News
Masters News Qualifier 19 - 20 June, Stokes Bay Sailing Club and Euro News
Come and join us for the first Masters event of the year on 19- 20 June at Stokes Bay Sailing Club.
We will be racing as part of the open fleet with the Masters results extracted from the main results. This event replaces the cancelled Parkstone event.
A good chance to get racing with the fleet prior to the Masters Nationals at Pevensey Bay.
Entry closes Wednesday 16 June.
ILCA Master Europeans, Gargnano, Garda 23-29 July
Entry place offers have been issued and some may feel the current requirement to quarantine upon return to the UK too great a burden. EurILCA has confirmed all the cancelled GBR entry offers can be re-opened up to 23 July should the regulations change or your desire to compete outweighs the impact of being in quarantine.
After a frustrating start to the Euro Master Series through cancelled or postponed events under Covid regulations, it is fantastic to hear that the first event of the year finally concluded in Austria. Italy and France follow respectively over the next 2 weekends.
Masters Update 28 April 21
UKLA Masters Nationals 9-11 July 21 at Pevensey Bay Sailing Club IS ON!
The UKLA Masters Nationals at Pevensey Bay Sailing Club on 9 to 11 July are ON.
We have had to make the sad decision that we are unable to be part of the EuroMasters circuit due to the current COVID 19 situation. International competitors are still welcome, as long as they comply with COVID 19 regulations and quarantine rules that are in place at the time.
Entries open on 29 April 21. We do have an upper entry limit, so don’t miss out.
Please note that Campervan spaces have to be pre-booked. Details are in the NoR.
We expect that the local accommodation / campsites may get booked up quickly. So please think and book ahead.
Looking forward to seeing you at Pevensey for the UKLA Masters Nationals.
Masters News February
© Sam Pearce
QMSC 10/11 April 2021 - Masters Event postponed, turned into a training weekend.
After careful consideration and discussion with QMSC, we have made the decision to postpone this event until 04/05 September 2021. We are hoping to run a training event at QMSC on 10/11 April, with the aspiration that, COVID permitting, it will be an open training event. It will give us all a chance to shake off the cobwebs after a prolonged rest from sailing.
12/13 June 2021 - Parkstone Yacht Club
We are hopeful that this event will take place. Watch this space.
9/11 July 2021 - Masters Nationals and Euromaster
Planning is well underway for this event with the NoR due to be published shortly!
4/5 September - rescheduled Masters qualifier at QMSC
2/3 October 2021 - Masters qualifier - WPNSA
16/17 October 2021 - Masters Inlands and Qualifier - GWSC
Masters Dates 2021
Enjoy January planning your sailing calendar!
All UKLA Masters & EuorMaster events are listed below.
Looking forward to seeing faces both old and new on the Masters circuit this year.
Open to all ILCA sailors over 33yrs old. (You have to be 35 for a prize).
Competitive racing throughout the fleet. Good social events.
UKLA
10-11 April, Masters Spring Qualifier, Queen Mary Sailing Club
12-13 June, Masters Qualifier 2, Parkstone Yacht Club
9-11 July, UK Masters Nationals and EuroMaster, Pevensey Bay Sailing Club
2-3 October, Masters Qualifier 4 (part of the main Qualifier), WPNSA
16-17 October, Masters Inland Nationals and Autumn Qualifier, Grafham Water Sailing Club
EUROMASTER, Europeans, Worlds
14-17 January, EMS Antibes, France CANCELLED
5-7 February, EMS Ta Xbiex, Malta POSTPONED TO 4-7 NOVEMBER 2021
16-18 April, EMS Neuchatel, Switzerland
23-25 April, EMS Calella, Spain
8-10 May, EMS Ostend, Belgium
13-16 May, EMS Hoorn, Netherlands
3-6 Jun, EMS Sorpesee, Germany
11-13 June, EMS Attersee, Austria
25-27 June, EMS Maccagno, Italy
3-5 July, EMS Carentec, France
9-11 July, EMS Pevensey, UK
23-29 July Master Europeans, Gargnano, Italy
31 July-1 August, EMS Nagu, Finalnd
7-8 August Arkosund, EMS Sweden
17-26 September Master Worlds, Barcelona, Spain
Laser Masters Update - 22 July 2020
Save the dates for our Autumn regattas.
We are working with the host clubs to arrange the Masters Autumn regattas. They may look a little different to usual. Please be patient whilst we continue ensure that we organise the best possible events within the COVID 19 restrictions.
Draycote Water Sailing Club 19 - 20 September
Pevensey Bay Sailing Club 10 - 11 October
Chew Valley Sailing Club 07 - 08 November
Laser Masters Nationals 3-5th July - CANCELLED
Laser Masters Nationals – CANCELLED.
Unfortunately we have had to cancel the Laser Masters National Championships 3-5 July 20, due to the ongoing COVID 19 outbreak and related restrictions.
We are working hard on the arrangements for the rest of the season, and I will update you as soon as I have further details. Please be aware, that the format may well be different to what we are used to.
Alison
UK Laser Masters Representative
Dinghy Show 2020
Oh what a show!
Another fantastic event enjoyed by many national and international visitors.
It felt like our stand was in the absolute centre of the show as we were VERY VERY busy.
Coffee was flowing and everyone was very enthusiastic. There was no way you could pass our stand unnoticed as I’m pretty sure our Masters Rep Alison talked to every single visitor to the show! How she has not lost her voice it’s beyond me…
We congratulated Elliot Hanson on being selected for the Olympic team. Elliot Hanson alongside Lily Xu are a true inspiration to our sailors
It was absolutely wonderful to see so many members to pop in.
Thank you all for chats and giggles and making this show such success. Massive applause to all volunteers for dedicating their time to make our stand such success and to our guests for their time.
This year we had fun with guessing how many sweets could fit in a Laser boom – who knows what we come up with next year! Watch this space…
You may have heard that the show will not be returning to the iconic Alexandra Palace next year. It was announced at the show that for the next at least three years the show will be at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre where we hope to see you again.
If you would like to be part of the organising team or have ideas that we should definitely consider next year, drop Ellie a line.
Dates for the diary: 27th & 28th February 2021
Be there or be square
Your UKLA Needs You!
In 2021 the Laser dinghy will celebrate its official 50th birthday. Since its unveiling at the 1971 New York show there have been over 217,000 boats built. In these strange times when racing is only virtual and dead easy to pause - I’d like your help.
Bruce Kirby
This phenomenal success story has had very little formal documentation so I would like to create an archive of visual and written information. The intention is to put all this archive material onto the UK LA website along with all the archive results both digital and written – this can be added to as we get more material.
Laser 21634 . 1975
I bought my first laser in 1975 directly from the factory in Banbury Oxfordshire - sail number 21634 and a fine shade of lime green it was too! Last summer I managed to track down my old boat but unfortunately just missed out being able to buy it back after over 40 years. From what I understand this boat has had eight owners. Bearing in mind that the newer boats would have had fewer owners and the older boats may have had more, we could estimate that Laser dinghies have been owned by over a million people! And this doesn’t take into account those who have ‘had a go’ in a Laser.
David Casale 1970’s
This is of course is an exercise in unapologetic nostalgia but it also serves as a reminder of what we risk losing if we allow divisive petty politics and greed to dominate. Perhaps we could learn something from the fans of football clubs exerting so much pressure on owners that they finally make decisions that are best for the game not simply for their pockets. Keeping this incredible history in everyone’s sights might just help.
Laser sailing is for many a philosophy and a passion that flows through our lives. Racing may be on hold but the tradition and community is still here. So what do I want from you? Rummage around and find those photographs from regattas and of your pride and joy. Probably a brown 1973 laser with wooden foils – or a great photo torn from Yachts & Yachting 1999 of you hiking hard off the start line. Or even some old film/video that you have and wouldn't mind sharing.
Just email me
Laser 35585 . 1979
E-Sailing with UKLA
A number of you may have noticed the fantastic performance of some of our younger class members at the recent RYA Youth s-Sailing Nationals. See news item here
The UKLA is now supporting regular online regattas using the Virtual Regatta Inshore platform or on the virtual regatta in-shore app. (Make sure you select the in-shore game on the website). This is an excellent platform to fine tune your racing tactic decisions, as well as your computer dexterity.
Races will take place every Saturday and Sunday at 4pm. The code for the race is "lasers", and participation will be free of charge.
As we are limited to only 20 people on each occasion and the regatta is limited to UKLA members only as we expect it may be oversubscribed. You are asked not to share the code or use it if you are not a member.
The sessions are expected to consist of 3 races of circa 10 minutes each, so that the start times for each subsequent race will be 4.00pm, 4.12pm, 4.24pm, and 4.36pm.
Because of the limit of 20 sailors per race, those wishing to take part are recommended to log into the system two minutes prior to the first race. The system accepts entrants with the correct code on a first come first served basis.
Initially we are starting out with a simple "friendly" practice racing, before considering expanding this out into a Lockdown Ladder Series.
Enjoy!
LASER PERFORMANCE OPEN AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2020 By Tony Woods and Nette Robinson
LASER PERFORMANCE UK LASER OPEN AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2020 MOUNTS BAY SAILING CLUB 25th -31st July
Do you remember the waves last time we were at Mounts Bay? Truly awesome!
Mounts Bay is a fantastic location! Great for family holiday, great for sailing, surfing, beach games, sun bathing…
As the Nationals no longer coincide with the 2020 Olympics, our plans to link with top sailing journalist Andy Rice from Sail Juice won’t be happening. However, we are hoping to welcome many sailors from overseas as we did in 2019 as well as many from the UK. In fact the first night is to be called the Commodore's Welcome Evening - kindly sponsored by MBSC - to include an Italian Themed meal absolutely free for all competitors!
There'll be themed evenings every night with great food for £7.00, (ordered in advance) including Moroccan Evening, Curry Night, Chile Night, as well as the now famous Gala Dinner on the Thursday Night for £26.50 per head (ordered in advance).
You can also look forward to SUP Racing, the Hike Off, Games Night, live music, and a trip to St. Michael's Mount with a Reception by Lord and Lady St. Levan.
If you want to improve your sailing there will be Race Clinics in the mornings, Q and A sessions in the Evenings, and the Mentor/Mentee Scheme running throughout the week.
Nette Robinson will be on hand again to provide activities for non-sailors. Blow the cobwebs away and start your day off with a fun and lively Zumba session, followed by an abs class! In the afternoons there will be a host of creative pursuits to get involved with, such as art classes, singing, chess and belly dance!
Entries opening soon. Website still under construction, but you can see it here:
Book your accommodation now – there is a basic field where you can camp near the dinghy park - The farmer, John Oliver, who runs it can be contacted on 01736 711908 or 07810 135720.
Also here is a link to the club’s accommodation list-
https://www.mbsc.org.uk/where-to-stay
Also, you can check out the event on the UKLA Facebook page. Connect with fellow competitors, join the discussion, find out who has room on their boat trailer and offer to hook up with others.
If you'd like to join our new team for this year's event, we'd love to hear from you!
We're looking for lots of people who can capture the event throughout the week, whether that's by taking photographs, videoing, interviewing sailors in the dinghy park or uploading media to Facebook and Instagram so we can produce video such like this click here.
We're also looking for people to bring SUP’s for the SUP Relay Race, help with registration, results, reports, prize draws, trophies…Would you like to donate a trophy? Endeavour and Vintage still available at the moment!
Report on the "Podium Potential" Squad -"Chasing Great"
James Gray
British Sailing Team Single Handed Pathway Lead Coach
‘Chasing Great’
The top step of the Laser sailing world is possibly the hardest to crack, of all the Olympic classes, given the huge depth and competitive fleets which muster for all international competitions.
The UK bolsters one of the strongest Laser teams in the World. You don’t have to look too far where at UK National Qualifiers you may be racking up against a double world champion and Rio 2016 Olympian (Nick Thompson), Tokyo Olympic Representative and Enoshima World Cup winner (Elliot Hanson), and European medallists (Lorenzo Chiavarini and Michael Beckett).
This for many would seem a formidable line up but, in the quest to join such a stellar crew, there are a growing number of young sailors who are turning their attentions towards ‘chasing great’.
The British Sailing Team is comprised on the ‘Podium’ squad with sailors mentioned above filling it ranks. Below ‘Podium’ are sailors who have qualified, generally through Youth (U21) competitions, for the ‘Podium Potential’ squad, also known as Project 2024. This squad is designed to get sailors up to speed to be in contention for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Current members in the squad are Sam Whaley (5 th U21 Worlds 2017), Dan Whiteley (3 rd U21 Worlds 2017), and Joe Mullan (UK Youth Champion 2018). They are, however, closely chased by many sailors including UK Youth Squad members Joe Drake (UK Youth Champion 2019), Ben Childerley, and Krishan Bhogal.
As with all elite sports, making it to the top is a long and winding road that requires a lot of sacrifice, effort, and time. Irrespective of the time that you are able to throw at sailing, there are a few things that all sailors following an Olympic dream have to adjust to:
1. The physicality of the Laser Standard. Moving from a Radial into a Standard not only requires a substantial change in body weight, in most cases, ideally weighing 80-84 kg and being above 178cm. Given the increase in sail area there is also a high aerobic component required in order to have the intensity to match the boat speed of the top sailors.
2. A game of inches. I remember finishing 2 nd in a qualifier race to Paul Goodison (Beijing Gold Medallist) many years ago. Now he was at least 40 boat lengths in front of me and there I was feeling pretty pleased with myself that I had hiked my way into second place. The reality internationally however is that 20 other boats could have occupied the space between us. And they did! The difference in level at international level is impressive but you have to fight for everything.
3. International competitions. Generally, qualifiers can require a high-risk strategy. Biased start lines and gain features on the course require you to be in the right place at the right time and often racing can be a bit of a one-way track. UK sailors also generally prefer oscillating winds where you are more likely to get a shift back in your favour at some point. Not only is the international fleet of formidable quality, but the racing is much more open and therefore rewards sailors who make good decisions and who are able to pick up on the relevant cues in the conditions to make gains over the rest of the fleet. These cues include being able to recognise the types of conditions where the wind is less likely to shift back in your favour. It has to be said however that speed is your friend and being fast will give you more tactical freedom.
Interestingly, improving or gaining more experience in the areas above requires one thing – time in the boat.
So, this winter the ‘Podium Potential’ and ‘UK Youth Squad’ Laser sailors packed up and moved to be based in Vilamoura in Portugal, where we were able to run multiple training blocks in a warmer climate between December 2019 and March 2020. Not only did Vilamoura allow us to experience lighter winds than the UK in a warmer, and more efficient climate, we were also able to compete in 3 smaller international regattas and line up against some of the best sailors from around the world, including Laser legend Robert Scheidt. Spending time in Portugal provided the platform for each sailor to accumulate valuable time improving fitness, training boat speed against top quality opposition, and racing against international competitors in wind speeds and conditions very different from those in the UK.
Usually at this time of the year we would be heading out to Palma for the start of the sailing season at Princess Sofia regatta, which is a great test to see how everyone is setting up after winter training. But as the world is gripped with the Covid-19 pandemic and all our events rightfully postponed, we have launched an emergency operation to get all our kit back to the UK and are back home holding station.
What will happen later in the year will be interesting, but our squad, and the British Sailing Team as a whole, are in a good position to make the most of any challenge ahead.
Masters News - 23 March 2020
Masters News!
Alan Davis was 2nd Grand Master and Guy Noble 9th in the Australian Masters Nationals. They are now making their way back to the UK.
2020 Masters events updates:
08 May Brightlingsea Training - CANCELLED due to COVID 19
09 – 10 May Brightlingsea - CANCELLED due to COVID 19
13 – 14 June Parkstone - CANCELLED due to COVID 19
3 – 5 July Masters Nationals Weymouth and Portland
19 – 20 September Draycote
10 – 11 October Pevensey – DATE CHANGE
7 – 8 November Inland Nationals Chew Valley
Masters T shirts still available to order from jon@jonemmettsailing.co.uk
UKLA Open Training at Queen Mary SC
We’re very excited about the first UKLA Open Training Weekend to be held at QMSC, near Staines, Surrey on the 7th/8th March. Two days of top coaching, great facilities, and a great bit of inland water! Aimed at the Club sailor this weekend is open to all ages- youths/masters and those in between. We’ve managed to negotiate a great price for the two days - £40 for QMSC members and £60 for non members.
Deadline for booking 29th February
To book click here
Just a few places left! If you are unable to make both days we may be able to squeeze you in on one day - phone Janet in the QMSC office - on 01784 248881 - to find out more.
RYA Dinghy Show 29th Feb - 1st March 2020
Dinghy Show this weekend! Woohoo!
This will be a great opportunity to grab a bargain or two… or three…! It’s also a great way to meet other sailors, old and new friends and even Olympians!
Come and chat to us at the F10 stand near the West Hall stage. The UKLA team will be there fully loaded on coffee and ready for your questions or just happy to chat. You will be able renew your membership in time for the spring events, order Masters polo shirts, chat to Stick Daring about his adventure, get some rigging and racing tips AND meet Lily XU – Olympic Laser Radial Gold Medallist. In fact, you will have two opportunities to talk to Lily; at our stand on Sunday (12:30 – 13:30) and at Fernhurst Books stand on Saturday (14:00) – read below.
During the weekend, we will also be drawing a winner of the Wildwind Holiday. This is an outstanding prize from last year Grand Prix events. One lucky sailor will be able to enjoy sunshine sailing abroad!
We are looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible.
In the meantime, how many sweets do you think can fit inside a Laser boom? Well… come and find out yourself!
PS> Don’t forget everyone 15years young or younger can attend the show for free.
The Laser Campaign Manual (2nd edition) by Sir Ben Ainslie – This is the new edition of Sir Ben Ainslie’s secrets to performing at the top of the fleet and is his only how-to book. It celebrates the 20th anniversary of his first Olympic gold medal win in the Laser.
You will be delighted to know that Laser Radial gold medallist Lijia Xu will also be there on Saturday at 2pm for the launch introducing everyone to Ben’s book. All Laser sailors around are welcome to come along
Wind Companion for Racing Sailors by David Houghton & Fiona Campbell – this book is essential to understanding and using the wind around the race course and is splash-proof so designed for use on or near the water!
Qualifying Events Spring 2020
We are looking forward to welcoming you to all our 2020 events, starting with the Spring qualifiers next month.
If you have not signed up yet - … what are you waiting for?
Your entry will only be accepted if the payments has reached us before the deadline. This slight change will allow us to provide venues with a full list of entrants in plenty of time before the event and will make the registration, tally and the posting of results a much smoother process for sailors and all staff and volunteers involved. And we do like to keep all of volunteers happy because without them, these events would simply not run. Help us all out by entering early and paying promptly.
As always, the more volunteers the merrier! Get involved! We would love your help to stop us running around like headless chickens trying to pull things together. The power is in numbers and volunteering is paramount in building and maintaining a strong class.
If you have not attended an event before, we provide pasta at all events to stop sailors getting ‘h-angry’ after coming off the water, as well as evening meals. Pasta is on us, but you will need to book and pay for the evening meal. At the first qualifier at WPNSA we will have Italian Night. It’s £10.00 - including a DESSERT (Tota tenerinia which is Italian brownie with ice cream…. Yumyum…) The full menu and bookings are available on the entry page here. Again, booking in advance makes planning much MUCH easier for everyone, so over to you.
We will also aim to provide evening entertainment/useful talks to sailors as well as parents. If there is anything in particular that you would like to hear/see, then let us know and we will try to arrange it for you. I can’t promise we can get a ventriloquist, but all sensible requests will be considered!
All our events are supported by our Class Scorer Nik James and if you have any questions about scoring applied, you can ask him at events or ping him an email scorer@laser.org.uk This does not include protests – they need to be dealt with within the rules and any queries need to be raised at events.
Lastly, please remember these events are organised for UKLA members, and for that – you need to be one! If you have not renewed your membership yet, now is the time…
LASER PERFORMANCE OPEN AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2020 By Tony Woods and Nette Robinson
Nette Robinson
LASER PERFORMANCE UK LASER OPEN AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2020 MOUNTS BAY SAILING CLUB 25th -31st July
Mounts Bay is a fantastic location! Great for family holiday, great for sailing, surfing, beach games, sun bathing…
Nette Robinson will be on hand again to provide activities for non-sailors. Blow the cobwebs away and start your day off with a fun and lively Zumba session, followed by an abs class! In the afternoons there will be a host of creative pursuits to get involved with, such as art classes, singing, chess and belly dance!
We are hoping to welcome many sailors from overseas as we did in 2019 as well as many from the UK. In fact the first night is to be called the Commodore's Welcome Evening - kindly sponsored by MBSC - to include an Italian Themed meal absolutely free for all competitors!
There'll be themed evenings every night with great food for £7, (ordered in advance) including Moroccan Evening, Curry Night, Chile Night, as well as the now famous Gala Dinner on the Thursday Night for £26.50 per head (ordered in advance). You can also look forward to SUP Racing, the Hike Off, Games Night, live music, and a trip to St. Michael's Mount with a Reception by Lord and Lady St. Levan.
If you want to improve your sailing there will be Race Clinics in the mornings, Q and A sessions in the Evenings, and the Mentor/Mentee Scheme running throughout the week.
As our Nationals coincides with the 2020 Olympics, we’ve arranged a special exclusive report with top sailing journalist Andy Rice from Sail Juice to be shown post racing on Monday 27th July. Naturally, we will be showing coverage of the Laser Racing from Japan throughout the week.
Entries opening soon. Website still under construction, but you can see it here:
Book your accommodation now – there is a basic field where you can camp near the dinghy park -The farmer, John Oliver, who runs it can be contacted on 01736 711908 or 07810 135720.
Also here is a link to the club’s accommodation list-
https://www.mbsc.org.uk/where-to-stay
Also, you can check out the event on the UKLA Facebook page. Connect with fellow competitors,
join the discussion, find out who has room on their boat trailer and offer to hook up with others.
If you'd like to join our new team for this year's event, we'd love to hear from you!
We're looking for lots of people who can capture the event throughout the week,
whether that's by taking photographs, videoing, interviewing sailors in the dinghy park or uploading media to Facebook and Instagram.
We're also looking for people to bring SUP’s for the SUP Relay Race, help with registration, results, reports, prize draws, trophies…Would you like to donate a trophy? Endeavour and Vintage still available at the moment!
Masters News
Masters News!
Last Orders for UKLA Masters T shirts! Jon Emmett is kindly putting together the order for these garments and needs the numbers asap. Contact him on jon@jonemmettsailing.co.uk
5 Brits travelled to Florida to take part in 2 US Masters Events. Read about their adventures here and here
2020 Masters events dates:
09 – 10 May Brightlingsea
13 – 14 June Parkstone
3 – 5 July Masters Nationals Weymouth
19 – 20 September Draycote
10 – 11 October Pevensey – DATE CHANGE
7 – 8 November Inland Nationals Chew Valley
RYA Dinghy Show 2020
Less than a month to go until the RYA Dinghy Show 2020!
Kick off your sailing season with a trip to Ally Pally on 29th February and 1st March. There will be plenty to chat about and the UKLA team can’t wait to see you there! You can find us at the F10 stand nearby the West Hall.
Our superstar Sam Whaley will officially welcome you to the show on Saturday 10:30 at the Great Hall Stage and along with Sarah Ayton and Hannah Shelmerdine will talk about his dinghy sailing journey.
Our other somewhat different superstar Stick Daring will be at the show with his MOD27 Laser in which he completed his journey round Britain and you can hear more about it at our stand and at the West Hall Stage at 15:00 on both days.
See you there! Get your tickets here
SUPER GRAND PRIX 2020 - Great fun for all-Sponsored by Sailing Chandlery
SUPER GRAND PRIX 2020 - Sailing Chandlery to Sponsor!
SGP's are a new exciting way of combining training and open meetings for the club and travelling sailor - one day's training, followed by social, then racing on the Sunday. We’re really excited that once again Sailing Chandlery has stepped in to sponsor the series in 2020. Many thanks to Andrew and his team!
There’s a series in the North and one in the South.
Dates so far for 2020 are:
23rd/24th May St Mary's Lock Lakeland/ Borders
30th/31st May Queen Mary Thames
13th/14th June Newhaven & Seaford South East
13th/14th June Hollowell Midlands
11th/12th July Pagham South Coast
22nd/23rd Aug Castle Cove South Coast
3rd/4th October Staunton Harold Midlands