ILCA UK Chair Blog #136
@Lotte Johnson
We had the Master Series at Parkstone at the weekend and here are 10 things you should know. I also asked Orlando Gledhill (ILCA7 with most race wins) and Ross Harvey (ILCA6 overall winner) to give their insights, which I share below.
We had 84 entries which is the biggest fleet for some years outside the Masters Nationals
We sailed in Poole Bay in a large ILCA regatta for the first time in decades
We successfully negotiated the Chain Ferry at Sandbanks (well almost!)
We had four Legends sailing – that’s 75 and over
The Race Officer was Stuart Childerley, a Laser star in the ‘80s – welcome back Stuart
It was very shifty - my favourite was the last race – beating at a heading of 30 degrees on starboard and then 30 degrees on port
We had a prize draw at Saturday night dinner with father of the fleet Ian Rawet – thanks to sponsors Tideway Wealth, Ovington and Rooster
Parkstone put on a great show from a super club house – well done
Masters sailors are tough and did brilliantly to race four races on Sunday
It can still be cold in May
Entries for Masters Nationals are open and it is not too late to enter to Masters Europeans.
Orlando provides some insights into getting your own best performance from yourself as a Masters sailor
1. If you are fast/skilled relative to the fleet in the conditions, it is usually better to focus on starting a little more conservatively, with a good “lane”.
The idea is to avoid messing up a good opportunity to perform well in conditions which suit you by putting yourself behind in the critical first seconds or minutes of the race. Starting conservatively does not mean not being in the front row. But be in the front row in a less crowded area of the start line. I had a poor start right at the pin in the first race on Sunday. Luckily for me, it was a general recall. From then on, I realised that in conditions that suited me (medium to strong winds, medium waves, obvious shifts), my focus should be on getting off the line safely, with scope to work what I hoped might be an upwind speed advantage.
2. Events are very often decided by consistency. More precisely, in a 1-discard series, by how bad your second-worst race is. In the ILCA 7s at Parkstone, the top 7 places overall were decided essentially by who had the least bad second-worst race.
I wonder how many of us will approach the performance in that second-worst race as a key focus for improving next time. It is so much more enjoyable to think about (and talk about!) the races that went well. And easier to pretend that the less good results were just down to luck.
Working on weaknesses is a much more efficient way to improve results than working on strengths. Working on strengths will not usually improve consistency and may even make it worse, unless of course the event is sailed in the conditions of strength. This is rather obvious, but how many non-professional sailors actually consciously aim to identify, analyse and work on their weaknesses? It is rare to see an amateur sportsperson improve a known weakness in their game.
My resolution: improve lighter-wind starting and upwind decision-making.
3. In ILCA sailing there is a huge amount of readily-available information about how the boat should be sailed and raced in any given conditions. The issue is not usually access to information, it is taking advantage of the information and putting knowledge gained into practice.
For ILCA 7 Masters interested in improving medium to strong wind performance on the sea, the secret is that there are no real secrets: it boils down to: (1) being about 85kgs or so (Masters tend to sail heavier than the Open fleet, because they are not as fit); (2) good (amateur) fitness levels (legs, core, arms, aerobic); (3) not “pinching”—pinching is very slow in waves; (4) and trying to minimise slamming into waves upwind.
Everything else is (relative) detail that can be developed once the above is in place. The technique mistakes often have as their root cause lack of fitness e.g., (pinching, not sailing flat, not sheeting in/out enough) There are obviously big gains to be made downwind as well, but most of the time at Masters level the major determinant of results in these conditions will be upwind speed.
Ross gives some insights to the tactical decisions needed over the weekend:
The ILCA 6 Masters event at Parkstone Yacht Club over the weekend of 3rd and 4th May 2025 featured six closely contested races, with varying conditions that tested the fleet’s tactical awareness and finesse. One of the key insights came from Race 2, where a significant right-hand wind shift before the start required sailors to hold their lane in anticipation of the predicted left shift. Ross Harvey capitalized on this, managing the upwind phase with precision and choosing the correct side of the course to secure the win. Roberta Hartley sailed an excellent first run, finding stronger breeze on the right-hand side, but Ian Gregory’s consistent speed saw him edge into second place by the finish.
Race 5 highlighted how quickly positions could change downwind. Hywel Roberts had an excellent start, leading from the left and rounding the first mark in front. However, Ross Harvey showed superior downwind speed, passing Roberts on the first run. The lead changed again on the second upwind leg, where Jon Emmett’s decision-making and clean lanes allowed him to pass both Harvey and Roberts. In the final stretch, Harvey managed to recover just enough to edge back into the lead and take the win, showing not just speed but also resilience and sharp situational awareness under pressure.
In the final race of the event, strategy around the shifting breeze became critical. At the start of a left-hand shift, Ross Harvey and Steve Cockerill tacked below the port layline early. While Jon Emmett and Hywel Roberts opted to dig deeper into the left, the wind shifted back to the right just before the mark, benefiting Harvey and Cockerill. Their positioning allowed them to sail one more lift into the windward mark while Emmett and Roberts, already committed to the layline, had to sail a header and lost ground.
Snippets
RYA are looking for volunteers to join the RYA's Youth Racing Committee - interested? Apply online here.
The next ILCA Women’s Coaching session, led by Ellie Cumpsty, is at King George SC on 17th May. Further dates at Parkstone YC, Stokes Bay SC and Draycote Water are being finalised. Keep an eye on the ILCA Calendar for details as these sessions sell out quickly.
2025 Women’s Regatta at Rutland will open for entries this Friday! (9th May)
You will see our calendar starting to fill up.
Finally I was asked about the entry list for the British Nationals at Parkstone in 1982 - well here you go
PS Are you interested in Team Racing - Eurilca has a European Championship and are inviting entries from ILCA UK? See here
2025 ILCA Handbook is now available online.
ILCA UK Events
Entries to Masters Nationals
You can now renew your membership for 2025. Not a member yet? JOIN NOW
ILCA UK have two National Opens at WPNSA on 11/12 Oct and 18/19 Oct - the latter clashes with the U21s Europeans so discretionary points may apply for the qualification ladder but not for the first weekend (we moved from 25/26 Oct to 11/12 Oct to avoid a double clash). Masters Inlands date is confimred for 25/26 Oct.
Other news
2025 ILCA UK National Open 2 at the WPNSA - ILCA 4 fleet report
2025 ILCA UK National Open 2 at the WPNSA - ILCA 6 fleet report
2025 ILCA UK National Open 2 at the WPNSA - ILCA 7 fleet report
Video of National Open 2
Also we also had three really good write-ups from that first weekend:
2025 ILCA UK National Open 1 at the WPNSA - ILCA 7 fleet report
2025 ILCA UK National Open 1 at the WPNSA - ILCA 4 fleet report
2025 ILCA UK National Open 1 at the WPNSA- ILCA 6 fleet report
National Open 1 video Here it is.
Finally have you seen the tracking? Here are the links - ILCA UK National Open 1 ILCA UK National Open 2 James Foster did a nice debriefing of the racing using the tracking data, see here. ILCA7 briefing. ILCA4 briefing.
ILCA UK Youth Winter Trophy at Datchet Water Sailing Club - ILCA 4 fleet report
ILCA UK Youth Winter Trophy at Datchet Water Sailing Club - ILCA 6 fleet report