ILCA NSW & ACT

Our first regatta for the season is the Coast Championship which is on 17^th and 18^th October at Port Kembla Sailing Club.

This should be a good weekend away at a great sailing venue.

You can stay nearby or camp on the club grounds or sleep in a swag in the club. There will be meals available at the club including dinner on Saturday night and breakfast on Sunday morning. The menus are here.

The Sailing Instructions, Notice of Race and Venue information documents are linked in the Events Page of this site.

Entries using a credit card can be placed on line here or you can enter up to 11.30am at Port Kembla S.C. on Saturday 17^th October using a credit card or cash.

Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club Laser fleet races on Newcastle harbour on Friday nights during summer. Their season starts on 9th October 2015. During daylight saving the Laser races are from 5.30pm and are usually finished by 7.30pm, or sunset, at the latest.

The fleet has grown from three boats five years ago to more than 20 each race. With the races being at the end of the week, there’s a casual but competitive atmosphere with everyone heading over to NCYC bar afterwards for a beer or “Laser burger”.

The club has built a launch pontoon off the end of one of its piers to give easy access into the harbour. The fleet has experienced phenomenal growth over the past three seasons due to the relaxed atmosphere, location and timing of the races. During daylight saving the NCYC races are from 5.30pm and are usually finished by 7.30pm, or sunset, at the latest.

Come along and enjoy the sailing and the après-sail scene and find out how to construct a “Laser burger”.

The ILCA has just issued a press release on the new radial cut Mark II Standard rig sail. The sail features a wide screen window.

The press release is here.

What they are saying is;

Nearly 10 years in the making, the new sail has a bi-radial construction and is made from slightly heavier (4.5Oz) Dacron cloth that better reorients the stress loads along the cloth, giving it a much better flying shape overall.  

Those that have tested the sail during the development phase have been quoted: “When you see the sail out sailing, all the distortions that you see in the current Laser sail are gone, there is no flutter in the leech and it looks like a really beautiful sail for the boat.”

The class legal sails according to the ILCA press release will be available from 1^st November. Sailors would be able to use them as soon as they are available except for Olympic competition and selection for Rio 2016.  This means they are class legal and available for all NSW/ACT Laser events after the Coasts at Port Kembla and for the National Open and Masters Events this season.

The new sail is nominally available from 1^st November 2015. NB Sailsports have pre-order here and PSA have an option to pre-order on their web site here.

The NB Sailsports Winter Sprint Series concluded in very Spring like conditions at Double Bay Sailing Club on Saturday 29th August.

Results for the day are below:

• Standard and Radial
• 4.7

The final series results are here for Standard and Radial and here for 4.7′s.

The final three races of the NB Sailsports Sprint Series will be at Double Bay Sailing Club on 29th August. The first race will be 1.00pm.

After racing we will draw for the winner of the fabulous NB Sailsports  prizes which include a new Laser upgrade.

Entry is $20 and you can enter using a credit card on the NB Sailsports web site here or using cash on the day at DBSC.

The results for the series to date are here and the Sailing Instructions for DBSC are here.

DBSC Commodore Luke Parker extends the following invitation to all Laser sailors.

On behalf of all at DBSC, I’d encourage Laser sailors from far and wide to join us for the final leg of the 2015 NB Sprint Series.  

We’ll be racing on Sydney Harbour, not far from the Bridge, the City, the Harbour Islands and Fort Denison.  Its a spectacular and challenging place to race.  Of course, we won’t have the harbour to ourselves, but we’ll be positioning courses to make the most of the prevailing winds with consideration of other traffic.

There’s an abundance of grassed rigging area, arrangements have been made for parking, our change rooms have ample hot water and the canteen will be stocked.  What more could you want?

We look forward to racing with you on 29 August.

More information on  the schedule, catering and parking arrangements are on the DBSC web site here.

We have been given generous support for the National Masters event from the Port Stephens Council. The National Masters will run from 12th to 15th February 2016 at Port Stephens Sailing and Aquatic Club Salamander Bay.

The Port Stephens Council have been supportive of many sporting events and especially sailing in the past and we thank them for their help to us for this event.

Bruce Taylor from Belmont 16′s won the Avalon Sailing Club raffle of a new Laser sail.

The raffle was initiated by Avalon Sailing Club to help with the costs of the replacement for the deck at the club.

The sail was generously donated by NB Sailsports. The draw was delayed to Gosford to allow Avalon to sell more tickets.

Pictured with the lucky winner is Avalon Sailing Club Commodore Jan Scholten.

33 boats raced in the Gosford leg of the NB Sailsports Sprint Series on Sunday 2nd August. The NW breeze which was over 20 knots before the start moderated and sailors had a pleasant if tricky 6 to 12 knot wind to contend with for the three races.

On the day each of the fleets saw clean sheet wins for Jack Littlechild in 4.7′s, Finn Alaxander in Radials and, fresh from his second in the World Masters in Canada, Zac Skulander in the Standards. The full results for the day are at here.

The five venue series will conclude at Double Bay on Saturday 29th August. On that day the draw will be made for the NB Sailsports prizes including a new Laser trade (your old boat for a brand new Laser). Tickets for the draw are won by participating and performance in the series. The results for the series to date are at here.

Thanks to R.O. Brian Baker, starter Bill Bollard and the GSC volunteers who ran the event and the after race sausage sizzle.

There are photos below of the clear winners at Gosford and some more on the water pictures here.

The next round of the NB Sailsports Sprint Series will be Sunday 2^nd August at Gosford Sailing Club. There are three races scheduled the first of which is 1.00pm.

There is a new coffee shop at the club which also serves hot food and there will be a free sausage sizzle at the club after the event.

You can enter online on the NB Sailsports web site here or using cash at the venue on Sunday. Entry fee is $20.

You still have lots of chances to get tickets for the draw for fabulous prizes from NB including a new Laser upgrade. The more races you compete in as well as how well you do will determine how many tickets you get for the prize draw which will occur at the final NB event at Double Bay Sailing Club on 29th August.

Results for the NB Sailsports Sprint Series to date are here.

Congratulations to the Australian Laser sailors who participated in the Open Men’s and Masters Worlds at Kingston Ontario Canada.

Tom Burton was third in a challenging open series which saw all six Australians in the 158 fleet qualify for the top 53 gold fleet.   Full results are here.

In the Masters 28 Australians competed in the fleets totalling some 260. Brett Beyer (SM), Mark Bethwaite (SGGM) and Rob Lowndes (RGGM) were winners in their divisions while Zac Skulander (RM) and Jeff Loosemore (RGM) were additional cube winners. Full results are below;

Standard Masters

Radial Masters

Photos from the events are here

Good luck and and good sailing to the Australians who will compete in the Youth Worlds at the same Kingston venue between 15-20th August. You can follow their results from the regatta web site here.

Australian Masters at Kingston

Tom Burton at Laser Worlds Photo by Sailingshot

H₂O Sports Academy have a number of training and coaching session planned. Of particular interest are the following.

H₂O Laser 4.7 Race Team – Applications open to any keen U19 Laser 4.7 sailor. Team coach is Laura Baldwin, Olympian and Coach. The program kicks off at the NSW Youth Sailing Championship 3-5 Oct at George’s River and continues through to the completion of the Australian Youth Championships. Team members will get uniform including t-shirts, caps, bibs and boat stickers. More info link

H₂O Laser Class Training – with World # 1 Tom Burton, Ryan Palk who recently finished 11th at the Laser World Championships and Laura Baldwin, Olympian and Coach. A series of training days have been set with a newly developed H2O Laser Training Program almost ready to launch. This program is mapped out in a logbook, with the coaches signing off skills you demonstrate correctly in the training session, leaving the areas to work on next clearly listed. More info link

H₂O Kids Race Training Camps – September 21-23 and 28-30, H2O are offering two 3-days, 2-nights fully catered residential race training camps with world-class coaches, Karyn Gojnich, Ryan Palk, Laura Baldwin and Haylee Outteridge for Lasers, Optimists, Sabots and 29ers sailors 8-17 years. More info link

Masters Sailors Tom Burton Coaching at the NSW States - World number  one ranked Tom Burton will be coaching a team of 6 sailors at the NSW Laser States at Wangi Wangi 14-15th November. $350 includes a weekend of coaching, t-shirt, boat and sail stickers and use of a race bib. Email  info@h2o-sports-academy.com to book a place.

The Belmont leg of the NB Sailsports Sprint Series saw a continuation of the light conditions experienced at Georges River and Avalon. Three races were completed in light westerly winds with 35 boats competing.

Thanks to Belmont 16′s for running this event. The winds were not kind but the management on the water and the facilities were first rate. The rain stayed away and despite the lack of wind it was a pleasant day on the water.

Lorenzo Cerretelli won the Standards convincingly with two first and a second place from Ric Longbottom on a countback from Ian Alexander. Lorenzo continues to lead the series overall.

The Alexanders also had a win in the Radials with series leader Finn the winner from Jordan Makin and Chris Meech. Finn’s two wins and a second on the day keep him firmly at the top of the overall series leader board.

Jack Littlechild also had a 1,1,2 result in the 4.7′s  winning from Mark Lewis and Jack Moran. Tom Farley leads the series overall.

The full results for the day are here and the series results overall to date are here.

The next leg of the event will be on Sunday 2nd August at Gosford Sailing Club with the first start at 1.00pm.

The next round of the NB Sailsports Sprint Series will be Sunday 21st June at Belmont 16′s Sailing Club.

There are three races scheduled the first of which is 11.00am.

Belmont is the venue for the Open National Laser Championship next season so this is a good chance to get some miles on the race track. The club has great facilities for sailing and for socialising on a winter Sunday.

You can enter online on the NB Sailsports web site here or using cash at the venue on Sunday. Entry fee is $20.

You still have lots of chances to get tickets for the draw for fabulous prizes from NB including a new Laser upgrade. The more races you compete in as well as how well you do will determine how many tickets you get for the prize draw which will occur at the final NB event at Double Bay Sailing Club on 29th August.

Results for the series to date are here.

The final leg of the NB Sailsports Sprint Series at Double Bay has been moved forward one week to 29th August.

At this event the draw for the prizes, including the new Laser upgrade, will be made. If you participate in any of the races in the series you will qualify for the draw but the more and better you sail the better your chances of winning.

The revised Notice of Race for the series is here.

It is a whole winter and a bit away but the Coast Championship this year will be held on 17-18th October at Port Kembla Sailing Club.

This should be a great event and a while since we have had a Laser event on Lake Illawarra.

The club has unpowered camp sites and will allow sailors with swags to bunk down in the club. The club will be open from mid day on Friday 16th October. There is also motel style accommodation availble in the area.

The club has a fully licensed canteen and a cafe and it will be serving dinner on Saturday night at very reasonable cost.

More information on the venue and arrangements for the event are here.

The Notice of Race is here and you can enter online here.

To assist with indicative planning and catering the club have asked that on entry you indicate if you would like to avail of the camping, swag space or dinner on Saturday. There are check boxes on the entry for this purpose.