ILCA UK Chair Blog #161
I was pleased to get out again in my ILCA last Sunday for two club races at Queen Mary. We were treated to a shifty, southerly 8 to12 knots that veered slowly at the start, causing some havoc for the race management team. It did make me think though at the complexity of our sport. I had contrasting starts with the first giving me a clear lane from the starboard end for several minutes with freedom to tack when I thought best. The second start wasn’t so good, and I had to tack to clear my wind fairly quickly, meaning I wasn’t in sync with the shifts. Message #1 – starts are key. But so is strategy… in the first race, I felt the wind had veered enough and I preferred the pressure on the left and so it worked out with Dick and I leading at the first mark. That strategy evolved during the race and into the second race so that taking shifts up the middle right was preferrable. It is hard to challenge at the front if your strategy is wrong – it is not about getting very shift but getting the big picture right. Of course, this is not easy as sometimes the strategy is “fixed” due to land effect or tide (not at Queen Mary 😊) or varies depending on the time between shifts (one big shift per beat is very different to two or more). The third message is about how important boat speed is. In these marginal conditions, the lighter sailors plane sooner and longer on the reaches and can cope better with gusts in the flat water and those smaller differences in boat speed matter. Of course, the opposite is true in 20 knots – that extra boat speed makes you look like a tactical genius. So overall on the day you needed good starts, good strategy and good boat speed – a complex combination indeed and one I am sure those frostbiting around the country each weekend wrestle with.
As some of you may have seen, I was elected President of ILCA international a couple of weeks ago. It is certainly an honour serve the class I have got so much out of as has been the Chair of ILCA UK. It means though I will not be continuing in that latter role after the AGM in July (given no real conflict, the ILCA UK committee has agreed that I can continue until then). Writing these blogs has been enjoyable but at times difficult to find topics to cover. I think this is my 43rd blog since January this year so I am going to take a break and reset until the New Year – please let me know if there is anything you would like me to write about in 2026.
Snippets
Eurilca has announced that the Masters Europeans will now have a Legend (aged 75 and over) category in the ILCA7, like the ILCA6, recognising the increasing numbers particpating. It is never too late to make your comeback!
*Bookings now open*
Our 8th and final ILCA UK Youth Series event is now open for bookings.
📍 Draycote Water SC
🗓️ Tue 30 Dec
👉 Book here: https://draycotewater.co.uk/events/draycote-youth-open/
Winter training 2025/2026
Most of our winter programme is available for booking - look through the training calendar and find something for your self in your region
Events 2026
National Opens
National Open 1 - Warsash SC - 14/15 March 2026
National Open 2 - WPNSA - 21/22 March 2026
National Open 3 - WPNSA 28/29 March 2026
Skills Week
ILCA Skills Week 2026 WPNSA - 15/20 August 2026 (Provisional - may move by one day)
National & Open Championships
Unfortunately, due to clashes with international regattas, we could not accept dates offered by the Hayling Island Sailing Club to host our nationals in 2026. We therefore confirmed that the 2026 Nationals will be held in JULY at WPNSA. He hope to go back to HISC soon!
ILCA UK Open & National Championships 2026 WPNSA - 23-29th July 2026
Masters events (over 30)
Introduction to Masters sailing - ILCA UK NEW Masters rep Gareth Humphrey
Master Series WPNSA - 23-24th May 2026
Masters National Championships Parkstone YC - 3-5 July 2026
Masters Inland Championships Draycote Water SC - 7-8 November 2026
Other news
Noble Marine ILCA Inland Championships 2025 at Draycote Water Sailing Club
Tideway ILCA Masters Inland Championships 2025 at Grafham Water Sailing Club
Ovington ILCA UK National Open 5 report
Rooster ILCA UK National Open 4 - ILCA6 report
ILCA Women's Coaching Programme Returns to Queen Mary Sailing Club
ILCA UK National open 4 2025 video
ILCA Women's Coaching day at Parkstone Yacht Club
ILCA Thames Valley Series Grand Prix at Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club
ILCA Northern Championship at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club
2025 ILCA UK National and Open Championships at Plas Heli Welsh National Sailing Academy
Here is Nationals video
2025 Suzuki Master European Championship
2025 ILCA UK Masters Nationals video
2025 ILCAUK Masters Nationals at Hayling Island Sailing Club - ILCA 6 report
2025 ILCAUK Masters Nationals at Hayling Island Sailing Club - ILCA 7 report
QM ILCA initiative has gone from zero to international in six months
2025 ILCA7 Masters Spring Qualifier at Parkstone Yacht Club
2025 ILCA6 Masters Spring Qualifier at Parkstone Yacht Club
ILCA Midland Grand Prix at Attenborough Sailing Club
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