ILCA NSW & ACT

130 Laser sailors entered for the State Championships held at Double Bay SC. The event combined all age categories Junior Youth Open and Masters. You can see many of their happy faces in Clare Alexander’s photo above  just before the event kicked off.

The scheduled six races were completed in good sailing conditions with winds between 9 and 14 knots generally from the east. As usual there was a lot of chop but RO Adam South who is vastly experienced in this role on the Harbour managed to set our traditional trapezoidal course and stay out of the ferry and Harbour traffic lanes. This involved the inner course being close to the Point Piper shore. This gave the local residents and the Laser supporters at Duff Reserve on the point a great view of the racing and it gave the Laser sailors some practice in close quarters racing along the shore and moored yachts.

The rigs were sailed as one fleet so one start each for 4.7, Radial and Standard. The Radial fleet at 60 was at the upper limit and with so many keen and competative sailors on one line there were several general recalls, black flag starts and victims thereof.

It was great to see the record roll up of the 4.7′s in this event and the quality of the sailors and the racing. In the end the girls dominated taking the first three places in a close finish. Kristen Wadley from Townsville SC and RQYS was the eventual winner by just one point from Brooke Wilson RSYS/BDSC, 3 points ahead of Mina Ferguson RSYS/WSC/DBSC.

The ladies also excelled in the Radial fleet with Marlena Berzins DBSC/RSYS taking the championship. Third was Fremantle SC and South of Perth YC sailor Jacinta Ainsworth while the man in the middle was Jordan Makin from Belmont 16′s. Mara Stransky from RQYS Brisbane was a strong contender with two bullets and a 7th place but reflective of the very competitive starts she scored three black flags which placed her out of contention.

In the Standard rig local sailor and recently named Australian Sailing Youth Sailor of the Year Finn Alexander dropped a second as his worst place alongside 5 bullets to win. Second was Brett Beyer who is the current World Laser Masters Champion. Fredrik Westman from Finland was third.

Hearty thanks to the Double Bay Sailing Club and all the volunteers for the great effort and for running a terrific event. Thanks also to RO Adam South who stepped in for Col Chidgey whose wife was taken ill on Friday.

You can see photos of the fleet winners below and the winners of all the divisions are listed HERE.

The full results of the States are linked below.

• Standard
• Radial
• 4.7

Finn Alexander, has been named Australian Sailing’s named Youth Sailor of the Year 2017 at the AS annual awards ceremony on Friday 3 November.

Finn won his award as a result of his convincing performance (by a 19 point margin) in winning the Laser Class Youth World Championship in New Zealand. Since then Finn was 1st Youth (Under21) and fifth overall at the Australian Laser Championships.

“I’m really stoked to pick up Youth Sailor of the Year against a really competitive bunch of young athletes,” Finn said.

“For the last few years it’s been a pretty long journey for me to try to get to the top of the youths. I’m really happy to have kind of made it through that, with the help of a lot of really great coaches and mentors, my parents and friends.

“I’ve now fully launched into the Laser standard campaign, I’ve been racing overseas across this year and it’s been really good, learning a lot and making lots of improvements.”

Finn has been sailing in Open International events through the year finishing 8th in the 100 boat fleet at the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Holland. Finn was also the only under 20 sailor to qualify for the gold fleet in the ILCA Laser World Championships earlier this year.

Finn just last weekend won the NSW/ACT Laser Championship held at his home club Double Bay.

The gala Laser sailing event the State Championships will be held at Double Bay Sailing Club on the weekend of the 18-19th November 2017.

This year we will be running the State Open including boys, girls, youth and the State Masters in the one event. We plan to have separate starts for Masters in Radial and Standard rigs provided there are sufficient  entries.

The State Masters which we often run as a separate event in February would clash with the big National Masters event which is this year between 9-12th February 2018 at Mooloolaba. Hence the combined event this season.

The Notice of Race for the State Championships is HERE.  The Sailing Instructions are HERE. Entries can be placed at the Enter or Join tab on this site of click HERE. You can also enter up to 11.30am on Saturday at Double Bay SC. The first 150 sailors to register on Saturday will receive a commemorative polo shirt.

Double Bay will be a great venue.  Though the 18 footers will be sailing on the Sunday we will have lots of rigging room using Steyne Park. The club has again arranged parking at the Double Bay Primary School just across the park.

Sailing on iconic (if busy) Sydney Harbour is always a great experience. Come and test your skills and performance against some of the best age category and open Laser sailors in the World at this event.

We expect around 150 entries and you can see who has entered the event HERE.

The Association’s Annual General Meeting will be held at Double Bay Sailing Club at 9.00am on Sunday 19th November.

The agenda for the meeting and associated documents are HERE. Note that the financial reports will be available at the meeting.

Come along and have your say about how the class is run in our District. Ideas and suggestions are welcome.

Australian Sailing have advised that it is now required that sailors who want to be considered for inclusion in the Australian Youth Sailing Team for the 2018 World Youth Sailing Championship (to be held in Corpus Christi, USA from 14 – 22 July 2018) and who are not Australian citizens to apply for, and be granted, a World Sailing Residency Waiver Certificate by 20th December 2017.

If you want to be considered for this team and are not an Australian citizen then you can see the process to obtaining this waver HERE.

Citizenship can, in some circumstances, be a complex business (as some federal politicians will attest). There is a useful and detailed Wiki on Australian citizenship HERE.

South Lake Macquarie ASC are running their Zhik sponsored Single Handed (and Invited Dinghy) Regatta on 4-5 November.

They will be racing Standard, Radial and 4.7s along with other classes.

The Notice of Race with entry arrangements is HERE.

SLMASC is a great club and a great sailing venue who are always very supportive of our class

The final results of the Coasts at Gosford Sailing Club 21-22 October 2017 are linked below.

Standard

Radial

4.7

There are some great photos from the first day taken by Jane Humphris which you can see HERE.

If you would like the full sized jpg  of any photo then contact Jane at jane@sailaustralia.com.au.

Brett Beyer current World Masters Champion was the Standard Rig winner

The Coast Championship is set to roll on the weekend of 21st and 22nd October at Gosford Sailing Club.

The Notice of Race for the event is HERE SI’s are HERE and you can place entries online HERE.

Notice there was an earlier posting of SI’s which included a 1A mark. This mark will now not be used the change is covered by the Notice to Competitors HERE.

Gosford Sailing Club is a great social club with relatively uncrowded sailing waters and only a short drive up the freeway from Sydney.

There is good local accommodation around Gosford and out to the coast at places like Terrigal and Avoca. Or from Sydney you can drive in/drive out if you like to sleep at home. Go to your favourite accommodation site or click links below for places to stay.

• Booking.com Gosford
• Trivago Gosford
• Airbnb Gosford
• Wotif Gosford
• Lastminute.com.au Gosford
• Destination NSW Gosford

Laser Membership is due for renewal for the new season.

You can most conveniently do that online HERE or at the Coasts on Saturday 21st October.

District Membership qualifies you to enter any District, National or International Laser event. Our annual fee ($40 and $20 for under 21 y.o.) is partly used to affiliate with the International Laser Association and the more members we have the more places we get for the limited entry ILCA International  Laser events.

The Balmain regatta is on 29th October with the 4.7 the first to start at from 12.00. Start times and handicaps to be decided on the day based on the wind forecast.

Last year 2016 Gold Medalist Tom Burton won, but who will win this years Balmain Regatta? A 168-year-old Sydney harbour tradition continues on the 29th of October, offering a total prize pool of $800. $200 for each division winner, and a bonus $200 for the leader at the half way mark.

The course will feature a  fixed start between Cockatoo Island and Balmain Sailing Club to a mark off Snapper Island, to mark off Spectacle Island to Mark near entrance of Lane Cove River to mark off Goat Island then back to fixed line between Cockatoo Island and Balmain Sailing Club.

Where to rig:  Easiest rigging area is at Hunters Hill Sailing Club.

Post race party:  Limited space is available to lift Lasers on to floating dock at BSC. Best to pack up boats then drive around for the traditional Balmain Regatta Boats, Band and BBQ party

Address: Water Street Balmain

How to enter.  www.balmainsailingclub.com and follow directions to regatta entry.

The Queensland Laser Association in conjunction with Australian Sailing is running two Coaching Clinics with Brett Beyer in the lead up to the National Masters at Mooloolaba.
The two camps will run from the 3rd to the 4th of February 2018, and from 6th to the 7th of February 2018 and will be held offshore at Mooloolaba.

The camp is only available to sailors attending the Australian Masters at Mooloolaba and the cost is $250 for the two day coaching clinic. Food, drinks or accommodation is not included.

There is a maximum of 10 places for each camp.  Registration of Interest, which will close on September 30th 2017, can be made on the following web links:
Register for February 3-4 
Register for February 6-7

Contacts:
Peter Fell – QLA (0408 266 410)
Fergus Gillanders-Blagdon – AS (07 3393 6788)
Michael Wilson – QLA (0417 758 859)

Australian Sailing have posted details of the 2017 Trinity Point New South Wales Youth Championships will be setting sail from South Lake Macquarie Amateur Sailing Club (SLMASC) on the October long weekend, September 30 to October 2.

The Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and online entry are all linked on the Australian Sailing Youth site HERE.

Well done to the Australian team of 12 boys and 3 girls who competed in the World Youth 4.7 Worlds held between 16th and 24th July at Nieuwpoort Belgium.

In the boys Finn O’Dea was 5th in the 235 boat fleet and Zac West 7th. In the 115 boat girls fleet Kristen Wadley was 10th and Paige Caldecoat 14th.

The full results are linked HERE

The Under 21 Worlds for Men and Women is now running at the same venue with 191 entries. There are 6 Australians in the women’s event and 3 in the men’s. Results will be linked HERE 

The NB Sailsport sponsored South Pacific Masters was completed last weekend at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Manly.

64 Sailors competed in a friendly atmosphere in light but sunny conditions.

Kiwi Scott Leith showed the way in the Radial fleet from Sunshine Coast’s Mark Kennedy while Queenslander Greg Adams edged out David Whait from WA in the Standard rig. RQYS local George Meikle won the 4.7’s.

Full results are HERE

There is a new ALCA ranking policy for Australian Laser Sailors who apply for entry to ILCA World Masters Championships.

The new policy is linked on the Worlds Qualification page of the ALCA web site. You can view it HERE

The new policy will apply for the September 2018 World Masters in Dun Laoghaire Ireland and ongoing.

Up until the 2017 Masters in Split Croatia all Australian masters applicants have been offered place. With the increased popularity of the event, the desire to run Radial and Standard rig fleets at the same time, venue capacity and charter boat limitations some applicants will likely miss out in Split. Consequently it was considered by the ALCA that a fairer ranking system was needed.

The new ranking arrangements are based on results at Worlds, National and District Masters Championships rather than the old one which was based on the order of placement of online entry applications.

The Narrabeen Lakes Sailing Club Laser division welcomes Laser sailors who are finding short chop, ferry, large yacht  & powerboat traffic and no convenient lee shores a little bit to trying these days who may have chosen to leave the Laser in the rack or on the trailer waiting for just the right wind forecast.

They will find the Lakes a much easier place to sail with good winds, plenty of deep water in the sailing area, convenient lee shores to rest up and a friendly, happy, older group of Laser girl and guy sailors to compete with.

The Club sails most Spring and Summer Sunday afternoons, briefing at 1.30pm for 2 races, finishing at 4pm.

If interested please check our web site www.narrabeenlakessailingclub.com. or contact Perter Chapman, Treasurer 0412 964 490

If you would like a pitch to sailors for your club send us a message HERE.