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®
SPRING 2014
6 continents, 122 countries - the biggest adult and youth racing class in the world
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SPRING 2014
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
[email protected]
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
[email protected]
John Long
Secretary
4707 Sierra Madre Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93110
805-705-1435
[email protected]
Al Clark
Member at Large
337 E 6th
North Vancouver, BC V7L1P7
604-988-4799
[email protected]
SPRING 2014
District Contacts .....................................................................................................6
President’s Report ..................................................................................................8
Remembering Hans Fogh ...................................................................................10
US Sailing News....................................................................................................12
Downwind Tactics.................................................................................................14
Book Review - Plotting the Course ..................................................................17
Coaches Corner: David Wright & Steve Hunt ..............................................18
2014 Event Schedule..............................................................................................21
Highlighting Achievements - CAN & US Sailors Recognized..................22
Racing Lasers - Then and Now..........................................................................24
Laser World insert .........................................................................................center
Grand Prix Winners ...........................................................................................28
Regatta Reports
Masters Midwinters East.......................................................................29
MMWE-Another Perspective..............................................................30
Midwinters East.......................................................................................32
ISAF Sailing World Cup - Miami........................................................33
District Reports......................................................................................................33
Precision Spar Straightner....................................................................................45
Hiking 360 .............................................................................................................46
Why Join the Laser Class?...................................................................................48
Membership Applications....................................................................................49
®
SPRING 2014
6 continents, 122 countries - the biggest adult and youth racing class in the world
Cover: Radial sailor Rebecca
Stambersky eyes the weather mark
at Laser Midwinters in Florida.
Photo by Larry Kennedy.
Sherri Campbell
Executive Secretary
2812 Canon Street
San Diego, CA 92106 USA
phone: 619-222-0252
fax: 619-222-0528
[email protected]
www.Laser.org
5
District 1
District 9
District 18
District 2
District 10
District 19
Danielle Dube, 8 Sunnydale Dr
Glen Haven, NS B3Z 2T8
902-823-2802, [email protected]
Philippe Dormoy, 385 Place Desmarest,
Ile Bizard, Quebec, H9C 2G8
514-620-8124
[email protected]
District 3
Nigel Heath
416-417-0193; [email protected]
D3 website: www.d3laser.com
District 4
Brigitte Smutney, Sail Manitoba; 409-145
Pacific
Ave. Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2Z6 204-925-5647
[email protected]
www.sailmanitoba.com
District 5
Mark Lammens
510 Cynthia St. Saskatoon, SK S7K 7K7
www.sasksail.com
District 6
Andy Hunt, 111-2260 W 8th Ave
Vancouver BC V6K 2A7
604-733-9663, hotline: 206-525-5788
[email protected]
www.district6x.ca
District 7
Derek Snow
28 Starlit Road
Tiverton RI 02878
401-625-5973
[email protected]
District 8
Lindsay Hewitt & David Trinder
631-692-4798: [email protected]
631-418-5220: [email protected]
www.laserd8.tripod.com
6
Chas Williamson, 9 Lagrand Court
Ithaca, NY 14850
607-272-0630 [email protected]
Eric Reitinger
7908 Normandy Dr
Mt. Laurel NJ 08054
[email protected]
http://d10.laserforum.org
District 11
Jon Deutsch
3422 Blithewood Dr, Richmond VA 23225
http://www.laserdistrict11.org
District 12
Glenn Walker
6255 Turtle Hall Dr, Wilmington, NC 28409
910-612-5618 [email protected]
www.d12laserforum.org
District 13
Michelle Davis
[email protected]
www.laser.org/m/_general/d13.asp
District 14
Britt Drake
805-252-3829
[email protected]
District 15
Forest Atkins
[email protected]
214-686-7035
https://groups.google.com/
forum/?fromgroups#!forum/txLaser/
District 16
Tim Fitzgerald, 2322 Bromfield Circle
Wichita KS 67226, 316-650-3636
[email protected]
John Shockey
216-386-1920
[email protected]
Ken Swetka
27022 Koerber St., St Claire Shores, MI 48081
248-635-5363
www.d19laser.org
District 20
Steve Dolan
21140 Chancery Ct. Brookfield, WI 53045
http://d20.laserforum.org/
District 21
Matthew Thompson
[email protected]
D21.laserforum.org
District 22
Kurt Hoehne, 524 N 67th St
Seattle, WA 98103
District 23
Geoff Hurwitch
[email protected]
District 24
Nick Burke
[email protected]
http://skysail.com/sailing/d24/
District 25
Jorge Suarez, 7 Covina Ave
Long Beach, CA 90803
562-260-8116. [email protected]
Groups.yahoo.com/group/nalaserdistrict25
District 26
Guy Fleming, 44-392 Olina St. #6
Kaneohe, HI 96744-2617
District 17
John E. Coolidge, Jr., 1113 Hanover St
Chattanooga, TN 37405 423-309-1926
[email protected]
SPRING 2014
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Photo by Matias Capizzano
President’s Notes
all three regattas.
ANDY ROY
As this “winter to end all winters”
is finally coming to a close (it is
going to end, isn’t it?), the time is
approaching for sailors north of
places like Florida and Southern
Cal to get their gear ready for
the 2014 season. The mid-winter
regattas are in the books, and
strong numbers of Laser sailors
were able to escape the winter
blues for some racing or training in
places like Cabarete (DR), Mexico
and Florida. I regret missing the
Florida Masters week this year, as
the turn-out was tremendous and by
accounts there was tight racing in
In the previous issue of The Laser
Sailor I stated that North American
class membership saw an increase
from the year previous. I’m not
exactly sure how I misinterpreted
the stats, but in reality the 2013
numbers were actually down a
little from the year before, so I
apologize for that error. There are
a number of theories as to why
class membership has seen a bit
of a drop, and one contributing
factor has likely been the Laser
Performance vs. Bruce Kirby saga.
Remember that the ILCA continues
to encourage the two parties to
negotiate a
settlement
in their
commercial
dispute;
and, in the
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managed regattas.
Traditionally the first event of the
year in my district, D3 in Ontario,
is called the Ice Breaker Regatta
held at Toronto Sailing & Canoe
Club in May. I’m worried that this
year we literally could be breaking
the ice. Might need to upgrade my
sailing clothing just a little for that
one.
This issue of TLS is another great
one, as the Laser community
continues to help by sending in
excellent articles and photos.
Thanks to all the contributors and,
of course, to all TLS advertisers.
Andy
SPRING 2014
www.Laser.org
9
In Remembrance - Hans Fogh
NIGEL HEATH
District 3 would like to offer
sincere condolences to the Fogh
family following the recent passing
of Hans Fogh. Among his many
accomplishments, Hans was the
designer of both the Laser sail and
later the Radial sail. Thanks Hans!
His obituary follows:
HANS FOGH March 8, 1938 - March
14, 2014. It is with great sadness
that we announce Hans Fogh passed
away peacefully from CreutzfeldtJakob Disease on March 14, 2014
in Toronto. A fighter to the end,
Hans leaves Kirsten, his beloved
wife and safe harbour for 49 years,
his two sons, Morten (Debbie) and
Thomas (Andrea) and his darling
grandchildren, Sarah, Curtis, Marcus,
Kaia and Lucas with whom he
spent many joyful hours as “Farfar”
attending their numerous special
events. Hans is also survived by his
family in Denmark, brother Jens
Christian, sisters Gitte (Esben) and
Annegrette (Christian). Hans leaves
behind a niece in Canada, Pia (Danny)
daughter of his late sister Inger (John
Eastwood). Born in Copenhagen, Hans
has had one of the most exemplary
competitive sailing careers ever,
winning numerous Worlds, European,
North American and National titles in
several classes including the Soling,
Finn, Flying Dutchman, Star and
Etchells. Hans came to Canada with
the encouragement and support of
longtime friend, Paul Henderson,
who managed to lever Hans’ former
career as a gardener to become a
sailmaker. Hans went on to build one
of the most successful sail lofts in the
world under the Elvstrom, Fogh and
North banners. His involvement in the
development of the original Laser sail
and the subsequent Laser Radial sail
are only the beginning of his many
well-known accomplishments in the
sport. Hans’ competitive sailing career
was influenced by his close friend
and mentor, Paul Elvstrom. His career
spanned seven decades from his first
in the late fifties, to his last race earlier
this year with his bronze medal crew
John Kerr and his godson Johnnie
Kerr. Hans enjoyed sharing his sailing
with his family. He was able to coach
his sons as they entered the sport,
then shared the 1984 Olympics with
his oldest son Morten and was able to
compete in 2 Olympic trials with his
youngest son Thomas. Hans was most
joyful helping his grandchildren learn
to sail. A six-time Olympian, he won
his first Olympic Silver Medal with
Ole Erik Gunnar Peterson in Rome
in 1960 for his native Denmark. In
1984, 24 years later, he won a Bronze
Medal in Los Angeles, representing
Canada with crew John Kerr and Steve
Calder. Hans was extremely proud
that he won a medal for his home and
adopted countries. Hans also won
a Pan Am Games Silver Medal in
1987. Throughout his career, Hans
enjoyed giving back to the sport he
loved: coaching, mentoring, training
and developing sailors at every
opportunity. This was definitively
evidenced by the many lives he
touched and the countless letters of
remembrances from sailors and friends
that have given the family so much
strength. Recognizing Hans Fogh’s
contribution to the sport of sailing, he
has been inducted into the Canadian
Sports Hall of Fame, Canadian
Amateur Sports Hall of Fame,
Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame and
the National Marine Manufacturers
Association Canada Hall of Fame,
including a number of other awards he
has received over the years.
Separately, we remind D3 sailors that
the winners of the 2014 Fogh Gold
Cup series (Laser, Radial, top female
Radial) will take home new sails
again this year, with Fogh Marine gift
certificates going to runners up.
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Taking a New Tack in Singlehanded Sailing
US Sailing is taking a
new tack to some of its
championships. For the
first time, a US Sailing
National Championship
will be integrated as part
of a larger class event. The
2014 Laser North Americans
will be the host of the U.S.
Singlehanded Championship,
and the top eligible male
Laser and female Radial sailor
will be named United States
Singlehanded Champion. The
regatta will be hosted by the
Alamitos Bay Yacht Club on
June 12-15 in Long Beach,
Calif.
Athletes competing at the
2014 U.S. Singlehanded
Championships will get a
golden opportunity to race
against a talented collection
of the top Laser sailors in the
world.
With the growth of one-design
sailing here in the U.S, and
with ever more events in the
sailing calendar, it became
clear to US Sailing that the
traditional qualifying series
was limiting the number of
sailors who could compete
for the O’Day and Hanley
Trophies. Our goal is to
allow more people to have a
chance to compete for these
historic championships. As
the Laser class is one of the
largest singlehanded classes
12
in the world,
identifying the top
U.S. Singlehanded
sailor through the
North Americans is
a natural fit.
Who is eligible to be
named U.S. Singlehanded
Champion? Sailors must be
at least 17 years of age in
the calendar year and current
members of US Sailing
and the Laser class. All the
sailors will be scored as one
fleet with the highest eligible
male Laser sailor winning
the O’Day Trophy and the
highest female Radial sailor
winning the Hanley Trophy.
Sailors must register at https://
www.regattanetwork.com/
clubmgmt/applet_registration_
form.php?regatta_id=7615.
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COACHING AND COACHBOAT CHARTER
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www.Laser.org
13
Downwind Do’s: Tips for sailing fast and smart on the run
JUDITH KRIMSKI
I love sailing downwind. For me sailing
the beat is a bit of a grind (All that
hiking. So boring!). But the run can be
an organic mind-body experience. All
that needs doing is opening yourself up
to allowing the boat to move in concert
with the conditions. That said you are
the conductor using sail trim and body
movements to create the downwind
music. Combine that with good tactical
sense and you have a winning downwind
strategy.
BOATHANDLING
Downwind goals:
Max VMG: I recently attended a masters
clinic at ISA in Mexico where Coach
Vaughn Harrison harped on us, “Sail the
fall-line.” This concept combines a variety
of sailing angles to navigate through wave
and wind conditions with the goal of
sailing the most direct, fastest line to the
mark.
Stability: Proper sail and vang trim are
key to a stable boat. Recognizing that the
groove for light wind sail trim (ex. sail
trim at 110-90) changes as the wind picks
up is one of the keys to boat stability.
Active body: Successful downwind
sailing is a dynamic activity using
coordinated sail trim, sailing angles, and
body movements that help balance the
boat and speed it forward.
RIG SETUP
For maximum speed downwind sail
controls should be set to have good depth
70%
80%
90%
110%
A. Downwind trim in light air.
14
in the bottom of the sail and allow the
leach to twist off in gusty conditions,
sailing through waves, or when altering
course. Look to create fullness in the sail
by adjusting the outhaul and easing the
cunningham. Vang controls leech twist.
It’s important to look up at your leech
when sailing downwind. You should see
the upper leech fanning (opening forward)
when air is spilling out.
WIND VANG CUNNINGHAM
OUTHAUL MAIN
LIGHT *Loose, eased 10” 90-110 degrees
take bounce out
MEDIUM *30 deg. twist eased 8” 90
degrees or less
HEAVY *30 deg. twist eased 6” 75-80
degrees
* Vang tension is a merely a guideline.
To set the vang correctly for you look up
at the leech for the appropriate amount of
twist in each condition and your sailing
skill level. If the boat feels unstable
(rocking back an forth) more vang or main
trim will help.
Stability
The concept of stability was brought home
to me at the Mexican Masters Regatta in
March. Through day one my performance
steadily improved and with a great start in
race three I went into the final leg in 3rd
place. Sailing downwind on the last leg
worry about beating the boats behind me
took hold. I stopped paying attention to
sail trim and the boat became unstable. I
saved a couple of capsizes but two thirds
of the way down the boom went too far
forward, the boat heeled dramatically to
windward and BANG! I was in the drink.
70%
80%
90%
110%
B. Downwind trim in medium air.
Boats quickly passed me as I floundered.
An 8th place finish was not what I
expected. After the race Coach Vaughn
came over. The first words out of his
mouth? “You were looking pretty unstable
on the run. Stop counting boats and focus
on sailing.” The next day taking coach’s
advice to heart I focused on sailing. My
finishes: 5-5-4.
Downwind points of sail: Combines
several points of sail. Each with it’s own
unstable characteristics.
1. Dead downwind: The wind is hitting
the sail at both the luff and the leech.
The clash of two flows causes a rocking
motion—not stable.
2. By the lee: Can become unstable when
there’s too much leech pressure forward,
the boat heels dramatically to windward
and capsizes.
3. Broad reaching: Flow is attached in the
conventional fashion. When a puff hits
and you aren’t ready for it, apparent wind
moves back causing the boat to round up.
What’s stable? All of the above if you
are looking for max VMG. Some good
starting points are as follows:
1. Look up and around! Downwind is the
time to get your head out of the boat - look
around for puffs and wave action. Look up
at the leech for signs it is bending far
forward of the mast (prelude to a capsize).
2. Adjust controls. As wind increases the
boat may start rocking from side-to-side.
Increase stability by putting on bit more
vang and reducing trim range as the
breeze picks up.
3. Get off your butt. Downwind sailing is
70%
80%
90%
110%
C. Downwind trim in heavy air.
SPRING 2014
very active. You need to work your weight
across the boat as well as fore and aft:
a. Keep from capsizing to windward.
b. Move back to get the bow up in waves.
Balancing on the balls of your feet will
help you move more quickly.
4. Rudder action and downwind sailing
don’t mix. In light winds rudder slows
you down. In heavier winds the sail
overpowers it. Minimizing rudder
movement is a good idea but
rather than trying to lock it down let your
approach be more organic. The feeling
is akin to the rudder mirroring the boat’s
behavior. When sailing by the lee (BTL
induces lee helm) the rudder will follow
to windward. When heading up the
rudder will follow to leeward. Remember
your primary focus is to use sail trim
and weight placement to move the boat
around.
Downwind Tactics
Up in the lulls, down in the puffs. There
are two goals when trying to achieve
VMG downwind: sail the most direct line
and keep the boat moving. But because the
wind direction and velocity can vary so
much it’s not always possible to sail
directly to the mark. That’s why it’s
always important to be
cognizant of apparent wind
and how your sailing angle
affects it. Apparent wind is
your gas peddle. If you are
sailing downwind by the lee,
sitting on your
tuckus, you aren’t doing
much to maximize VMG.
But by putting on the gas
peddle—sailing the angles—
you improve speed.
10 boat lengths away can catch you by S
curving because they will cover
a percentage of your breeze. As they get
closer that percentage increases.
Sailing Angles
The best time to sail hot angles downwind
is near the leeward mark. Hard by the lee
and broad reaching are your best friends
when sailing in bad air, or congested
areas. Consider how much the fleet
spreads out downwind, then at the leeward
mark, everyone comes together. Sailing
simple turns downwind with boats on
either side of you will certainly slow
you down. Faster points of sail can open
up space, or get you through the crowds
while they are slowing down.
Mark Roundings
Inside lane at the mark. When sailing the
second half of the course start thinking
about maneuvers such as the pass to
leeward that will put you in the position to
take the inside overlap. Keep in mind
you don’t necessarily want to actually
pass the boat you are trying to control.
It may be more advantageous to keep
them slightly overlapped outside. Control
that outside boat and preserve the slight
Avoid the pinwheel
It’s amazing how many sailors will sail
fast downwind, catch the boats around
them and get sucked into a pinwheel.
The chess game that is downwind sailing
indicates you should be thinking way
ahead so this doesn’t happen. One winning
strategy is to slow down to get behind
the inside boat so when rounding you are
closest to the mark. Boats in the pinwheel
will end up stuck to leeward of you. But
be careful and watch the first boat in the
pinwheel closely. If she has good boat
handling she may be able to shut the
door on you.
Picking the correct gate
Gates are almost never even. And with
wind oscillations, wave state and current
there are a number of factors to consider
when choosing a gate.
1. Look upwind first for wind direction
and windward mark placement. If the
wind is shifted to skew the course to one
side, pick the gate on that side.
2. Pick the gate that is furthest upwind.
3. Consider which tack is lifted.
4. If there is a persistent shift happening
one side of the course is , or will be
shortly,
1
1
1
1
2
1
2
2
2
3
2
3
3
Keep a clear lane
3
3
Many of the same upwind
issues apply when sailing
Figure 1: Pink with overlap usesgood boathanFigure 2: Pink has inside overlap on green and
downwind. Stay in the
dling
to
keep
green
overlapped
outside.
If
green
blue. Green slows to get on pink’s transom.
breeze and keep clear air.
had moved to behind pink’s transom she had
Blue doesn’t anticipate the pinwheel so gets
But sometimes it’s hard to
the opportunity to get a better rounding than
stuck with a bad rounding.
know if another boat is on
pink or the option to tack out.
your breeze. That’s where
a wind indicator on top of
overlap. If they slow down to get behind
favored. You’ll want to be on the correct
your mast helps. If it’s pointing in the
you slow down too, keeping them in a
side of that shift.
direction of boats behind you it’s likely
pinwheel position. This type of rounding
5. If there is a group of boats going to one
they are covering. Another good way to
can equate to a boat length or more
gate, even though it may be favored,
defend downwind is to anticipate boats
consider taken the less used gate, as you
trying to cover and S Curve so they have a gained.
will probably be in clear air and calmer
tougher time taking your air. A boat that is
Continued on page 16
www.Laser.org
15
water. This is akin to starting near but not
at the favored end of a starting line when
the favored end is crowded.
Downwind skills to practice
Rudderless sailing: This practice
helps you get a handle on boat kinetics.
Although
kinetics are frowned on it’s a good
practice because it gives you a real feel for
what you and the boat can do.
1. Start by sailing dead downwind with the
sail trimmed at 90 degrees.
2. Release the tiller and push down the
leeward rail, then the windward rail.
Repeat so it becomes a side-to-side
rhythm.
3. Your goal is to sail downwind without
using the tiller. Whatever the conditions
experiment with sail trim and weight
distribution. As you get more experience
(things might be a bit crazy as first but
don’t give up!) with this you’ll find you
can balance the boat by moving back and
forth and with slight trims of the sail.
Downturns: This is a go fast “Go down
to go up” practice.
1. Sailing downwind, roll the boat to
windward to induce lee helm. Notice how
the boat turns more by the lee.
2. As the boat heels to windward move
your weight across to the leeward side and
“press” down on the rail to push down the
boom. You should feel the boat accelerate
as it turns upwind. Repeat this maneuver
so you get into a rhythm of movement
back and forth. Combine with trimming
and easing to complete the practice.
DOWNWIND S-CURVE
1. Start by sailing
dead downwind.
2. As boat goes by-thelee PRESS the leeward
rail down to flatten.
3. The PRESS to leeward
will cause the boat
to accelerate and
head up.
4. Go back to dead
downwind and
repeat.
Coach Nigel Cochrane took
this shot of Carley Broussard at
Midwinters East.
Resources
Both videos give a good look at the
subject, especially the women’s Laser
that includes views from on the boat and
above.
Women’s radial Olympics medal race:
http://youtu.be/uyn-_yUaMZI
Downwind sailing at the Gorge: http://
youtu.be/rR7d_4TL1lA
This article will also be posted on www.
centerofeffort01.blogspot.com with links
to the videos;
Thanks to Coach Vaughn Harrison,
International Sailing Academy, La
Cruz, Mexico for his help with this
article. Read more about ISA at www.
internationalsailing academy.com
16
SPRING 2014
From the High Seas to the High Life:
Plotting Your Course
ANTOINETTE KURITZ
Sports metaphors and lessons have
often been applied to business and
life, but seldom has it been done as
effectively as in Plotting the Course:
Life Lessons from the Sport of Sailing
(Makai Press / April, 2014), a new
book by Rick Arneson.
Written in such a way as to inform and
engage sailors and non-sailors alike,
Plotting the Course delivers relatable
and essential lessons for personal
and professional achievement, drawn
straight from the world of competitive
sailing. Through a fascinating narrative
that compares principles of sailboat
racing to business, politics, history
and more, you will discover what
this diverse and intriguing sport can
teach about organization, competition,
leadership, decision-making,
relationship-building, teamwork,
personal growth, and more.
Discussing everything from the
elements of good decision-making
to what it takes to reach our goals,
from how to effectively strategize to
the role of competition in our lives,
Arneson makes clear the importance
of self-confidence and critical selfevaluation to all aspects of our
endeavors, and provides accessible
explanations of how to manifest
personal growth.
While each section of Plotting the
Course is comprehensive, each
is broken into bite-sized portions,
providing useful and applicable ahamoment nuggets for the reader to
digest. While the book is interesting
enough to read in one sitting, it lends
itself well to reading and absorbing
small sections at a time.
Cover to cover, Arneson’s own
extensive sailing and racing
experience in a variety of tough
fleets comes through, as does his
broad coaching perspective and keen
business acumen.
And these experiences are the
www.Laser.org
basis of engaging and illuminating
anecdotes that pepper the book,
giving his advice concrete reference
points and thus making it all the
more poignant.
Ultimately, Plotting the Course
is about planning, about the
diligence we are willing to
expend, and about teaching
readers how to do so
effectively; performance is
simply the result of good planning.
According to Arneson, “Periods of
performance are generally seen as the
markers along the highway of our lives
and careers. These are the moments
when planning gives way to action, the
results of which will provide a measure
of success. But three minutes in the
spotlight may be the accumulation of a
decade’s preparation. Thus, while the
moment of actual performance may
be the most significant in the short
run, it is only a stop along the road in
the long run.”
This is
a book
which
informs,
inspires,
and
engenders
intelligent
thought and
discussion.
Its advice is
practical, easy
to implement;
it
makes sense.
Whether you
are a parent, an
educator, a high school or college
student, a manager, an executive, an
entrepreneur, or someone looking to
improve your personal relationships,
there is a lot to be learned from
Plotting the Course, not the least
of which is that while there are no
guarantees you will achieve all your
goals, making certain to intelligently
plot your course makes success in all
endeavors far more likely.
Antoinette Kuritz is the Founder of the
La Jolla Writers Conference and the
Nightstand Reviews contributor for
KUSI TV.
Taking his premise one step further,
Arneson also discusses the role of
learning in our lives, saying, “Learning
is the cycle that never stops, and must
be actively and perpetually pursued.
Learning is how we grow…Learning is
the backbone of any great civilization
and the foundation of any successful
individual’s life and career, expanding
potential to unfathomable heights.”
Author Rick Arneson is a Laser sailor and
native of San Diego. Before starting a college
sailing team during his freshman year at
Pepperdine, he’d won state and district championships, match-raced 12-meter yachts in the
World Scholar-Athlete Games, and taken a
gold medal at the AAU Junior Olympics. He
would bring his experience to coaching sailors
at the club, high school, and collegiate levels,
including Stanford University, Orange Coast
College, and UC Irvine. Since 2003, he has
been a member of the U.S. Snipe team at three
World and two Western Hemisphere championships. He has been a marketing professional in a range of industries, and a contributing
writer to Sailing World and various other sailing publications. He holds B.S. and M.B.A.
degrees from Pepperdine University.
Plotting the Course will be available
April 28 in paperback and electronic
copy. Amazon and Barnes & Nobel
will be carrying online and check your
local bookstore for availability.
17
Coaches Corner
We’ve asked a few of our top North American coaches to
share some of their favorite drills with us. If you have a drill to
share, send it to the ILCA-NA office for publication.
Wright Leeward Mark Approach
David Wright, CAN
If you are just one boat, simply round the mark as if it’s a leeward mark, sail upwind on the same board for 30-40
seconds, then tack, and sail on the other board for 30-40 seconds. At this point make a windward mark rounding around
an imaginary windward buoy and head back to the original mark. Then round it like a leeward mark and repeat this
process. Each repetition you should alternate the side that you round the leeward mark so that you are practicing both port
and starboard roundings just like a gate. My goal is always to be sailing perfectly upwind by the time my stern clears the
mark.
If you have a partner the procedure is the same, except the second boat should tack immediately after rounding the mark.
That way the boats sail apart for 30-40 seconds and then converge. When they do converge the crossing should go as it
would in a race, with proper rule and avoiding action taken followed immediately by both boats bearing away and racing
back to the leeward mark again. After each bear away the boats should be overlapped, sailing downwind on opposite
tacks, making for a challenging situation for both sailors as they sail downwind and approach “the zone.”
This drill is great because it is continuous, physically hard, mentally stimulating and will improve your entry and exit to
bottom marks which is a compression point on the course that is a great opportunity to make ground on other sailors.
Raise Hand on the Line Drill
Steve Hunt, USA
Sail through the middle of the line full speed close hauled, skipper raises hand when they think they’re on the line. Tack,
sail above boat and loop around to do it again, each boat does it twice. Coach call how far under/over they are.
Spithill Drill
Steve Hunt, USA
Two boats sail on port through the starting line, one trailing the other, and they give themselves two minutes. Match race
start is on. First boat determines when to head back and trailing boat decided to lead or follow based on time, GREAT
FUN!! I set multiple lines to get everyone going at the same time, and have the people pick someone of similar skill for
the drill.
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18
SPRING 2014
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19
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20
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For more information on Harken hardware for the Laser®, visit www.harken.com
SPRING 2014
2014 Schedule
Regatta
World Championship
ISAF Grade 1
Laser
SR: Santander, ESP
Sept 8-Sept 21
JR: Douernenez, FRA
Aug 16-23
Radial
Laser 4.7
Masters
Karatsu, JPN
Aug 8-15
Hyeres, FRA
Oct 3-12
Women’s: Douernenez, FRA
Aug 21-23
Mens: Gdynia, POL
July 19-25
Youth:Gdynia, POL
July 26-Aug 3
CGRA
Cascade Locks, OR
July 11-13
NA Championship
40 GP pts. ISAF Grade 1
Alamitos Bay YC
June 12-15
www.abyc.org
Alamitos Bay YC
June 12-15
www.abyc.org
Alamitos Bay YC
June 12-15
www.abyc.org
Canadian
Championships
Royal Vancouver YC
Vancouver, BC
July 25-27
Royal Vancouver YC
Vancouver, BC
July 25-27
Royal Vancouver YC
Vancouver, BC
July 25-27
US Championships
St Francis YC
San Francisco, CA
July 31-Aug 3
St Francis YC
San Francisco, CA
July 31-Aug 3
St Francis YC
San Francisco, CA
July 31-Aug 3
Rochester YC
Rochester, NY
Sept 11-14
CORK
Kingston, ON
www.cork.org
August 16-20
Kingston, ON
www.cork.org
August 16-20
Kingston, ON
www.cork.org
August 11-14
na
Midwinters East
Clearwater, FL
www.clwyc.org
Feb 20-23
Clearwater, FL
www.clwyc.org
Feb 20-23
Clearwater, FL
www.clwyc.org
Feb 20-22
Sarasota SS
Sarasota, FL
Feb 14-16
Midwinters West
Richmond YC
Richmond, CA
March 28-30
Richmond YC
Richmond, CA
March 28-30
Richmond YC
Richmond, CA
March 28-30
na
Rolex Miami OCR
Miami, FL (men only)
www.ussailing.org
January 25-Feb 1
Miami, FL (women only)
www.ussailing.org
January 25-Feb 1
na
na
Atlantic Coast
Championships
25 GP Pts. ISAF Grade 2
Sail Maine
Portland, ME
Aug 30-31
Sail Maine
Portland, ME
Aug 30-31
Sail Maine
Portland, ME
Aug 30-31
Fishing Bay Yacht Club
Deltaville, VA
October 18-19
Pacific Coast
Championships
Santa Barbara YC
Santa Barbara, CA
June 27-29
Santa Barbara YC
Santa Barbara, CA
June 27-29
Santa Barbara YC
Santa Barbara, CA
June 27-29
Gulf Coast
Championships
Ft Walton YC
Ft Walton Beach, FL
June 21-22
Ft Walton YC
Ft Walton Beach, FL
June 21-22
Ft Walton YC
Ft Walton Beach, FL
June 21-22
Ft. Walton YC
Ft. Walton Beach, FL
May 17-18
No Coast
Championships
Dillon Yacht Club
Dillon, CO
Aug 2-3
Dillon Yacht Club
Dillon, CO
Aug 2-3
Dillon Yacht Club
Dillon, CO
Aug 2-3
na
Great Lakes
Championships
Vermillion, BC
Vermillion, OH
July 19-20
Vermillion, BC
Vermillion, OH
July 19-20
Vermillion, BC
Vermillion, OH
July 19-20
Thunder Bay YC
Thunder Bay, ON
July 12-13
30 GP pts. ISAF Grade 2
30 GP Pts, ISAF Grade 2
ISAF Grade 1
25 GP Pts
25 GP Pts
25 GP Pts
www.Laser.org
TBD
Jericho Sailing Centre
Vancouver, BC
July 18-20
21
Isabella Bertold: 2013 Canadian Female Athlete of the Year
CRAIG LEWECK
As I watch the 2014 Winter
Olympics, I find myself cheering
equally for the Canadian and U.S.
teams. Being removed from Europe,
there is value for each of these
countries in having convenient and
elite competition. The success for
each program benefits the other.
Same goes for Olympic sailing, and
someone worth cheering for is Laser
Radial sailor Isabella Bertold, who
was selected by Sail Canada as the
2013 Female Athlete of the Year.
When I had breakfast with Isabella a
year ago, she was at peace with failing
to reach the 2012 Olympics, she had
again found the fun in sailing, and her
event performance was at an all time
high.
Hailing from British Colombia and
a member of the Royal Vancouver
Yacht Club, here’s an update from this
23 year old today…
some time off to rehab my injuries
and now I’m now eager to start my
2014 season.
Where are you personally and
professionally?
Winning a medal at the 2016 Rio
Games is my goal and that means
the rest of my life mostly gets put
on hold. That being said, I am still
taking some courses at school while
training and working on a few other
side projects at the moment; however,
I’m pretty sure that everyone that
has spent time around me these past
few months will tell you that sailing
is the priority and achieving my goal
of winning a medal in Rio gets put
before everything else.
What is your plan for 2014?
I am going to start my 2014 season
with the ISAF Sailing World Cup
in Palma, Spain (March), followed
by the Cup event in Hyeres, France
(April). Other events on the schedule
include the Holland EuroSaf Cup
A recap of last year
2013 was
a pretty
awesome
year for me!
Every time I
Female Athlete of the Year:
raced I was
Isabella Bertold
just trying
to improve
Male Athlete of the Year: top 3 finalist:
on a certain
Al Clark
aspect of
Bill Burk Youth Elite Memorial
my sailing.
Male: Sandy Beatty
Despite
being
Female: Corinne Peters
plagued
with injuries
following a bike crash while training
(May), Europeans (June). Test Event
in Lake Garda, Italy, my worst finish
in Rio (August), and the World
was 9th at the Europeans. After the
Championship (September).
crash, with a 7th place finish as the
World Championship, I was reassured Any team updates?
that even when I wasn’t physically
On my personal “team” front, I am
100%, my change of perspective
very excited to for the first time be
was taking me in the right direction.
racing with a title sponsor, InstaFund
Following the 2013 Worlds, I took
Financial. West Coast Sailing is again
Sail Canada
Rolex Awards 2013
22
a major supporter of my 2014 season
along with the Royal Vancouver
Yacht Club, Wind Athletes, and the
Canadian National Team. I am also
thrilled to again be supported by
Zhik, Bonk Breaker, Skratch Labs,
and KT Tape. You really can’t run
a campaign without a solid support
team. I am very fortunate to have
support for my 2014 season that I do.
Who are you training with?
I’m very excited about a great year of
training with many different people.
My winter has been spent sailing with
the up and coming Canadian youth
talent based out of Vancouver. There
is a lot of talent coming up and it was
great to be pushed as hard as I was
without having to leave home. Once
I head over to Europe I will be back
training with my usual training partner
– looking at my schedule it’s going to
be a fun year!
SPRING 2014
US Sailing Leadership Award – Jon Deutsch
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (February 12,
2014) – Last Thursday night at the
Sailing Leadership Forum Awards
Dinner, sponsored by Old Pulteney
and hosted by the San Diego Sports
Hall of Fame, US Sailing, along
with Leadership Forum attendees
recognized the outstanding individual
and organizational achievements in
training, community and one-design
sailing, including the presentation of
the Old Pulteney Maritime Heroes
Award.
Leadership Award - Jon Deutsch
(Richmond, Va.)
For the past nine
years, Deutsch
has been the
mastermind of the
widely popular
Chesapeake Bay
Laser Masters
Championship.
Deutsch is known
for his spectacular
photography,
energetic regatta
reports and
phenomenal
website. He
frequently
provides onwater updates
while racing
via Twitter.
Deutsch documents events with
his omni-present GoPro and other
cameras, and promotes through social
media and the club site. Sailors arrive
home after the event to find a “Thanks
for Coming” email from Jon with the
results and photos attached.
As with everything he approaches,
Deutsch made himself into an
expert, both on and off the water. His
knowledge and service is in demand
all over the Bay. He has served as the
Laser District Secretary for the past
seven years.
Photo left: US Sailing Executive Director Jack Geirhart, Jon
Deutsch, Gary Jobson, former US Sailing President. Photo courtesy
of US Sailing.
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23
Racing Lasers -- Then and Now
ANDY ROY
Having started racing Lasers back in
about 1974, not long after the boat was
first launched, and for some reason
finding myself still banging around in
the boat today, I thought I’d share a
few thoughts on some of the changes
in Laser sailing I’ve seen over the
past 40 years. I’ll cover some of
the changes in the boat and rigging,
clothing and other accessories, sailing
techniques, regattas and a few other
subtle differences in Laser racing
between then and now.
A Little History
Probably not many sailors know that
the Laser was actually not designed
as a racing boat. Ian Bruce first
initiated the idea for the boat and
asked friend Bruce Kirby to design a
small sailboat which could be used for
recreation purposes and which could
be transported easily on the roof of a
car. Ian had a potential client who sold
leisure and camping equipment who
was interested in adding a sailboat to
his product line. That deal fell through,
but ultimately led to Ian, Bruce, and
sail designer Hans Fogh to fully
develop, build and market the boat.
Their formula was perfectly timed
and executed, as the large baby boom
generation was ripe for an affordable
boat that could be raced to a strict one
design rule, or sailed for just fun at a
cottage or off a beach.
The event that started to attract
attention to the boat was when Ian and
Bruce heard about a regatta sponsored
by Yacht Racing magazine called the
Americas Tea Cup. They had first
called the boat the “Weekender” with
a “TGIF” logo on the sail, and the
group worked hard to get the boat
ready to race in the regatta. Hans,
an Olympic medallist, skippered the
boat and won his class which was for
sailboats costing less than $1,000.
They went home after the regatta and
worked feverishly on improvements.
A young student was talking to Ian
at a yacht club party that December
and suggested they needed a more
scientific sounding name for the boat.
24
Ian said, “you mean something like
Laser?”, and he went right over to
Bruce who also liked it, and the rest is
history.
I think the price of new Laser in
the early days was about $700. I
remember paying about that much
for my first boat (used) in 1975. The
first Laser regatta of any size I entered
was the 1975 Quebec Open at Royal
St. Lawrence Yacht Club. Ontario
and Quebec were hotbeds of Laser
racing in the early days, and even an
event like the Quebec Open would
attract a fleet of 100 boats. I was a
skinny kid and didn’t have much of
a clue as to how to make a Laser go.
I was just happy to be there, and was
in awe watching guys like Ian and
Evert Bastet smoke on up the course
seemingly miles ahead of me. What I
remember about that regatta was when
a nasty storm quickly blew through the
fleet. I think every single boat flipped
at the same time, and I remember
hanging onto the centreboard on my
overturned hull and looking around at
about 100 multicoloured Lasers and
their skippers in the same predicament.
It was both thrilling and scary.
So let me take a stab at recalling some
of the major differences in the Laser
from then and now.
Hull and Deck
Lasers today are built better, and this
isn’t a knock on the original builders,
but due to the benefit of improved
processes and materials over the
years. Early Lasers were more prone
to water ingress at the hull/deck joint,
centreboard trunk and mast step. It
was more common back then to see
sailors emptying their boats on shore
after sailing, whereas I think that
nowadays Lasers are generally pretty
watertight.
Of course we had our choice of
about 6 different hull colours, which
is a little more interesting than the
ubiquitous white boats of today. I
believe it was the aforementioned
Evert Bastet who had a unique boat.
His hull was painted half dark blue/
half white down the centerline, which
could confuse his competition going
upwind (where is that guy in the blue
boat I just crossed tacks with?).
Sail
The first Laser sails were made under
the brand of legendary Danish sailor,
Paul Elvstrom, with the distinctive
Elvstrom crown logo at the tack. The
sail were built at Hans Fogh’s loft in
Toronto, and they were well made. I
understand that in the very first year or
two of the Laser that sails didn’t come
with a window, so that must have
made crossing tacks pretty interesting.
I know that after Elvstrom stopped
supplying the sails (late 70’s?), an
Elvstrom sail in good condition
became a collector’s item. I believe
the only other notable change to the
sail over the years was an increase in
cloth weight. The new standard rig
sail we’ve been hearing about is going
to come out soon, so this long overdue
change will certainly be welcome to
improve sail longevity.
Blades and Tiller
The first blades supplied with Lasers
were made of wood. I’m not sure how
consistent or how cost effective they
were to make, so in the mid-70’s the
white blades were introduced and they
were supplied with Lasers until only
recently. Winner of the first North
American Laser Championships,
Dick Tillman, who also wrote the
first book on Laser sailing and
techniques in 1975, was also one of
the first Laser dealers. Dick told me
that, “I experimented selecting heavy
centerboards (dark wood), thinking
a heavier board might provide extra
stability vs lighter boards (light wood),
where the thinking was that less
weight would be advantageous. It
didn’t seem to make much difference”.
Dick also said that warped boards,
particularly on the trailing edge, were
certainly not unusual with the wood
boards.
The tiller supplied with boats was
also wood and it was too long. Now
that I think of it, there was a fair
amount of wood used on the early
boats: board, rudder, tiller and cockpit
grab rails. The tiller came with an
SPRING 2014
extension that was too short to fully
hike out. In youth regattas where
boats were supplied we had to use
this tiller. It would encourage the bad
habit of using a “frying pan” steering
technique, or encourage some sailors
to tie a piece of line or the main sheet
tail on the end to enable the sailor to
hike further. The extension joint was
a non-universal fitting, which would
sometimes cause the extension to lock
on one side during a manoeuvre. As
a result a must do for racers was to
custom build a tiller by finding a piece
of aluminum channel, buying a piece
of PVC pipe for the extension, and
then inserting a rubber universal joint.
It was a challenge to get the correct
angle on the tiller out of the rudder
head so that it wouldn’t bang on the
traveller cleat when sailing upwind.
In the late 70’s you could finally buy
a decent tiller designed to fit snugly
into the rudder head. The PVC tiller
extensions worked fine, and everyone
took pride in their own tiller since they
had to construct it; and, one thing is
for sure: the homemade tillers we used
back then were a lot less expensive
than today’s carbon versions.
Parts and Rigging
When you bought a Laser in the 70’s
the standard kit supplied with the boat
was a far cry from today’s choice
of low stretch lines and efficient
purchase systems. The diameter
of the lines supplied was too large,
and the ropes were stretchy. The
very first Lasers were supplied with
yellow polypropelene line. Can you
imagine how much the traveller and
vang would stretch in a puff? But
remember, they needed to keep the
price down and just didn’t plan on the
Laser taking off as a high-performance
racing boat that would eventually be
an Olympic class.
Besides being too large in diameter,
the supplied mainsheet was a little too
short. This reminds me of competing
in the Canadian 19 and under
championships in 1977. New boats
were supplied, and they were stock
issue right from the nearby Montreal
factory. Due to the short mainsheet,
in order to get the boom out to near
90 degrees a few of us would let
our travellers off to the maximum
downwind, which would allow the
mainsheet/traveller block unit to be
pulled forward and thereby enable
the boom to be let out a little more.
We would also untie the knot at the
mainsheet block, pull it out and re-tie
a knot to hold the sheet out a little
more on the runs. Of course we had
to remember to get it all back in order
before rounding the leeward mark.
With the lines clearly needing an
upgrade, the standard swap-out was
to buy Marlow pre-stretch lines, and
these worked just fine until the zero
stretch Spectra and Dyneema ropes
came on the scene.
The supplied mainsheet block with a
new boat was a tiny little thing and it
was non-ratcheting.
continued on page 26
www.Laser.org
25
Racing Lasers -- Then and Now - continued from page 25
There was only one decent ratchet
block available, so pretty well
everyone who raced went out and
got a white Elvstrom ratchet. Some
sailors used an integral swivelling
block with cleat, but these could lead
to an inadvertent cleating of your main
precisely at an inopportune moment.
The traveller, cunningham and outhaul
cleats supplied on the boats were the
black plastic style that just didn’t
hold the line under load, so a mustdo swap-out for racers was to replace
them with metal versions.
Many of the thru-deck installed parts
didn’t have proper backing, so were
prone to pulling out. This meant
that many sailors would install an
inspection port near the centerboard,
solely to be able to thru-bolt the
hiking strap. Another change some
keeners did for peace of mind to avoid
a breakdown was to thru-bolt the
traveller, aft sheet and boom blocks.
The hiking strap supplied with the
boat was pretty basic and not very
comfortable on the feet. These would
also wear out after a while at the
screw location. A popular add-on
for improved hiking comfort was to
buy a piece of refrigeration insulation
tubing and insert the strap through it.
Although more comfortable it had a
tendency to cause the sailor to roll out
of the boat.
I don’t think during the first few years
of the Laser that the automatic bailer
was available. Have you ever tried
keeping water out of your cockpit with
just the open drain plug and no bailer?
It just doesn’t work. I think the early
Laser sailors were good at kicking
water out.
Spar sections
The early top sections had two rivets
in the plastic collar, and they were
more prone to breakage compared to
today’s upper. The early booms did
not have an internal strengthening
sleeve near the vang fitting, which
meant that bending or breaking a
boom was common for hard core
racers. An early boom would not be
able to withstanding the loads we put
on our booms now using the high
purchase vang system.
26
Rigging systems
It wasn’t until I think the late ‘70’s
that a few sailors figured out how to
create innovative loops to increase
purchase systems in both the
cunningham and outhaul lines. Before
the loops it was quite challenging to
tighten the outhaul. It required the
sailor to head up to take the load off
the sail and then deftly pull on the
outhaul line aft of the boom cleat
(while also holding the tiller in that
hand), and then a quickly take out the
slack by pulling on the line where it
exited the cleat (while also holding
the mainsheet in that hand). This
was not easy to do, particularly in
stronger breeze and it was a technique
that needed to be practised. Some
sailors would not bother to let off
their outhaul downwind, as it was just
too hard to pull it back on in windy
conditions. The cunningham would
not release well after uncleating, so
you regularly had to reach forward to
pull out slack in the line to allow the
tension in tack of the sail to release.
Ah yes, which brings us to the boom
vang. If you could only select one
change to the Laser over the years it
would have to be the ability to easily
adjust the vang and to really crank
it on to depower. Trying to tighten
the vang during a race was tough. A
skill that had to be practised was the
ability to round the leeward mark
in breezy conditions, and then after
sheeting in you had to head up to
close to head-to-wind, move inboard
to press down on the boom as hard
as you could with your right hand,
which was holding the tiller (we only
rounded marks to port – leeward gates
hadn’t been invented), then quickly
take up the vang slack with your left
hand, and then lay the boat back off
and get it moving. I preferred the
lazier man’s technique of cleating
the mainsheet at max-in, and then
pressing my foot down on the sheet
where it ran between the ratchet
and boom block. The slack created
allowed me to achieve decent vang
tension. Although this worked well
enough in that era, we certainly were
not able to put on the type of vang
tension possible today. There were
actually some lighter sailors who on
heavy wind days would tighten their
vangs on shore by sheeting in all the
way, have a friend sit on the end of
their boom and they would then set
the vang. They’d sail at least the first
windward leg with a very tight vang,
and some would even leave it tight
all day and live with it that way even
sailing downwind!
The big problem with the vang was
that once you rounded the windward
mark you pretty well had to leave it
wherever you released it and cleated
it to before rounding and bearing
off. It was frustrating to be sailing
downwind and seeing that your vang
was either too loose or tight, and you
pretty well just had to live with it. If
this happened on a dead run in really
windy conditions you knew you were
in for an on-the-edge leg, and you
would need to be ready for a death
roll or round up at any moment. The
only choice to fix the problem was to
round up into the wind and make an
imprecise adjustment as fast as you
could before bearing back off.
In the second race of the 1982 Laser
Worlds in Italy, good friend and fellow
Canuck (aka “Twister” - some readers
know him well) rounded about 5
lengths behind me at the first mark
and we were in 1st and 2nd. He was
catching me as we sailed down the
first reach, and I knew why. The leg
was slightly broad of the beam, and
I could see that his vang was a bit
looser than mine. I knew if I could
hold him off until the gybe mark I’d
have the advantage on the tighter
second reach. Sure enough, I was
able to put a few lengths on him on
the next reach, which enabled me to
hold him off for the race win. This
was of course a type of scenario that
ended once the new vang came on the
scene. The ability to easily fine tune
adjustments to the vang has made a
huge performance difference to the
Laser.
For the first year or two of Laser
racing nobody had yet figured out the
need for using a tight clew tie-down.
Also, class rules for many decades did
not allow using a shockcord in-haul
for the clew, which is a smart add-on
SPRING 2014
today.
Dollies and Covers
I wish Peter Seidenberg had developed
his Seitech dolly design a few years
earlier than he did. Very few people
had their own dolly in the 1970s or
80s. Standard procedure when you
arrived at a regatta site was to look
for a couple old tires to put your boat
on, and if you couldn’t find any you’d
just put it on the grass. Hopefully the
host sailing club would have a few
dollies that would be shared by the
entire fleet, but when a large pack
of boats arrived back to the shore at
the same time it forced you to get
accustomed to carrying boats. A team
of 3 was preferred, but often only two
had to carry a fully loaded Laser a fair
distance after a day of racing.
Deck and hull covers were also quite
rare. We just didn’t seem to worry
about covering our decks overnight.
You’d just roll your sail on the mast
and leave everything in the cockpit.
Best “how I found my boat in the
morning” story took place in Gimli,
Manitoba at the 1980 Laser Canadians.
One of the top sailors and a meticulous
guy about his boat was Canadian
Steve Fleckenstein. He thought he’d
air his hull out overnight by leaving
two inspection ports open. Although
he knew the forecast called for no
chance of rain, what he didn’t count on
was an infestation of shad flies being
attracted to a bright light overhead,
congregating and ultimately dying
inside his hull! A nasty surprise when
he arrived at his boat in the morning to
go racing.
In part 2 in the next issue of the TLS,
I’ll cover differences from then and
now in Laser techniques and styles,
clothing, courses and regattas, and
talk about a mishmash of other
miscellaneous observations of changes
that have taken place in Laser sailing.
Your California Laser charter specialist
2014 Schedule of Events
• Midwinter’s West – Richmond
• Pacific Coast Championship – Santa Barbara
• CISA Clinic – Long Beach
• US Nationals – San Francisco
• Leiter Cup - US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship – Mission Bay
• North American Championship – Long Beach
Laser hulls and spars new for 2014. Reserve your charter today. Orders are filling up!
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(562) 243-8820
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be AMAZINGLY WARM!
www.Laser.org
27
NA Laser Grand Prix 2013 Winners
sponsored by
Congratulations to the following sailors and winners of the random raffle for prizes:
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28
Stephen Long
Malcolm Lamphere
Margaret MacCormack
Matthew Long
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Neil Pryde Laser Deck Cover + WCS gift certificate
Neil Pryde Laser Blade Bag + WCS gift certificate
Brian Fisher
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SPRING 2014
Masters Midwinters
East
DAVID HILLMYER
The Laser Masters Midwinters East
at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron
bookended another great Florida
Masters Week this February. With 70
sailors competing at each of the three
Masters Week events, it was a record
year for participation.
The three-day Masters Midwinters
East event in Sarasota provided a bit
of everything regarding wind and
weather. Day one looked a bit doubtful
at the outset, lots of fog and little wind
in the morning. After about an hour
and a half postponement, the fleet
was sent to the course. Two light air
races were sailed with Scott Ferguson
and Dave Chapin each taking the win
in the two races sailed respectively.
Post race the sailors and their guests
all enjoyed a plentiful BBQ Chicken
dinner, complete with all the sides and
a keg of imported beer as well.
Day two was nothing short of a
chamber of commerce day for Sarasota
sailing. Warm, Sunny, and Breezy.
PRO Judy Hanlon did a great job of
getting things going, and keeping them
going. Four races were sailed in near
perfect conditions. Breeze was never
less than 10,
averaged
about 14, and
peaked in
the twenties.
Some nice
surf-able size
waves treated
the sailors to memorable downwind
battles. Peter Shope certainly enjoyed
the day, scoring four wins in the four
races sailed. Post race another great
meal was served… A fresh Sarasota
style shrimp boil with yet another free
flowing keg.
Day three did not look promising, a
glassy bay and not an encouraging
weather forecast. With no wind in
the morning, and an early afternoon
cutoff for racing, some sailors were
hedging their bets and starting to
pack things up for an early exit back
to the snow. However, Sarasota Bay
did not disappoint. After a long, but
optimistic postponement, the reliable
sea breeze did come in and it also did
not disappoint. Two final races ensued
in 7 to 12 knots of warm wind. Lynne
Shore scored the win in race seven and
Scott Ferguson got the bullet in the
final race. Peter Shope took home the
overall win with a total of 14 points
after 8 races.
Top Finishers:
Apprentice Masters
1: David Heibert
2: Scott Pakenham
3: David Hillmyer
Masters
1: Peter Shope
2: Scott Ferguson
3: Ari Barshi
Grand Masters
1: Dan Neri
2: Buzzy Heausler
3: Jorge Abreu
Great Grand Masters
1: David Frazier
2: Alden Shattuck
3: Jacques Kerrest
The Sarasota Sailing Squadron thanks
all of the sailors, volunteers, and our
office staff who helped make this a
great and memorable event. Make
your plans to come down and sail in
Florida next year for Masters Week,
escape the cold weather and do some
great Laser racing.
Full results for the Florida Masters
Championship, Midweek Madness,
and the Masters Midwinters East can
be found at: www.regattanetwork.com
www.Laser.org
29
Masters Midwinters – another perspective
MATT FISHER
This past February I used my son’s
Laser to sail in the Laser Masters
Midwinter circuit. It was a
tremendous learning experience for
me and hopefully in this article I can
tell you what I learned. I don’t know
that these thoughts will help you
since this will likely be old news for
a large majority of you, but if you get
one idea or chuckle hopefully it will
be worth your time. To put it mildly, I
came out of the events with more parts
of my sailing to improve than what I
thought when I started. But I will do
it again. It was a great eight days and
I encourage anyone who has the time
and age to get to these regattas.
I decided to get back into the Laser to
improve a couple parts of my sailing
that I have noticed were suffering. I
need to confidently sail downwind in
a breeze and I also want to improve
my timing on the starting line. I sail
a Lightning and, as different as these
boats are, I knew that some of the
skills would transfer. I also sail an MC
Scow which has some similarities to a
Laser downwind. I went to Caberete a
couple weeks before the Laser Masters
circuit. Caberete is an outstanding
program and I will go back when I am
a little more competent in the boat.
I learned in 4 key areas:
Laser Fitness
I thought I was in good shape going
into the midwinters but I was at 50%
of where I needed to be for hiking in
a Laser. My quads wore out way too
early. I thought biking and squats
would get me to a good hiking fitness
but I’ve concluded that hiking gets
one in hiking shape. There also is a
significant mental aspect of hiking that
I am trying to develop. My college
roommate and sailing teammate at
Miami of Ohio in the mid-seventies
30
was Dan Neri. Dan actually gave me
some good advice after the second
day at Jensen Beach where he sailed
very well; “I decided I was going to
hike harder today”. That profound
statement helped me move my mind
over pain at Sarasota. I also think
hydration is a big part of hiking
endurance and I wasn’t hydrating
enough in Jensen Beach (there is a
technique for going to the bathroom
that also takes time to perfect). Hiking
is the biggest part of upwind speed
when it is blowing over 8 and I
misunderstood my fitness level. I am
using my hiking bench much more
aggressively in March as I prepare for
the Lightning Midwinters.
Large Fleet Starting lines
Starting is obviously a significant part
of each race but at these regattas starts
were critical for slightly different
reasons than what I anticipated. There
were about 70 boats at each regatta
which is really cool but this required
very long starting lines. I have had
problems in both the Lightning and
the MC with getting too close to the
line with 30-40 seconds to go, and
then being late to trim at 15 seconds.
In the Laser I had imagined that I
would have problems with the last
10 seconds before the start since I
had heard that everyone trims in at
6 seconds to go. That really wasn’t
the case. I thought I appreciated how
long each line was but in my opinion
you HAD to be at the favored end. If
the line was leeward end favored,
and you chose to start 1/3 of the way
up that could be 60 yards, and that is
how much you would be behind at the
gun. Compared to other boats I have
sailed when it is leeward favored, a
Laser fleet tacks to port quicker and
takes advantage of the favored end.
The best boats lose very little speed
when they are tacked well. I actually
learned quickly to get to the leeward
end when it was favored. But when
the line was favored to weather I was
too conservative. The penalty when
the line is weather favored isn’t as
immediately apparent until you tack,
but it is equally devastating if you
are not at the weather end, you just
don’t realize it until part way up the
beat. When it was weather favored
I was not confident enough in my
acceleration to go fight near the boat
but that is where the leaders would
come from.
I seem to be in a minority in the Laser
in that I use a compass. On small
lakes it is not necessary but I find it
helpful upwind in unfamiliar waters
and big fleets. I also find it helpful in
getting a very accurate idea of which
end is favored. 10 degrees is huge,
and to me, non-compass methods
are hard to detect a 5-10 degree
favored end. I get a line sight/heading
from the committee boat to the pin
and then go head to wind. If the
difference is greater than 90 degrees
it is weather favored, less than 90 and
it’s leeward. I then match that head to
wind to a starboard tack reading.
Interestingly, I had a much better
West Palm Beach regatta than Jensen
Beach. The left side of the course
was favored due to current, the line
was leeward favored, and the wind
was blowing less than 8. I didn’t
have to think or hike. Seriously, the
only way several of us knew the left
side had such a favorable current
was because we sailed 2-3 hours the
previous day. I won a race, but it
was not a foreshadowing of things to
come. I had trouble when the wind
straightened out.
Upwind
I went into the midwinters thinking
I would have good upwind speed
in the 7-15mph range. I actually
struggled in the medium breeze and
did better when it was above or below
SPRING 2014
medium. My only conclusion is to
put more time in the boat. The Laser
sails better when you steer bow down.
I had trouble finding that slot - a
combination of when to pull the vang
on extra hard, and how deep to drive
rather than pinch. I feel like 35 years
ago we pinched the Laser compared to
today and I believe that is because of
the ability to crank the vang.
Downwind
I stunk downwind. I got to the
point where heavy air (for me 13+)
downwind was fun and my speed was
comparable to everyone else because
I could plane down waves. In the
8-12 range, there is technique that is
discussed frequently in this publication
but I was not able to execute. The
distance the top people gain/pull
away downwind is incredible. I
www.Laser.org
learned several things though: In all
conditions I need to get comfortable
with a relatively loose vang, healing
to weather, and sailing by the lee. I’m
not there yet. Playing the waves
comes after I get comfortable with
that position. I know you all know this
already, but I felt like the only one on
the dance floor not dancing sometimes.
People like Peter Shope and Ari
Barisi were making enormous gains
downwind, and they were working
the boat. Ari uses the technique that
I have seen on video and I see the
kids doing it, but that is of playing the
waves by the lee, and then heading
up to a good broad reach. I need to
learn to do that. Lindsey Hewitt said
one line at the end of Jensen Beach
that helped, and that was to keep the
rig “loaded up”. That helped me at
least get more aggressive with a looser
vang, and more heal to weather and a
sharper angle down the wave.
Summary
I was really impressed with the
people at the midwinters. The clubs
were very hospitable and the events
were well run. I have sailed different
classes before, and the group at the
midwinters seemed to go out of their
way to make someone like me feel
welcome. Classes need characters
like Dave Hartman that keep these
events positive, and there were a lot of
people who have a love for the class
and this event. The fitness level, the
camaraderie, and the willingness to
help on and off the water really made
this fun. I need more time in the boat
and need to travel since Ohio doesn’t
have a lot of active Laser sailing. I
look forward to seeing you on the
circuit and can take all of the advice
you’re have.
31
Midwinters East
DAVID WAGNER
The Gulf of Mexico provided a
half and half kind of regatta for the
2014 Midwinters east championship.
For the first two days of the event,
Clearwater provided the fleet with
fantastic racing. Day one featured an
on and off breeze that if played right,
could take you right to the front and
if played wrong, you would most
likely find yourself shot out the back.
The pressure rolled in and out all day,
having sailors in the “I feel a little bit
of pressure on my face”
mindset to “I really need to
hit the gym more because
my legs are starting to burn
from hiking” phase. The
full rig fleet got three races
off cleanly and were sent
in around 4:30. The radials
were a bit less fortunate
however. They were held
for a long time, waiting for
the breeze to fill before they
got their third and final race
in. Thankfully, the breeze
eventually came in and the radials
raced, just in time to get in before
sunset.
New to Midwinters this year was an
Olympic regatta style racing schedule.
Sailors would go out around 9:30
expecting three races to be sailed for
that day. Which was a nice aversion
from the “how many are we doing
today” question that looms in some
sailors minds as they sail out.
Day two provided a fairly powerful
breeze from the south. The shallow
waters of the gulf helped produce
deep troughed rollers, which for a
Midwestern youth sailor, were a dream
come true. While the waves were epic
downwind, upwind they proved to
be difficult to sail. On the outer loop
especially, the steep, frequent, and
powerful waves separated the men
from the boys when it came to upwind
technique and hiking strength. Again,
three races were sailed and today,
32
everyone
got in before
dark.
Day three
and four
provided
more
unfortunate
weather. Day
three was
postponed
on shore all
day due to an,
almost incredibly, thick fog. Sailors sat
around in the 5%
visibility all day
until two in the
afternoon when
racing was called.
The following
morning featured
the same, antisailing weather.
But when the fog
cleared on land
the fleet was sent
out, and to their
Midwinters East
Standard - top 5 (50 boats)
surprise, found great conditions, 10-12
knots from the south-ish. But right as
everyone’s hopes were risen, a thick
fog rolled back into the race course
area. The fog wouldn’t budge all day
and eventually the regatta was sent in
without having raced.
Amidst unfavorable weather
conditions, Clearwater Yacht Club and
CCSC hosted an incredibly ran event,
good food and friendly volunteers
greeted the sailors every day and it
will for sure be again an impressive
event in 2015.
Photos by Nigel Cochrane
country
total points
Robert Davis
Juan Magli
Karl-Martin Rammo
Tom Ramshaw
Lee Parkhill
Radial - top 5 (67 boats)
Luke Ramsay
Luke Muller
William Marshall
Brenda Bowskill
Luke Ruitenberg
4.7 - top 5 (20 boats)
Louisa Nordstrom
Alexandra Mares
Abigail Affoo
Gage Scoenherr
CAN
GUA
EST
CAN
CAN
14
15
16
17
22
CAN
USA
USA
CAN
CAN
5
7
13
19
27
USA
USA
USA
USA
8
16T
16T
20
Kyle Dochada
USA
31
SPRING 2014
Miami OCR( ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami)
JOHN LONG
From January 27 – Feb. 1, ISAF
Sailing World Cup Miami returned
to the waters of Biscayne Bay,
bringing together the world’s top
Olympic Laser and Laser Radial
sailors. Marking the 25th running
of the event, the regatta is a
mainstay on the winter circuit for
sailors who are campaigning for the
next Olympic Games. The event is
part of the ISAF Sailing World Cup, a
world-class annual series for Olympic
sailing.
Established in 1990 by US SAILING,
ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami
draws elite sailors, including Olympic
medalists and hopefuls from around
the world. In non-Olympic/Paralympic
years, the regatta is especially
important as a ranking regatta for
sailors hoping to qualify for the US
Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider, which
annually distinguishes the top sailors
in each Olympic and Paralympic class.
For the Laser and Laser Radial classes,
the two largest classes with 90 and
50 competitors respectively, the 2014
event consisted of a five-day opening
series and a double-point medal race.
The top ten finishers in each class
advanced to the medal race.
The first day of the opening series
started off with an AP flag due to lack
of wind. Postponement was lifted
at around noon and two races were
completed in light and challenging
conditions. Day two began with an
AP flag. Once the flag was dropped
the sailors were able to complete only
one race for the day. On day three the
AP flag was lowered around noon and
the sailors headed out in anticipation
of wind. The sailors were greeted
with an AP flag on the water and rain,
lots of rain. Finally, after a couple
hours of heavy rain, the sailors were
now experiencing thunder showers.
With no races completed, racing was
abandoned for the day at two in the
www.Laser.org
afternoon. Thursday, day 4, looked
to be promising. Race committee
was doing everything possible to
get races completed in the limited
windows of opportunity. Often RC
had been running two Laser fleets
and the Radials on the race course at
the same time. The wind remained
light throughout the day, peaking at
10 knots or less. Race committee was
able to complete the scheduled two
races for the day. On day five high
pressure moved in and sat over Miami.
Skies were clear, temperatures were
near the 80s and there was no wind to
be found. The AP flag was flown on
shore all day. No races attempted.
This year the regatta known for its
steady winds was shaping up to be a
regatta that rewards the sailors with
the patience and skill to deal with the
light air conditions. “Unfortunately
the wind didn’t cooperate much this
week, leaving us with only five races,”
commented Charlie Buckingham
(USA) who was in 7th overall with
the medal race remaining. Nick
Thompson (GBR) also commented
on the light air this week. “The race
committee has done
a really nice job
working through this
and it’s just a bit of
bad luck for them as
the weeks leading
up to this have been
really nice.”
on Saturday under some of
the best conditions of the
entire regatta. In the Laser
class medal race Charlie
Buckingham (USA) finished
9th. In the Radial class medal
round race it was Paige
Railey (USA) finishing
2nd followed by Erika
Reineke (USA) and Claire
Merry(CAN) coming in 4th
and 10th respectively.
Overall scores in the Laser class had
Charlie Buckingham (USA) finishing
9th, Lee Parkhill (CAN) and Chris
Barnard (USA) in 11th and 12th. In the
Radial class Paige Railey (USA) won
her unprecedented sixth championship
title at this event. Claire Merry
(CAN), the winner of last year’s
CORK OCR, finished fifth. Boston
Colleges, Erika Reineke (USA),
winner of this year’s ISCA Women’s
Singlehanded National Sailing
Championship finished ninth overall.
Over a dozen of the top North
American youth Laser and Radial
sailors tried their skills against
the world’s finest sailors. The top
youth Laser sailor was this year’s
Orange Bowl champion Luke Muller
(USA) finishing 31st, followed by
James Pulsford (USA) and Richard
Didham (USA) finishing 39th and 57th
respectively. The top youth Radial
sailor was Hanna Weaver (USA)
finishing 15th, followed by Dana
Rohde (USA) and D’Amy Steward
finishing 23rd and 46th overall.
The medal race, which
was scored double
the points, was held
33
1
www.rightontrailer.com
34
SPRING 2014
SAIL GORGE!
East of the Cascades, in fact just about
as far east as you can get in D22, a new
“Can-Am” regatta is taking shape. It
will be held August 15-17 at Fort Peck
Montana, and boats are expected to come
from both Canada and from Montana.
Winds are reputed to be great on the large
Fort Peck Lake. This could be a significant
new regatta.
And of course the Columbia Gorge Racing
Association has a spectacular July lineup
including youth and open clinics with
Rulo Borojovich, the Laser Blowout, the
WIND Youth Regatta and a very exciting
Laser Master NAs. Check-out www.cgra.
org for the full rundown.
Deep Winter in the NorthWest
Kurt Hoehne
District 22
Laser sailing never sleeps in District 22.
The Seattle Laser Fleet hosted a successful
Frigid Digit regatta in early February,
with Dan Falk’s outstanding heavy air
performance on day one trumping Carl
Buchan’s impressive performance on day
www.Laser.org
2 by a single point. The amazing Frigid
Digit meal, courtesy of Yun McFall, was
served for a change in a high-rise with a
full view of a snowy downtown. Seattle
summer racing promises to be good on the
Sound on Thursdays through CYC and on
Lake Washington on Fridays through Sail
Sand Point. The fleet is currently seeking
loaner boats to encourage (lure) sailors
into the fleet.
35
District Reports
District 4
Manitoba, CAN
Brigitte Smutney
[email protected]
www.sailmanitoba.com
Laser sailors in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario are looking
forward to another great sailing season, particularly having
endured the longest and coldest winter in a long time. It should
actually count as two winters... What say we just move on to
summer and never speak about it again.
To be prepared for the season some of our sailors are keeping fit
by attending a sport specific training twice a week at the Sport
for Life Centre in Winnipeg. As always we will load up the
trailer on the May long weekend and attend the Regina short
course regatta in our friendly neighbour province Saskatchewan.
Lots of training sessions and regattas are planned in June and July
at different clubs in Manitoba.
The District 4 and the Laser Masters will be held on July
6 at the Falcon YC. For out of province regattas we have
the Laser Canadians in Vancouver, Sail West in Edmonton, the
U 19 and the OCR, both in Kingston, in our schedule. Let’s hope
for an early spring so we can be on the water at the beginning
of May!
District 5
Saskatoon, CAN
Mark Lammens
[email protected]
www.sasksail.com
2014 District 5 Dick Degner
Laser, Radial and Master scoring events
May 17-18
SK, Wascana Short Course, Regina SK
July 11-13
North American MASTERS Gorge, (Masters)
July 12-13
AB, Prairie Wind, Radial and Laser (Rad/Laser)
July 19-20
SK “Saskatchewan Champs, Battleford’s
Aug 1-3
AB W CANADIAN’S, Sail West, Wabamun
Aug 30-31
AB, “Alberta Champs” Prov & Black Pearl Ball
Sept 6-7
SK, District 5 Championships, Saskatoon SC
3 events to count from the 3 in AB and 3 in SK- 2 events (SK or
AB) +1 Event (other) Inverse scoring. Only win 1 category.
Radial
Laser
Master
Stephen Reichenfeld Nic Hamel
Louis Pierre Gagnon
2013
2012
Finn Griggs
Ian Elliot
Lewis Oteruelo
2011
Lesley Reichenfeld Simon Schmitt
Lewis Oteruelo
2010
Sydney Byrns
Nic Hamel
Mark Lammens
2009
David Cormack
Mark Bugiak
Barry Tee
2008
Hannah Meers
Ian Elliot
Barry Tee
2007
Dominique Grell Erik Tulk
Barry Tee
36
District 6
Vancouver, CAN
Andy Hunt
[email protected]
www.district6x.ca
Greetings to all the sailors in District 6.
The weather has started to improve and sailors are starting to
think about getting back on the water. For some of the more
hardy sailors, there has been training and a few local regattas.
Also, 11 District 6 sailors went to Florida for some warm water
racing. The Royal Victoria Yacht Club hosted the Frozen Assets
Regatta on February 1 and 2. The winds were steady enough
that the race committee managed to run 5 races on Saturday
and 4 races on Sunday. Sailors from the mainland liked the
fact that some of them were able to catch an early ferry. The
race committee was mainly made up of Cadets and they did an
excellent job. There were 11 standard Lasers and no Radials.
Bob Britten was the top sailor and he had 19 points. Second
place went to Reece Myerscough who had 25 points. Aidan
Koster was third with 27 points. Geoff Able and John Owen
were fourth and fifty with 33 points and 37 points. The Royal
Vancouver Yacht Club hosted the March Madness Regatta
on March 8 and 9. There were 6 standard Lasers and 7 Laser
Radials. The weather was lousy on Saturday (heavy rain) but
the wind was good (15 – 18 knots). The race committee, led by
Hunter Lowden who is the newest sailing director, ran 4 races
on Saturday. The weather itself was better on Sunday (sunny)
but the wind was very light. There was one race completed and
one race abandoned. The results were: Alexander Heinzemann,
RVANYC, 5.00; Kyle Martin, RVANYC, 7.00; Al Clark,
RVANYC, 9.00; Alex Shepard,
RVANYC, 16.00; Kyle Gerrard, RVANYC, 20.00; Peter
Woytkowiak, JSCA, 21.00. Radial Results:
Tony Martin, JSCA, 8.00; Graham Harney, RVANYC, 9.00;
Natalia Montemayor, RVANYC, 10.00;
Jacek Suski, JSCA, 15.00; Miranda MacGillvray, RVANYC,
16.00; Jake Cullen, RVANYC, 18.00,
Unknown, RVANYC, 29.00. Spring weekend racing should be
starting soon and I hope that more sailors will be racing in local,
round the buoy races. If all goes well, yours truly should be back
in his Laser in the Spring. I had a hip replacement operation and
have not been in my Laser for the last 18 months or so. Hope to
see you on the water soon. Don’t forget about the summer west
coast circuit.
If you are a masters sailor, there are 6 consecutive weekends
(starting with WAVES on June 27 – 29) and ending (with the US
Laser and Laser Radial Championships in San Francisco) on July
30 – August
3. The regattas will be in Districts 6, 22 and 24. The other
regattas are: BC Sailing Championships at the Squamish Yacht
Club on July 5 and 6; North American Masters at Cascade Locks
on July 11 – 13; BC Laser Masters at Nicola Lake on July 12 and
13; PCC Masters at the Jericho Sailing Centre on July 18 – 20;
Canadian Laser, Laser Radial and Laser 4.7 Championships at
the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club on July 25 – 27. All the regattas
with the exception of the NA Masters, are in District 6.
SPRING 2014
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions
/ comments.
website at www.laserdistrict7.com for the latest version with
recently added events.
District 7
Rhode Island
Derek Stow
April 27 Peter Milnes Regatta, Sail Newport
May 10 May Madness Regatta, Quannapowitt YC
May 11 Spring Laser Regatta, Cedar Point YC
May 31 NH Seacoast Spring Regatta
May 31 Massapoag YC Laser Regatta
June 1 Lake Mascoma Regatta
June 7-8 Wickford Regatta
June 21-22 John Bentley Regatta, New Bedford YC
June 29 Portland YC Maine State Championship Regatta
July 12-13 Newport Regatta
July 12-13 Lipton Cup Regatta, Squantum YC
July 25-27 Hyannis Regatta
August 1-3 Buzzards Bay Regatta, Beverly YC
August 16-17 Chiott Vermont Laser Open, Malletts Bay BC
August 30-31 Atlantic Coast Champs, Sail Maine
September 6-7 Massapoag YC Annual Regatta
September 20-21 New England Masters, Wianno YC
October 11 Last Blast Regatta, Quannapowitt YC
October 12 NH Seacoast Fall Regatta
Please feel free to contact me about any district matters at
[email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you.
[email protected]
The winter of 2013/14 may not have been the longest, the coldest,
or the snowiest winter on record in New England, but as I write
this report in mid-March it sure feels like it has been all of the
above. Many hardy souls have been frostbiting pretty much every
weekend. However it’s not surprising that a bunch of District 7
sailors also headed off to compete in warmer waters, and our top
sailors have achieved some stellar results.
Mike Matan and Peter Seidenberg sailed the Masters Worlds in
Oman in December, where Peter won another Masters World
Championship, with a dominating performance in the Radial
Great Grandmaster Fleet.
Peter also sailed the Caribbean Midwinters in Cabarete in the
Dominican Republic in January and came second in the Radial
fleet.
A large contingent headed south for Florida Masters Week in
February including Daniel Bullard, Robert Page, Tim Desmond,
Lowell Tomas, Philip Swanton, Ian McNeice, Peter Hopple, Tim
Millhiser, Halsey Bullen, Amnon Gitelson, Britt Hughes, Lynne
Shore, Scott Pakenham, Dan Neri, Hank Thorburn, David Frazier,
Peter Shope and Scott Ferguson.
Scott Ferguson won the first event, the Florida Laser Masters at
Palm Beach Sailing Club. Peter Shope won the second regatta,
the Laser Masters Midweek Madness at the US Sailing Center
in Martin County, with Scott in second. And at the final event,
the Laser Masters Midwinters at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron,
Peter and Scott finished the regatta tied on points with Shope
winning the tie-breaker. As if that were not enough, other D7
masters picked up a number of trophies in the age group awards.
Dan Neri was first Grand Master at all three events, David Frazier
took a first and two seconds in the Great Grandmasters, Scott
Pakenham scored a second and two thirds in the Apprentice
Masters, and Lynne Shore was first Woman at all three regattas.
Did the sailors from other districts get tired of seeing D7 sailors
on the podium so many times?
District 7 Radial sailors competed strongly at the Midwinters
East in Clearwater Beach in Florida with William Marshall taking
third place, and Richie Gordon and Jack Marshall also in the top
ten in the Radial fleet.
And at the end of February Dave Powlison and Judith Krimski
headed off to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico for the Mexican Laser
Masters where Dave won and Judith was fourth.
By the time you are reading this, the snow will (probably) have
melted and it will be time to plan some summer sailing. The 2014
regatta schedule for District 7 is listed below, but check out the
www.Laser.org
District 8
Lower New York
Lindsay Hewitt:[email protected]
David Trinder: [email protected]
www.laserd8.tripod.com
District 8 is seeing some changes for 2014. Ted Cremer after 6
successful years as D8’s secretary has passed the baton to David
Trinder and Lindsay Hewitt. Kudos and thanks to Ted for all his
hard work on behalf of everyone in District 8. In addition to his
work on D8 Ted has been responsible for hosting the D8 Grand
Prix’s and D8 Championships over many years at the Sayville
Yacht Club. He has graciously agreed to oversee this event again
this year at Sayville.
Three other people that need to be recognized are Mike Duran,
Lynn Sexton and Bob Terry. Mike and Lynn have steadfastly
scheduled the East End of Long Island’s laser regattas. Mike and
Lynn together have organized a great series for the past few years
and once again have put together a great series for 2014. The
third person that has been volunteering with his terrific web and
video skills for D8 is Bob Terry. Bob, as our webmaster, handles
all of the website material including schedules, directions, and
of course his famous videos. D8 would simply not run without
Bob’s unfailing support.
As we write this, local frostbiting at Seawanhaka Corinthian
Yacht Club and other LI clubs is winding down and we are
getting ready for the new 2014 spring, summer, and fall series.
We have over 20 events planned in all different locations
throughout D8. Many thanks to all the club reps that have helped
put all of these terrific events together. Special note: The D8
Grand Prix and D8 Championship will once again be held at
Sayville Yacht Club on July 19th and 20th.
Please check the Laser D8 website at LaserD8.org for all
updates, changes, directions and new events
37
District 9
Upstate New York
Chas Williamson
[email protected]
This time last year we had warmer temperatures - this year
we still have ice at the South end of Lake Cayuga, preventing
launching of the Cornell Sailing team’s 420’s. It is pretty crazy.
And soon the students will be flying South for Spring Break!
As usual, the Spring 2014 season will start with Ithaca YC Wine
Keg on 24 May 2014, and we will be off to a good start with
guaranteed good breezes with much warmer temps than last
year, followed by Willowbank YC 31 May); an early start this
year for Saratoga Lake SC (7 June); Newport YC (14 June) and
Chautauqua Lake YC (21 June). For these and later regattas see
the calendar below, and also check out the D9 Schedule on the
ILCA - North America website. There you will find complete
schedules and information on the fleets and clubs, thanks to
Jerelyn and Sherri.
Spring is just about to start, so we should be planning our
summer regattas. I attach below the Calendar for 2014.
CALENDAR FOR DISTRICT 9 REGATTAS 2014
Skippers Meeting 10:00 am for each regatta.
24 May, Ithaca YC “Wine Keg”Chas Williamson
31 May, Willowbank YC Pedro Bushnell
7 June, “Saratoga Lake SC Derby” Barbara Brown
14 June, Newport YC Kenny Fourspring
21 June, Chautauqua Lake YC David Menzies, Kevin
Sixbey [email protected]
12-13 July, Sodus Bay JSA - DISTRICT 9 GRAND PRIX
CHAMPS Mike Foley
19 July, Seneca YC Bill Wilson
2-3 Aug, Rochester YC - JO’s Natalie Steo [email protected]
6 Sept, Willowbank YC “Deathroll” Peter Bushnell
7 Sept, Rochester YC Bobby Bryant
12-14 Sept, US Masters (Rochester YC) Bobby Bryant
13 Sept, Glimmerglass Regatta
12 Oct, Henderson Harbor YC Tom King [email protected]
District 10
New Jersey
Eric Reitinger
[email protected]
http://d10.laserforum.org
As usual the winter does give time for sailors to take a break
from sailing in NJ and take trips down south to get their sailing
fix someplace warm. We had a cold winter which wasn’t very
conducive to sailing in the area but they always know the reliable
regattas were always going to be held. Just after Christmas many
sailors got in their cars to make the trip down to Miami for the Jr
Orange Bowl.
Maddie Widmeier 76th Radial
Andy Widmeier 21st Radial
Andrew Puopolo 4th Radial
Drew Lorenz 49th Radial
Carter Pearce 106th Radial
38
The kids got their first regatta, while the Masters got 3 in a
row, as part of their Midwinter circuit. The Florida Masters
Championship started the week followed by Laser Midweek
Madness and ended with the Master’s Midwinters East. Here are
the sailors who went and their results for all 3 events in their age
categories.
John MacCausland (Master) 3, 4, 5
Mike Hecky (Master) 11, 9, 7
Don Hahl (Grand Master) 5, 11, 9
Newt Wattis (Great Grand Master) 8, 6, 6
Jim Knab (Grand Master) 10, 10, 15
Mike Mays (Grand Master) 17, 17, 21
George Fallon (Grand Master) 20, 16, 22
Peter Madonna (Grand Master) 15, 9, X
Tony Iacono (Great Grand Master) X, 13, 10
The following weekend the Open Midwinter’s East was held in
its usual spot of Clearwater.
Noah Glosenger (4.7) 17th
Andy Widmeier (Radial) 39th
Dylan Hancock (Radial) 82nd
Jeff Glosenger (Radial) 100th
Carter Pearce (Radial) 111th
Michael Ehnot (Radial) 121st
Brenden Gilman (Radial) 126th
As for this upcoming spring season we have a lot to offer. There
are a few ocean sailing opportunities as well!!
Toms River Spring Series March 30, April 6, 12, 27
Marsh Creek April 12th
Annual Spring Regatta @ Shrewsbury Sailing and YC May 10th
Orange Coffee Pot Regatta @ Surf City YC May 31st
D10 Full Rigs @ Corinthian Yacht Club of Cape May June 14-15
Feed the Need Jr Regatta @ Pine Beach YC June 26th
Iron Man Jr Regatta @ Shore Acres YC July 10th
Powder Puff Jr Regatta @ Metedeconk YC July 11th
Beachwood Blowout Jr Regatta @ Beachwood YC July 18th
Atlantic City Race Week July 19th
Summer Classic @ Ocean Gate YC August 1st
D10 Radials and 4.7s @ Brant Beach August 16-17th
Follow District 10 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
LaserDistrict10
Follow District 10 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaserDistrict10
Email Eric Reitinger to join the email list: [email protected]
District 11
Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, DC
Jon Deutsch
[email protected]
www.laserdistrict11.org
As this edition of the Laser Sailor went to press our fleets were
wrapping up their frostbite seasons. We had regular racing at
Severn Sailing Association in Annapolis; Potomac River Sailing
Association in Washington DC and the Hampton Roads Laser
Fleet sailing out of Old Dominion University in Norfolk. Several
other fleets also got out on a couple weekends.
SPRING 2014
Our calendar for 2014 is now up on the website. This year our
District Championship will be at Tred Avon Yacht Club on the
eastern shore of MD on August 23-24. The Lasers will be sailed
on another course during TAYC’s Heritage regatta with boats
much, much older than the Laser. I’ve always wanted to sail
alongside a log canoe (to windward of course)!
The rest of the D11 schedule includes some not-to-miss events
such as - SSA’s Sunshine Open in April, The Dave Irey Regatta at
West River SC in May/June. Corsica River Yacht Club’s Annual
Regatta in July. FBYC’s 75th Annual One Design Regatta in
August. SSA’s Crab Claw Regatta at the end of September. Rock
Hall YC’s Hard Rock Masters in October. And Finally the Laser
Masters ACC at Fishing Bay Yacht Club in mid-October. If those
aren’t enough, there’s a host of one day events around the District
posted on our website at http://laserdistrict11.org
District 11 also has a great junior circuit with a concentration
of regattas at the end of June and beginning of July. Starting
with the Commonwealth of Virginia Championship at FBYC,
the Rock Hall Junior regatta, Tred Avon YC’s Junior Regatta,
and concluding with the MD Sate Championship, Annapolis YC
Junior Regatta and SSA’s Sandy McVicker Regatta. It’s a great
opportunity to come to the Chesapeake Bay for 7 race days over
12 days with an opportunity for some clinics and sight-seeing
mixed it. More info at http://www.cbyrajuniorsailing.org
Looking forward to another exciting season of Laser sailing in
the Chesapeake Bay Region (and Deep Creek)! To get updates
on all of the Laser Sailing in District 11 visit our website and sign
up for our email list. You can even follow us on Facebook and
Twitter. All the info at www.laserdistrict11.org
District 12
North Carolina
Glenn Walker
[email protected]
www.d12laserforum.org
Championship Regatta Circuit for 2014
Most of you already know that D12 is a highly competitive fleet,
with over 100 members and nearly 70 percent of those racing in
our circuit makes it lots of fun and competitive. Our schedule for
the year is posted below, please mark you calendar for at least
two of these events!
May 3-4 Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club, South Carolina
May 31-June 1st Savannah Yacht Club, Georgia
July 26-27 Carolina Yacht Club, SOUTH Carolina
www.Laser.org
August 2-3 Carolina Yacht Club, NORTH Carolina- GRAND
PRIX !!
Sept 27-28 Lake Norman Yacht Club, North Carolina
Oct 4-5 Columbia Sailing Club, South Carolina
District 13
Florida
Michelle Davis
[email protected]
The active winter sailing season was kicked off by the D13
Championships held at the US Sailing Center in Martin County
the second weekend in December. This venue usually has reliable
wind, and it didn’t disappoint this time with warm breezes up
to 18 knots for the fleet of 6 4.7’s, 24 Standards and 43 Radials.
Gage Wilson of Edison Sailing Center swept the 4.7 fleet with 7
bullets in 9 races. In the Radial fleet Claire Dennis of the SF Bay
Area was edged out of first place by one point; the win going to
Addison Hackstaff from St Petersburg. Robert Davis (Kingston
ONT) won the Standard division, with Chris Barnard of Newport
Beach CA in second and Luke Muller of Lauderdale YC (2013
US Nationals champion) in third place.
The huge Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta was hosted
by Coral Reef YC on Dec 27-30. The weather gave the regatta a
nice start with two days of a cloudy but warm 5 to 17 knots. The
wind then got lighter for the third day and was too light for racing
on the last day due to a stalling front. District 13 kids did very
well: Eric Weis of Lauderdale won the 20-boat full rig fleet and
Brandon Kirby (also of LYC) finished 6th. Luke Muller (LYC)
was the overall winner of the 127-boat Radial fleet with Dana
Rohde (LYC/Beaufort SC) the top woman in 13th place. Two St
Petersburg YC juniors also had very strong finishes: Addison
Hackstaff in 5th and Nic Baird in 9th overall.
20 grownups competed in the Open Orange Bowl held
concurrently with the youth event, at Coconut Grove Sailing
Club. This event attracts parents of kids racing in the youth OB,
Masters folks who can’t wait until February and a few of the
Olympic guys who use it as a warm-up for Miami OCR. Eric
Bowers (Minnetonka YC) won the event, Roman Plutenko from
Chicago was second and top Master, and local favorite Augie
Diaz finished in third.
The Miami Olympic Classes Regatta (aka ISAF Sailing World
Cup) in January was plagued by light air the whole week; a
classic case of Murphy’s Law since Biscayne Bay has had plenty
of wind for the last couple of months, except for when a regatta is
scheduled. Paige Railey (Clearwater ) is back on top of her game
and won the Radial fleet, with Erica Reineke (Ft Lauderdale) also
making it to the Medal race. The ubiquitous Luke Muller was 31st
overall in the large and tough Standard fleet.
The Lauderdale YC Ocean Olympic Classes Regatta, the
weekend after Miami OCR, attracted an international fleet of 18
Radials and 28 Standards for some fun ocean sailing. The theme
of light air continued, but it is hard to complain when the air is 83
degrees and the water is 78 degrees and bright blue. Tom Burton,
ranked #2 in the world at this time, won the Standard fleet, with
new D13 secretary Michelle Davis bringing up the rear almost in
dead last, but how cool is this sport when normal people can race
world champions! Sophia Reineke (Erica’s sister) was fourth
overall in the Radial fleet, and honorary D13 member Dana
Rohde was 5th. Although called an Olympic class regatta, the
39
Laser and Radial fleets are open to both genders at this event.
The old farts and geezers invaded Florida for Masters Week, held
the second week in February. Three venues and 7 days of racing
in 9 days for the over 35 crowd! This year there were around 70
boats at each of the 3 events, a record of sorts. We were treated to
a mixture of wind from very light to breeze on and all of it was
warm! The first stop was the Florida Masters at West Palm Beach
for some ocean sailing. We were invaded by the very talented
Fleet 413 of Newport RI, but locals Phil Karcher of Sarasota and
David Hiebert of Martin County held them off to finish second
and fourth, respectively. Scott Ferguson won overall, beating out
fellow Fleet 413’er Peter Shope by a lot since Peter kept breaking
stuff. The second stop was the Midweek Madness at US Sailing
Center Martin County, and we got to hike a bit both days. A
front with thunderstorms was kind enough to wait until nightfall
Sunday to pass, allowing us 8 races over two days. Peter Shope
edged out Scott Ferguson to win this one, with David Hiebert
again the highest placing D13’er in 8th overall. Another day off
to travel over to Sarasota and the fleet reassembled for the final
3-day Masters Midwinters. Once again we had everything from
5 knots to 20, and once again Peter was first overall with Scott in
second. Dave Chapin was fourth overall, and Dave Hiebert was
still near the top in 7th. Buzzy Heausler of Davis Island YC was
also in the top 10.
District 15
Texas
Forest Atkins
[email protected]
Spring is back and many or most of us in Texas have been sailing
our Lasers for a few weeks..... well many all winter long on the
coast..... a bit less so here in Dallas as we’ve only had a couple
opportunities between ice storms.
But fleet meetings and 2014 planning has kept this D15 rep busy.
Through various discussions, emails and conference calls I
believe we’ve settled on D15 circuit events and they are now
posted on the ILCA-NA schedule. The circuit will consist of the
following events.....
- Easter Regatta (April) at Lake Travis Austin
- CSC Laser Regatta (June) at White Rock Lake Dallas
- Summer Solstice Regata (June) at Seabrook Galveston Bay
- D15 CHAMPS ...Cannon Ball (August) at Palacios Matagorda
bay
- LaserPalooza (September) at Lake Arlington
- Wurstfest (November) at Lake Canyon, New Braunfels
Our intent was this year was to drive toward fewer and
bigger events while also encouraging combined junior and
adult (parental?) involvement.....the 2013 events where such
combinations occurred were among the best. Additionally we are
also instigating .... or reviving.... a rotation of the D15 champs
amongst the District areas i.e. north, central and gulf coast. This
year is the gulf’s turn. Travelling in Texas can be a widely varied
experience, so the collective decision to hold the D15 champs at
Palacios will certainly expand this district reps’ range. Despite the
summer heat, we look forward to the wide open water, sea breeze
and hospitality of this new Matagorda bay venue. Thanks in
advance go out to the good folks of PYC for sharing and helping
put on this event. See y’all in Austin for the circuit kick-off at
Easter Regatta and for those of you up north that want to expand
40
your season a bit more in November.... maybe a trip to Wurstfest
in the Texas hill country should be in your plans. Thanks see ya
on the water.
District 20
Wisconsin
Steve Dolan
[email protected]
d20.laserforum.org
Epic winter. As I write this, spring is nowhere in sight. Hard
water and cold temps abound on Lake Michigan and area inland
lakes. CYC-Belmont Station has cancelled their first three
attempts at Spring Frostbiting this March. Unheard of; I can’t
remember the last time that happened. Cold lake temperatures
will bring breezy thermals once the sailing begins. Better hit
the hiking bench. Otherwise, not much to report in the land of
D20. Below is the first draft of the 2014 D20 Regatta schedule.
Still have a few dates to nail down. Look for a new D20 website
on wordpress.com in the coming weeks. Confirmed regatta
dates will also be posted on laser.org with NORs and SIs as they
become available. That’s all for now. Stay fit. See you out on
the water soon. Steve
May 3-4, 2014 Vlad Memorial Regatta/Area K Qualifier Chicago
Yacht Club, Belmont
July 12-13 Great Lakes Masters, Thunder Bay, Ontario
July 26-27, 2014 Hobelman Regatta/District 20 Champs, Chicago
Corinthian Yacht Club
Aug 8-9, 2014 Racine Laser Regatta, Racine Yacht Club
Aug 23-24, 2014 Verve Inshore Chicago Yacht Club, Belmont
Sept 6-7, 2014 Milwaukee Bay One Design, Milwaukee Yacht
Club
Sept 12-13, 2014 US Masters Champs, Rochester Yacht Club
Sept 20-21, 2014 Border Challenge, LaCrosse Sailing Club
Sept 27-28, 2014 Jimmy Talbot Chicago Yacht Club, Belmont
Oct 11-12, 2014 Oktoberfest, Nagawicka Yacht Club
District 24
NorCal
Nick Burke
[email protected]
www.skysail.com/sailing/d24
Small Boat Midwinters at Richmond YC
23 standards and 8 radials entered RYC’s series running the first
Sunday of the month from December to March.
The winners of the Laser standard series were 1st place David
Lapier, 2nd Nick Burke, 3rd Roger Herbst (who lost the tiebreaker for 2nd). Emilio Castelli was leading the standard series
by a lot but missed the last day as he was on vacation in Paris, but
still got 5th place.
In radials, 1st place Charlotte Lenz, 2nd place Michael Marlett,
3rd place Broderic Babasa.
Complete Results here: http://tinyurl.com/n8jrlqx
It was a good series this year. Nice conditions for the most part.
No drifting. One day had 10-12 knots breeze, warm air and no
clouds. Everyone came off the water exclaiming how good the
SPRING 2014
sailing was. All the races were on Southampton Shoal. There
were usually small waves which were nothing to worry about
for beginners and enough to get traction on downwind for more
advanced sailors. This is a good series for people wanting to step
up from a short course fleet. There’s a club dinner after racing
on Sunday which is open to everyone. RYC has commented that
Lasers don’t hang out after races. Our fleet tends to pack up and
leave, whereas others stay and socialize.
In February, there was a winter storm so racing was cancelled.
All the diverse classes in the regatta did show up at RYC but
never launched. The race committee did offer to run short course
races inside the outer breakwater for any fleets that wanted to go
out. These races would not count in the Small Boat Midwinters
series. You’ll be happy to know the Laser reputation for racing
when everyone else is on shore or, if sailing, their boats are
disintegrating was preserved on this day. The breeze started in
the high 20s but had backed off considerably by the time we
were done. The water was very flat inside the breakwater. There
was a 29er being sailed in straight lines by two guys who sailed
Lasers as juniors, but otherwise only Lasers took RYC up on the
offer for some fun racing. Emilio Castelli, Pete Trachy, David
Lapier, Andrew Holdsworth, Nick Burke and a 5o5 sailor in a
borrowed radial went out for a while with 4 whalers in support
of the Pelican signal boat. RYC expected to do a lot of rescues
so deployed lots of whalers. Some of the whaler crew did not
get bundled up as they expected to work hard and get warm.
That wasn’t a good call as they didn’t need to do any rescues and
actually got quite cold. The race committee ran a bunch of twice
arounds lasting 20 mins or so each. Thanks very much to the
RYC race committee for enabling this fun.
The entry stats for Small Boat Mids show a downward trend from
a peak of 54 total Lasers in 2012. The number of standards has
held pretty steady but the radials have been on a downward trend.
Sunday Series at Richmond YC
This winter Richmond YC continued its practice of the last few
years of inviting adults to scrimmage with their advanced juniors
in Lasers. This helps the juniors raise their game and also raises a
little money for the junior program. These casual races, which are
a learning environment for many of the adults too, are held most
Sunday afternoons other than when the Small Boat Midwinters
are on. They are short-course flat-water races around buoys set
by the coaches. There was lots of clear blue sky this winter with
the drought in California. The winds tend to be light in the winter,
but there were only a few days with drifting conditions.
The coaches vary the courses each race to shake things up and
keep competitors on their toes. They will combine port and
starboard roundings, start/finish line restricted or not, start/finish
line used as a gate instead vs. using a leeward mark, varying
numbers of laps and a “long distance” race of multiple legs
around day marks back to the harbor at the end of the day.
The 15th and last event of the series had a turnout of 25 boats or
so, with many people showing up to practice for the upcoming
Midwinters West. The Sunday Series coaches moved the racing
area out onto Southampton Shoal for this last day. Usually the
racing is inside the outer breakwater.
The Sunday Series was begun by Mark Halman. This year Mark
passed the organization on to Pete Trachy, who is also a Vanguard
www.Laser.org
15 and Moore 24 sailor. Thanks to both for organizing some good
fun.
Complete results and more here: http://rycsunday.myfleet.org
Spring Dinghy at St Francis YC
March 8-9, 2014
The upwards trend in Laser attendance over the last decade at St
Francis YC regattas continues with 38 Lasers entered at Spring
Dinghy.
Top sailors in the 17 radials on the water were (1) Lindsey Baab
(2) Jack Barton (3) Claire Dennis (4) Will Cefali (5) Lawson
Willard (6) Michael Levy.
Top sailors in the 16 standards on the water were (1) Andrew
Holdsworth (2) Nick Pullen (3) Nick Burke (4) Packy Davis (5)
Simon Bell (6) David Lapier.
Complete results here: http://tinyurl.com/nljqbg8
It was a light air Spring Dinghy in 2014. On Saturday at the
sailors meeting the RC let us know they would postpone till a
Westerly showed up. That happened around 2pm so the first race
was launched around 3pm on both courses. Lasers were on the
Alpha course (Cityfront).
The standard’s first race was a twice-around which got shortened
to a once around. Most of the standard fleet decided to short tack
the shore on the first beat. A small number of boats decided to
go right, either gambling on late ebb or more pressure. Near the
top of the beat, the boats on shore had to cross a big area of light
air to get to the weather mark, which meant they misjudged the
layline at first and had to keep going back in to shore for current
relief to get far enough up to get across the flood. The pressure
on the outside won as Simon Bell was first to the weather mark.
I think Pete Trachy who was also on the outside was 2nd to the
mark but may have been 3rd. Either way the three boats on the
outside were roughly interspersed with the top 3 boats that went
up the shore.
On the second race, the flood was more established so you’d
think short tacking the shore would be the thing everyone did.
Quite a few people went out and they looked pretty good for a
long time, maybe 3/4 of the way up the beat. They had relatively
good pressure out there. But, sadly for them, a big left shift came
through and on starboard their bows were pointing right at the
beach. Short-tacking the shore clearly won on the 2nd race. Some
people who went out didn’t finish within the time limit.
On Sunday, we never launched. There were patches of breeze in
various places and various times. At the awards ceremony the
Bravo course PRO said the RC made a show of going out and
setting up when a promising north-easterly reached the club,
but it never held. So only two races were run all weekend. See,
it isn’t all nuke all the time on the Cityfront. Within both fleets
there were a total of 5 ties. Maybe that was the small number of
races or maybe it was indicative of close racing. Pacific Daylight
Time began Saturday night, so the tides really made a jump from
one day to the next:
Laserpalooza III
March 15, 2014
There was a change of venue this year. Laserpalooza moved to
the Alameda Community Sailing Center (ACSC), a waterfront
locale at the Encinal boat ramp. Ryan Nelson and West Marine
41
Rigging once again carried the weight and set up a bunch of
workstations for different boat projects. West Marine ran a free
BBQ and raffle. Matt Ford of Svendsen’s Marine was there with a
trailer full of class legal parts. Synthia Petroka of Beats Mowing
the Lawn attended again for sail repair and sail number changes.
Kame Richards of Pineapple Sails and co-founder of ACSC was
a welcoming host and put effort into getting the compound ready
with the West Marine team.
It was a beautiful sunny 70 degree F day. It was the biggest
turnout to date with 30+ people milling around the compound at
one point. An attempt was made to run a short course regatta, but
the planning was late and an organizing authority with regatta
insurance could not be found in time. Next year for sure. But all
the usual Laserpalooza fun was on hand, plus some more things.
Some people did go out for a sail in the 5 knots and flat water.
Two novice female sailors who have a little crewing experience
on J/24s shared a radial, and Hideki Saito went out in his standard
and guided them around a little bit. Most people chose to work on
their boats and schmooze. Two other Lasers launched and went
for a sail with the sailors new faces to the fleet regulars.
Mike Bishop, the former TI Thursday night Laser fleet captain
has thrown his effort into helping ACSC get off the ground.
Emilio Castelli is taking over as TI fleet captain this year. If we
could get a fleet of Lasers donated to ACSC that would be a good
venue to kick off a “rail-meat to mid-fleet” program. The idea is
to target the 1000s of dedicated racing crew on SF bay and turn
them onto small boat sailing. Many of these crew, who commit
a lot of time and money to racing, took up sailing as adults and
lack small boat skills. Just 1% of 1000 is 10 sailors, which would
be a big increase for our start lines. Kame Richards thinks there
may be around 3000 crew on SF bay, so that would be another
30 Lasers. 1% seems like a low bar to set. So if you know of any
Lasers sitting in backyards or abandoned anywhere or you have
a boat you could donate, let us know so we can start building a
trainer fleet at ACSC. Such contributions are tax-deductible.
Roger Herbst straightened about a dozen spars for people using
his hydraulic straightener, including top sections and standard and
radial bottom sections. See the more detailed report on page45.
Roger also cooked jambalaya for everyone at the end of the day.
Roger does this every year at the High Sierra Regatta too. That
went very well with the wine Emilio Castelli brought from his
vineyard in Sonoma. Altogether, another successful Laserpalooza
District 25
SoCal
Jorge A. Suarez
[email protected]
Groups.yahoo.com/group/nalaserdistrict25
Winter Sailing Going Strong in D25!
I so enjoy reporting on winter regattas in D25! In addition
to practice sessions and sunny Sunday morning runs (lots of
sunscreen), here were three events highlighting D25!:
Laser Masters Compete at Southern California Midwinter
Regattas
42
Laser Masters turned out the largest fleet at Alamitos Bay Yacht
Club (ABYC) in Long Beach CA for the Southern California
Yachting Association Midwinters Regatta. Laser racers from
as far away as Park City UT, Portland OR and San Diego came
to race at ABYC on the weekend before the California Laser
Masters Regatta at Mission Bay Yacht Club (MBYC) in San
Diego. It seems having two Masters events back to back was
a good idea which I hope we will repeat next February. I also
think a nice full-color ad in the latest issue of The Laser Sailor
magazine helped promote the two regattas.
Racing on Saturday offered something for everyone as we had
two races in light winds followed by two races with enough
breeze to work the hiking muscles; however, the breeze ebbed
toward the end of race four and completely died as we headed
back to the beach, requiring much paddling and sculling.
Regardless of the conditions, Keith Davids of MBYC swept
the regatta with six first place finishes, dropping a second place
finish and adding his twelve Apprentice Master (ages 35-44)
Handicap points. Actually Keith was tied on points with Bill
Symes from the Willamette Sailing Club, who as the eldest racer
competing, had no points added to his score; however, by the tie
breaking rule, Keith took the title. Now how great is this when
Keith, a Navy Seal, competes, albeit by handicap, with a guy
eligible for Medicare? Rounding out the top five in order were
Grand Masters; Vann Wilson from ABYC, Douglas Seeman from
Newport Harbor YC and Sanjai Kohli from ABYC.
California Masters Championships
Mission Bay, CA
On February 22 and 23rd, San Diego’s Mission Bay Yacht Club
hosted the California Masters Championships. For the first time
this event was held the weekend after Alamitos Bay Yacht Club
hosted the Masters’ Midwinters in Long Beach, giving Masters
sailors a chance to sail back-to-back Masters events in Southern
California and enjoy Southern California’s even-warmer-than
usual winter.
Mission Bay Yacht Club greeted 29 sailors from as far away as
Portland (Bill Symes and Dave Jursik) and Park City, Utah (Doug
DuBois) as well as a good showing from Southern California
Masters regulars (Vann Wilson, Pat Toole, Chris Raab, among
others). There was a “free clinic” at Mission Bay Yacht Club
the day before the racing, which was led by Doug Hart, followed
by some on-the-water starting practice, with videotape and
commentary afterwards from Doug.
On Saturday we saw a 6-8 knot promising breeze seemingly
building in the ocean during the first race which was won
by Keith Davids, followed by last year’s winner Bill Symes.
Unfortunately the promise faded, and the second race had the
course shortened to allow it to be scored before racing was
suspended for the day. After a hearty meal, we retired for the
next day’s sailing.
On Sunday, the Race Committee moved the racing from the
ocean into Mission Bay, fearing a forecast of light winds and
hoping for more dependable breeze inside. The move was
well received, and we completed four races in moderate, shifty
conditions. Keith Davids (MBYC) slowed only by his handicap
SPRING 2014
(he just turned 45 so he no longer has to give GGM’s 3 points
per race!) topped the field (1,1, 1, (2), 1, 2), followed closely by
Chris Raab and Bill Symes who tied for second place after adding
the handicap points to Chris’ score. Rounding out the top 7
(after adding handicap points) were Philip Thompson of Newport
Harbor, Kendal Wild of Mission Bay, Pat Toole of Santa Barbara,
and Doug Seeman of Mission Bay.
In addition to overcoming the 10 handicap points Keith Davids
had to give to many top sailors to win the California Masters,
Keith was also awarded the “Iron Tiller” for the best combined
score for sailors who sailed both the ABYC Midwinters and the
MBYC California Masters. Bill Symes, who won last year’s
California Masters, had the second lowest score in the combined
events.
Complete results and a link to Dropbox photos can be found at
MBYC.org.
The award for the “most experienced” Master went to Leif
Gihbsson (Mission Bay) who at 85 years old gave an impressive
performance.
Racing Clinic at ABYC
Our Alamitos Bay Yacht Club Junior Program Director, Allie
Blecher, assisted by Jorge Suarez, Chuck Tripp, Vann Wilson and
Rodion Mazin conducted a Laser/Radial Racing Clinic at ABYC
on a warm and sunny January Saturday. Over twenty Laser from
as far as San Diego and Santa Barbara met in Long Beach for the
seminar with sailors ranging from beginners to high school stars!
After a rigging presentation and Laser basics chalk talk we hit
the bay to do drills and a couple of mock races. Then back to the
class room for quick debrief and tips, then back on the water, this
time split between an ocean group and a bay group. We all hit
the beach at the same time (ABYC is getting a brand new ramp),
for a final debrief. The organizers new we hit a sweet spot with
the vast amount of smiles and “when are you doing this again”
remarks!
Laser rigging demonstration on the patio
Vann explaining the finer points of rudder and tiller set-up
Once everyone launched, we were coached on the water by Allie,
Chuck, Jorge, Vann and Rodion. Allie set a start line and using
the whistle starting sequence, conducted some races to fixed
marks in the Bay. Though we wanted to sail in the ocean, light
breezes dictated we stay in the Bay.
Following the races, Allie sent everyone back to the beach for
a lunch break and additional classroom time with Chuck. After
the second chalk-talk, everyone re-launched with the intent of
conducting a race out down channel to the ocean for additional
coaching. It was slow going as light wind and the incoming tide
made progress difficult. With the realization the wind was not
cooperating, everyone returned to the beach and eventually back
to the clubhouse were Allie conducted a de-briefing along with
additional advice and tips on the day.
Turn out for the day was gratifying with a mix of new ABYC
members as well as several adult & junior guests from several
other local clubs. Interest shown by the participants has
encouraged us to plan another race clinic on Sunday April 13th.
More to come as the Laser North Americans come to Long
Beach, CA!!!!
Nineteen sailors began the day outside where Jorge set-up his
Laser on the patio for a rigging demonstration. Jorge, showed
how to set-up a modern Laser assisted by Vann and Chuck
who recounted many anecdotes of personal experiences and the
consequences of stop-knots left untied, drain plugs unsecured and
more, to the amusement of the audience. Following the rigging
demo, Jorge conducted a chalk-talk on the basics of boat handling
and sail set-up before everyone adjourned to the parking lot to
transport their boats to the beach for rigging and launching.
www.Laser.org
43
D13 CHAMPIONSHIPS
44
USSC Martin County
Dec 14-15 2013
SPRING 2014
Precision Spar
Straightener
ROGER HERBST, SHORELINE FLEET CAPTAIN.
We bend a lot of spars here in the San Francisco Bay
Area ! We also break and over bend them trying to
straighten them between 2 fence posts. Here is a
better way.
The apparatus can be home built for around $30. Two
4’ long 2”x6” planks are secured to each other roughly
3” apart. A hydraulic bottle jack (<$20) is secured
between the 2x6s midway between the ends of each
plank using a heavy strap tie (available at any home
improvement store), bent to conform to the bottom of
the jack. The bent spar is secured on either side of the
jack using bridles (again, using strap ties, see picture).
The bridles are not rigidly attached to the 2X6’s.
They have a steel pin through the ends (a 3/8 bolt),
allowing them to be positioned anywhere along the
beam. The trickiest part is making the saddle which
must fit securely between the top of the jack and the
mast. The top should be cut to a 2.5” diameter to
securely cradle the spar. The saddle should fit snugly
between the 2 X 6’s. 3 glued up pieces of plywood
were used for this. An old top section collar can was
cut in half and used to shim it to a 2” top section.
It’s quite easy to use. Each pump of the jack raises
it only a few milimeters. You have to overbend the
mast a little bit in the opposite direction of the bend,
then take the pressure off and rotate the mast. If it
is straight, it will rotate smoothly. If still bent, it
will bind up as it turns. Repeat. Go slowly. You
don’t want to over correct ! One trick…. When
straightening a top section, place the saddle 4-6”
above the mast collar, to place the correcting bend a
bit above the original bend. This helps prevent the
mast from working back and forth in the same spot,
like bending a paper clip back and forth.
You can straighten a spar quite a few times this way.
I’ve broken quite a few on the water, but never one on
the straightener. So build one and start sailing with
a straight mast. Most people think they’re faster that
way.
www.Laser.org
45
Hiking “360”
CHRIS HERRERA AND PETER
KRYSZTOF
When it comes to describing and
explaining the physical demands in a
laser, hiking will be the first, second, and
probably third topic that is discussed.
Hiking has caused many sleepless nights
for athletes, if not from both the secondary
effects of pain and soreness, then from
the sheer nightmare of what a struggle
it is to hike with enough power while
maintaining control of the boat with some
degree of finesse.
The term Hiking “360” comprises of
three components: preparation, training,
and recovery. Preparation can be
described as preparing the muscle
groups with active flexibility, fascial
release, and blood flow. Training
encompasses everything from strength
development, to power acquisition,
and muscular endurance. Recovery
brings the entire equation full circle,
decreasing any negative impacts on
the body during the first two phases
of preparation and training. Recover
techniques include nutrition, static
stretching, intermittent compression
and cold therapy.
Muscle Activation while Hiking
To understand these three categories lets
first review the primary muscles groups
involved with hiking. Straight leg hiking
is a combination of static leg extension
with small deliberate movements of a
variety of complimentary muscle groups
and patterns. The anterior tibialis and
soleus stabilizes the ankle joint as the foot
goes into plantar flexion (toes pointed)
activating gastrocnemius (calf). When
the hips are extended while hiking, the
quadriceps are in full contraction and the
high hamstrings and gluteus maximus,
medius, and minimus are activated.
The most important muscle group that
is activated while hiking is the trunk
muscles. The muscles that make up
this group are the hip flexors, rectus
abdominus, transverse abdominus, and
the obliques. Hip flexors are activated
when the hip is in the bent position. The
abdominals and obliques are activated
throughout hiking to stabilize and
maintain balance
46
PREPARATION
Preparation of these muscles groups is
extremely important in order to get the
body ready for intense exercise. Some
of the preparation techniques include
an active dynamic warm-up (see active
dynamic warm-up link for full video).
The active dynamic warm-up is a series
of body weight exercises (squats, walking
lunges, gate swings) and active flexibility
movements (Frankenstein walks,
broadways, caterpillars) to get the muscles
firing and establish proper length/resting
ratio of muscle fibers enabling the muscle
to produce power and strength efficiently.
Other techniques include soft tissue
preparation using either a muscle roller
(the stick) or a combination device that
does both muscle prep and trigger point
release.** Spending 5-10 minutes getting
the blood flowing can dramatically
improve your workout or on-water
practice. Another quick way to get some
blood flow, especially during practice/
racing at a cold venue is to utilize a heat
pack or patch for the thighs as you sail out
to the racecourse.
TRAINING
Of the three categories training is the
most diverse and individualized. Training
can and should be broken down into
power, strength, and muscular endurance
development. All three categories must
be trained in the periodization of your
program in order to build a solid base in
your quadriceps and hip flexors. After
this base is built then each athlete can
customize the program to focus on the
areas that most need improvement. As
mentioned briefly in the previous article:
Cardiovascular
Training, the
training of all
three energy
systems is unique
in many ways but
there is also an
overlap as you transition from one system
to the other.
•
Power: Power development
will be the most explosive and dynamic
portion of the workout. These exercises
aid with quickness and tacking, especially
in heavy breeze.
o Resistance: moderate to heavy
o Cadence: As fast as possible
o Hiking Exercise examples: speed
deadlift, eccentric squats (bands or
chains), hang cleans, lunge switches,
20 yard sprints
•
Strength: Strength development
is the most common training method
and is the meat and potatoes of a
program. These exercises are usually
completed in a circuit-based fashion
with 2-3 exercises done in a row with
no break.
o Resistance: moderate to heavy
o Cadence: 3-4 second eccentric
phase (muscle lengthening): 2
second concentric phase (muscle
shortening)
o Hiking Exercise examples: squats,
leg extensions, walking lunges,
posterior lunges, band hip flexion,
cable 4-way hip circuit
•
Muscular Endurance: Muscular
endurance training is done as an athlete
gets closer and closer to the event and
is working on developing the ability to
maintain an all out hiking position for as
long as possible.
o Resistance: light to moderate
o Cadence: 2-3 second eccentric
phase (muscle lengthening): 2-3
second concentric phase (muscle
shortening)
o Hiking Exercise examples: leg
extension tear offs, walking lunges
for distance, squat holds, hip
flexion pyramid, slide board prone
marching
*See the Novice, Intermediate, and
Advanced Hiking Workouts
RECOVERY
Recovery is the most overlooked aspect of
SPRING 2014
During training and competition, muscle
fibers get broken down and glycogen
stores are depleted. Nutrition two hours
after a competition is essential to replace
the glycogen stores and allow the muscle
fibers to regenerate larger. Within the two
hours, there are two windows on when it
is appropriate to intake a recovery meal.
The first window is 15-30 minutes post
exercise/competition. This first window
is when insulin levels are increased so it
would be appropriate to intake a recovery
meal consisting of a 3:1 carbohydrate
to protein ratio. A fruit smoothie with
a scoop or two of whey protein powder
is a good example of a meal that should
be ingested at this time. The second
window is two hours post-competition
where a 400-500 calorie meal consisting
of a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein is
suggested. An example of this would be a
turkey sub with a small fruit smoothie.
both training and racing. Recovery starts
as soon as you start to tow in or the second
the last repetition is completed during your
workout.
Nutrition is vital to the muscle recovery of
a laser sailor during both training sessions
and competitions. To understand muscle
recovery, a laser sailor must understand
what source of energy their muscles
use during sailing-specific training and
competition. Muscle cells are primarily
made up of water and a stored form of
glucose called glycogen. Glycogen is
the body’s energy source during high
intensity competitions, as in a laser race.
An athlete’s body has roughly 90 minutes
worth of stored glycogen to be used as
energy. After, 90 minutes the body must
turn to another energy source to prevent
fatigue and a decrease in performance.
Once the athletes nutrition is addressed
a combination of Static Stretching,
Intermittent Compression and Cold
Therapy complete the recovery cycle.
•
Static Stretching should be done
first. Holding the stretch for 15 seconds is
important during recovery to reestablish
the resting length of the muscle fiber.
Stretching the hamstrings, Piriformis/
glutes, Abductors/adductors, hip flexors,
quadriceps, and low back are all important
for lower body recovery.
•
Intermittent compression can be
done through the utilization of devices
such Normatecs or Recovery Boots. These
devices are full length leg boots with
chambers that fill with air squeezing the
legs tightly, thereby flushing the negative
by-products to exercise and racing (lactic
acid and interstitial fluid “swelling”) back
to the lymph nodes, where the body can
process and get rid of them.
•
Finally, Cold Therapy will stop
any further inflammation and facilitate
further healing. If you have access to a
Game Ready Machine or HyperIce wrap,
both combine ice and compression and
allow the cold to penetrate deeper and
encompass a larger surface area of the
body, as compared to an ice bag. In lieu of
these however a basic ice bag to the thighs
and knees is sufficient.
All of these techniques used in
combination will not only make you
a better sailor they will energize and
preserve your body for the next training
session and sailing event.
**(The Muscle Lever: see pic of Canadian
Laser Sailor Chris Dold releasing his hip
flexors).
Jaguar Therapeutics/Bow Down Training
HIKING WORKOUT 2 (INTERMEDIATE)
CORE (complete as circuit)
LM Lateral Rotation
PB Back Extensions
Bicycle Crunch
MOVEMENT
3x12 E
3x15
3x50
no rest
no rest
no rest
REST
SET 1
SET 2
SET 3
SET 4
Straight Bar Eccentric Squats
90 sec
10
10
8
8
Power Lunge Switches
2 min
10 E
10 E
8E
8E
A1. Box Jump
A2. Back Squat
0
2 min
8
12
8
12
8
12
6
12
A3. Kettle Bell Up/Downs
A4. Treadmill Sprint
0
90s
4E
20 sec
4E
20 sec
4E
15 sec
4E
15 sec
0
0
90S
10
10, 8, 6, 4
10 E
10
10, 8, 6, 4
10 E
8
10, 8, 6, 4
10 E
For additional training
programs, go to www.
nalaser.org to download.
You can also attend a clinic
in Miami with Chris through
www.jaguartherapy.com
located in Coconut Grove
close to the sailing venue.
Chris can be reached for
questions or information at:
[email protected]
MAIN LIFT
AUXILLARY
B1: DB RDL (deep)
B2. Leg Extension Tear Off
B3. Single leg PB Hamstring Curl
www.Laser.org
47
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.

Depending on exchange rates, the next $9.00 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 $5.00 goes to all the things it takes to
running an organization of 2400 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?

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.
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.

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.

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.
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!

Your membership makes you eligible for the
LaserPeformance/ILCA-NA Grand Prix where you earn

48
SPRING 2014
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 - $40 for one year or $75 for 2 years
• Junior - $35 (Member may not turn 18 during term of membership), or $65 for 2 years (Member may
not turn 18 during term of membership)
• Family, one year - $40 for the primary members and $25 for each additional member
• Family, two years - $75 for the primary members and $45 for each additional member
Please provide family members names, DOB, boat type and sail number on an additional sheet of
paper.
• International - $50 (any member not living in the US or Canada), one year only
Amount enclosed __________________US$
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
49
GRP Rudder
and Daggerboard
$475.00
$485.00
Br1 Dinghy
Traveler Blocks
$95.00
by Musto
Spray Top: $130.00
Trousers: $125.00
Black Diamond
Tiller By Acme
$210.00
Deck Covers and
Hull$234
Covers
.95
by APS
Class Legal
Racing Sail
By North
$565.00
Airprene Hikers
by SEA
$198.00
SeaHiker GripX3
Boot by Sperry $80.00
The World Leader in Outfitting Performance Sailors.
50
SPRING 2014
Speed Shop
Pro Outhaul Kit
Single $41.52
Excel Fusion
Rooster
Dinghy Sheet
Double $58.11
Pro Cunningham
Control Handle
$21.73
$29.90
$41.40
$78.20
Pro Mainsheets
Pro Cunningham
$50.01
Class Legal Pro Daggerboard
Downhaul Kit
$38.16
www.Laser.org
51
PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
2812 Canon Street, San Diego, CA 92106
San Dimas, CA
Permit No. 410
PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
San Dimas, CA
Permit No. 410

View as PDF - Laser Class Website

Transcription

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