up with around 60 entries in similar circumstances.”

The Laser 50th Anniversary Event was held on Sydney Harbour on Sunday 20th June. The fleet of over 110 boats enjoyed the 10 -18 knots of breeze to complete the course from Farm Cove in front of the Opera House to Watsons Bay.

A number of interstate sailors who planned to participate were deterred by the mini COVID outbreak some others by the early start and the cold and rain. Those who did brave the conditions had a great time on the water and enjoyed the festivities, BBQ and prize draw back at Double Bay Sailing Club afterwards.

Pictured above is part of the fleet led by 13 times Laser World Masters Champion Brett Beyer sailing the prize 50 Anniversary gold boat donated by PSA. NB Sailsports also donated three ILCA sails for the draw.

Photos below are of Frant Bucek sailing his 1974 vintage Laser. The boat Frant insists is quite sound despite its years. The same could be said of many of the masters sailors on the day. The other is Peter (Pedro) Stephinson  sailing with Michael Blackburn’s sail and a boat from the Sydney Olympics in 2000. These Olympics were sailed on much the same water as the 50th event. Photos are by Aero Media

There are lots of photos taken by Jon West which can be viewed and purchased from his web site Here.

Story carried by Sail World is Here. Jeff Loosemore’s video perspective is Here.

The Laser 50th Anniversary event is on this Sunday 20th June from Double Bay Sailing Club. If you had registered for the original date (30 May) you will have been contacted by DBSC. Please register if you had not done so before. Registration and detail information on the event are on the DBSC site Here.

The Sailing Instructions for the event are Here.

A BBQ will be held at DBSC after sailing and is free to all event participants and volunteers. Shared dollies will be available for visitors to use.

PSA and NB Sailsports have generously donated prizes for participation in the event. These will be awarded via a random prize draw after the Event at DBSC. Attendance at DBSC is encouraged, but is not required, to claim prizes.

PSA has donated a special edition gold ILCA hull to commemorate the Event, with hull number 218850. That donated boat will be offered as a hull-swap prize to the first name drawn at random. NB has donated three ILCA sails (the winner can choose 4.7, Radial, or Standard). Those donated sails will be offered one-each to the next three names drawn at random.

We are hoping to get 200 boats to make a great spectacle. DBSC have arranged to shoot video and drone footage with the bridge and Opera House as a backdrop. This record will be added to a collection of events being run around the world to commemorate this the 50th year of the Laser.

DBSC have done a fantastic job organising and publicising this event. Please come along and support them.

The 2022 Australian Laser Open & Youth Championship will be held at Fremantle Sailing Club WA between 1 to 8 January 2022.

The Notice of Race for the event is Here. You can enter from 1 July Here.

A limited number of charter boats are available for the event from NB Sailsports. If you need a charter get in an reserve yours on the NB Sailsports web site Here

There is more information about Australian Championship events and their venues on the Australian Laser Championships web site.

Entry links, documents, updates and results for the event will be on the Australian Laser app. Select 2022 Laser Masters Australian Champs in National & District Events.

There is a very good You Tube video interview with Brett Beyer it has some great tips on getting to the bottom mark faster HERE.

If you wonder why they are improving so much a lot of the Double Bay Sailing Club folks are participating the club’s very active coaching programs run by Brett. If you or your club have a need for speed (and who doesn’t) contact Brett. Brett’s email is in the photo below.

With winds over 20 knots, rain and 15° temperatures forecast this Sunday Double Bay Sailing Club have decided to postpone the Laser 50th Anniversary Event to 20th June. Of course we regularly sail in such conditions (maybe not the 15°) but the aim of the spectacle would be greatly diminished and while Lasers can fly in over 20 knots the drone can’t.

The arrangements for 20th June then will be the same as outlined  previously Here. Folks who have already registered to participate will be emailed and invited to confirm that they can make the new date.

It is a pity about the weather. Mostly we have to worry about not enough wind at this time of year.

Nice sailing but not much of a spectacle

The 2022 Australian  Laser Masters Championship will be held at Westernport Yacht Club in Victoria 25-28 February 2022. This event will be the first under the new rotation arrangement for the National Masters.

The Notice of Race for the event is Here. You can enter Here.

There is information about the event and the venue on the Australian Laser Championships web site.

Entry links, documents, updates and results for the event will be on the Australian Laser app. Select 2022 Laser Masters Australian Champs in National & District Events.

The Australian Masters will be preceded by a two day coaching clinic 22-23 February.

It is on again. After a year in hibernation the NB Sailsports South Pacific Laser Masters is back in action at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron 9-12th July 2021.

This is always a great and popular event event orchestrated by Kerry Warraker and RQYS.

The Notice of Race is HERE. Entry for the eight race series is $200 and can be placed HERE.

If you don’t want to drive – event sponsor  NB Sailsports are offering charters for the event for $799. Book HERE.

Double Bay Sailing Club will host a large exhibition of ILCA Laser dinghies sailing on the iconic Sydney Harbour on Sunday, 20 June 2021, to mark the 50th anniversary of  Laser/ILCA class. The event was postponed from 30th May due to very unfavourable weather predicted for that day.

The club is inviting anyone who has access to a Laser across greater Sydney and beyond, to participate in this historic event.

Anyone is welcome to launch from DBSC and sail to the start line together, or sail from another club and meet at Farm Cove at 0930h. At the club street parking is available (unrestricted on Sundays) and trailers can be left outside the club.

Participants are invited to attend DBSC after the event for a free BBQ and prize draw. All visitors are welcome and club dollies will be provided for those that sail in.

There will be prizes for entering and participating, including a hull upgrade (donated by PSA) and three new sails (donated by NB Sailsports). You must enter and turn up on the day to be eligible to win (see the Notice of Event for terms and conditions). Thanks to the generous sponsors for donating these prizes.

DBSC are welcoming all (Laser) sailors from far and wide to join the event. If you don’t have a Laser, but would like to join email DBSC and we will see what we can do to help. If you have a laser (or a spare), but are unable to sail it at the event, please email DBSC if you would like to lend it to someone else to sail.

0830h – Launch from DBSC
0930h – All participants meet at Farm Cove

1000h – Event start from Fort Denison
>> sail to South Head as a single fleet
1300h – Free BBQ on the deck at DBSC – all welcome

Please register for the event on the DBSC web site HERE.

Double Bay Sailing Club Commodore, Andrew Cox, said, “The exhibition will be a visual spectacle, with up to 200 boats sailing en masse against the backdrop of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, in what we expect will be the largest single fleet of ILCA Laser dinghies ever to sail on Sydney Harbour, and possibly anywhere in the world.”

This is your chance in a lifetime to participate in this 50 year celebration.

Entries will be opening soon for both the Open & Youth Australian & Oceania Championships 1-8 January 2022 at Fremantle Sailing Club WA and the Australian Masters Championships 25-28 February 2022 at Westernport Yacht Club Victoria.

If you need a charter boat for either of these events then NB Sailsports is the place to go. Rob McMillan has opened charter bookings on his web site on the links below;

Open & Youth Nationals (Fremantle, WA)

Masters Nationals (Westernport, Vic) 

You can follow these National Championship events on our Laser Nationals web site at https://www.auslasernationals.com.au/ on the Australian Laser Nationals Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/auslasernationals/ or on the Australian Laser App which you can find out about and get links to download from Here.

ILCA have announced that applications for entry for the following ILCA World Championships will be accepted beginning Thursday, 15 April 2021:

• 2021 ILCA Standard Men’s World Championship
• 2021 ILCA Masters World Championships

For the above events, the ILCA deadline for receiving paid applications for initial allocation of places is 20 May 2021 at 23:59 Central US Time.

Information about these ILCA Laser Worlds and access to applications is available through the ILCA events page HERE

If these events can’t be held as World Championships due to travel restrictions there is provision for them to be run as International Regattas for those who can travel to and from the venue.

Unfortunately participation in 2021 ILCA World Championships by Australians is problematic due to the current Australian Government international travel ban.

Sailors considering entering these ILCA 2021 World Championship events should carefully read the “Entry Regulations” and Attachment 1 “Application and Entry Procedure” of the Notice of Race (the information appears in the NoR for each event). Check the Australian Government Smart Traveller web site advice. This includes the Australian Government’s overseas travel ban for citizens and permanent residents invoked in March 2020. Also relevant is the Australian Institute of Sports information on overseas travel for sport HERE.

For undeterred Masters sailors entry deadlines and cancellation options and costs are summarised on an ALCA information page HERE.

Two events featuring Lasers and run by Newcastle Cruising Yacht are coming up in April.

First is Newcastle Sailfest which will  have a Laser event on Sunday 11th April. Boats will rig at Port Hunter Sailing Club, Stockton and racing will be real grand stand sailing in front of the city, Queens Wharf area.  A flyer for the event is HERE.

If you haven’t been to Newcastle in a while you will be surprised at what a great job the city fathers (and mothers) have done in and around the city and the harbour.

The second NCYC event is the dinghy section of Sail Port Stephens. This will be held at the Bay Sailing Centre which is the old favourite Port Stephens SAC at Soldiers Point which is now under new management by NCYC. NCYC has re-vitalised the club as a sail training and racing venue.

Sail Port Stephens is a very popular yacht regatta which has now incorporated off the beach events. This year OTB races will be on 24 -25th April (12.30pm start) from the Bay Sailing Centre. The flyer for the OTB classes is HERE.

Bay Sailing Centre will be the venue for our Laser State Masters in 2022 (5-6 February) and the Australian Laser Masters 10-13 February 2023 so this is an opportunity to get some racing practice in there.

Our NSW & ACT events for next season are set as follows;

There is a full list of Laser local, Australian and International events on our Events Page.

We don’t anticipate any COVID impediments to running our local events or the 2022 Australian & Oceania Championships Open & Youth (Fremantle.WA 1-8 January), Australian Masters (Westernport,Vic 25-28 February 2022) or Oceania Masters (Darwin, NT 20-26 August2022). Notices of Race will be issued for these events shortly.

Participation in 2021 ILCA World Championships by Australians is unlikely due to the current Australian Government international travel ban. Information about these ILCA Laser Worlds and access to applications is available through the ILCA events page HERE.

If these events can’t be held as World Championships due to travel restrictions there is provision for them to be run as International Regattas for those who can travel to and from the venue.

Sailors considering entering these ILCA 2021 World Championship events should carefully read the “Entry Regulations” and Attachment 1 “Application and Entry Procedure” of the Notice of Race (the information appears in the NoR for each event). Check the Australian Government Smart Traveller web site advice. This includes the Australian Government’s overseas travel ban for citizens and permanent residents invoked in March 2020. Also relevant is the Australian Institute of Sports information on overseas travel for sport HERE.

Mina Ferguson Metro Champion – Photo Jon West

The Metro Championships were held at Hunters Hill Sailing Club over the weekend 6-7 March with over 80 boats competing.

The club is very strong especially in youth sailing. It has great facilities, enthusiastic volunteers, massive grassed rigging area, easy parking and great close to the action spectator viewing.

Winds for the series when averaged were from the south east at around 10 knots but were very variable in direction and strength providing some testing conditions. Sunday’s opening race was delayed for 90 minutes to allow the breeze to settle and only two races were able to be completed. Over the two  days five races were run with one drop.

The racing at the head of the 4.7s was close with the first three separated by just two points. The winner was Hamish Gilsenan from Avalon SC just a point clear of Matthew Power from Canberra YC and another point to third placed local HHSC sailor Harry Ashton.

Racing was hot and close through the 40 boat Radial fleet with the top Australian women competitors filling seven of the top nine places. There were some strongly contested starts resulting in several black flags. The Radial winner was Australian Sailing Youth Team member

Mina Ferguson who sails at RSYS, Woollahra and Double Bay clubs. Mina also won the Under 17 youth category. She counted three wins and a second place to be one point ahead of Australian Sailing Squad’s Zoe Thompson from Royal Freshwater Bay YC in WA. Daniel Costandi from GRSC and DBSC was third just ahead of Australia’s selected Tokyo Olympic representative Mara Stransky from Royal Queensland YC. Daniel was also the first in the Under 19 youth category.

First in the Masters categories and 12th overall was Bruce Paine who is a Great Grand Master 55+. Bruce sails from Canberra YC so the variable winds were familiar to him. Bruce’s boat’s name is Boat of Pain which at times in this series must have seemed quite apt.

There was some very close racing in the 30 boat Standard rig fleet. The standout winner was Brett Bayer from WSC. Brett, in an incredibly consistent performance in the conditions, counted four wins with a third place drop for a big win. He was also first in the Masters’s category.

Second and the only one to win a heat from Brett was Belmont 16ft SC and Newcastle CYC sailor Tom Farley. Tom had a great series also winning the Under 21 category. Tom’s dad, Masters sailor Scott was also well placed at 12th so well done the Farley team. Third was Zac Skulander MHASC by a tie break from fellow Apprentice Master David Newman DBSC.

Thanks to Hunters Hill Sailing Club and its many volunteers for hosting this great series for us and to our Race Officer Andrew McLachlan for his orchestration of event on the water.

The full series results are HERE.

There are lots of photos by Jon West which you can view and buy on his web site at the links below.

• Day 1 photos
• Day 2 photos

Tom Farley Metros Runner Up & Did Someone Call Mark Room – Photo John West