UKLA Chair blog #40
Have you been looking for single hander to suit a lighter sailor with a National circuit of events?
Do you feel the ILCA6 is a bit too powerful for you or you are not quite a competitive size for it?
Are you a Masters sailor looking for a smaller rig than the ILCA6?
Are you under 18 and want to go to a Worlds or Europeans with over 400 other sailors?
If the answer to any of these is yes, then read on…..
The ILCA4 (formerly 4.7) provides super racing for those boys and girls wishing to transition out of other junior classes like the Optimist or Topper. There is a ready supply of affordable second-hand boats and of course many sailors (and their parents) love the easy logistics and ease of access of single-hander sailing. Of course there a ready movement in time to the ILCA6 and ILCA7 as well if that what a sailor wants.
The ILCA4 has 7 or 8 UKLA National events each year that are open to sailors of any age and all are welcome. That means our Qualifiers (really high-quality open meetings) and Inland championship are open to anyone. Our National Championship attracted over 100 in 2022. This year the Nationals are again at Hayling Island Sailing Club in August providing a great sailing venue and super onshore facilities. We will have daily race clinics, a mentoring program and full social program so it is ideal for anyone wanting to come and race an ILCA4. As the boat is so easy to sail, why not bring a friend as it is quite easy to borrow an ILCA (only the sail and bottom mast section are different to the other rigs) and enjoy the week! And remember this is open to all ages. You will find loads of information here on our website.
Also following requests from a number of Masters, we have added the ILCA4 to the Masters Nationals at the end of June, also in Hayling. That means a separate start! It would be great to see a decent fleet as I know there has been a discussion about adding the ILCA4 to the Masters Worlds but there is some hesitancy until it is proven at local or region level.
I know many people consider the ILCA4 to be a “transition” class but it doesn’t have to be. If you are getting great racing and you are not big enough for a ILCA6 then why move? I know in the past women /girls in particular have been encouraged to move to the ILCA6 but if it doesn’t suit you, UKLA is quite happy to support that. While I know many of sailors are around 15 or 16 there is no reason why you can’t stay in the class with your friends. Internationally the Worlds and Europeans are U18 so you can still go to these events until the year you turn 18. And remember there is no selection for these events and GBR usually have more than enough places to have all entries accepted.
I hope with some of these initiatives and increased promotion, we can see a broader mix of sailors at our events and support the continued success of the ILCA4.
Snippets:
“The boat that Ian built” is a super video about the early days of the Laser class. My thanks to Takao (who is in the video as the Japanese builder) and Chris Tunstall for bringing this to my attention.
Queen Mary SC training with Micky Beckett - BOOK
ILCA Open & National Championships - LOOK & BOOK