2020 UKLA ILCA4 ROUND-UP

With the end of lockdown becoming a real possibility, we take a look back on the year that was 2020, while we get ready to restart sailing in 2021.

2020 has been a uniquely challenging year for all sailors, and especially so for the ILCA-4 (formerly Laser 4.7) fleet.

Training was interrupted due to the pandemic as were a number of major events, including the ILCA World Championships and our own Inland National Championships.

However, we did manage to run a number of our main events, and Oliver Allen Wilcox ended the year as the ILCA-4 national champion, with Carys Attwell the girls champion, and Jack Graham – Troll being the U16 champion. Jack ended the year as the UKLA Sailingfast ILCA-4 Ladder Series Champion.

Winter and Spring Qualifiers

A competitive winter and spring series which were key for squad selection. The highlights were arguably the events at Rutland, which included very strong winds spiced up with some Radial returnees keen to compete at these ILCA-4 international qualifier events, and Grafham, which hosted the Inland nationals. This last event was held in light winds, which lead to strong competition from the younger and lighter sailors, and which was won by Oliver Woodley, with Issy Leetch in second, and Tim Evans in third.

Pandemic Lockdown & e-Sailing

Then the Coronavirus Pandemic struck.

Our young fleet sailors made the most of it through permitted physical exercises.

Nationwide stocks of hiking benches sold out. Additionally, the UKLA held a separate Lockdown Ladder virtual e-Sailing series, sponsored by v-rigger.com and vr-sport.tv, to help hone in on tactical skills as much as possible.

The ILCA-4 Virtual-Rigger.com e-sailing prize went to Max Steele, who also went on to win the RYA’s & Eric Twiname National Junior and Battle of the Classes Championships.

Keijiro Kikkawa ended the season second placed ILCA-4 with Tom Williamson in third.

The Eurilicas

While the ILCA-worlds in Lake Garda were cancelled, the week of 15th – 22nd August saw the 2020 Eurilica ILCA4/Laser 4.7 Championships in Vilamoura, Portugal. The championships were originally scheduled to be held in Vilamoura in April 2020, but were postponed to August due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Being one of the only major international regattas taking place this year, the Laser 4.7 Eurilca’s 2020 saw a number of top Radial fleet sailors from other countries participate against the 4.7’s. Our squad demonstrated considerable determination and tenacity, navigating very complicated pandemic travel restrictions just to compete.

The week was consistently hot and sunny, with generally light winds in the morning, but building up through the afternoon so that either or both races of the day being in the region of 20 knots on almost all days. Our younger sailors faired extremely well in the first two days, especially Max Steele and Carys Attwell (day 1) and Jack Graham-Troll (day 2). But in the end, the weight, strength and experience of the older international (especially radial sailors) prevailed.

In the girls fleet, it was Coco Barrett who came out top GBR girl and 32nd overall in the gold fleet.

Amongst the U16’s:

Carys Attwell finished 19th
Dru Townsend 23 rd
Anya Morris 28 th

In the boys fleet, Javier Segui and Oliver Allen-Wilcox represented the UKLA in the boys U18 gold fleet. Javier ended the regatta in 34 th place, with Oliver in 40th.

It was a similar performance for the U16 boys, who were all very closely matched and almost had a regatta within a regatta between themselves. The placings in the end were:

Jack Graham-Troll 26th
Freddie Howarth 30th, and
Max Steele 32nd

The UK Nationals

A last minute change in the UK quarantine rules for travellers from Portugal lead to hurried changes in travel plans for our Eurilca squad so that they could compete in our own national championships in Weymouth.

The breezy and gusty conditions were met, in true Laser style with enthusiasm. It was very tight racing on the first and third days, with podium places being exchanged between the four top boys.

Sailing was aborted on the second day due to excessive wind, but this was a very welcome rest day especially for the Eurilca squad who had just returned from Portugal.

In the end, the boys fleet was won by Oliver Allen – Wilcox, ahead of Jack Graham Troll and Freddie Howarth in third. However, Jack retained his national champion title in the U16 league, with Freddie in Silver and Max Steele in Bronze.

The girls fleet was won by Carys Attwell, ahead of Honor Procter in second (first Welsh sailor), and Harriet Sacker claiming bronze. The same three podium girls won the Under-16 league as well, which bodes well for the future of GBR sailing, considering the strong wind conditions.

The RYA ILCA-4 Championships

Approximately six weeks later, the fleet returned to Weymouth for the RYA ILCA-4 Junior Championships. The conditions were varied, including strong, medium and light winds, which was very testing. In the boys fleet, Jack Graham-Troll again took gold, this time just one point ahead of a challenge from Keijirro Kikkawa in silver, and Max Steele again in Bronze.

In the girls fleet, gold went to Arwyn Flur, followed by Carys Attwell and Dru Townsend.

Ladder Rankings

The overall 2020 ILCA ladder rankings ended with Jack Graham Troll highest ranked, followed by Freddie Howarth in second and Tim Evans in third. The girls fleet was topped by Carys Attwell, followed closely by Dru Townsend and Sam Edwards just half a point behind in third.

The ranking for the top-30 sailors for the year is shown below, including age groupings, with the full results available here

Training

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the RYA cancelled squad training events after March 2020.

However, thanks to our training officer, Tim Hulse, in co-operation with the Andrew Simpson sailing center, the UKLA put on aggressive training schedule as extensively as possible, and in regions across the country until the country was returned to lockdown at the end of the year.

We are monitoring the government’s and RYA’s guidance as they develop and we intend to resume training activities as well as events as soon as possible.

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