News
Virtual winter education / training programme for ILCA club / master sailors
Three recorded sessions
#3 Wed 22nd February 7:30pm with Micky Beckett (British sailing Team) - Getting your racing tactics right
#2 Wed 8th February 7:30pm with Daisy Collingridge and Matilda Nicholls (British Sailing Team) - ILCA technique for upwind / downwind in light air and heavy air
#1 - Wed 25th January 7:30pm with Tim Hulse (UKLA Training officer) - Setting up your ILCA for performance
FREE CLUB COACHING
UKLA Offer of Free club training
Free club coaching for UKLA members (small fee for non members ). The UKLA will be getting clubs to apply for a days free coaching for your club members which ever ILCA rig they sail ( or better a mix of rigs). The UKLA will pay for a coach to come to your club and give great coaching. Rules below are
1) The day must be organised by a UKLA member of the club.
2) Boats from other clubs may be allowed to come along (charge from your club may apply).
3) Entry must be on the UKLA website.
If you applied last year you can still apply this year.
Simply fill in the form below
This entry will end at the end of March and then the UKLA will get In Touch to confirm if you have or have not got a place( last year there we’re many more clubs applied than we could fund)
Happy sailing,
Richard Mason
UKLA Grand Prix Rep.
Queen Mary opens up to non members
For 2023 the club is opening up to non members for its BIG Sunday events.
Queen Mary has had a large competitive fleet for many years, led by our very own Chair Mark Lyttle. For 2023 the club is opening up to non members for its BIG Sunday events. For just half the price of a day sail you can join this great fleet. The next BIG Sunday coincides with the Thames Valley Traveller Grand Prix event on the 14th May.
Here is the link to book: https://www.queenmary.org.uk/sailing/club-fleets/ilca-fleet/
Dates for the rest of the season:
Spring: may 14 (incl TV Open)
Summer:June 18
Autumn: September 24
Winter: November 19
Class Legal ILCAs
Buying a new or used ILCA? Your questions answersed by Alan Davis, UKLA Class Measurer
Buying a new or used ILCA? Your questions answersed by Alan Davis, UKLA Class Measurer
Female Participation Survey
We are interested in understanding whether there is more that we can do to increase female participation in ILCA 4 and 6.
Please could you support this initiative by completing a short survey.
This survey is mainly aimed at female sailors, but if you are a male and have a view on this subject, we welcome your input. If you are a sailor, please could you complete the survey. If you are a parent of a junior or youth sailor, we are also interested in hearing your or your sailor views.
UKLA Nationals 2023
Hayling Island SC 20 to 25th August 2023
Hayling Island SC 20 to 25th August 2023
We are excited to invite you to our Open & National Championships at HISC in August 2023. Six days of racing (20 - 25th August).
One of the highlights of the ILCA program in the UK, the UKLA Nationals is a prestigious and fun event suitable for all abilities.
New to UKLA?
The ILCA Dinghy (previously Laser) is the most popular one design across the world. In the UK, the ILCA Class Association is the UKLA, recognised by the RYA.
Overview of what UKLA does
The ILCA Dinghy (previously Laser) is the most popular one design across the world. In the UK, the ILCA Class Association is the UKLA, recognised by the RYA.
In Europe, the Class is managed by EurILCA and across the World, the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) is the governing body recognised by World Sailing. The ILCA is split into three Classes with different rigs:
- ILCA4 (previously Laser 4.7)
- ILCA6 (previously Laser Radial)
- ILCA7 (previously Laser Standard)
The UKLA organise ILCA racing and training events across the UK. The Events Calendar is regularly updated.
Racing for the ILCA in the UK
Most sailing clubs will have several ILCAs (previously Lasers) in their dinghy parks. They are often seen taking part in races organised by the clubs.
UKLA organise Grand Prix events around the country. These are fun, relaxed events, often with some training also included.
UKLA occasionally organise Super Grand Prix events around the UK. These are fun and relaxed events where taking part is the key objective.
UKLA organise Masters regattas across the UK for sailors aged 35 or older.
The UKLA organise the UKLA Youth Series, sponsored by SailingFast. This is a rolling series of events posted on the UKLA’s Notice of Series document. We aim to include well-run racing throughout the year.
The rolling ranking nature of the Youth Series enables UKLA to set a qualification date for when a sailor’s position in the Series will be used for ranking the sailors seeking to qualify for the EurILCA & ILCA Championships (Europeans & Worlds). Refer to the Youth Qualification Document for more details.
The UKLA organises 6 Qualifiers. These are the events where we aim to put on the best quality racing in our calendar. 3 are scheduled in the Spring and 3 in the Autumn. These Qualifiers are the main events used to qualify our senior sailors for their European & World Championships. These qualifiers are often added to part of the UKLA Youth Series.
The UKLA also organise National Championships and Inland National Championships. The goal at these events is maximum participation and quality racing.
The UKLA runs training on a regular basis, often in collaboration with the ASC Performance Academy (Andrew Simpson Centres) and/or British Youth Sailing (RYA).
Our Open Training and National Training is very popular, we are fortunate to have access to high-level ILCA coaches. Training events are added to the UKLA calendar and these popular days are usually over-subscribed. Whilst we make every effort to organise sufficient ribs and coaches for larger numbers, sometimes we cannot accommodate everyone, so do not delay in booking if you know you want to attend.
In addition the RYA also organise ILCA training through British Youth Sailing (BYS):-
Junior - ILCA4
Details of the BYS Regional Training Groups (RTGs) for ILCA4 sailors are posted on their website. https://www.rya.org.uk/racing/british-youth-sailing/regional-training-groups
Youth - ILCA6
British Youth Sailing organise Performance Squads and Summer Teams for Youth sailors in the ILCA6. https://www.rya.org.uk/racing/british-youth-sailing
Transition - ILCA6 (female), ILCA7 (male)
The BYS Transition project is designed to help sailors transition from Youth to Olympic sailing.
https://www.rya.org.uk/racing/british-youth-sailing/transition/project-info
The ILCA (previously Laser) is governed by strict one design equipment rules. The recent change from Laser to ILCA in 2019 has led to some confusion. We urge caution when buying an ILCA for racing in UKLA and RYA events, you will only be able to sail with ILCA Class Legal equipment. We have extensive articles on the UKLA website on what is ILCA Class Legal equipment. To be clear, there are alternative brands selling replica equipment, sometimes branded “Laser”. This equipment is not necessarily compliant with the ILCA one design class rules. Take care and seek advice if unsure.
The UKLA Committee is an experienced group standing by to assist. Please contact the relevant representative with your questions.