ILCA NSW & ACT

The ILCA 7 Worlds have just concluded in Vallarta, Mexico. 126 boats competed.

Jean-Baptiste Bernaz (France) by finishing 7th in the last race secured the position he held for most of the regatta to become the new ILCA 7 World Champion. This is the first time that France has won the ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship. Cypriot Pavlos Kontides took Silver and Filip Jurišic from Croatia Bronze. 2021 World Champion, New Zealander Tom Saunders finished two points off the podium in 4th place.

Matt Wearn had to withdraw at the outset of the competition and is now recovering from an illness contracted last month.

Finn Alexander was the best-placed Australian in 13th equalling his best-ever World Championship result.

Finn commented to Mysailing, “It was a good regatta but I lacked a bit of consistency throughout the week and especially in qualifying. I had lots of good races and lots of positives to take away but there were a lot of points wasted, it’s a little bit frustrating but still not a bad overall result.”

Finn has had consistent places in the circuit events so far with a 15th in Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma, Spain, 12th at the French Olympic Regatta in Hyeres, France and now 13th in the Worlds.

Finn Alexander in 2022 Worlds Action – Photo John Pounder

Other Australian team places were, 29th – Luke Elliott, 41st – Ethan McAullay, 46th – Sam King and 72nd – Zac Littlewood

Iain Brambell Australian Sailing Team’s new High Performance Director said, “The 2022 ILCA 7 World Championships was an ever-challenging test for the young Australian team’s fighting spirit. The Australian ILCA 7 squad will depart Mexico with lessons they will continue to build from in their pursuit of next year’s World Championship in The Hague and the first opportunity for 2024 Olympic Qualification.”

Most of the squad will now head home for a break, before returning for a training block on the Paris 2024 racetrack in July.

Full results of the event are Here. News from the Worlds is on the event web site Here.

The ILCA 7 World Masters is underway at the same Vallarta venue (30 May-7 June) followed by the ILCA 6 Masters (9-17 June). There are seven Australians competing in the ILCA 7 Worlds and six in the ILCA 6. The respective event web sites are ILCA7 Worlds ILCA 6 Worlds

The ILCA 7 World Championships are underway at Vallarta, Mexico. The opening day under the hot Mexican sun on the Banderas Bay, saw 126 sailors began their hard road for the gold. Racing is due to take place every day until 28 May 2022. The fleet is split into the two fleets, where 63 sailors in each fleet will sail the first 3 days the Qualification series, followed by the Final series where the best half of the fleet will compete in Gold fleet and other part in Silver fleet.

As usual for this time of the year on Banderas Bay, the best wind comes around noon so the races are scheduled to start at 1300 every day. Nice and stable breeze today with 12 knots of wind allowing the fleets to start their first race without any recalls and delays.

Matt Wearn had to return back ashore before the first start as he did not feel well. With only one drop allowed from the qualifying series the current Olympic champion has put himself in a difficult position. Luke Elliott took the first win in the regatta in front of Jonatan Vadnai from Hungary and George Gautrey from New Zealand in Yellow fleet.

The results of the series are Here. The event web site is Here

Event Photos

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Swifto Elliott in Action ILCA 7 Worlds Mexico

The ILCA 6 Women’s and Men’s World Championship were to be held in Qingdao, China on 10-17 October 2022. Due to the deepening COVID situation in China and its very strict quarantine regulations and restrictions, ILCA can’t run the event there.

ILCA have announced that the event will now be 9-16 October 2022 at the Texas Corinthian Yacht Club Kemah, Texas.

Entry Applications are now open at the following links:

• Women
• Men

The Event website for any further information is Here.

The Opti run East Coast Championship is on at Georges River Sailing Club over the June long weekend 11-13 June 2022.

The event includes Optis, 4.7 and Radials with other invited classes 29er, Techno293, Techno293+, IQFoil and Windfoil.

The Notice of race is Here. Entries can be placed Here.  Web page for the event is Here.

There will be lots of sailing action at the regatta and a chance to test the waters for the Laser Oceania and National Championships at the venue 1-8 Januray 2023.

Double Bay Sailing Club’s winter series kicks off on 8 May.

Each week races will count for both a championship and pointscore series. There will be a total of 30 races over 10 weeks to 24 July 2022 (that is, 3 races each Sunday). There will be no racing during the school holidays. (3 Jul, 10 Jul, 17 Jul).

You can subscribe to the calendar on DBSC website. Either sail over or rig at Double Bay, Sign on and off links are on the web site.

Starts will be at 08:30 (weather permitting) and there will be no start after 11:30. For further information, please read the Sailing Instructions.

If you want to improve your sailing over winter then Brett Beyer is offering his Winter Program at DBSC (BBWP) for 6 weeks (18 races) on 8 May, 15 May, 12 Jun, 19 Jun, 26 Jun, 24 Jul.  The cost of the program is $360 for all 6 weeks.

BBWP subscribers will carry a GPS during each race and will later receive a report and animation showing their GPS tracks vs the fleet, together with fleet-level commentary on each leg. Subscribers will also have access to Brett to ask questions on the water (not during the races) and can later ask questions on the weekly report. The terms of the program are available on DBSC website.

If any other clubs have winter racing open to visitors let us know and we will publicise it.

The 2022 South Pacific Laser Masters in on 29 April to 2 May at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Manly.

This is always a great event and sadly missed during COVID.

The event web site with links to enter, and for the Notice of Race is Here.

Lots of sailing action coming up. The Laser District events we have scheduled or are aware of are listed below. If you have local events you would like us to include please let us know.

There is a complete list of events in Australia, Oceania and ILCA World Championships listed on our Events Page Here.

States action from Georges River 2021 – Next season States (Open Youth & Masters) will be at Wangi – Photos by Jon West

EurILCA Chairman Jean-Luc Michon has announced a crowdfunding action to support the 17 ILCA sailors from the ILCA Ukrainian team and their coaches.

Jean-Luc said “The 17 Ukrainian sailors were outside of Ukraine, training or racing, when the war started. They can’t go back home as most of them are from Kiev or Odessa. They are looking desperately for help and support in order to keep sailing and competing.

The money we are collecting will solely go to the ILCA Ukrainian Team to support travelling, training, and racing.”

To get more information and contribute go to the GoFundMe page HERE.

Daniel Costandi & Sylvie Stannage Standard – Radial Winners in Action – Photos by Jon West

The Metropolitan Championships were held at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club over the weekend 5-6 March. There were 52 entries in the three fleets. It was great to see the roll up in the 4.7s.

There was some really close racing in conditions which started NE light and variable on Saturday and finished at 20 knots from the south on Sunday. All six races were completed with minimum use of the black flag by R.O. Andrew McLachlan.

In the 4.7 fleet the heat wins were shared around. In the end the the top two James Hayhoe (RSYS) and Ben Costandi (RSYS/GRSC) were the most consistent and finished in that order one point apart. Close behind was Harriet McLachlan (RSYS/DBSC). Harriet was the first Under 16 and first female. It is good to see a number of our 4.7 sailors entering for the Worlds in Vilamoura, Portugal in August.

In the Radials there was a great battle and close racing between the top four women. The top three finished just two points apart with Sylvie Stannage (HHSC/DBSC) prevailing over Evie Saunders (MYC/DBSC) and Paige Caldecoat (WSC/B16s/NCYC). Evie was first Under 17. The first male was GGM Jeff Loosemore (MHASC/GRSC) who was fourth. Jeff demonstrated the results of heaps of practice in all conditions with a first and second in the final two races when the wind was really up. Brooke Wilson (RSYC/DBSC) was first Under 19.

In the Standards it came down to the last race with Daniel Costandi (GRSC/DBSC/RSYS) winning the race and the series by a point from Alexander Bijkerk (RPAYC/DBSC). Both sailors are up and coming Under 21s. Not far back was local GM sailor Jan Scholten (RPAYC/ASC). Jan’s Laser sailing has been affected by his campaign with fellow Laser sailor Jules Hall in the inaugural double handed division of the Sydney Hobart which they won.

Thanks to RPAYC for their fabulous organisation of this event for us – much appreciated. It is a great club with first class facilities and equipment and great support staff. Thanks also to our RO Andrew McLachlan for giving us another weekend of his busy life.

Thanks to Jon West there are photos from the event which can be viewed and purchased Here.

The division and fleet winners are listed below and the full results are Here.

4.7 action James Hayhoe and Harriet Mc Lachlan – Photos by Jon West

 Final Results

The 2022 Metropolitan Championship is on at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club Pittwater 5-6 March 2022.

The NoR is Here and you can enter for this event Here.

The Sailing Instructions for the event is Here.

This is a great club and always stages terrific events for us.

There is a Competitor Information Guide with location, parking, rigging and club facilities for the event outlined. The Guide is Here.

A reminder if you are bringing a support RIB overnight parking will be available on a first come first serve basis on the northern side of the services wharf. Check the Competitor Guide for more information and contact RPAYC Waterfront Team on 9998 3700 or waterfront@rpayc.com.au to arrange berthing for the weekend.

Jeff Loosemore ILCA 6 GGM and Brett Beyer ILCA 7 GM winners – Jon West Photos

The Australian ILCA Masters was run very successfully between 25-28 February at Westernport Yacht Club in Victoria. There were 106 entries with 31 ILCA 7s sailing in one fleet, 30 ILCA 6 Grand Masters in a fleet and the other ILCA 6 age divisions in a third 45 boat fleet.

The venue Balnarring on Westernport Victoria provided excellent open water and good clean winds. These combined with ocean and wind swells gave some exhilarating rides and fair racing. All ten scheduled races were completed with light breezes on day one followed by six races in 15 to 18 knots on days two and three and around 12 knots for the final two races. Tides were an issue in the second half of the series when they were pushing the fleet over the start line. On the final day the second ILCA 6 fleet managed four general recalls and three black flag starts before the final race got away minus the 25% of the fleet which were black flagged.

The Westernport Yacht Club did a fabulous job both on and off the water. Racing was run like clockwork and the logistics of launch and retrieval of the support boats from Westernport, Sommers and bay side clubs were run with military precision. Catering at the club after racing, the functions and free beer from an event sponsor Bright Brewery were all much appreciated by the sailors.

There was a two day coaching clinic lead by Brody Riley & VLA head coach Rhett Gowans  held before the series. This was fully subscribed and very successful.

The winner of the ILCA 7 fleet was Master Brett Bayer WSC/DBSC. Brett won six races edging out Apprentice Matt Blakey PMYC. Sommers YC Apprentice Sean Bly was third. In the ILCA 6 GM fleet John Jager McCrae YC won by a point from Sandringham sailor James Mitchell with David Early GRSC third.

The full results with age divisions scored separately are Here.

The age division podium places are listed below.

There are great photos by Jon West which you can view and purchase Here.

Rob Lowndes has put together a collection of Laser newsletters “Lasernews” starting with the first in September 1974 through to the last in 2007. This gives a superb account of the history of the class in Australia and especially in the NSW/ACT District.

As a Laser 50^th anniversary project Rob has had the Lasernews scanned and now posted on on this web site Here.  There is some background Here.

Rob has included a handy headline guide for each edition so you can browse though Laser history by subject as well as timeline. In compiling this collection and the guide I suspect that Rob has spent many hours combing the newsletters so, if he wasn’t before, he is by now the foremost source of factual Laser legend in the land.

Thanks to Rob for his work on this project and even greater applause for the authors and editors who compiled the newsletters over the years. Also thanks to Paul and Yoko Hargan who managed to collect and collate these pieces of history.

All you wanted to know about the class its rules and bylaws geography and news in one neat volume. The 2022 ILCA Handbook is now available online on the ILCA web site Here.

There are 10 years of Handbooks also available Here.

.                                                                 The State Masters at Bay Sailing Centre were a blast – well the wind was. Both days, 6 races in 22 gusting to 30 knots kept all the competitors on their toes and often on their centreboards.

There were 130 entries though not all made an appearance. Those that did enjoyed or endured some great sailing – many did both.

On Saturday racing was protracted due to the strong tide pushing the fleet over the line and the anchor on the start boat which would not hold despite having been used before with no problem. There were numerous U and black flag starts in the large Radial fleet of  over 70 boats – many times when the vast majority of the fleet was swept over the line.

On Sunday with a ginormous start boat anchor and the course moved south and less tide everything ran smoothly and RO Andrew McLachlan was a much less troubled  soul.

Needless to say the conditions were quite testing and many decided to take an early mark. Some normal Standard sailors decided to sail Radial which accounted in part for the unexpectedly large Radial fleet. Despite this there was some great racing.

The podium Division and Fleet places for the event are below and the full results are Here.

Thanks to the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club and Sailing Manager Jack Buchan and his enthusiastic Port Stephens volunteers from the Bay Sailing Centre. Also thanks to our RO Andrew McLachlan who combines a busy paid job with being Commodore of Georges River Sailing Club and RO for us and other classes.

Special thanks to all the sailors who came out in great numbers to support the event and sailed their socks off with the aim to take home an acrylic cube. Thanks for following the COVID arrangements we put in place. Great to see turnout from smaller clubs like Northbridge who had 11 sailors and the larger clubs DBSC with 18, MHASC 17,  GRSC 13 and Vaucluse YC 10.

There are some great photos by Jon West which you can purchase from his web site Here. Photos on this post by Jon West.

Radial fleet and Standard rig winner Matt Blakey (above) photos by Jon West

In spite of some rain with the gusty wind a large field of 18 turned out for the annual Laser Masters  Tournament at Nelson Bay.

Convincing winner was team Marty Wilson, Dave Early, Steve McCulloch and Phil Ipsen with a mere 65 hits on the 17 holes.

Other teams:

David Page, Ian Young, Chris Severn 72 hits Greg Annesley, Rob Lowndes, Bruce Hilleard, John  Smidmore 76 hits Murray Stone, Mark Hooper, Tim Neale 77 hits Peter Doyle, Matt Faddy, Per Gustafsson 77 hits.

A fun day.

Laser Masters Golf Teams primed and ready to go.