ILCA NSW & ACT

Laser production capacity will be limited in the lead up to the many events in Melbourne in 2020.

PSA have opened a pre-order for new Lasers required in the 2019 lead-up and during the Melbourne events. Pre-order to guarantee your new boat delivery month.

If you are thinking about getting a new boat in this period then check the information on the PSA web site HERE and/or contact PSA or your Laser Dealer.

Entries will open HERE on 26th March for the Laser World Masters Championships at Port Zélande Netherlands.

Entries will open HERE on 26th March for the Laser World Under 21 Championships at Split Croatia.

The ranking for Australian entries for these events will be in accordance with ALCA Masters Ranking Policy for the World Masters and by placing in the Oceania and Australian Championships 2019 (Devonport) for the Under 21 Championships.

More information is on the ALCA web site and ILCA site.

Oliver Gordon on the way to a convincing win in the 4.7′s

65 sailors braved the wet conditions at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club Pittwater for the 2019 NB Sailsports Metropolitan Championships over the weekend.

While there was near record rainfall at least the wind was also in good supply from the SSE at 12-14 knots on Saturday and SW 12-16 on Sunday. The breezes were shifty with some of the Pittwater terrain adding to the challenge of working out the fastest way to the top mark.

All six races were completed on full length courses so by the end of the regatta (when the sun did shine) the sailors knew they had had a good workout.

In the 4.7′s local Oliver Gordon dominated with 5 bullets and a second as his drop. James Henderson from Lake Macquarie was consistent counting four seconds and a third for a clear second place. RPAYC’s Morgan Wells was third and the first female was Bayley Taylor also from RPAYC.

The racing in the Radials was very close with only three points separating the first four places. Otto Henry RSYS finished on top by a single point from the very consistent Zoe Thompson RFBSC WA. Otto, who was also the first under 19, won three races. Third was Mara Stransky RQYS Qld. Mara won two races and was only 2 points away from Zoe. It was great to see these top women sailors in action including Elyse Ainsworth from WA. The first under 17 Radial was Daniel Costandi RSYS/GRSC/DBSC.

In the Standard rigs the standout was local Chris Dawson RPAYC who had four bullets for a dominant win. Lorenzo Cerretelli WSC had a heat win and was otherwise very consistent to finish second from Ryan McLoughlin MHASC.

Thanks to RPAYC for their fabulous support of the Laser class and for their organisation of the event. Thanks also to Rob McMillan NB Sailsports for sponsoring the event and for coming along to sell gear in the big wet.

You can see some photos from the action at RPAYC HERE. Also Karen Taylor has posted a number of photos on Facebook as linked below;

• Day 1 Photos
• Day 2 Photos 

The full results for the event are linked below;

• 4.7
• Radial
• Standard

Oliver with a little less control – He still won!

The NB Sailsports Metropolitan Championships are on 16-17th March at the fabulous Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club at Newport.

This will be another great event and as our last big event for the season not to be missed.

The Notice of Race is HERE and Sailing Instructions HERE.

Entry is $60 and $30 for sailors under 21. You can enter online HERE or at the club on Saturday between 9.30 and 11.30am.

There is a detailed Competitor Information Guide with all you need to know about the land logistics for the event HERE.

We will be running SMS sign on/off so if you are deploying from another location you can send an SMS to 0477 647 537 including the sail number/s and “sign on” or “sign off”.

Brett Beyer Standard Rig Winner – Photo by Jane Humphris

The NSW & ACT Laser State Masters were held over the 2-3 March weekend at South Lake Macquarie ASC and what a cracker event it was.

There were 128 entries sailed in two fleets – Standard with 72 and Radial 56. There was a great representation from Queensland, Victoria and WA joining NSW and ACT sailors for the event.

The weather gods were very kind with beautiful NE breezes on both days from 12 to 16 knots – what’s not to like.

The full schedule of 6 races was completed. The conditions were kind to the race crew and RO Andrew McLachlan however the Standards tested their patience with a near to record 6 black flags in one race. It is true that the black flag finished up in lake but not true that it was thrown there by the race crew in despair at its ineffectiveness. Thanks to the sailor who fished it out and returned it to fly another day.

18 cubes were awarded in the various age divisions.

The outstanding winner in the Standards was current World Masters Champion Brett Beyer WSC who won every race. Though he was pushed at times he was always first when it mattered. David Whait from SoPYC/FSC WA also a Master was second in the standard Fleet by a tie break from Apprentice Master Nick Skulander WSC.

In the Radials GGM Jeff Loosemore MHASC/GRSC won all but the first race for a convincing fleet win. GRSC club mate Master David Early was a clear second with GM Adam French GSC third.

Vanessa Dudley was the first woman and was 4th placed overall in the Radial fleet.

The full results are linked below.

• Standard Rig
• Radial Rig

There are very many excellent photos taken by Jane Humphris which you can see at the links below – click the thumbnail to see a larger image.

• Standard Rig Photos
• Radial Rig & Club Photos

Thanks to the SLMASC for their fabulous organisation of the event on the water and in feeding and watering us on the land. Thanks also to our RO Andrew McLachlan for his spot on settings and tolerance of the impetuous.

Masters sailors our block buster State Masters Championship is coming up 2nd and 3rd March. This one will be at South Lake Macquarie Amateur Sailing Club at Sunshine – always a great venue.

The Notice of Race for the event is HERE and the Sailing Intructions are HERE. You can enter online HERE.

As usual you can enter until 11.30am on Saturday 2nd March at the club however unless you really can’t decide sooner we would appreciate if you could use online entry as we expect to be pretty busy on the day.

SLMASC have arranged with the Lake Macquarie Council to allow us to camp (tent only – no caravans) on Friday and Saturday nights on Sunshine Park at the club. Camping fee is $30 per night (with funds going to the Council). The clubhouse toilets and showers will be available 24 hours. Please contact Diana Charlton by email at treasurer@slmasc.org if you want to book a camping spot.

On Saturday night the club is putting on a BBQ dinner for us. Nibbles, BBQ (steak & sausage) with salads, plus dessert and tea/coffee for just $20. What’s not to like.

Rob Lowndes has organised the Masters Golf event on Friday 1st March.  The prizes are not as great as those at the event with the same name at Augusta – but then nor is the expected standard of play. Details are in the post below.

It’s on again, the Laser Masters Golf tournament will be held on Friday, 1st March as a prelude to the weekend State Masters. Venue is Morisset Country Club at Dora Street Morisset. Cost is $28 per person for members of any golf club and $33 for non golf club members. Cart hire is $40 per cart.

Always a fun event it will be a teams based Ambrose format which means you don’t have to be a golfer (not many of us are!) but each team will have to count a certain number of drives from each member. The best drive is selected and all other players pick up their ball and place it close to the best ball. Each person then hits a second shot from the same spot and so on until holed. Teams will be selected on the day to give a spread of golf experience in each team. Also $10 entry for prize money including a nearest the pin and longest drive.

We’ll meet at noon at the club to have some lunch, select the teams and pay the green/cart hire fees (directly to the pro shop please) for a first tee time around 1:00pm. Please let Rob Lowndes know if you will be coming (text 0419 266 257 or email lowndesr@bigpond.net.au). If you would like a cart book it directly with the pro shop at 02 4973 1100.

For future planning below is the list of our NSW & ACT events for next season.

It will be a very busy year for Laser sailing in Australian in 2020 with Oceania and World  Open & Masters Championships scheduled for Sandringham and Geelong.

The list of known National, Oceania and World Laser Championship events in 2019 and 2020 is below.

If too much sailing is never enough then we have two major events in Victoria which may be of interest.

2019 Victorian Laser State & Youth Championships are on 9-10 February at McCrae YC. The NoR is HERE.

2019 Victorian Masters Championships will be sailed on the same waters and at the same time as the Masters Worlds in 2020 at Royal Geelong Yacht Club. The dates are 16-17th March 2019. The NoR for the event is HERE.

World Championships Sakaiminato-City Japan

Applications for entry for the following World Championships in Sakaiminato-City Japan will be accepted beginning Tuesday, 29 January 2019:

• 2019 ILCA Laser Standard Men’s World Championship
• 2019 ILCA Laser Radial Women’s World Championship
• 2019 ILCA Laser Radial Men’s World Championship

For all three of the above events, the deadline for receiving paid applications for initial allocation of places is 9 March 2019 at 23:59 Central US Time (10 March 16:59 AEDT).

ILCA World Youth Championships Kingston Canada

Applications for entry for the following Youth World Championships will be accepted beginning Thursday, 31 January 2019:

• 2019 ILCA Laser Radial Youth World Championships
• 2019 ILCA Laser 4.7 Youth World Championships

For both of the above events, the deadline for receiving PAID applications for initial allocation of places is 20 March 2019 at 23:59 Central US Time (16:59 21 March AEDT).

Note for all these Championships

These are all limited entry events with Australia’s allocation of places filled in order of ranking. The ranking event for World Championships is the preceding Australian Laser Championships – 2019 Devonport in this case.

If you don’t apply by this deadline you have little chance of receiving and entry offer.

The ILCA event web site HERE has all the information and links to apply.

On 9^th February, VYC will be hosting the 87th annual Vaucluse Regatta.

You can get information on the event on the Vaucluse YC web site HERE.

71 boats competed in the NSW & ACT Laser Championships sailed from Canberra Yacht Cub over the weekend.

RO Andrew McLachlan Presents to Radial Winner Jordan Makin

The event was is two parts Saturday when there was arguably too much breeze and Sunday when there was none.

Four races we completed for 4.7′s and Radials and three for Standard rigs on Saturday. With winds stronger than predicted – gusting to 30 knots – there were lots of oops moments and some broken gear.

On Sunday with everyone rigged and ready to roll the breeze would not play ball. Never raising above 5 knots and constantly changing in direction it gave RO Andrew McLachlan little choice and racing was called off without, as they say, troubling the scorer.

The winner of the Standard rig event was Steve Gunther from Port Melbourne Yacht Club. He won from Jeff Loosemore (MHASC/GRSC) and Canberra local Bruce Paine who was the previous winner in 2012 when the event was last held in Canberra. In the Radials Jordan Makin from Belmont 16 ft Skiff Club won from Maddie O’Shea and Zac West both from DBSC and RSYS.

It was as close as it can be in the 4.7′s with Brooke Wilson (RSYS/DBSC) and Daniel Costandi (RSYS/GRSC/DBSC) finishing on even points and places and Brooke winning on a count back. Third was Evie Saunders (RSYS/MYC/DBSC).

The final results are HERE.

The NSW & ACT Laser State Championships will be held on Lake Burley Griffin from the Canberra Yacht Club 24th and 25th November 2018.

CYC is a fabulous club and we have been promised good sailing conditions so this is an event not to be missed.

This  is a cube event for open and youth divisions. Masters cubes will be awarded at the States at South Lakes ASC 2-3rd March 2019.

The Notice of Race for the event is HERE. Sailing Instructions are HERE.

Online entries ($60 and $30 for sailors under 21) can be placed HERE.

Following racing on Saturday competitors, family, and friends are welcome to stay on and socialise with drinks and dinner on the lakeside patio and grass of Canberra Yacht Club. Beer, wine and soft drinks can be purchased from the bar of the Club. Next door, boxed dinner of fish and chips, salads and snacks can be purchased from the Snapper on the Lake shop.  No bookings required.

The AGM of the NSW & ACT Laser Association will be held at the Camberra Yacht Club on Sunday 25th November at 9.00am. The agenda for the meeting is HERE.

83 boats competed in the NB Sailsports Coast Championships from Vaucluse Yacht Club over the weekend.

There was a strong contingent from the Harbour Clubs notably Double Bay Sailing Club and Middle Harbour Amateur Sailing Club.

Saturday saw a nice building Harbour NE’er which finished at 20 knots. As expected there was a lot of traffic including ferries on the race track on Saturday. Race Officer Rob Lowndes set the course dominantly in the eastern channel which kept the Manly Ferries using the western channel out of our way. The strong run out tide saw quite a few general recalls and the dreaded black flag had quite and airing. There were quite a few BFD’s and UFD’s on the score sheet.

Sunday saw an early morning southerly change which was still at 25 knots at the 11.00am start time. The rather cold and windy conditions provided good if testing conditions for Laser racing and had the added advantage, with the exception of the ferries, of our having the Harbour to our selves. The southerly did moderate slowly in the early afternoon however the scheduled three, three lap 45 minute races were completed in good time.

The star of the 4.7′s was Brooke Wilson DBSC/RSYS who finished with four bullets and two seconds. Daniel Costandi DBSC/RSYS/GRSC was second and had two wins with Evie Saunders DBSC/RSYS/MYC third.

The Radials saw an incredibly close finish with Zac West DBSC/RSYS despite having three heat wins in the end finishing only one point ahead of Mark Louis DBSC/RSYS/CYC and Otto Henry WSC. Mark was second ahead of Otto again by a single point in a tie break. Top Master sailor was Jeff Loosemore who is a GGM and finished 4th overall in the Radials including a win the last race.

The 41 boat Standard Rig Fleet was dominated by AST member Finn Alexander DBSC. Finn had a black flag in Race 1 but went on to win the next five. Second was current World Masters Champion Brett Beyer WSC who finished second to Finn in Races 2 to 6 and won Race 1. Oscar Hansen RSYS/MHAYC/DBSC was a clear third.

The full series results are HERE.

Thanks to Vaucluse Yacht Club for their great work in hosting this event. It is a great club in a beautiful location providing access to a truly iconic sailing race course.