2019 Spring Laser Sailor

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SPRING 2019 6 continents, 122 countries - the biggest adult and youth racing class in the world


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SPRING 2019


Official publication of the International Laser Class Association North American Region US Postal Service: Please return undeliverables to: ILCA-NA 2812 Canon Street San Diego, CA 92106 USA Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608 Please return undeliverables to: Bleuchip International PO Box 25542 London, ON N6C 6BC

Editors

Sherri Campbell & Jerelyn Biehl ILCA-NA

Officers Andy Roy Chairman 15 Claudette Court Peterborough, ON K9J 7Y7 Canada 705-750-0189 aroy187740@gmail.com Meka Taulbee Vice Chairman Dunedin, FL USA 727-631-7005 meka@sailfit.com Eric Reitinger Treasurer 7908 Normandy Drive Mt Laurel, NJ 08054 609-206-2973 er4599@gmail.com John Long Secretary 4707 Sierra Madre Road Santa Barbara, CA 93110 805-705-1435 jlonginsb@yahoo.com

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District Contacts .....................................................................................................6 President’s Report....................................................................................................8 1977 Laser World Championship.........................................................................10 Remembering Jeff Martin.....................................................................................12 Regatta Reports Florida Masters Week Recap..................................................................14 Master Midwinters West.........................................................................15 Masters California Championship.........................................................16 Regatta Previews Great Lakes Open.....................................................................................13 Atlantic Coast Champs............................................................................18 Canadian Masters.....................................................................................20 Laserpalooza in the Gorge.......................................................................21 Master North Americans.........................................................................22 North Americans.......................................................................................23 Master Atlantic Coast Championship...................................................24 Canadian Championship.........................................................................24 Pacific Coast Championship...................................................................25 Gulf Coast Championship.......................................................................26 CORK - 50th.............................................................................................27 US Master Nationals................................................................................33 Great Lakes Masters................................................................................33 2019 Event Schedule .............................................................................................19 District Reports.......................................................................................................28 Why Join the Laser Class?....................................................................................34 Membership Applications.....................................................................................35 ®

SPRING 2019 6 continents, 122 countries - the biggest adult and youth racing class in the world

Al Clark Member at Large 337 E 6th North Vancouver, BC V7L1P7 604-988-4799 al.clark@shaw.ca Sherri Campbell Executive Secretary 2812 Canon Street San Diego, CA 92106 USA phone: 619-222-0252 fax: 619-222-0528 sherri@odmsail.com

www.Laser.org

Cover photo: Lasers tuning up for the Pacific Coast Championships in Bellingham, Washington. Photo by Mike Powell mikepowellphoto.com

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District 1

Claire Sears 506-650-8821 clairesears1@gmail.com

District 2

Philippe Dormoy, 385 Place Desmarest, Ile Bizard, Quebec, H9C 2G8 514-808-0753 Pdormoy62@gmail.com

District 3

District 9

Peter Bushnell Cazenovia, NY 13035 315-655-4671- peter.bushnell@carrier.utc.com

District 10

Eric Reitinger 7908 Normandy Dr Mt. Laurel NJ 08054 Er4599@gmail.com http://d10.laserforum.org

District 11

Nigel Heath 416-417-0193; nigel_heath@manulife.com D3 website: www.d3laser.com

Jon Deutsch 3422 Blithewood Dr, Richmond VA 23225 804-305-1244, jon@laserdistrict11.org http://www.laserdistrict11.org

District 4

District 12

Shelby Williams Sail Manitoba; 409-145 Pacific Ave. Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2Z6 204-925-5647 sailing-admin@sportmanitoba.ca www.sailmanitoba.com

District 5

Mark Lammens 510 Cynthia St. Saskatoon, SK S7K 7K7 306-975-0833, sasksail@sasktel.net www.sasksail.com

District 6

Dale Stranaghan West Vancouver BC 604-921-7575 x 231 sailingdirector@wvyc.ca www.district6x.ca

District 7

Rob Bowden rbowden707@gmail.com www.d12laserforum.org

District 13

James Liebl gamedayparking@yahoo.com www.laser.org/m/_general/d13.asp

District 14 District 15

Griffin Orr Griffin.orr@me.com https://groups.google.com/ forum/?fromgroups#!forum/txLaser/

District 16

Christine Neville Laserd7@gmail.com

Tim Fitzgerald, 2322 Bromfield Circle Wichita KS 67226, 316-650-3636 TIMFITZ875@gmail.com

District 8

District 18

Wyz Mooney geewyz@gmail.com 516-287-0305 www.LaserD8.org

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John Shockey 216-386-1920 johnrshockey@gmail.com

District 19

Ken Swetka 27022 Koerber St., St Claire Shores, MI 48081 248-635-5363 www.d19laser.org

District 20

Sean Lennon 920-573-1922 spatricklennon11@gmail.com Facebook: Laserd20

District 21

Matthew Thompson D21.sec@gmail.com D21.laserforum.org

District 22

Kurt Hoehne, 524 N 67th St Seattle, WA 98103 206-335-8776 kurthoehne@gmail.com

District 23

Geoff Hurwitch Geoffh437@yahoo.com

District 24

Stephen Aguilar 1809 Brier Way, Carmichael, CA sailsteve55@gmail.com 916-968-3554

District 25

Jorge Suarez, 5 Covina Ave Long Beach, CA 90803 562-260-8116. jorgesuarez0@yahoo.com Groups.yahoo.com/group/nalaserdistrict25

District 26

Guy Fleming, 44-392 Olina St. #6 Kaneohe, HI 96744-2617 808-955-4405, guynsyd@hawaii.rr.com

SPRING 2019


www.Laser.org

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President’s Report BY ANDY ROY The major mid-winter Laser regattas have recently wrapped up and some great competition and sailing conditions took place on both coasts. Here are some figures on total entries (Std, Radial and 4.7 combined): Midwinters East (150); Midwinters West (81); US Nationals in Florida (152); Masters MWE (87); Orange Bowl Youths (130). Results and several regatta write-ups can be found in this issue. In mid-March World Sailing (WS) held the Olympic One Person Dinghy Evaluation Sea Trials, hosted by Real Club Náutico de Valencia, Spain. World Sailing invited Member National Authorities to put forward male sailors with a weight range of 75kg to 90kg and female sailors in the 55kg to 70kg weight range to sail the four different boats (Laser, Devoti, Melges14 and RS Aero). Sailors from nine nations were on hand to test the four boats and rig sizes. ILCA shipped five Lasers to the event (one spare). Interestingly enough, one of the comments from a couple people who witnessed the trials said that it didn’t matter what type of boat or rig size Laser World Champion, Pavlos Kontides, was sailing: he’d win! Tracy Usher and Eric Faust represented the Laser Class Association at the trials, and ILCA also brought in Clive Humphris, ILCA’s Chief Technical Officer. Thanks also to German Laser dealer, Ferdi Ziegelmayer, who provided the boats and equipment, and helped out wherever he could. The other boats were represented by their builders, not a class association. Tracy and Eric were not allowed to talk to the sailors and were provided with minimal feedback from the WS committee. The “sea trials”, however, seemed to go well from Tracy and Eric’s perspective. They presented four reports to the committee: an introduction, a presentation on cost, a presentation on technical aspects and finally one on universality where they drove home that this is what the Laser brings to the table right now and choosing another boat means starting all over with this. A key requirement WS made clear is that the Laser Class must satisfy a requirement called FRAND, or “fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms”. FRAND is a voluntary commitment and agreement between a standard-setting organization and the holder of standard-essential patents; in this case, Laser Performance, as well as PSA (Australia) and PSJ (Japan). The builders will need, in the very near future, to establish an objective set of criteria for allowing new, licensed Laser builders in their respective territories. ILCA have been and will be continuing to strongly encourage the builders to firmly commit to meeting WS’ FRAND requirement. Time is short on this, and if not addressed by the builders the Laser will likely not be selected for the Olympics in 2024. Many class members have likely been hearing about recent new Laser rig developments, both in Australia and the USA. You may have also read a year ending news release from Laser Performance where statements were made regarding the class association. For those who haven’t read ILCA’s releases on these

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issues, please go to: http:// www.laserinternational.org/ blog/2019/01/21/informationfor-ilca-members-about-newrig-development/ ; and, also http://www.laserinternational. org/blog/2019/01/22/ announcement-from-ilca/. The latter release was regarding Laser Performance. Note that LP makes the statement that they were, “suffering from an onslaught of litigation and legal challenges from the International Laser Class Association ….”; and, that this has caused, “a diversion of millions of dollars into legal fees”. These statements are completely false. You may have also read about and seen a recent Laser Performance video on their new “ARC” Laser rig Lasers rigged and ready for Day 1 of the Valencia sea trials

development. Just so that class members are aware, LP provided minimal if any information to ILCA before releasing the video and introducing the rig to the sailing public. At the November 2018 ILCA World Council meeting the LP representative present stated words to the effect that, “Laser Performance has been working on an alternate rig since summer 2018, but that their project has not yet reached the point of being ready for testing”, and that they “hope to be ready by the end of the year”. The rep also stated that “LP wants to be transparent and indicated they will share their results with the World Council after LP reaches a stage where they can register their idea.” Just to clarify for class members, and certainly from what I have seen, LP has not been transparent with this development nor their testing. They have not shared any test results with the ILCA Technical Committee to date. On more fun topics, I’m headed to Cabarete, DR in April with about 10-12 other Master sailors for a week of great sailing at Ari Barshi’s Laser Training Center. Should be a blast! So it’s time to plan and finalize your 2019 summer regatta schedule. Check the www.Laser.org calendar for some great events you might like to attend. Now I think I’ll head outside and chip some ice off my boat and trailer. Time to get your 2019 summer regatta schedule locked down.

SPRING 2019


www.Laser.org

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Laser World Championship - 1977 BY ANDY ROY I did some digging deep into the Laser vault to enjoy a fabulous 20-page article (including numerous cool photos) written by class founder, Ian Bruce, for Yacht Racing magazine and their Feb. 1978 issue on the 3rd Laser World Championships. The event was held in the resort town of Cabo Frio, Brasil, November 1977, which is located about 80 miles up the coast from Rio. The venue provided epic racing conditions for the 104-boat fleet. The only negative was that a number of sailors caught the local “tourista” from the local food/water. This very competitive championships was won by Californian John Bertrand, who also won the 1976 Worlds in Kiel, Germany. John sailed brilliantly and was in tremendous shape for the event. He took the title rather easily by 26 points over runner up, Peter Commette, winner of the first Laser Worlds in Bermuda in 1974. Consistency was the name of the game, as scores of (63), 14, 5, 19, 19, 7, 10 would earn you a 4th overall. Here are some Ian Bruce examines a sailor’s compass & averages mount from the top 10 finishers at the ‘77 Worlds: Age (22.8), Height (6’ 1”), Weight (173 lbs). Note that in the Laser era from the 70’s through to the early 90’s, the optimum sailor weight was about 175 (roughly 10 lbs. less than what we see today). The reason is simple: water bottle and “soaker” weight jackets, which were ultimately banned from sailing in 1993. Looking at these photos I notice two other things that have changed. Some sailors liked to raise their centerboards quite high downwind, and many sailed with a very loose hiking strap compared to today’s Laser sailors. Photo left: Paul Cayard, bottom right at the 1977 Worlds

World Champion John Bertrand

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Passing of ILCA Executive Secretary Emeritus Jeff Martin It is sad to report on the passing of ILCA Executive Secretary Emeritus, Jeff Martin, on 11 January 2019. Jeff died suddenly while on a ski holiday with family and friends. I first met Jeff at the 1979 Laser Worlds in Australia. He was a legend and without a doubt the best race officer I've ever seen. I was proud and fortunate to have presented him with a special inaugural Laser Class Hall of Fame Cube at the 2018 Masters Worlds in Dublin. The Laser Class would not have been the success it's been if not for Jeff Martin. Andy Roy The following was written and delivered at the eulogy by ILCA Vice President, Hugh Leicester, who worked closely with Jeff at many Laser Worlds and Masters World Championships: Let me start with some facts on Jeff''s career. He had been involved in every Laser Standard World Championship since 1974 where he competed. It was after this that ILCA President Tim Coventry persuaded Jeff to take on the class administration starting with organising his first World Championships in 1976, with 24 countries participating. Over the years this grew to reach a peak of sailors from 66 nations competing at Perth, Australia in 2011. The Laser became an Olympic Class in 1996, having previously turned down an earlier opportunity to do so. This took a lot of political manoeuvring over about 3 years. The campaign to become Olympic was headed by Jeff. His vision saw the emergence of the Radial rig for youth and women. Jeff championed this rig within the circles of World Sailing until it was also granted Olympic status in 2008. To create a class that a sailor could compete in for their entire life was fulfilled with the inception of the Laser 4.7. With this family of boats Jeff was able to grow the class to the point that over 215,000 boats have been built. Jeff was also an inaugural inductee into the Laser Class Hall of Fame in September 2018. During his time with the Laser Class Jeff was also deeply involved with World Sailing the sports international governing body. Having first been appointed as an International Race Official in 1981, he then became accredited as an International Judge in November 1981, International Race Officer in November 1998 and International Measurer in November 1998 for the Laser Class. In addition to these accreditations Jeff also served on various committees at World Sailing and held the following positions: 1991 - 1994 Vice Chairman ISAF Classes Committee; 1999 - 2000 Vice Chairman ISAF Classes Committee; 2001 – 2016 Chairman ISAF Classes Committee and Council Representative. As impressive as these facts and figures are they pale in insignificance when you consider who the man Jeff

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Martin was. He was a visionary. It was not only in the development of the Laser Class family of boats, but also in the development of race management practices. When Jeff took over the custody of the class the biggest problem was appalling and completely out of touch race management undertaken by "pensioners in blue blazers". At its worst was the Worlds at Kiel when there were over 10 general recalls on a 30 degree biased line, which was never adjusted, culminating in abandoning of racing for the day by the PRO (who incidentally was an ex German U Boat Captain) who decided the fleet "did not want to race!". That was the point when Jeff decided from there on the Class would always provide our own nominated race committees and our own race management protocols. The impact on this in terms of the platform created for top quality competition was huge for the growth of the Laser worldwide. Jeff's role from there was to progressively lead the development of race management that became the white model for all serious racing. I believe that his contribution in this has never been properly recognised and is an enduring and amazing legacy to the sport we all love. His other vision was for the Laser to be represented regionally in all parts of the world. This came to be over the last two years with the regionalising of Asia as its own separate region and with that region to hold its inaugural Regional Championships in March of this year were Jeff was to be the Principle Race Officer. The final piece of the jigsaw was put in place in January of this year where World Council approved the formation of the African region. Jeff was a leader. No greater evidence of this could be seen than in the race management team he brought together for the 2012 London Olympics. Whilst most teams at Weymouth were club based teams, Jeff’s was not. His was a collection of a few friends from Falmouth, ran-

SPRING 2019


dom English, a collection of unintelligible Scottish from Cumbrae, a brother in law and a token Aussie. But Jeff moulded that team into the best and most efficient team that I have ever worked with. Jeff’s team successfully ran 5 regattas together over a 4 year period, culminating in his appointment as the Course Race Officer for Laser at the Olympics . Testament to the skills of the team Jeff lead was at the Olympic test event where we were appointed to run all medal racing. One of the most memorable occasions in the Olympic Campaign was during the test event when Jeff had to go out with the Regatta PRO on the Laser's day off to watch other race management teams in action, as this PRO had decided that Jeff’s team had taken too long to get racing under way the previous day (just 5 minutes). So off Jeff went to his detention. Most of our team were to meet in the bar that afternoon to greet him, ready to good naturedly give him a ribbing, only to see Jeff come in with an enormous smile across his face and then bursting into laughter as he described the days events of wrong flags being flown and marks drifting away. He said he had had one of his most enjoyable days on the water ever! This was Jeff to

a tee as he always had the ability to find something good out of any situation. Jeff was a race officer many set out to emulate but few will ever equal. He will be missed.

Jeff Martin & Andy Roy at the “Canadian Party” at the 1982 Laser Worlds in Sardinia

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www.Laser.org

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Regatta Reports

Florida Masters Week recap

BY RAY DAVIES Quiz: what do Canadians like as much as hockey and beer during the winter? Well, sailing and beer in Florida, of course! This year the Florida Masters were held from March 8 to 10 at the Palm Beach Sailing Club. The 66 entries (42 Standard and 24 Radials) were greeted with tremendous hospitality and enjoyed 3 days of great ocean sailing in warm conditions. The racing in big waves and equally big current, with winds between 12 and 18 knots, offered challenging conditions throughout the regatta. Ernesto Rodriquez of Miami dominated the Standard rig fleet (as usual) and was presented with the fabled green jacket for his efforts to lead the parade of Lasers around the course. Paul Clifford of Toronto’s Westwood Sailing Club was presented with the green jacket for topping the Radial fleet. The presentation of the green jackets was inspirational, demonstrating the long history of the regatta and the importance of Jack Swenson’s Royal Turkey Yacht Club to Laser master sailors. It also served as a gentle reminder that the Masters golf tourney is only a few weeks away. Stage 2 of the now famous “Florida Masters Week” sailing marathon was held out of the US Sailing Center in Jensen Beach, Martin County from March 12 to 15. Sailors had an optional day off between the two events to make the short trip up the coast or get some additional practice in on the water. The forecast for this regatta didn’t disappoint either, with winds ranging from 10 to 15 knots, albeit in flatter water this time. Scott Ferguson from Newport sailed a very consistent regatta in the 55-boat Standard rig fleet, scoring all top 10 finishes over the 10-race series to take the title. Bob Tan took the win in the 32-boat Radial fleet. Close quarter racing was the order of the 14

day in most races, perhaps in tribute to the Daytona NASCAR scene. Plenty of vocal outbursts could be heard at some of the mark rounding’s, with a few geriatric styled pinwheels to spice up the action. Rubbin’ is racin’, as they say. The RC did a great job, and the hospitality of the volunteers and event coordinators was fantastic, with racers being treated to breakfasts of eggs, pancakes, sausages and free smiles all week. Dinners were absolutely amazing, with salmon, steak, ribs and very fine wine donated once again by San Fran sailor, Emilio Castelli. I actually drank more wine than beer (very unusual for me). Emilio, my taste buds and gut thank you! This was my first Florida Master Midwinters regatta blitz but will certainly not be my last. We had sailors coming from as far away as Australia, Italy, Sweden, and jolly old England for the regattas. A big shout out to Dave Hiebert for organizing the events on behalf of Laser sailors, and to Dynamic Dollies for donating raffle prizes at both regattas, which included new dollies and upgrade kits. For those of you who have not yet experienced these events, make the effort to get down to Florida next year – you’ll love it! It certainly beats March Break at Disney World by a mile and your stories to friends and families will be much better, even if they don’t completely understand Laser sailor speak.

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2019 Laser Masters Midwinters West BY DAVE JURSIK The Laser Masters Midwinters West was hosted by the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club on the weekend of February 16-17. Sailors converged from all areas of the West Coast, from San Diego to Seattle to Phoenix, with one sailor from a part of the country that only ice boats this time of year: Minnesota! Seventeen sailors competed over the twoday event and enjoyed stellar winter sailing conditions. We had everything from a clear day of moderate wind for practice on Friday, with Saturday bringing another clear day but with the wind freshening to 15 mph. Sunday’s racing was in in a full-on westerly blow where most of the fleet switched from full rigs to radials to battle it out with gusts into the mid 20s. On Sunday, this sailor wore everything in his kit bag and as the squall came through that ended the day’s racing after one start, he was glad he did. As is often the case, the race was still on with a screaming reach back into the harbor to end the day. Overall, five races were completed, four on Saturday and one on Sunday. Both days, the courses were set up inside the Long Beach breakwater so the ocean swells were not a factor, but the conditions definitely favored those that could keep their boats going through the chop. There were enough oscillations and differences in waves and current, that picking the right side of the course was a challenge. Back from a long absence on the West Coast Masters circuit, Doug Hart demonstrated that his skills were not as rusty as he claimed, with a pair of bullets and two thirds on ® the first day of racing. Dave LaPier and Mike Bishop, RC Laser® Complete heavy weather specialists from the San Francisco Bay Ready to Sail Radio area, finished the day with 12 and 13 points respectively Controlled Sail Boat followed by Bill Symes, the current Great Grand Master What‘s Included: World Champ, in fourth. After Sunday’s lone race, and the ! ODAY • Hull scoring corrected with master’s handicap points, two of T IT T E G • Standard Mast the fleet’s Medicare recipients captured the top two spots, • Standard Boom 00) Doug Hart taking honors followed by Bill Symes, who • B Sail 350. . G E (R • Radio Equipment won a tie breaker with Mike Bishop. Clearly age before • Keel beauty on this one. • Rudder Thanks go to the race committee and ABYC for hosting • Electronics this event. The beer and the food were great, old acquaintances were renewed and new friendships made. Most of this group packed up Sunday and headed south for the next weekend’s California Masters hosted by Mission Bay Yacht Club (see that report elsewhere in this edition of For more information, Laser Sailor). or to order, please go to: www.intensitysails.com

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Laser Masters’ 2019 California Championship to a top finish after the first day’s 4 races (3,1,1,4). Unfortunately he but was unable to sail the second day due to other commitments. Nineteen sailors from as far away as Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, Utah and Arizona enjoyed two days of racing in 3 to 4 foot Pacific swells and steady winds. While Saturday’s racing started light wind (6 knots), it built up quickly to 12-15 knots for the last 6 races. AS an added bonus, the wind was were north/northwest, which combined nicely with the northwest swell for good downwind sailing. A half dozen of the competitors showed up at Mission Bay the week before the event, and spent the week tuning up and enjoying brisk winds all week. All in all, the only thing missing was Castelli Vineyards wine. We hope to see more Masters enjoying the California sunshine next February.

Photo credit: Frank Burgess, National YC, Dublin, IRL

Photo: 2018 Laser Master Worlds, Dublin, IRL.

For the second year in a row, Great Grand Master Bill Symes (Willamette Sailing Club/Newport Harbor Yacht Club) sailed to the top spot in the 2019 Laser Masters’ California Championship, hosted by Mission Bay Yacht Club in San Diego. (1,2,3,1,1,4) The Great Grand Master won handily, even before handicap points were added to the younger sailors. Rounding out the top five were (2) Frank Hart (Willamette Sailing Club) (3) Martin Bonsager (BYC), (4) Jay Leon (Seattle Yacht Club) and Doug Seeman (Mission Bay Yacht Club/Willamette Sailing Club.) Ken Wild (Mission Bay Yacht Club) claimed the Ancient Mariner’s trophy for the oldest competitor, barely edging out Symes. Dave Leuck (Mission Bay Yacht Club) was awarded a sportsmanship award for reminding a fellow competitor not to forget the offset mark at the first windward rounding. After the first day of racing Dave looked like the only person who could rein in Symes, and Dave was on his way

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SPRING 2019


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Regatta Preview

See NYC from the ACCs

Come sail on the scenic and historic waters of Sandy Hook Bay on May 18th and 19th.in the 2019 Laser Atlantic Coast Championship Regatta (ACCs), hosted by one of the country’s longest-running Laser fleets, Fleet 9 at Monmouth Boat Club in Red Bank, N.J., and sailed out of Sandy Hook Bay Catamaran Club (SHBCC) in nearby Atlantic Highlands. The regatta is open to Laser Standard, Laser Radial and Laser 4.7 classes, and organizers are preparing for a huge turnout at this unique Laser venue.

Scot fleets, holds annual fall and spring Laser regattas and organizes a popular frostbiting series that runs from November through March and pulls sailors from various fleets and clubs across New Jersey. In the frigid winter of 2017-2018, MBC still managed to run 70 Laser races with 23 sailors participating, despite losing several race days to ice. Avid Laser sailors from both MBC and SHBCC have pulled together to organize this spring’s ACCs and plan to make it the biggest N.J. Laser regatta in recent memory.

Sandy Hook is the northernmost point of the Jersey Shore and it encloses the southern entrance of Lower New York Bay, protecting sailors from the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean while still enjoying the legendary sea breezes that prevail along the New Jersey coast in spring and summer. Discovered by Henry Hudson In the early 1600s, Sandy Hook is currently owned and managed by the National Park Service, affording a seven-mile stretch of ocean and Bay beaches, hiking and biking trails, and camping.

While the championship races will be run on Saturday and Sunday, a practice race is available to all on Friday, May 17th. There will also be an opportunity for pre-regatta sailing for those of you who wish to make a vacation out of your trip to the ACCs, including a tune-up regatta the week before and an on-site racing clinic leading up to the event.

New Jersey was an early hotbed of Laser sailing, with the first world champion Peter Commette hailing from Mantoloking YC some 30 miles down the coast and MBC’s Fleet 9 being created in 1976. Great conditions were a big driver for the dinghy’s quick popularity, as the geography and climate of the Jersey Shore make a 15-18 knot southerly sea breeze a regular occurrence on warm, sunny days from April through September. In mid-May, racers should generally expect air temperatures in the mid-60s, water temperatures in the upper 50s and surfable chop in the Bay. Whether it is from your convenient beach launching at SHBCC or from the friendly waters of the Bay, you will enjoy distant views of the New York City skyline and the scenic highlands of New Jersey. The regatta site is highly accessible, within a 90-minute ride of four international airports, EWR, LGA, JFK and PHL, and also close to bus and train connections from New York and Philadelphia. Racers and their families looking for shoreside entertainment before or during the regatta can visit the eclectic shops and restaurants of Red Bank, a 15-minute car ride. Or they can catch a SeaStreak high-speed ferry from Atlantic Highlands, less than a mile from the launch site, for the 50-minute trip to Manhattan and its myriad cultural options.

Logistics: • What: The 2019 Laser ACCs hosted by Monmouth Boat Club, sailed from SHBCC in Sandy Hook Bay. • When: Saturday, May 18th and Sunday, May 19th with an optional practice race on Friday, May 17th. • Where: All regatta activities will be held at SHBCC in Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Racing will be held in Sandy Hook Bay. • Charter Boats: Charter boats are available through Colie Sails in nearby Point Pleasant, N.J. Contact clay@coliesail. com for details. • Regatta Website: Registration and other details can be found at https://monmouthboatclub.org or ‘2019 Laser Atlantic Coast Championship’ on the Regatta Toolbox webpage. • Regatta Facebook Page: https://www.facebook. com/2019LaserACC/ In addition to the practice race on May 17th, there will be two other opportunities for you to sail in the Bay prior to the regatta: 1) Saturday, May 11th: Monmouth Boat Club’s (MBC) Spring Laser Regatta. This is an annual club race typically held on the Navesink River in Red Bank but has been moved to SHBCC for this year only as a tune-up for the ACCs. Open to all who are registered by May 1st. 2) May 15th–16th (Wednesday – Thursday): Pre-regatta coaching and clinic, led by Matt Goetting and Sailorcise info@ sailorcise.com. Pre-registration required. Looking for more information? Contact Laser Fleet 9 Captain Chris Henkel at mbclaserfleet@gmail.com with questions. Hope to see you in Sandy Hook Bay in May.

MBC’s Fleet 9 maintains an active year-round racing schedule at its home base on the Navesink River in Red Bank and its members regularly travel to major Laser events through the summer. The club, which also has large Lightning and Flying

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SPRING 2019


2019 Schedule Regatta World Championship

NA Championship

Standard

Radial

Sakaiminato, JPN July 2-9 U21: Split, CRO Oct 26-Nov 2

Women & Men: Sakaiminato, JPN July 17-24 Youth: Kingston, ON July 24-31

Brant Beach YC

Brant Beach YC

Laser 4.7

Masters

Kingston, ON, CAN Aug 16-23

Port Zelende, NED September 5-15

Brant Beach YC

Eastern YC Marblehead, MA Oct 4-6

Brant Beach, NJ July 18-21

Brant Beach, NJ July 18-21

Brant Beach, NJ July 18-21

Beaconsfield YC Beaconsfield, QC May 31-June 2

Beaconsfield YC Beaconsfield, QC May 31-June 2

Beaconsfield YC Beaconsfield, QC May 31-June 2

US Championships

Lauderdale YC Ft Lauderdale, FL Jan 11-14

Lauderdale YC Ft Lauderdale, FL Jan 11-14

Lauderdale YC Ft Lauderdale, FL Jan 11-14

Monterey Peninsula YC Monterey, CA July 19-21

CORK

Kingston, ON www.cork.org August 16-21

Kingston, ON www.cork.org August 16-21

Kingston, ON www.cork.org August 11-15

na

Midwinters East

Clearwater, FL www.clwyc.org Feb 21-24

Clearwater, FL www.clwyc.org Feb 21-24

Clearwater, FL www.clwyc.org Feb 21-24

USSCMC Jensen Beach, FL Mar 12-15

Midwinters West

California YC Marina del Rey, CA March 22-24

California YC Marina del Rey, CA March 22-24

na

na

Miami World Cup

Miami, FL (men only) www.ussailing.org January 27-Feb 3

Miami, FL (women only) www.ussailing.org January 27-Feb 3

na

na

Atlantic Coast Championships

Monmouth BC/Sandy Hook Bay CC Atlantic Highlands, NJ May 18-19

Monmouth BC/Sandy Hook Bay CC Atlantic Highlands, NJ May 18-19

Monmouth BC/Sandy Hook Bay CC Atlantic Highlands, NJ May 18-19

Severn Sailing Assn Annapolis, MD May 11-12

Pacific Coast Championships

Bellingham YC Bellingham, WA Sept 21-22

Bellingham YC Bellingham, WA Sept 21-22

Bellingham YC Bellingham, WA Sept 21-22

CGRA Cascade Locks,OR Aug 2-4

Gulf Coast Championships

Pass Christian YC Pass Christian, MS Sept 14-15

Pass Christian YC Pass Christian, MS Sept 15-15

Pass Christian YC Pass Christian, MS Sept 14-15

No Coast Championships

CORK Kingston, ON Sept 21-22

CORK Kingston, ON Sept 21-22

CORK Kingston, ON Sept 21-22

Great Lakes Championships

Chicago Corinthian YC Chicago, IL June 29-30

Chicago Corinthian YC Chicago, IL June 29-30

Chicago Corinthian YC Chicago, IL June 29-30

40 GP points

Canadian Championships 30 GP points

30 GP points

30 GP points

30 GP points

30 GP points

25 GP points

25 GP points

25 GP points

25 GP points

25 GP points

www.Laser.org

Royal Lake of the Woods Kenore, ON August 16-18

Thornbury YC Georgian Bay, ON July 13-14

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Laser Canadian Masters

Royal Lake of The Woods Yacht Club [RLOTW] August 16-18. 2019 RLOTW yacht club has graciously agreed to host the 2019 Laser and Laser Radial Canadian Masters Championships, August 16-18, 2019. Competitors will be enamoured by the stunning beauty of Lake of The Woods. The lake borders both Canada and the US, stretches over 70 miles long and contains over 14,000 islands. The northern part of the lake is situated on the Canadian Shield, providing breathtaking vistas, crystal clear fresh water and ample opportunity for sailors to test their skills. RLOTW was established in 1903 and has a deep and rich sailing history. Scows were the foundation of sailing in the 1920’s and that tradition continues to this day with up to twenty scows racing every Sunday in June, July and August. The club has hosted several major sailing events over the years including the Canadian Woman’s Laser Championships, Canadian Opti Championships and most recently Sail West in 2017. Its home to Olympian Sandy Riley, who represented Canada at the 1976 Olympics in the Finn class. The RLOTW Yacht Club will be an event to remember. Their volunteer base is phenomenal, and will no doubt leave all competitors satisfied. They are excellent regatta organizers and exceptional hosts. The club is situated on an island with a stunning clubhouse, ample space to rig your boats and only a short sail to the starting areas.

Although situated on an island, the organizers will make sure someone is on the mainland to transfer you and your boat to the club. Billeting with local club members and cabin owners is another tradition the club is known for. I highly recommend you get in touch with the accommodation chair of the event if you are interested in this option [see: https://rlotw.ca/abou-us]. The three-day event will no doubt provide excellent racing opportunities. You won’t regret making this event part of your 2019 masters race schedule. See you all there

2019 NA Masters Regatta Schedule MWE Masters Great Lake Masters US Masters PCC Masters CAN Masters World Masters NA Masters 20

March 12-15 July 13-14 July 19-21 Aug 2-4 Aug 16-18 Sept 5-15 Oct 4-6

USSCMC Thornbury YC Monterey Peninsula YC CGRA Royal Lake of the Woods Eastern YC

Jensen Beach, FL Georgian Bay, ON Monterey, CA Cascade Locks, OR Kenore, Ontario Port Zelende, NED Marblehead, MA SPRING 2019


2019 Laserpalooza in the Gorge! The Laser Masters Pacific Coast Championship returns to the beautiful Columbia River Gorge this summer, hosted by the Columbia Gorge Racing Association August 3-4. Laser geezers from around the country will be winging their way north and west to Cascade Locks, Oregon, lured by the promise of yee-hah sailing in one of the continent’s most spectacular big breeze venues. But wait, there’s more! CGRA is again teaming up with the International Sailing Academy and 13-time Laser Masters World Champion Brett Beyer to offer two high performance training clinics prior to the regatta. Early birds can catch the first session July 2225, leading into the infamous Laser Gorge Blowout (18-mile downwinder to Hood River) on July 26 and the Laser District 22 Champs, also hosted by CGRA, July 27-28. Session 2 runs July 29-Aug. 1, serving as a perfect warm-up for the Masters PCCs the following weekend. That’s right: two solid weeks of champagne sailing, world-class coaching, and kick-ass competition. If you’ve been waiting for the opportunity to take your Laser sailing to the next level, this is it. www.Laser.org

Cascade Locks sits in the middle of the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, approximately 40 minutes east of Portland International Airport and 20 minutes west of the windsurfing Mecca of Hood River. Lodging options are plentiful, ranging from budget campsites to four-star resorts. And there’s no lack of things to do after sailing. You’re just a short drive from historic Bonneville Dam and fish hatchery, the famous waterfalls and hiking trails of the western Gorge, and dozens of tempting wineries, brew pubs, shops, and restaurants. Recreational options include white-water rafting, mountain biking, sail and kite boarding, and year-round skiing on the slopes of Mt. Hood. We even have our own historic sternwheeler, the Columbia Gorge, departing daily from the Marine Park for tours of the river. Registration for the 2019 Laser Masters PCCs, D-22 Champs, and ISA Clinics is now posted at www.cgra. org. Charters can be arranged through Chris Brown at westcoastsailing.net. For more information, contact Regatta Chairman Bill Symes at bill@cgra.org. Looking forward to seeing you on the river this summer!

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Laser Masters North Americans Eastern Yacht Club, Marblehead, MA October 4-6, 2019 On the heals vastly successful of the 2016 Laser Masters Na�onals and the 2018 J/70 Worlds, the Eastern Yacht Club will be hos�ng the 2019 Laser Masters North American Championships. The Eastern has a long history of one design racing and has been a strong supporter of the Laser Class. Regatta-Follows ILCA Masters Guidelines in regards to fleets. Beach and ramp launching Racing Area-The Atlan�c Ocean off of Marblehead, MA

Housing-There are great places to stay in historical Marblehead, including the Eastern, Boston and Corinthian Yacht Clubs. Contact the Clubs directly to inquire on rooms. They are first come and will fill up by summer! Some housing will be in our fleet’s member’s homes. TomDailey15@gmail.com To Do-Historical Spooky Salem (25 min bike), Glouster, Boston, Race Commi�ee NOR/Registration-Stay tuned to ILCA.org Questions-Patrick Andreasen andreasensail@gmail.com or Kathyandreasen@gmail.com

Tune Up Races at EYC -NOOD/MA State Champs, Eastern YC July 27-28. Sailingworld.com -Ponce de Leon. Eastern YC Sept 15 -Sunday Spring/Fall Frostbite. Tomdailey15@gmail.com, -Tuesday Summer Series. Patrick andreasensail@gmail. com

NORTH AMERICA’S

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HP004

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w w w. sa i l e q ui p m ent.co m .a u

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HP006

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HP005

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HP007

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SPRING 2019


NORTH AMERICAN LASER CLASS ASSOCIATION

Colie Sails North American Championship

BRANT BEACH YACHT CLUB/ BRANT BEACH SAILING FOUNDATION, BRANT BEACH, NEW JERSEY July 18-21 2019 The Brant Beach Yacht Club and Brant Beach Sailing Foundation are excited to host this prestigious regatta. Lasers have an extensive history with Brant Beach. For those of you with long memories, we hosted the very first US National Championship in 1972. In the past 18 years we have hosted the 2000 Laser Radial Nationals, 2002 and 2011 Laser North Americans, 2009 Laser Nationals, 2012 US Laser Masters Nationals, 2005 and 2008 Atlantic Coast Championships, 2015 Laser Nationals, 2015 Laser Master’s Atlantic Coast Championships and the 2018 Laser Master’s Nationals. There were 276 registrants at the Nationals in 2009. This year’s NAs will be the first using our newly renovated and expanded South Harbor Facility. See the artist concept photo. We have been planning the NAs for over a year. The NOR will be posted on Regatta Toolbox. You can find it via the Laser Class page, www.bbyc.net, or by directly going to Regatta Toolbox. Our Naming Sponsor is Colie Sails. Early arrivers are welcome a few days earlier. Wednesday 17 July is the primary day for check in. Late arrivers can also check in Thursday morning. We race Thursday through Sunday 18-21 July. Please remember for this event you need National Letters on your sail. Our venue is located on a Jersey Shore Barrier Island. Long Beach Island is several miles offshore and protects the wide extent of Little Egg Harbor Bay. Our summer winds are generally moderate with lighter breezes in the morning hardening to a brisk 12-18 knot sea breeze in the afternoon. The water temperature of the bay is normally in the high 70’s to mid 80’s. The race course is in the middle of the bay with very little power boat traffic. The tidal range is 2.5 feet. The current from the tide flows pretty evenly across the course with a maximum of 1 knot. The incoming tide flows north while the outgoing tide flows south. Below is a chart view of the course. Our course depth is actually deeper that the chart indicates. Weather is constantly monitored both from ashore and by RC boats. Since our summer thunderstorms approach from the west if one approaches the sail back to the club is downwind. During your participation competitors will get four days

www.Laser.org

Brant Beach Yacht Club Regatta Information Trailer Parking Here on other side of Long Beach Blvd. between 60th and 64th only. Not in front of any business under any circumstances. West Side Only NOT, This Side Near Businesses Yes, This Side

Long Beach Blvd

In This Lot: No Trailers or Car Parking

No parking trailers in front of the “2 Hour” and Handicap parking on West Side Here

Parking on Both Sides of Streets Between 59th and 65th and Not in Front of Driveways. 6 6 3 2 S South Harbor S T Facility: T Main Club Registration Here House Parking on Angle on West Side of Bayview Ave Only

No

Parking

 Bayview Ave

-> Tent

Center Beach NO BOATS HERE

Toilets

“South Beach” Boats Go Here

Toilets

Davit

North Beach NO BOATS HERE A-Dock No Parking on 59Th

( if there is one)

Boat Ramp

Raft Coach Boats

To Race Course Raft Coach Boats

B-Dock C-Dock

D-Dock

of full breakfasts and on the water snacks, fruit, and water each race day, Thursday Dinner, Soda and beer after Friday through Sunday races , Pizza or BBQ Sunday, Trophies, and a regatta shirt. Coaches, Parents, Supporters may purchase a meal ticket. Our club property spans approximately 7 blocks of bay front, along 59th street wrapping around to the south down to 65th street. Entrance to the property will be at the bay end of 62nd street. We plan on using the southernmost 4 blocks for boat launching and storage. The beach launching shown in the picture will be reserved for our Junior Sailing Program which runs concurrently with the regatta. All boats can be dolly launched from our beaches. Support boats can be launched at our ramp or via one of our 2 ton hoists. Support boats will be able to raft up in and around our 4 piers. Storage for travel trailers is only a block from club property. The overhead diagram below gives you a good idea of our club’s layout. Please go to our club website www.bbyc.net and click “Regatta” on the top bar. From there you can find the link to the NOR and Regatta Toolbox for registration. On the right side of our regatta web page you’ll find menu with items like Weather Conditions, Facilities, Sailing Area, and our Webcam. If you click on Previous Results, our archive goes back 15 years. You should be able to find friends who have sailed with us before. Since Long Beach Island is a very popular vacation destination please make your lodging plans quickly. The NOR and our www.bbyc.net website can help. Again, the Brant Beach Yacht Club and Brant Beach Sailing Foundation look forward to seeing you in July. We’d love to break our record of 276 sailors. Our office email is office@bbyc.net. Office Phone number is 609-494-4485 Regatta Chair is Dori Jo Gugliemini. Her Email tomba1@ comcast.net

23


Master Atlantic Coast Championship May 11-12, 2019 Severn Sailing Association Annapolis, MD

The Laser fleet at Severn Sailing Association is looking forward to hosting our friends old and new for the Laser Masters Atlantic Coast Championship on May 11-12. Since 1954, Severn Sailing Association has been dedicated to promoting one-design sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. Located directly across the creek from the U.S. Naval Academy, SSA provides a great location for enjoying all that Historic Annapolis has to offer. If you have never been to SSA, or haven’t visited in a while, you will really enjoy our renovated clubhouse with an expanded deck offering the best views of the city and our quaint harbor. Sailors from up and down the East Coast will have fun on and off the water. And we’ve heard rumors of sailors coming from across the country and perhaps even outside the United States—making it a must-do on your spring regatta list! The racing area is the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River. Sailing conditions in May are generally great with warming spring air temperatures and cool water (generally at or above 60 degrees). Scenic and historic downtown Annapolis is within walking distance of the club, and offers a diverse selection of restaurants and music venues. If you want to bring spouses, children or friends, there is plenty for them to do while you are racing. Both Eastport, the area where SSA is located, and downtown Annapolis/Main Street areas have shopping, historic home tours, boat, paddleboard, and kayak rentals. There are also several parks and other outdoor spaces to enjoy as well as visiting the United States Naval Academy. Annapolis even has a winery! For help planning your trip, check out https://visitannapolis.org/ Regatta website and registration is available at Regatta Network. http://www.regattanetwork.com/ event/18437#_home 24

Registration fee includes two days of racing, Saturday and Sunday breakfast, barbeque dinner on Saturday evening, a reusable water bottle and a regatta hat! We will also have many great raffle prizes to giveaway! There are many hotels and Airbnb rentals in Annapolis. The contact information for our housing coordinator, as well as a list of hotels, is available in the Notice of Race on the registration website. We are looking forward to seeing you in Annapolis!

SPRING 2019


2019 Laser PCCs Get those schedules out and pen in September 21st and 22nd for the 2019 Laser Pacific Coast Championships on the turbulent waters of Bellingham Bay. The Bellingham Yacht Club, a club with experience putting on National Championship level events, is busy planning a 2 day event with fantastic racing, fabulous food and a crazy party or 2. You do not want to miss it this year. Bellingham is 45 minutes south of Vancouver BC, and 90 minutes North of Seattle. It is in the shadow of Mount Baker and offers many an opportunity for good times with the friendly locals. We will send out more information as the event draws near, http://byc.org/. Please make your travel plans now. If you have any questions or need some help, don’t hesitate to contact me. We hope to see you in Bellingham in September!

www.Laser.org

Regatta chair - Mike Poulos - byclaserfleet@ protonmail.com Photos by Mike Powell

25


Gulf Coast Championship September 14-15 Pass Christian Yacht Club

Pass Christian Yacht Club, “the birthplace of yachting in the South” is excited to host the 2019 Laser Gulf Coast Championship on Sept.14-15. PCYC is located on the Mississippi Sound in Pass Christian, Mississippi. This regatta will be a great warm-up event for high school and college sailors around the country gearing up for their respective Cressy Qualifiers. The closest airport is in Gulfport, MS approximately 20 minutes from the club, while the New Orleans airport is about 1 hour and 10 minutes away. There are plenty of VRBOs in the Pass Christian area. We have several cute little shops and restaurants as well as two hotels all within walking distance to the club - Hotel Pass Christian, 116 W Scenic Dr. & Hotel Whiskey, 115 Davis Ave. This particular weekend is also “Second Saturday in the Bay”. Bay St. Louis is located across the St. Louis Bay bridge about 10 minutes from PCYC. The downtown shops stay open late while serving wine and hors d’oeuvres with plenty of restaurant choices. There are also several barrier islands off the coast of Mississippi, most notable is Ship Island. Family members can take the Ship Island Ferry and tour Ft. Massachusetts, built after the war of 1812. Y’all come on down to PCYC for some great sailing and Southern Hospitality! Pass Christian Yacht Club 120 Market St. Pass Christian, MS 39571 (228) 452-2571

Arrive at your next regatta in style with a Dynamic Dolly-Trailer Combo System!

Regatta Co-Chairs Laura Burns Patrick Burns 504-723-6249 504-237-1918

www.dynamicdollies.com

26

SPRING 2019


Celebrating 50 years of CORK regattas! CORK -Canadian Olympic training Regatta Kingston was established in 1969 by a group of enthusiastic sailors. This volunteer team all agreed that Kingston offered fantastic fresh-water sailing, exceptional wind and wave conditions, race courses close to shore, knowledgeable officials and volunteers and a welcoming and vibrant city. In short, Kingston was ideal for hosting large sailing regattas. CORK emerged as an established event on the international regatta circuit. Excellent training opportunities became a priority for athletes, coaches and volunteers. This experience and expertise made CORK the preferred choice as the sailing venue for the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Annual events have continued ever since. CORK attracts participants of all ages from across the country and around the world from June through September. Each year more than 1000 boats compete. CORK has hosted 43 World Championships to date, and as many as double that number of North American and Canadian Championships. Highlights include: •

1976 Montreal Olympics

1980 Laser World Championships

2007 ISAF Youth World Sailing Championships

2015 Laser Senior World Championships, the Laser Master World Championships and the Laser Radial Youth Championships.

Five fantastic events for the Laser class at CORK/Sail Kingston this summer! July 24-31 2019 ILCA Laser Radial Youth World Championships August 12-16 CORK International Regatta Sail Canada Youth Championship August 16-23 2019 ILCA Laser 4.7 Youth World Championships August 16-20 CORK Olympic Classes Regatta Sail Canada Senior Championships September 20-22 CORK Fall Regatta

www.Laser.org

2019 will be an exceptional year for CORK/Sail Kingston and the sailing community. The City of Kingston and Portsmouth Olympic Harbour will once again be filled with athletes from around the world as CORK celebrates its 50th! “The International Laser Class Association is excited about returning to Kingston in 2019. With two major youth World Championships on tap next summer, you will be seeing the future of sailing. CORK has previously hosted several World Championships for the Laser Class, most recently in 2015, and we know they can be counted on to put together a well organized event both on the water and on shore. Kingston is a welcoming city and we look forward to a friendly reception for the sailors who will be coming from around the world to crown new champions.” Randolph Bertin, International Laser Class Association The first event is the largest Canadian youth event of the summer! CORK International Regatta August 12-16th. This open event is a wonderful opportunity to experience large fleet racing for both the Laser 4.7 and the U19 Laser Radial. All countries are invited and encouraged to participate! We are excited to announce that the Sail Canada Youth Championships are returning to CORK in 2019 as part of CORK International. This annual event brings together the country’s top competitive youth sailors. The purpose of the championship is to provide development opportunities for youth sailors through training & racing experiences, award the Canadian Youth National Champions, and train and develop officials. It also serves as a great talent identification opportunity for Canadian national and provincial team coaches. Next up, is the CORK Olympic Classes Regatta this is an open event and includes the Sail Canada Senior Championships August 16-20th. This elite event attracts the top Canadian sailing team athletes and Canadian Development squad members. CORK OCR is a 30 point event in the North American Grand Prix ranking and a World Sailing 100 point event for both the Laser Standard and the Laser Radial women. The final event of the season is the CORK Fall Regatta running September 20-22th. This event is the No Coast Championships for Laser Standard, Radial and 4.7. The Fall Regatta is a 25 point event in the North American Grand Prix ranking and World Sailing 50 point event for both the Laser Standard and Laser Radial women. Registration is now open for all events for both athletes and volunteers. Full dates and details at www.cork.org

27


District Reports District 2 Quebec, Canada Philippe Dormoy Bonjour everyone,

Winter is still there very present, but we are looking for a busy Spring time! Our Laser’s are starting to feel the time they will back to the playing ground!

District 5 Mark Lammens Saskatchewan

WinterSailing@Seawanhaka.org. For additional D8 events, go to the D8 website, http://www.laserd8.org/. We are in the process of updating the D8 2019 schedule; if you have events you would like to add, please email Wyz Mooney at geewyz@gmail.com.

District 9 Peter Bushnell Upstate New York

The Dick Degner scoring events for 2019 are Icebreaker at Calgary YC on June 1/2, The Saskatchewan Championships, June 29-30 at Saskatoon SC, Sail West at Kelowna Yacht Club July 4-7, the Western Masters/Prairie Wind at Newell, July 13-14 and the District 5/Short Course at Saskatoon SC, August 24-25. Best 3 results are used for final score. The Dick Degner winner is the sailor in Laser, Master and Female Radial. Scoring is based on who has finished ahead of the most sailors overall. The Canadian Masters are at the notorious Royal Lake of the Woods August 16-18. They hosted a very successful Sail West during the Canada Games year, 2017. The District 5 championships are the 36th annual; last year’s winner was Mike Hopper. He also won it back in 1997, 21 years of excellence. Sail West will also have a training camp. This is a great opportunity for all skill levels to get excellent instruction and then some competition.

Plans are now in place for the sailing season with a fantastic set of regattas across the region. Thanks so much to everyone involved in planning and hosting this year. The Grand Prix will be held at Rochester YC as a one-day regatta with the aim for increased participation. Thanks very much to Liam Faudree and RYC; this will no doubt be an excellent event. I also want to thank Sodus Bay JSSA and Rochester YC for their continuing drive to support junior sailing in the region. Here’s the full regatta plan for the district. Please note that two of the regattas are on Sundays. Check out the ILCA-NA D9 website for details and postings in the unlikely event of a change in plans. Photo of Aaron Holland sailing at the 2018 Saratoga Derby Regatta (photo by Paul Waterfield). Aaron was the 2018 district champion at Seneca YC. Looking forward to seeing you on the water ~~~/)/)~/)~~ LASER DISTRICT 9 – 2019 REGATTA PLAN May 26 (Sunday), Ithaca YC, Wine Keg Regatta June 1, Saratoga Sailing Club, Saratoga Derby June 15, Newport YC, Rochester July 13-14, Centrals on Sodus, Sodus Bay Jr Sailing Association July 20, Seneca YC, Doug Wisor Memorial Regatta, Geneva July 27, Thousand Island Park Yacht Club August 3-3, Junior Olympics, RYC, Rochester August 10, District 9 Grand Prix Championship, RYC, Rochester Sept 7, Death Roll Regatta, Willow Bank YC, Cazenovia Sept 14, Otsego Sailing Club, Glimmerglass Regatta, Cooperstown Oct 6 (Sunday), Henderson Harbor YC

District 7 Scott Pakenham, Christine Neville, Chris Bollinger New England This year is a big one for District 2 once again: The 2019 Laser open Canadian will be held at the Beaconsfield Yacht Club. The dates are May 31st, June 1thand 2th. We are looking for 80 to 100 boats participation and all the BYC people are getting ready for this event. The Yacht club is 20 minutes from Montreal. Lake St.Louis is a large lake with good wind in Spring and NO WEED. There is plenty of accommodation close to the club. There will be onsite lodging on some of boat’s members and also members home place. Check the site regularly for details The Beaconsfield Yacht Club is a very nice place and they are used to organize large events like this one. The club has a nice sailing tradition double with a very relax atmosphere. Preparation is ongoing and everything looks good for a very nice regatta. One of Montreal local micro brewery will offer a Keg per day!! Do not check the site for details! We need two thinks at that time: YOUR PARTICIPATION AND

There was a rumble, a banging of fists, hands and tillers on the decks as 82 year old Peter Seidenberg crossed the finish line of the 10th and final race of the Masters Midwinters. Why? Perhaps because he was in the lead and winning the race! Once again District 7 packs the fleets in both Radial and Full rig divisions of Florida Masters week. David Frazier, Hank Thorburn, Britt Hughes, Scott Fergusen, Peter Shope, Frank Henessey, Steve Kozacs, Cristine Neville, Mark Bear, James Jacob, Will Donaldson, Scott Pakenham and more traveled the long road to Palm Beach Sailing Club and The US Sailing Center of Martin County for 7 full days of Laser racing. The later dates in March kept the wind and temperature in excellent conditions for the close to 90 racers! A fun time was had by all. As the weather is warming and the sun is shining Lasers are starting to come back to life, Marblehead, Cottage Park, Cedar Point are all getting back into the swing of Spring in their series’. Meanwhile Newports’ 413 and Bristol YC’s season is still pushing strong with many sailable days left before the Spring kickoff regatta, Pete Milnes Trophy hosted by 413. The District 7 blogspot website has tons of regatta postings. Check it out. http://laserdistrict7.blogspot.com/p/ calendar.html What it won’t tell you is that the June 8-9 Wickford Regatta is an awesome venue with exceptional hosts. It also won’t tell you which multiday regatta is best, Newport, Hyannis, Marblehead, Buzzards Bay, so we should just do them all and compare. If you’re a Master plan on sailing Buzzards Bay and the Marblehead Masters Nationals. If you’re a Junior plan on sailing the New Bedford Jr Regatta. Wondering what Newport is like? Check out 413’s Fleet Captain Scott Pakenham on a podcast. Around the Buoy is based out of Bristol Rhode Island and hosted by two guys who could not believe the passion that we have for our Lasers. Check it out on Aroundthebuoy.com and wherever you get your podcast. See you on the water!!!!

SAIL WITH INTENSITY

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COMMITMENT TO COME AT THE REGATTA We already ordered the wind! We look forward for a strong fleet and also participation form Masters sailors Stay tune and register on yachtscoring. https://yachtscoring.com Have a wonderful Spring and good sailing

District 8 Wyz Mooney New York The winter sailing series at Seawanhaka Yacht Club in Oyster Bay has seen some strange weather this year. Most Sundays have favored the light-air sailors and taxed the race committee with winds hovering between 4-6 knots. To date, however, we have managed to run 77 races and usually have an about 12 sailors who are willing to brave the cold and challenging conditions. We are approaching the end of the winter season but want to encourage all Laser sailors to come sail in the D8 Spring Fling which is being held on Saturday, April 6, 2019. 10oo hours registration; 1100 competitors’ meeting; 1200 first gun. For further registration information, contact the chair of Winter Sailing, David Kruse at

28

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SPRING 2019


District 10 Eric Reitinger Er4599@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/ groups/1384665518239646/ Cooper River’s Frostbite series turned out to be one of the lighter series on record. We had cancelations and postponements moving the series to end in the middle of December as opposed to the usual early December. We even had a rare time where the dam wasn’t opened early enough to drain out all the rain from the previous night that caused massive flooding out into the parking lot. We couldn’t see the bulkhead to launch the boats but were able to make it happen. As we saw the lowest part of the tide, the water was coming up with the dam still open, bring the water level back up to where it was when we first arrived during the day. In the end, we had four race days and John MacCauland won the full rigs with Jim Irwin in second and Dave Breder third. In the radials, Jacob McAllister won the series with Kelly McMurray in second. We thank Jim Greenfield for his years of providing RC and look forward to someone to step up to continue the series. Monmouth runs their series in November and runs until just before Christmas and then starting back up once the river thaws. They had over thirty different boats race in six race days running over thirty three races. Top three for the fall series was Chris Henkel, Patrick Modin and Lary Nociolo. They ran a New Year’s Day regatta with seven boats and seven races with Matt Goetting winning the day. Their winter series is still ongoing and should finish up at the end of March. Juniors would bypass their Christmas celebrations at home and make the trek down to Coral Reef Yacht Club for the annual Orange Bowl. Laser 4.7 7th Ryan Ehnot Laser Radial Gold 50 boats 8th Carrter Pearce 21st Michael Pinto Silver (overall includes Gold fleet) 53rd Laurel Ehnot 64th Patrick Modin Clearwater Yacht Club hosted Laser Midwinter’s East. Laser 4.7 3rd Ryan Ehnot Laser Standard 14th Carrter Pearce 15th Peter Hurley 24th Andy Widmeier Laser Radial Gold 25th Michael Pinto 42nd Laurel Ehnot Silver 15th Patrick Modin 27th Dixon Pearce Just as I submit this the Masters Midwinter circuit is ending. The Florida Masters Championship was first at Palm Beach Sailing Club. I’m showing overall places since it’s not easy to break them down by group. Laser Standard 25th Don Hahl Laser Radial With a day off to move over to the US Sailing Center at Martin County the sailors regrouped for the Masters Midwinters Laser Standard 37th Don Hahl Laser Radial 14th Dixon Pearce 17th Newt Wattis 24th Jim Irwin We move into the schedule which we have 2 major events this year, ACCs and North Americans. April 13 Philadelphia Laser Championships @ Marsh Creek SC May 4 Shrewsbury Spring Regatta @ Shrewsbury Sailing and Yacht Club May 11 Monmouth Spring Regatta @ Sandy Hook Bay and Catamaran Club May 18-19 ACCs @ Sandy Hook Bay and Catamaran Club May 25 Plank Regatta @ Shore Acres YC June 1 Orange Coffee Pot @ Surf City YC June 22-23 Laser District 10s @ Corinthian Yacht Club of Cape May June 27 Feed the Need Jr. Regatta @ Pine Beach YC June 28 Jr. Commodore’s Regatta @ Surf City YC July 11 Iron Man Jr Boys Regatta @ Shore Acres YC July 12 Powder Puff Jr Girls Regatta @ Metedeconk, YC July 18-21 Laser NAs @ Brant Beach YC July 29 Laser Jr. Team Race @ Lavalette YC August 2 Summer Sailing Class Jr Regatta @ Ocean Gate YC October 12 Fall Laser Regatta @ Marsh Creek SC

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races, the top 5 was decided at the final leeward mark rounding! Keys for Sunday were (a) good starts, which was tough since the wind was shifting back and forth suddenly and significantly all day, and (b) staying in phase on the upwind legs.

As always follow the Facebook group for the most up to date information and send me an email if you wish to be included in the District 10 email distribution.

District 11 Jon Deutsch Virginia D11 is ready for another summer of sailing in 2019 after a busy winter frostbite season. The 2019 Calendar is now out on the website – www.laserdistrict11.org and has events across Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC for juniors, masters and everyone in between. A couple highlights: SSA will be starting the Season with the Sunshine Open on April 27-28. That will be followed up 2 weeks later at SSA with the Masters Atlantic Coast Championship May 11-12. District 10 will be hosting the Atlantic Coast Championship the following weekend in Atlantic Heights NJ. FBYC, SSA all have their spring, summer and fall series events on the calendar. West River has added a couple events including the Dave Irey Regatta June 1-2. FBYC’s Chesapeake Laser Masters Regatta will be October 12-13 in Deltaville VA. The District 11 Championship will again be held in conjunction with the Crab Claw Regatta at Severn Sailing Association September 14-15. Thanks to SSA for hosting this again – and if fleet wants to put their name in the hat to host next year – I know the SSA folks would be keen to come visit. D11 masters sailors have been busy sailing in Florida in March with at least 16 sailors participating in at least one event. Bob Tan (SSA) was the overall winner of the Radial Division at Masters Midwinters. He was followed closely in 2nd by David Waiting (SSA). SSA and PRSA have had a very active Frostbiting season with the final weeks coming up as this was going to print. Look for final results and series winters in the next edition of the Laser Sailor. PRSA’s Hangover Regatta on January 1st was canceled due to gale warnings and unsafe sailing conditions. We’re looking forward to another great year in D11. Visit our website on www. laserdistrict11.org and join our email list and follow us on Facebook!

On the topic of staying in phase, this was my first regatta using the newly legal digital compass from Nautalitics. For me, having never raced with a compass, it took some getting used to. But by the second and third races on Sunday I was comfortable with my heading ranges on each tack and it was easy to make decisions using the data. I felt more in phase this regatta than any previous event! Perhaps the biggest difference for me was getting immediately in phase right after the start and right after rounding the leeward mark. It made a huge difference! For all the gear junkies out there, it’s worth a shot. The screen is easy to read while hiked out and very sensitive to subtle changes in direction. And the countdown timer works great too. Only drawback to me after one regatta was the 3M velcro adhesive started peeling up a little by the end of the event. Jury is still out on whether that’s a good long term method of attachment.

As this was our last event of 2018, we had our annual meeting on Sunday morning before racing. Here are the two big highlights:

For scheduling purposes, going forward we adopted a 3 tier method for handling the rotation among venues. Tier 1 venues are ones we want to have every single year. Tier 2 are venues we want to have most years, but will rotate away from perhaps every 3-4 years. Tier 3 are venues we want to include occasionally, perhaps once every 3-4 years. Added to this conceptual framework will be significant consideration to the SAYRA Jr schedule. This worked very well this year and the feedback from the juniors and their parents is that aligning some of our D12 events with the SAYRA Jr schedule helps tremendously with participation. In order to accomplish this,

District 12 Rob Bowden Carolinas, Georgia Our last regatta of the 2018 season was the 59th annual Midlands Regatta. We assembled a fleet of 11 fulls, 3 radials, and 3 4.7’s competing in characteristic Fall lake conditions.

Saturday was extremely light but we managed to get off one race. The key on Saturday seemed to be connecting the dots between tiny puffs and gradually making your way around the course, taking a second every now and then to wave at the drone flying overhead taking video! The drinks and bbq on Saturday night made up for a less than ideal day of racing.

Sunday was a GREAT day of sailing. We had three excellent races in moderate, shifty breeze with tight competition. In one or two of the

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the final 2019 schedule will not come out until after the SAYRA annual meeting in January. Stay tuned!

D12 Leadership was discussed. Our plan is to adopt a permanent Co-Secretary set up where each district secretary serves a two-year term, and these are staggered to increase continuity. For next year, Rob Bowden will continue in his role as Co-Secretary. I am at the end of two years as secretary. Raymond Flynn has come on board as our other Co-Secretary for 2019/2020.

The following District 12 Championship Series awards were presented:

Overall Champion – Stanley Hassinger, Radial Champion – Danny Diederich, 4.7 Champion – Garner Mobley, Overall Master’s Champion – Stanley Hassinger, Top Apprentice Master – Stanley Hassinger, Top Master – Rob Bowden, Top Grand Master – Robert Key, Top Great Grand Master – Finn Hassing

Combining all three fleets, we had 93 sailors compete this year. That’s incredible! Unfortunately, of these 93 sailors a total of just 14 qualified for season ending standings by competing in at least 3 events. We all need to do a better job encouraging folks to get out and sail in 3 or more events!

Welcome to 2019! We have a great year ahead. Frostbiting has been if full swing at several clubs. JIYC-Charleston, Raleigh Fleet, CSC-Columbia and CYC-NC- Wrightsville Beach. Due to last year’s success we will continue to piggy back onto SAYRA Jr Championship events. This year we’ve added another event so 4 of the D12 events will also be SAYRA Jr events. This gives the junior sailors a better opportunity to qualify not only for the SAYRA Championship series, but also the D12 Championship series! In 2019 we will have our first “Triple Crown” event! The August CYC-NC Open will not only be a SAYRA event and a D12 event, but it will also be the D12 Grand Prix event! Junior sailors could get a podium finish for 3 events in one! A new event for us this year will be the Governor’s Cup on Kerr Lake, NC. This is our official “Nod” to the hard work of the Raleigh fleet. These folks brought about 10 boats to the CYC-NC open last year and some of their members traveled to multiple events. This year we are rewarding their perseverance! This event will be a bit of a “throwback” event as Kerr Lake is not developed. There are no hotels nearby so bring your tent, your gas stove and sailing stories for the campfire! See below for the NOR with link info to the campground. I’ve got a case of beer for the sailor who races using one of the early 80’s “Sunset” full rig sails. LNYC will also be back on the schedule. They lobbied hard to have us back. Being awarded a SAYRA Jr Champs designation for their April Hospice Regatta is the perfect time to return to LNYC and kick off our season! Bring your tents for this one too folks! Early June, July and August will be our Saltwater Series with Savannah, the two Charleston events and CYC-NC. Per tradition we’ll finish the year at the Midlands in Columbia on the first weekend of November. Yes, you guessed it...Bring your tents! With all the camping the 2019 D12 should be very friendly on the travel budget! Here’s the full D12 2019 schedule. If you are in a nearby district come join us! April 27-28 June 1-2 June 15-16 July 13-14 July 27-28 Aug 3-4 Nov 2-3

LNYC Hospice Regatta* SYC-Savannah D12 Laser only Event CSC- Kerr Lake Hobcaw YC Open* CYC-SC Open CYC-NC Open* ** CSC- Columbia Midlands*

*Indicates SAYRA Jr Championship Series Event. **Indicates GP event. Remember. You only need to compete in 3 events to qualify for the District Championship Scoring! Final plug. Last year we had a few parents of Jr sailors come to the Laser. With the coordination along with the SAYRA events why sit on the shore while your kid gets to have all the fun? Buy a Laser and join us! Need a boat? Send me an e-mail and I’ll do my best to help you find one.

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District 13 James Liebl Florida Is this thing on? Anyone hear me? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? I’m asking that because I want to make sure the District 13 communications, calendar, and events are getting broadcast far and wide. I’m not hearing much feedback, so I’m literally wondering if folks are seeing the communications. So, this quarter’s post is going to go from some semi-boring shore side administrative stuff to on-the-water fun stuff. The goal of the talking about the shore side stuff is to make the on the water stuff better. First, a quick review of the various communication methods and what/when to expect them: Laser Sailor District Post (what you’re reading right now)quarterly blurb published right here in this very magazine with my brilliant thoughts, some results, and maybe some upcoming calendar highlights. Got an idea or pictures that you would like to see included in the D13 section of the Laser Sailor? Then send them to me. Bi-Monthly Email Blast-email that goes out to Laser Class members with District 13 as their home District. The email comes from gamedayparking@yahoo.com. The last one went out on February 26. If you’re a Class member and you didn’t see it, let me know (easiest to email me back at the gamedayparking@yahoo.com and let me know you didn’t get it). Check your spam folder to see if it’s going to your spam. The email blast usually just highlights upcoming calendar events. If you’re not getting the emails because you’re not listed as District 13 on your Laser membership or you’re not a Class member, simply let me know and I’ll add you to the distribution list. Same thing if you know someone who wants to get the D13 email blast but isn’t presently getting them, just send me the contact info. District 13 Calendar-regattas and events in the District are listed on the calendar on the Laser Class website (www.laser. org). We want to use this calendar because everyone who is anyone knows about the laser.org site, it’s a “live” calendar (i.e. regattas can be added anytime), and it’s open to ANYONE who is interested in Laser sailing. By having it open to anyone interested in Laser sailing, any Laser sailor from around the whole, wide world can know about regattas, show up, and sail. If your event is listed on the laser.org calendar, I will include it in the email blasts. If your event isn’t listed on that calendar, I won’t know about it and won’t know to publicize it. It is incredibly easy to list your event on the laser.org calendar. Just go to the website, select calendar, hit “submit event,” fill in the fields, and shazam-it’s done! Whether submitting an event or searching for events, make sure you check the box that says “District 13.” Laser District 13 Website-in fact, there is a Laser District 13 website. It’s www.laserdistrict13.com. If you go to that website, you’ll see that not much gets posted to it mainly because I’d rather be sailing than posting stuff. If you have content, announcements, pictures, or whatever else you’d like to post, let me know. Don’t See What You Want or the Communication Method You Use?-If you don’t see the way you communicate in the above list or have a better method of communication, feel free to let me know what it is. Yep, technology is changing, so maybe people are looking at different stuff. I’ve learned that only moms and Russian bots are on Facebook these days. All the millennials and generation Z’s went to Instagram apparently. So, if there is a better way to communicate that will get more people on the water, I’m open to it. Fair warning, if you want to see a different communication method, I may reply, “great idea!-you handle it and make it work.” While I’m on the subject of communication, it would be superduper to get updated fleet contacts for the various fleets around the District. If you’re the fleet contact for your fleet, or know who your local fleet contact is, get me the name, phone, and email address. With that info, I know who to refer folks interested in Laser sailing to. Having that local, friendly name that I can direct people to is one of the first steps to fleet (and fun) building. So, send that local fleet info to me at gamedayparking@yahoo. com. Speaking of “friendly names,” a couple of shout outs, atta boys, atta girls, and recognition for District 13 folks over the “winter.” Check them out… 2018 OPEN Orange Bowl Results, December, Miami, FULL RESULTS 1. Augie Diaz 2. Brett Putnam 3. Dave Chapin 4. Darius Mienville 5. Ernesto Rodriguez 6. Paul Wurtzebach 7. Patrick Wachholz 8. Peter Vessella 9. Alexander Birukoff 10. Mitch Polgar 11. Steve Schwartz 12. Dave Hartman 13. Gregory McGauley 2018 Orange Bowl YOUTH Regatta, December, Miami, D13

MEMBER RESULTS 4.7 Fleet 4. Emma Shakespeare 10. Emma Asturias 11. Anna Carron 13. Will Wardlaw 14. Danny Diederich 15. Conor Kellet 17. Martin Barrera Radial Fleet-Gold (Top 5 District 13 sailors that I noticed… introduce yourself to me so I recognize your name next time I’m looking at results) 4. Nicholas Reeser 12. Leyton Borcherding 16. Chris Purcell 20. Connor Murphy 27. Guthrie Braun Radial Fleet-Silver (Top 5 District 13 sailors that I noticed… again, introduce yourself to me so I recognize your name next time I’m looking at results) 52. Marina Geilen 60. Santiago Dillon 65. Ethan Osborne 67. Zacariah Schemel 80. Lauren Connell 2019 US Championships, January, Ft. Lauderdale Way too many names to list in very, very tough big fleets, but a pat on the back to Ernesto Rodriguez (19), Patrick Shanahan (21), Christian Ehrnrooth (34), Dave Chapin (36), and Connor Murphy (44). For the Radials, D13’s own Paige Railey won the Nationals. Nice! D13 also had lots of other folks do super well, including the always fast Erika Reineke (3), Hallie Schiffman (11), Nicholas Reeser (14), and Lillian Myers (17). Not to be outdone, in the 4.7 fleet Spencer Dominguez won that! Behind him for D13 saw Emma Shakespeare (2) and Ava Edinger (4). 2019 Masters Florida Champs, March, Palm Beach Yikes, a tough fleet again but the D13 folks rose to the top. In the Standard rig, Ernesto Rodriguez is the champ (1), with Dave Hiebert (3), and Dave Chapin (5) behind him. In the Radials, Hal Gilreath (12) was the top D13 sailor with Dave Hartman (15) not far behind. Miami Sailing Week, March, Miami (FULL RESULTS) Laser 4.7 1. Spencer Dominguez 2. Carling Davies 3. Kevin Gosselin 4. Bruno Wencelblat 5. Aaron Hider 6. Amaya Escudero 7. Ava Hider 8. Ayrton Stein 9. Martin Barrera 10. Manuel Cadarso 11. William Wardlaw 12. Tommy McCormick 13. Benjamin Reeser 14. Sebastian Lopez 15. Paola Alvarez 16. Jack Gonzalez 17. Lucian Solorzano 18. Conor Kellett 19. Marianne Cook 20. Eva Gonzalez 21. Lucia Gil Radial 1. Humberto Porrata 2. Alex Gonzalez 3. Sammy Clark 4. Lucas Fogh 5. Santiago Dillon 6. Adrian Pasquali 7. Roberto Rodriguez 8. Marlon Mulkay Laser 1. Dorje Hopkins 2. One quick thought about the above regattas-they’re annual events which means they come around again next year. So, put them in the calendar now. If you haven’t sailed in Miami the week between Xmas and New Year’s, well, I feel sorry for you. Good breeze, turquoise Biscayne Bay water, perfect temperatures, and the Miami social scene is GOING OFF! The Youth Orange Bowl and OPEN Orange Bowl are concurrent events, so if you’re too old or miss the registration lottery for the Youth event, come do the OPEN event. Bring the brothers and sisters, significant other, family, or maybe even a sidepiece. There’s plenty to do on and off the water for everyone so you won’t be sorry (except maybe about the sidepiece and significant other in the same place at once). Lauderdale Yacht Club always runs an EPIC event over MLK weekend. This year, it was the Nationals. If you haven’t sailed in the ocean off Lauderdale, well, I feel sorry for you. Gulfstream azure blue water, stacked waves, killer RC, and the best reaches and runs you’ve ever had. Do it once and you’ll be back.

SPRING 2019


Miami Sailing Week was a new event this year for Lasers, but it’s back next year. There’s an OPEN event, meaning anyone can sail and a YOUTH event. It’ll be March again next year, right in midst of Spring Break, so it’s a good excuse to get some spring sailing in. If you haven’t sailed in Miami during spring break and Bacardi Cup season, well, I feel sorry for you. Since we’re on the subject of marking calendars, here’s some upcoming stuff so you don’t have to wait until next December. There is Laser sailing all year long in D13 folks, so come on out. For the full calendar of events (and “live” updates), check out the calendar on the laser.org site. Yeah, yeah, I know I mentioned it before in this article, but “repetition is the key to learning.” Don’t just learn about these events, come sail them: Melbourne Yacht Club-Small Boat Sundays (Melbourne) All year, every other weekend. Pick the Sunday(s) you’re going to www.sailspacecoast.com/calendar/ Biscayne Bay Yacht Racing Series (Miami) All year, basically a one day regatta every month. Find the race days by looking at the laser.org calendar or www.bbyra.net Sarasota Sailfest (Sarasota), April 6&7 Venice Youth Venetian Cup (Venice), April 27 Melbourne Spring Regatta (Melbourne), April 27 & 28 CGSC Goombay Regatta (Miami), May 18 Davis Island Yacht Club Laser Hugh Elliott Memorial Regatta (Tampa), May 18 You know what’s missing on these events? First, your regatta is missing. Know why it’s missing? It’s missing because I don’t know anything about it. If I’m going to scour the internet for hours, I’m not scouring it for your regatta. I’m scouring the internet for…..well, never mind on that. But, here’s the point, if you’re having an event, make it EASY for EVERYONE (including me) to know about it by getting it listed on the laser.org calendar. Again, make sure you select the “District 13” box. See above comments on “repetition is the key to learning.” The second thing that’s missing is more summer events, specifically one day, afternoon seabreeze, events, aka “Treasure Coast Series.” Here’s the concept, fun sailing, low hassle organization, one day events throughout the summer. Preferably start time after the seabreeze fills in so we go sailing, hike, and surf. Want to have a series like that? Great, then run an event. You basically need 2 marks and a committee boat. Heck, maybe even less. It’s just that easy. If you’re interested/wiling to host an event, contact me at gamedayparking@yahoo.com. Summertime is not the end to sailing in Florida. It’s one of the best times to sail. So get out after work or school. Speaking of that, the hell with sitting in front of a computer (even if scouring the internet IS leading to some very interesting…. well, never mind), I’m going sailing. See you on the line or in the line up,

District 15 Griffin Orr Texas In Texas the 2019 season got off to an early start with the 3rd annual Rock the Ice Regatta, hosted by the Corinthian Sailing Club in Dallas. Though the wind was light, the temperatures were warm, providing the competitors a much-needed respite from the winter cold! We had several competitors come from outside our district, with one from Oklahoma City and another from Traverse City, Michigan. By the end of the event, we had 6 races between the 19 competitors. Finishing third was a Eric Roman, in second Doug Peckover, and taking first was Griffin Orr winning 5/6 races. Next, the Texas Fleet moves onto the annual Easter Laser Regatta held on Lake Travis by the Austin Yacht Club and none other than the Easter Bunny himself!! For those of you who do know Easter is April 20/21, so just over a month away!! Following the floods of last fall, Lake Travis is currently sitting 6 inches above full, so prepare for a full lake and fair winds!! Not too long after Easter, we move down to the Gulf Coast

District 18 Paul Gush (Indy SC), John Shockey (D18) IN, KY, OH There’s not much wet water sailing news from the icy lakes of District 18 this winter. But the ice boat sailing season has been good, the district recently playing host to DN Worlds at Indian Lake, OH, directly followed by North Americans at Lake Wawasee, IN (home lake of Dick Tillman, who wrote the book on Laser sailing). Local Laser lad and reigning Windy 500 champ, Ryan Lashaway, captured a spectacular crash through the ice on his GoPro camera while tuning up the day before Worlds. Thankfully, he and his boat made it out ok. Search for “Lashaway DN crash” online, and you’ll find it.

Ryan Lashaway with his 2018 Windy 500 Laser title

2019 D-18 Regatta Schedule April 27, 28 Eagle Creek SC, Indianapolis May 18, 19 Indianapolis SC - Windy 500 Sept 7, 8 Eagle Creek SC - Go for Gold Sept-Oct Cleveland - D18 Grand Prix See the D18 Facebook page for further details

District 20 Sean Lennon WI, IL Hello Laser Sailors, The ice and snow are melting and we can see spring on the horizon. We are looking forward to the sailing season. District 20 has some great events for this sailing season. June 8 - 9: Island Bay Yacht Club Laser Regatta: Springfield, Illinois June 29 - 30: Great Lakes Championship: Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club July 13 - 14: Hobelman Regatta: Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club July 20 - 21: Ephraim Yacht Club Laser Regatta August 3 - 4: Milwaukee Bay One-Design, Milwaukee Yacht Club August 24 - 25: Summer’s End Regatta: North Shore Yacht Club September 14-15: Red Flannels Regatta - Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club October 16 - 17: District 20 Championship - Carlyle Laser Regatta

District 22 Kurt Hoehne Northwest The Pacific Northwest has seen some weird (really cold) weather this season, but before it hit the Seattle Laser Fleet had a great Frigid Digit regatta.

www.Laser.org

It promises to be another good year of Laser Sailing in the Northwest, largely thanks to the Columbia Gorge Racing Association (CGRA.com). The WIND regatta will be held in mid-July for juniors, and the famous Gorge Blowout (downwind, upcurrent craziness) will be held in late July followed by the CGODs multi-class regatta. The Laser Masters PCCs will be held August 3-4. There will be several clinics held throughout the year put on by the International Sailing Academy.

Blast from the past. Planing reaches as the Windy 500 lives up to its name!

Keep an eye out for updates to the regatta schedule. Have a safe start to the sailing season.

for the Seabrook Summer Solstice regatta held June 22/23 at the Seabrook Sailing Club. Expect great breeze, waves, and unmatched hospitality at this regatta! Not one to miss!!

The Lasers are definitely seeing a youth movement in the region. And, as if right from the brochure, it was growing young men making the move up from the smaller Radial rig to the 13boat Standard rig class. Owen Timms, Max Doane and Kit Stoll all made the switch and were sailing at the front of the fleet all weekend. It was David Brink, a bit older but not that far removed from the Radial, who won the weekend and had his name written on the back of the trophy (for the second time!). His boat name, TCB, stands for Taking Care of Business. That he did.

Once upon a time there were 50 Lasers lining up for the Frigid Digit regatta. Over the decades the event has moved to various spots around Lake Washington, but now appears to have found a home with Corinthian YC-Seattle doing the race management as a multi-class event on Puget Sound.

In the Seattle area there will be casual racing out of Sail Sand Point on Monday evenings and a Laser start on Thursdays on the Sound. We’re hoping to tee it up more often with our friends in Canada as well!

District 23 Geoff Hurwitch UT, AZ, CO, NM District 23 has kicked off 2019 earlier than in past with the D23 Championships at the Arizona Yacht Club on March 16-17. Doug Leuck of Mission Bay was the winner of the event after a tiebreak for first but the D23 champion was AYCs own Joel Hurley! The AYC held a good event in a variety of breezes from strong 12-15 down to light wind giving everybody a taste of their lake winds. Colorado kicks off their season on April 6th at Cherry Creek with their Thaw series that gets the boats out of the garages and their Spring Series begins on May 8th. Union Creek Sailing Club sails Sundays from April to October for one of the longest seasons in all of sailing! Notable Colorado regattas are the Dillon Open on August 3-4 and the Colorado Laser Championship at Grand Lake on August 17-18. Utah begins their season at the Park City Sailing Association on Tuesday, June 4th and it runs through until the end of the September with the Park City Sailing Fall Regatta on September 28-29th. There is growth and energy in District 23 and we’re excited about the addition of the Arizona Yacht Club’s event for the future and to add some early season sailing for the snowier states.

District 24 Stephen Aguilar NorCal Here are the scores and a report on the first event of Laser district 24 Grand Prix sponsored by West coast sailing. This report was written by Toshi. Results for the grand prix are up at http://westcoastsailing-grandprix.myfleet.org/ Hello, We had very fun races to wrap up the RYC small boat midwinter series last Sunday. This is the last regatta out of the total four regatta series, but since the previous two in January and February had to be canceled due to the bad weather, this was the second one. Julian took impressive four straight bullets, but

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since he missed the first regatta, he ended up with 5th overall. 4th was Roger, who showed outstanding runs in the December regatta. Ryan 3rd, Toshi 2nd, and the winter was Emilio. As it was decided in the last annual district-24 meeting that the second finisher should write the race report, here I am :) Ryan wrote excellent race report for the first one in December from the global view point, explaining how the overall fleet were moving. But since I did not have that wide view, this report is mostly from my local view point: how I thought and how I sailed. I posted my GPS log of the races at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=3rVQKnW5Jjw&feature=youtu.be Also posted some of the photos of the day at: https://www.flickr. com/photos/73652310@N00/albums/72157690275618653 The weather condition, race course overview and my general sailing strategy: The wind was light side but decent: 6-8 knots earlier in the day, and later picked up to 12 knots. The wind direction was southwest, around 215° in center, and occasionally shifting back and forth by 15°. I am always puzzled about the current around the RYC, but the moderate current was flowing from the left to right in the race course at least for the first two races. This was indicated by the committee boat direction whose stern was perpendicular to the wind, but this seemed very different from the bay’s main ebbing current direction. There were non-negligible short waves for the light wind, whose direction was a little skewed from the wind, so in the upwind, careful body movement was needed not to lose the speed (I also pulled the downhaul a bit to cope with the waves), and in the downwind, up-turn to the broad reach from the starboard by-the-lee often worked well to get a little bit of surfing. The start-line was set to 110-120°, and pin end (right side of the line) was rather favored in all the races. Therefore, the pin side was always crowded, but I was able to hold reasonably good positions, except for the last race in which Julian pushed me out! Since the start/finish line was restricted, in the downwind we needed to pick which end to pass. I always picked the finish pin side, as I thought passing the start pin side would be a longer distance and need to approach the bottom mark against the current, but there might not have been too much difference, observing how the two fleets converged. Each race detail is as follows: Race-1 (once around the course): I was able to start from the pin end, but with many boards in the leeward side, I felt it is hard to maintain good boat speed, so I tacked to the port seeking for clear air and free space. But soon tacked back to the starboard, as I did not want to go too much right, since the

starboard was a longer tack. In the middle I tacked taking a noticeable shift but tacked back to the starboard several boat length below the starboard layline, anticipating the current and possible shift might lift me. This worked out well. On the way, a couple of sailors crossed ahead of me to reach on the layline, but I was barely able to reach the top mark in the first place without needing additional tacking. But many sailors were closely after me. I was too busy about moving away from the mark as quickly as possible, my mind was not clear about where to set the direction or where I should position myself in the fleet, ending up with a confused position. Julian passed me from the windward side and Emilio passed me from the leeward side. Still, rounding the bottom mark in the third place, I soon tacked to sail the left side to reach the finish line. But somehow, I had a very bad run of this. In this short upwind, I was passed by 5 boats and ended up with finishing 8th. I could not understand why I lost so much. Maybe there was a better breeze in the right side? Ryan said he passed as much as 10 boats in this upwind leg, so maybe he can tell what happened... Race-2 (twice around): My first upwind leg was not great, rounding the first mark around 10th. I might have passed one or two boats in the downwind, but there were still many boats in front when rounding the bottom mark. But the next upwind was my best run of the day. While most of the sailors went to the right, soon tacking to the starboard, I recognized the angle towards the top mark looked very good, which meat I was lifted. This was something I had started practicing: Instead of relying too much on the compass, check the boat angle against the mark to understand whether this is lifted tack or headed tack. I thought, “Ok, this is the lifted and long tack... Then, I should continue this course!” This long starboard run turned out to be really good. Tacking to port to approach the top mark, I was also helped by additional lifts. I was able to round the mark in the second, next to Julian and ahead of Emilio! Emilio teased me, yelling, “Toshi, where did you come from!?” I maintained the position for the next two legs and finished in second.

Book your week in Laser paradise today!

hola@casatiburón.com 32

It was not that I was committed to the left, as the boat angle was not as good as the previous race, but I continued the course as I could not find a good chance to tack; there were occasional headers, but it tended to shifted back shortly after, so I ended up with going to all the way to the left again. Tacking on the layline to approach the top mark, I was able to get a very good lift. This was a pure luck! Once again, I was able to pass a couple of sailors including Emilio who approached the mark from right side, rounding the mark in the 2nd following Julian. At one point in the downwind, Emilio and Roger almost caught up with me, getting a very good puff (I could hear it from the sound of the boats). I should have more looked around the back side to check from where the breeze was coming down. But I re-positioned myself in time to catch the puff and I maintained the position to the bottom mark. In the final upwind to the finish line, the wind picked up to 12 knots and I was in the full hiking mode. It was already about my upper limit range in the standard rig without doing massive de-powering, and in that condition, I could not compete with Emilio in speed. He passed me and I finished in 3rd. Race-4 (once around): While the pin end start worked out well for the previous three races, in this race Julian positioned leeward of me and he shut down the space between him and the pin. I was pushed out from the start line. I wish I could be equipped with the technique to move backward even in the narrow boat space. I had to go back to the line to re-start from pretty much the bottom position. But the top mark position was not as bad as I thought, and I was able to pass a couple of boats in the downwind leg, using by-the-lee to broad reach up-turn effectively to surf, and finished in 8th. Overall: I was pretty happy with finishing in the second place overall. The light side wind certainly helped me in the standard rig, but there were many strong sailors in the races, so I am proud of myself. Good points were: Reasonably good starts, good boat speed, being able to recognize the lifted tack (which I am usually very bad about). Bad/improvement points were: Missing awareness of where the breeze is coming from and how the other boards are positioning/moving, pre-start boat handling techniques in the restricted boat space. Looking for the next event! Here is the post-race photo: Steven Schmidt and his annoying sailing friends :)

Race-3 (twice around): Rounded first top mark in 3rd or 4th place. In the second upwind, Julian, Emilio and Lance went to the left side ahead of me, but in 3/4 of the course they tacked to the right and crossed me.

SPRING 2019


2019 Laser Masters US Nationals Championship

Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club is proud to be hosting the 2019 Laser Masters US Nationals on July 19-21, 2019. Notice of Race, entry and list of entrants can be found at http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/18169 For housing contact Garth Hobson at; turbogarth@hotmail.com or (831) 915-7020.

Thornbury, Ontario, Canada

July 12*, 13, 14 2019

2019 LASER GREAT LAKES MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIP; Great Lakes Youth Laser Radial Regatta; and “Corinthian� Laser Regatta

*Training clinic and practice racing on July 12th

The race course is just beyond the harbour

Georgian Bay has great sailing, with crystal clear fresh water.

Register at: thornburylaser.com

www.Laser.org

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Why Join the Laser Class? What are some of the benefits of a strong class association? 

A strong class association means lots of boats to race against, near you and around the world!

A strong class association with lots of racing attracts the world’s best sailors - giving you the best racing possible!

A strong class association means major events scheduled at the best sailing locations and moving all over the North American Region - there will always be a big event near you!

points when sailing in major events, ranking you against your fellow competitors and making you eligible for end of the season prizes, like new sails, carbon tillers, etc.

You get direct benefit by joining the Laser Class!

What does the class association do with your membership dues? 

The first $14.00 of your membership dues go to pay the North American staff who work incredibly hard to: make sure our North American events get scheduled every year and that these events follow the high standards of the Laser Class, to publish our quarterly newsletter, etc. Importantly, that money also makes sure that if you ever have a question you can simply pick up the phone, or send an email, and a knowledgeable person will answer you right away.

$10.11 of your dues goes to the International Class where they use the money to pay their staff to make sure world level events get scheduled, ensuring all the boats are the same by inspecting the builders to make sure they are complying with the Laser Construction Manual, keep track of rules changes proposed by members, interfacing with ISAF on various levels, including keeping both the Laser Standard and Laser Radial as Olympic equipment, etc.

You receive the annual Laser Class Handbook with the current class rules, interpretations of those rules, class constitution, guidelines for events, useful information for keeping your boat in good shape, contact information for your district, etc.

A little over $7.00 goes to the quarterly assembling, printing and mailing of The Laser Sailor to you for the year.

Around $5.00 goes to support and promotion, ranging from direct support of the districts and regattas to the website.

You receive the International Class Association’s quarterly publication “Laser World” which gives a roundup of international events sailed around the world, as well as information from the international office.

You receive the North American Association’s quarterly publication “The Laser Sailor” which is loaded with regatta reports, technique articles, fitness and nutrition tips, sailor profiles, reports from each of the North American Region’s 26 Districts and much, much more. In addition, the magazine also contains advertising from Laser dealers selling Laser specific gear and aimed entirely at Laser sailors - if you are looking for something for your boat you will see it advertised here!

Most of the remaining dues go toward all the things it takes to running an organization of 2000 members, from Executive Secretary travel costs, to federal income taxes all the way to mundane office expenses. Your membership dues are used to keep the Laser Standard, Laser Radial and Laser 4.7 as THE singlehanded dinghy to sail and race in North America and throughout the world!

A strong class association means solid class rules making all boats as identical as possible - you are competing against other sailors, not their pocket books!

A strong class association means lots of people looking to buy boats keeping the resale value of your boat high.

A strong class association keeps an eye towards the future and works with the builders to make improvements where needed while preserving as well as possible the competitiveness of older boats.

To be strong, a class association needs the support of its sailors!

What are some of the direct benefits of membership? 

You will have access to the class website at www.laser. org containing all the latest news as well as the up to date calendar of events, complete with maps to show you how to find the events. And you can also find archived copies of The Laser Sailor as well as useful articles on how to sail your boat faster.

Your membership makes you eligible to sail in any of the 50+ major Laser Class regattas scheduled every year throughout the North American Region, including open, masters’, youth and women’s events.

Your membership makes you eligible for the ILCA-NA Grand Prix where you earn

34

Why should you join the Laser Class? 

To enable the Laser Class to remain a strong class association and continue to make the Laser the pre-eminent singlehanded dinghy of our time.

To gain the benefits of membership outlined above.

To protect your investment in your boat, making sure that if the time comes to sell then you can be certain that the high demand driven by a strong class will enable you to get the best price for your boat.

The International Laser Class Association, North American Region is what it is today because of the support of its members. Keep that tradition alive, join or renew your membership TODAY!

SPRING 2019


MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Name_______________________________________________________ Address_____________________________________________________ City ___________________State / Prov. _____Zip / postal code ________ Phone ____________________ E-mail____________________________ Sail # ______________DOB (month/day/year) _____________Sex ______ Boat usually sailed _____Laser ______Radial _____Laser 4.7 Current Membership Fees All amounts are in US dollars. (Canadian checks must be in US dollars.) • Regular - $50 for one year or $95 for 2 years • Junior - $45 (Member may not turn 18 during term of membership), or $85 for 2 years (Member may not turn 18 during term of membership) • International - $60 (any member not living in the US or Canada), one year only

Amount enclosed __________________US$ Please make checks payable to ILCA of NA or provide credit card information as shown below. Thank you for joining the Laser Class. Credit Card payment by Visa, Mastercard or AMEX (Sorry – no Discover)

Name on credit card: ________________________________________________________ Credit card number: ________________________________________________________ Exp. date: _________ Credit card billing zip/postal code _________ Security code____ NOTE: Occasionally we make our mailing list available to our advertisers. If you do not want your name included on these lists, please check here: _________

RETURN THIS FORM TO: ILCA OF NA 2812 CANON STREET SAN DIEGO, CA 92106

www.Laser.org

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ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED 2812 Canon Street, San Diego, CA 92106 2812 Canon Street, San Diego, CA 92106

Spring 18 2019 Summer

SPRING 18

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE

PRESORTED PAID STANDARD San Dimas, CA U.S. POSTAGE Permit No. 410

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