News
ILCA Welsh Championships - Dale Yacht Club
Dale Yacht Club, 28-30th July 2023
By Paula MacLaverty
At the beginning of the week, the weather didn't look great for this year's ILCA Welsh Championships, however, the forecasted 40knot gusts didn't materialise and thirty ILCA sailors gathered at Dale to compete.
Saturday got off to a breezy start but a consistent wind direction and average wind speeds topping 23knots allowed for three somewhat lively races for the ILCA 4 & 6 fleets before the increasingly blustery conditions sent the fleets ashore. Race wins from Bronwen Thomas and Nina Marsh, with seconds in two of the three races by Macsen Barber resulted in three sailors with equal points at the end of the first day in the ILCA 4 fleet. In the ILCA 6 fleet Freddie MacLaverty trailed Iris Singleton by one point.
With concerns that Sunday's racing may be affected by the weather, the race officer decided on four races for the ILCA 7 fleet. With race wins from George Colquitt, James Curtis and Ian Clingan the leading sailors were close in points at the end of day one.
After a lively night for most sailors (the wind on the campsite, not the party) Sunday dawned calm, if not a little wet. Race committee launched the fleets early with the intention of two races for all fleets before the wind picked up again. The first race was rather sedate when compared to the previous day, with wind speeds of between 5 and 8 knots, however, by the time race 2 was underway the wind was starting to build, reaching gusts of over 34 knots.
First ILCA 7 George Colquitt
First IlCA 6 Freddie Maclaverty
First ILCA 4 Nina Marsh
Full results:
Congratulations to all the sailors for managing the challenging conditions.
A great weekends sailing. Thank you to Celtic Sea Watersports for hosting a great event.
Further thanks go to our great sponsors:
Sailingfast, Ovington Boats, Rooster Sailing and Fernhurst Books
Hollowell Sailing Club training evening
What a great initiative by the Hollowell Sailing Club to use UKLA resources to upskill their club sailors! Now… there is a Super Grand Prix coming up at Hollowell SC 1-2nd July 2023. Could it be that they have some good prizes that they are trying to win…? Perhaps more clubs should prepare this way?
Read below how they they have done it…
14 Hollowell SC sailors turned out on the evening of 22 April to look at the ILCA winter training Zoom sessions. All together, in person and at the club.
We watched the first session on rigging then went out to look at Steph’s shiny new boat lovingly rigged by Mike.
After our discussions, food was served with delicious lasagna (provided by Alister and others) with salad and puddings. We watched the second video of Daisy and Matilda wowing us with their skills while we were eating.
All we have to do now is remember what was said and practice!
1-2nd July - Hollowell SC Super Grand Prix (Part of Midlands GP series)
Rigging Steph’s new boat
Watching zoom recordings
We need you - ILCA 6 Women Masters!
By Jo West
by Georgie Altham
I started this by trying to write a report of the Parkstone Masters sailing event this weekend. I’m not a writer, and it didn’t go well, especially as I only viewed the event from my position at the back of the fleet… hence why I decided to focus on another important sailing matter. I started sailing outside club racing in the last couple of years. My friend Zoe had mentioned that she had been to a masters event, loved it, and suggested that I come too. At first I made excuses; “my kit isn’t all class legal, my kit is old, it might clash with a youth event where my daughter competes and that’s my priority, I’m not a good enough sailor”.. etc etc. She had an answer for everything; “the inlands don’t clash with youth events this year, no one cares if you’re at the back and they will support you if you even are, Alison has an old sail in her loft that she can bring to the event for you”.. etc etc. In the end I gave in and went and had a fantastic weekend surrounded by amazingly enthusiastic sailors. I remembered that I am more than just a mum: I was hooked!
I’ve been attending masters events ever since and I even got up the courage to sail in a Weymouth qualifier event alongside my daughter this year. There is just one issue that I ask myself at all events - where are the women? At Parkstone I was one of only 4 women out of a field of 80 competitors, in Weymouth I was the only woman over 25. Zoe and I have been having a chat about what makes an event attractive and accessible to us, and honestly it’s about having the support of each other. Therefore, we have set up a female masters‘ WhatsApp group. This is for all female ILCA sailors over 30 years of age, even if you haven’t attended an event yet or are still unsure about joining us. We want a place where we can support each other, share which events we are attending, share knowledge about where there is accommodation, what are the socials, and discuss stuff like how we set up our kit. We really want you to help boost the number of women at events, so join our WhatsApp group (to be circulated by email) and hopefully we’ll see you at an event soon.
Around the UK (take 3)
Easter Monday (10th April) was the launch day from Stokes Bay Sailing Club
‘Laser around the UK 3’ says it all with Andrew setting off in the lesser known circumnavigation craft to travel round the UK, solo and unsupported, following in the footsteps of Ron Pattenden and more recently Neil Peters (Stick daring), hence the ‘3’.
Andrew, also known as the “shrink in the drink” has recently retired from NHS work but plans to get back into practice after this adventure. A crazy trip feels like a necessary respite from years of clinical work.
His home sailing club is Papercourt SC and being a small inland lake, does not give much opportunity for exposure to waves, so the journey will be a challenge, not to mention all the luggage problems. But luckily it is not a race and there will be time to build confidence, which is scheduled to take about 6 months.
Going East is better for beaches and therefore a bigger range of landing spots which will also help.
Andrew is raising money for charities and any donation to one of the chosen causes -
Motor Neurone Disease Association - would be much appreciated.
The links to just giving pages, social media, you tube and tracking are all on the website - CLICK HERE
If you see him on the water do give a shout out or a hello if you are in the same place at the same time – encouragement is always welcome.
Many thank everyone!
New to ILCA UK?
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 ILCA UK does
The ILCA Dinghy (previously Laser) is the most popular one design across the world. In the UK, the ILCA Class Association is the ILCA UK, 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)
ILCA UK organises 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.
ILCA UK promote Grand Prix events around the country. These are fun, relaxed events, often with some training also included.
ILCA UK organises Masters regattas across the UK for sailors aged 30 or older.
ILCA UK organises the ILCA UK Youth Series. This is a rolling series of events in each region.
ILCA UK organises 6 National Opens/ Qualifiers. These are the events where we aim to put on the best quality racing in our calendar. 3 are usually scheduled in the Spring and 3 in the Autumn. These are the main events used to qualify our senior and youth sailors for their European & World Championships.
ILCA UK also organise National Championships and Inland National Championships. The goal at these events is maximum participation and quality racing.
ILCA UK 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 ILCA UK 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 ILCA UK and RYA events, you will only be able to sail with ILCA Class Legal equipment. We have extensive articles on the ILCA UK 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 ILCA UK Committee is an experienced group standing by to assist. Please contact the relevant representative with your questions.
AGM 2022 Agenda and reports
As notified earlier last month, the 2022 UKLA AGM will take place during the National Championships at Hayling Island on 20th July 2022
Please click below to see relevant documents:
UKLA Accounts for approval - end of 2021
AGM Reports:
Micky comes to QM!
@sailingenergy
Micky Beckett, current ILCA7 European and National champion, shows the way at Queen Mary club race
At the recent ILCA7 Master Worlds In Mexico, the GBR sailors, mostly from Queen Mary, were lucky to have Mickey Beckett stay on from his own Worlds a week earlier to offer some expert coaching. And he was persuaded by Chris Ellyatt to come to Queen Mary for Sunday morning club racing. Word of his participation spread quickly resulting in 40 ILCAs coming down!
Here’s his report with some editor’s comments added:
"Having heard so many people wax lyrical about ‘the’ QM club race I had to come and see it for myself. Feeling just slightly out of my comfort zone in pan-flat water, I started race 1 in the middle of the line and then tried to go up the middle... The wind all but vanished. Then it went right a lot, then it came back for a bit, then it went again, then it went left a bit, then left a whole load more. I thought I could be clever and sneak into the lead by tacking tight onto the starboard lay-line at mark 1, but naively assumed the wind would hold steady for at least 10 seconds to allow me to get around the mark. So, technically, I was the first to arrive at mark 1, however due to a sizeable left shift I was also firmly stopped and attached to the mark as plenty of boats sailed round my outside. 17 year old Dan Fletcher also impaled himself on the mark (editor: technically he got to mark 1 at the same time as the European champion). One very slow 360 later and I was off again, one place behind Ninian Eadie (editor: who is a super legend in the eyes of all QM ILCA sailors as he is 85 years young). This allowed Mark Lyttle to slip around just ahead of David Casale and Mike Matan. A few laps later I had caught up to Mark, though every time I got close to him he seemed to do something very wise and I’d forget to look at the flag on the windward mark, and so he’d be gone again. Eventually, I managed to creep past when he kindly forgot to tack on me on the final upwind. Dan steered himself back into 4th place (promoted to 3rd when Mike was recorded as OCS) followed by Marshall King coming through the fleet then Guy Noble, Orlando Gledhill, David and Ninian.
Race 2 began in much more breeze with everyone hiking off the line. I had a drama-free first beat and didn’t anchor myself to the windward mark which was nice. Bunch following close behind included again Mark, Marshall and Orlando. Again, Mark sailed out of the chasing bunch to be just behind me, I felt confident I could sail a simple race to stay ahead, however that was over-placed confidence. Every tack I did felt like it was in perfectly the wrong place until I’d lost all of my lead, unashamedly I reduced my strategy to ‘go where Mark goes’ so I could stay just ahead! Dan sailed through the fleet of record another 3rd, following a close battle and luffing match with Tim Crook, David and Chris Ellyatt. They were followed by Mike Hicks and the other Mike.
The QM race certainly lived up to my expectations, it was huge fun. Thank-you to Chris Ellyatt for kindly lending me a boat to throw around. And I would say an 11/10 is deserved for being an immensely welcoming club for someone sailing there for the first time, thank you."
(Editor: a class performance from a class guy)
Southern Area Championships & Super Grand Prix
PAIGNTON 9/10 July 2022
Photo credit Jon Emmett
ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN for the Southern Area Championships!
This will be a lot of fun - Paignton is a great place to sail and race. As the event is also a Super Grand Prix there will be a training day on the Saturday, so expect great coaching from the UKLA team. Due to incredible sponsorship from the UKLA the Training Day will just cost you a mere £10!
But of course you must be a UKLA member to get this great discount!
Race day £20.
Vaikobi are sponsoring the event so expect loads of great prizes too!
The Nationals will be held at Paignton in two years time so this is a good opportunity to get some practice at the venue.
But hurry, hurry hurry as you can only enter the Training Day up to the 6th July and the Race Day up to the 8th!…
New Podcasts!
The latest episode of an Hour with Flower is now out - this time Ben chats to top ILCA 7 sailors Dan Whiteley and Jack Hopkins
@Sam Pearce
UKLA Open & National Championships 2022 - Hayling Island SC
@Georgie Altham
Not long to go now till the National Championships 2022 - held this year at Hayling Island 17th- 22nd July.
There’s still time to enter and join in the fun- DEADLINE IS 8th JULY
Entries so far: 91 ILCA 4’ s (surely a record?), 105 ILCA 6’s and 52 ILCA7’s!
Don’t forget sign up for the HARKEN Welcome Evening on Sunday 17th July when we will be meeting and greeting visitors from across the British Isles and further afield. You will also have the opportunity to learn about the expected Hayling wind conditions and tides from Race Officer and Hayling expert Tim Hancock. The Welcome Evening is sponsored by Harken so we’re very pleased that the superb meal is just £5 for all competitors (£12.50 for supporters). Also there’ll be lots of Harken prizes given away on the night, But you must book in advance- Deadline is 8th JULY!
Also do sign up for the Ovington Gala Dinner on Thursday 21st July DEADLINE IS 8th July
Our Nationals dedicated page is up and running and we will be adding information on regular basis so be sure to check it out from time to time.
We plan to have two races per day from the Monday to Friday. Hayling has some of the best sailing waters in the UK - look out for those beautiful WAVES - so is a great place to race, and we’re really pleased to have the Nationals here again!
Off the water there’ll be the (possibly a bit mad!) Quiz, courtesy of Neil Peters, Vaikobi BBQ & Sports Night, Ovington Gala Dinner, Daily Prize Giving with Q&As, Race Clinics, Mentor/Mentee Scheme, The Hike Off Challenge, Hayling Chaser, Live Music, Prize Draws - lots of prizes to be won etc etc…
Many thanks to our sponsors: Sailingfast, Ovington, Vaikobi, Harken, Southeast Sailboats.
Queen Mary SC Big Sundays
Queen Mary SC has had a great ILCA fleet for many years - there are stories of huge turnouts in the early days of the class, and even now 30 or more ILCA’s will line up for a club race on a Sunday morning!
Want to join in the fun? Well now you can - 5 times a year QM will open its doors for visitors for the BIG Sunday Series - for just the cost of a day sail you can join the QM fleet for two competitive races. In fact, QM has even halved it’s Day Sail fee for these special BIG Sunday events! See the club website for details about how to register/sign on or give the QM office a ring on 01784 248881..
Dates for the rest of the year:
Autumn 25th September
Winter 13th November
Going forward, visitors will be able to qualify for the BIG Sunday Cup. 10 race series, 2 discards.
It is hoped that the Open Meeting next year will be an extended BIG Sunday.
Photo Credit Sam Pearce
Wildwind Trip to Greece
by Niall Peelo - 2021 Masters Nationals Holiday draw winner
Wildwind have been supporting the UKLA and the Masters series for several years now, and at each event I have been mildly jealous that someone had won a holiday in Greece while the best I seem to manage is a mid fleet finish and a terrible hangover.
All was to change in 2021. I had had a good days racing on the Friday in the Pevensey breeze and waves. Saturday was wet with no wind and all racing was abandoned. It was looking very like I would be nursing one of those hangovers on Sunday morning as with no racing, the bar called!
Pevensey always put on superb socials and this weekend was no different, and was mid way through the meal with friends from Weirwood Sailing Club when someone shouted to me my name had been drawn in the raffle for the Wildwind holiday. I actually thought they were joking just trying to have me run to the podium to make a fool of myself, but as they convinced me more and more I could hear Alison calling my name and saying if you weren’t there to get the prize they would pull another name out of the hat, so I did run to claim the only victory I will probably get in a Masters Nationals.
When I won the prize, covid restrictions were in full force, and it was actually impossible to leave the UK for a holiday and as a result I would have to wait until 2022 to enjoy the trip, but Simon Morgan who runs Wildwind was very accommodating and flexible in helping organise my week in Vassiliki where Wildwind is located.
Wildwind holidays from the UK include a flight to Prevesa which is about 3 hours from London. I travelled in late May and left a wet and cold London to be greeted by 29 degrees and sunny on landing in Prevesa. Vassiliki is just over 1 hour coach journey from the airport, and not really thinking about what to expect on arrival all I can say is the scenery was stunning for the transfer. Nice bays, hills and small Greek villages.
I hadn’t heard much about Vassiliki and I was kind of prepared for Benidorm with boats, however on arrival I was amazed to find it was nothing like the hotel complex type of village some tourist resorts are, instead a nice small town with a few small hotels along the beach, and not at all over crowded with tourists. The only thing I found issue with was there was very little wind. There was enough to sail, but I had been primed for 20 knots every day.
The staff in Wildwind showed me to my room in one of the two hotels on their complex (which included a pool and two bars - instant fear this trip could turn into one of those hangover scenarios all ILCA events seem to be, although without the bad influence of my Weirwood mates I could be safe!).
Next, I thought I would check out the sailing set up. Having done several ‘dinghy beach club’ type holidays I have always been slightly disappointed that the boats have been old, average condition and the sails had no battens. I checked out the Wildwind fleet of ILCA’s first, and was honestly amazed. The boats were superb. Some were brand new built by Riotechna, and the sails were all new ILCA logo’s sails (which had battens), and on top of that they actually let you go sailing when it’s over 15 knots!
On top of this I was introduced to Cam Wallace who was the ILCA coach who had travelled all the way from Canada. At this point I needed to ask more questions, as having not booked the holiday in the normal fashion, I wasn’t aware of the training opportunities available. In short, Wildwind runs 3 weeks of dedicated ILCA training at the start of the season all included in the standard holiday package. I instantly checked that I could join in - what a result. I did suggest that they need to advertise this more in the UK, as many club mates were enduring the rain in the uk to get some pre season practice in, probably not realising this option is available in 29 degrees of heat with Wildwind!
I had a look at the rest of the boats available - again all in top condition ranging from Aeros to RS 100/200/400/500, 29er/49er and every catamaran you could think of. There was also mountain bikes available to explore further afield. Already I realised that 1 week simply wasn’t going to be enough for me!
As well as sailing, I am also a keen recreational average level windsurfer and Wildwind offer a ‘free as the wind’ package which includes full access to ‘Club Vass’ one of Europe’s best known windsurfing holiday companies. As soon as I saw this I added this to my package and after admiring the great sailing set up I walked about 100 meters to Club Vass to see a similar top of the range windsurf setup. Again, it was full of top kit and tonnes of it - over 100 boards and 200 sails - all ready to go once the wind appeared - and appear it did. In what I would class as a strange phenomena at about 2pm a breeze appeared blowing down the mountain range parallel to the beach at between 20-25 knots giving a flat sea near the land for the windsurfers and a little more of a lumpy sea for the Wildwind sailors. This is the wind that Vassiliki is known for every afternoon in high summer.
This was a water sports enthusiasts paradise which I managed to top off by sitting at the bar overlooking the sea enjoying a beer. I could instantly see why Simon set up Wildwind here.
The next day I joined the laser training with Cam, and all I can say is that it was superb set up. Very similar to the ILCA training days we do in the UK, well structured, with low wind practice in the morning followed by a civilised lunch at one of the Wildwind bars and a heavy weather session in the afternoon, and then for me a blast on the windsurf board before heading into the small old town for dinner in the evening.
Most of the Wildwind guests are club sailors, so there is an instant vibe that everyone is of the same mindset which makes the holiday very social, almost like being at a new sailing club, but one where the weather is ideal, however for the other 1/2’s that don’t sail, there is another side of Wildwind that I was not aware of that is called ‘healthy options’ and offers yoga and Pilates activities.
In my week as well as joining the ILCA training, in a moment of bravery in the light wind I rigged a 7 wondering if I could manage that, but realised when 20 knots came along that I still need to ‘bulk out’ a little before that rig will be required. I also have to mention that in a moment of weakness I was talked into trying some RS boats, which dare I say were very nice to sail and even nicer to hike in! But that is the benefit of a holiday like this is you can try so much that you wouldn’t normally try at home. Unfortunately due to a lack of time I never got a chance to try the bikes, but did manage to try most windsurf board and sail combinations as well as many great restaurants and two superb barbecues run by Wildwind.
The only disappointing thing about the trip, is that having done one week, I wished I could have done two or three, as this sort of holiday with all the activities is exactly the sort of holiday that someone like me dreams of.
Many of the sailors I met on the trip had either done two weeks or if they haven’t they were already booked in later in the season for another trip, so I have made it my goal to organise more leave and head back to Vass for another trip.
I would like to thank Simon and Steph and Joe (as well as the other staff at Wildwind) for a superb week, but more importantly thank whoever pulled my name out of the hat in Pevensey. I have always gone to the Masters Nationals thinking if I made the podium I would be happy with my event, but having won this holiday, all I can say is it was far better than getting on the podium, and I would encourage everyone to try and attend the Masters Nationals in the hope you too can win the trip to Wildwind which was one of the best recreational sailing holidays I have ever done.
British Youth Sailing Regional Junior Championships
Calling all ILCA 4 sailors - Regional Junior Championships are now open for entry!
For some of you, we know this will fall within exam periods, please don’t worry, it’s not a selector or ladder event but an opportunity for those to enjoy some good racing more locally. Please use the link below to enter.
Please note which region you should attend:
Midlands + North sailors – Ullswater
East + London/South East sailors – Grafham
South and South West sailors – WPNSA
This is also trying to minimise the distance you need to travel. However, we do appreciate that for some sailors, the event closest to where you live might not be in your region. Please speak to your RPM who will advise on which event to enter:
Midlands: Tim Hall
North: Chris Blackburn
East and London/South East: Paul Wren
South and South West: Duncan West
We hope to see many of you there!
2022 Season update
UKLA QUALIFIERS and SAILINGFAST YOUTH SERIES - SPRING 2022
It’s been a busy Spring, with 3 UKLA Qualifier events and In addition the RYA held their Youth Nationals and Eric Twiname Championships. The winds experienced provided a broad range of conditions for the sailors:
Qualifier #4 Stokes Bay a shifty 20kts
Qualifier #5WPNSA 20-25kts
Qualifier #6 WPNSA 10-15kts
RYA Youth Nationals 5-10kts
The UKLA racing scene is in a very strong place, with significant numbers turning up to the compete:
UKLA Qualifier Series ILCA 6/7: 183 competitors.
UKLA SailingFast Youth Series events for ILCA 4/6/7: 416 sailors (not all are youth!)
We have seen 112 girls racing at the SailingFast Youth Series events, which must be a UKLA record!
ILCA-7
Several new names have edged their way to the top of the UKLA Qualifiers. James Percival-Cooke, Arthur Farley, Jack Hopkins and Jake Farren-Price all making their mark. It’s great to see bigger entry numbers racing in the largest rig; 57 ILCA7s competed in the Qualifier Series and 90 sailors competing in the SailingFast Youth Series events.
The most consistent sailor in the Qualifier Series has been British Sailing Team’s Sam Whaley from Swanage SC, with Arthur Farley the top youth in 3rd overall.
ILCA7 SailingFast Youth Series rolling rankings are led by Finley Dickinson as first U21 and Arthur Farley first U19.
ILCA-6
Always our largest fleet, we saw 126 sailors compete in the ILCA6 Qualifier Series and approaching 200 sailing in the Sailingfast Youth Series events. The ILCA6 is also our most diverse fleet, it’s broad competitive weight range means it continues to be the most popular rig with sailors Under 17 competing with Masters over 60. A 1/3 of the fleet are women, the more experienced continue to compete with the male competitors at the front of the fleet.
The British Sailing Team girls were pushed hard by World Sailing’s Youth World Champion Seb Kempe BER. Seb has been an active member of the UKLA fleet having done all his ILCA sailing in the UK whilst at the Royal Hospital School in Suffolk. Sebastian is still U19 and able to try to retain his World title for a second year. The ILCA6 Qualifier Series was won by Hannah Snellgrove:
The ILCA6 SailingFast Youth Series rolling ranking.
In the Girls, Charlotte Videlo is the leading U21, with Carys Attwell 1st U19 and Emelia Tinch 1st U17.
In the Boys, Seb Kempe is 1st U19, while George Colquitt is leading the U17s.
ILCA-6 RYA Youth Nationals
84 ILCA6 sailors competed in Pwllheli, 38% of the fleet were girls. The ILCA7 fleet were cancelled due to low entries, unfortunately a calendar clash had sailors competing elsewhere at a busy time in the academic year.
The winds were relatively light for most of the event, especially the first two days which saw less than a handful of races sailed. This gave an opportunity for the sailors who were relatively new to the larger rig. Following his success in the Senior Qualifiers, Seb Kempe dominated the Open Championship for the Boys, but it was Thommie Grit, also from the Royal Hospital School, who won the RYA National Championship title.
The girls racing was also dominated by another Bermudian, Nicole Stovell, also a pupil at the Royal Hospital School. The battle for the Girls National Championship title was very tight, Honor Proctor coming out on top.
ILCA-4 SailingFast Youth Series
The ILCA-4’s had two SailingFast Youth Series events in the Spring at WPNSA. A number of them also competed in the RYA Youth Nationals for ILCA6. The ILCA4 is our Junior Class and the stepping stone for those with Youth and Senior aspirations in the ILCA. It is also a really great boat for older sailors not wanting the physicality of the larger rigs. We have seen 146 sailors compete in the last 7 SailingFast Youth Series events, of which 41% were girls - this is definitely a UKLA record!
Henry Redmond leads the Boys, with Freddie Sunderland the 1st U16.
Aimee Bray is 1st Girl and is U16.
ILCA World and Euilca Championships
UKLA Qualification for the 2022 Senior Championships is complete. The rolling ranking we take from the UKLA SailingFast Youth Series enables lots of our sailors to enter the various Youth events, including both World & European Championships for:
ILCA7 U21 (including U19)
ILCA6 U21 & U19.
ILCA4 U18 (including U16)
Entry for several of these events remains open via the websites:
UKLA Qualifiers Feedback
UKLA sent out a questionnaire following the Qualifiers, thank you to the many of you who responded with feedback, 92% of whom attend the Qualifiers.
The majority expect “Top Quality Championship-style race management & venue”.
WPNSA is the most preferred venue, with Hayling Island a strong 2nd. Abersoch and Highcliffe/Christchurch were 3rd & 4th.
Several commented on wanting to sail in Weymouth Bay, rather than Portland Harbour, when conditions allow.
Over 50% were either not willing to volunteer if it interrupts their sailing, or would be happy to pay higher entry fees for good venues.
Several are excited by the Super Grand Prix concept. Looking for quality racing at good venues and larger fleets - but not a Qualifier.
Paignton/Torbay, Hayling and WPNSA were the most popular venues for this sort of event.
There were recommendations of more media to promote the Grand Prix circuits. We need more volunteers to help with this, those able to assist, please reach out to us….
78% would like to see a UKLA Youth National Championship.
The Sailingfast Youth Series is very popular, but there were requests for more events.
Eric Twiname Championships 2022
By Harry West
The May Day Bank Holiday weekend saw the first Eric Twiname Championships take place since the pandemic; the event last being held in 2019. A large fleet of 60 ILCA 4s (split almost equally between boys and girls) had travelled from across the country to Rutland Sailing Club. Unfortunately, the forecast predicting light variable winds for the weekend was accurate and being able to pick the shifts was going to be key.
The Saturday launching was delayed until the middle of the afternoon as competitors had to wait until the breeze filled under sunny warm conditions. In the only race to take place on that day, I managed to pick the favoured side of the course to build a substantial lead but was pipped on the line by Max Steele, with Tom Thwaites third.
On Sunday there was a steady 10 knot breeze, enabling 4 races to be held. The top 10 positions were all very close as the wind shifted across the course throughout the day, keeping us looking for dark patches on the water. 5 races were scheduled for this day but with the sailors being on the water for nearly 5 hours the race team decided to call it a day.
Monday unfortunately saw the wind drop and racing was abandoned allowing us all to pack up and head home but not before we had tried out the ice-cream van that was onsite for the event along with a few games of football. It’s always nice to hang out with friends plus make some new ones off the water.
Huge congratulations to Freddie Sunderland, an old Tera friend, who won the event with two firsts, with Henry Keegan coming in a close second and my fellow Royal Lymington Y.C. sailor Jack Graham Troll taking 3rd place. I was very happy with my overall placing of 8th. Well done to Yiszhuo Liu who was 1st girl along with Amelie Hacker and Ellie Hattam who were 2nd and 3rdgirl. Thank you to the race teams, the RYA, Rutland Sailing Club and the Eric Twiname Trust for putting on a fantastic event.
Northern Championships at South Shield SC!
Entries to the Northern Championships are now open! Book here
As we work through all the feedback we get from you, we chose to run a Northern and Southern Championships this year to get sailors together in between the qualifiers and nationals.
In a hope to re-ignite fleet sailing in various parts of the county we hope to see as many of you at South Shields as possible!
If this event successful we would like such championships to become a permanent fixture in our calendar.
Apart from quality sailing, the galley will be open from 9:00 on both days and an evening meal will be available on the Saturday with the bar open after sailing on both days.
The club is really friendly and have gone out their way to make this event happen so do join us!
There is a nearby campsite that accepts camper vans! Check it out!
ILCA Skills Week 2022
After such great feedback from 2021, the UKLA Transition week is back in 2022 (22-26th August) with a new name that better represents what the week is about
ILCA Skills Week
Our aims for the week are:
Support any sailor transitioning into the ICA from another class.
Support and develop any sailor moving between/new to ILCA rigs
Offer an opportunity to train at a world class venue with fantastic coaches to all class members, of any experience, any ability and any age!
The training is Monday to Friday and offers a huge amount of flexibility in the schedule. As always, boat speed will be a large area of focus, along with advanced rigging and tuning, boat handling and racing. With five days of training, this offers a unique and great opportunity to embed new skills and techniques rather than talk and start the development phase that may happen at training weekends.
All coaches are ILCA specialists and work withing the RYA and UKLA system at ahigh level. Their sailing skills are matched by their sparkling personalities which makes the learning and whole lot of fun!
The week is also about building new friendships and new communities. With the support of the Andrew Simpson Performance Academy, evening fun sessions will include paddle boarding and some Zest match racing amongst other evening activities and food.
Come and join us, WPNSA August the 22-26th - bookings will open in May, and as always we will send you an email and post on social media before we open entries.
See you on the water!
Club Training 2022
Take the opportunity to train with us at your club!
Throughout May we are taking applications from clubs across the country for UKLA training to be delivered at your club. These will be run free for UKLA members and we are trying to reach out to club members that need an extra boost to feel confident to participate in UKLA events such as Grand Prix series.
Fleet racing is very different to handicap racing and we feel that everyone should have an opportunity to enjoy it. Please join the UKLA Grand Prix circuit in your region. Apply for your club to benefit from quality coaching and take advantage of all tools we offer to club sailors.
Our Grand Prix part of the website is now up and running so check out who your region rep is and when the next event is.
ILCA Member Vote Request – Proposed Changes to the ILCA Constitution
The ILCA World Council and Advisory Council have approved several updates to the ILCA Constitution. In order to implement these changes, according to clause 17 of the ILCA Constitution, approval by two thirds of the membership replying in response to a ballot is now required.
Vote by 19th May 2022
Please note that only paid ILCA members may vote. Membership will be verified with each ILCA District association when the votes are tabulated. Please renew your membership before voting.
Click to see:
Overview of changes:
The class name has been updated.
Due to trademark issues with a former manufacturer, it is proposed that the constitution is updated to reflect the new class name. Members should note that at its recent annual conference, World Sailing has changed references in its regulations from “Laser” to “ILCA” in all instances.
The proposed changes to the ILCA constitution also incorporate this update throughout.
Similarly, the designation of the emblem of the class has been removed in order to avoid any trademark conflicts.
Changes to the makeup of the ILCA World Council
World Council members are proposed to be either voting or non-voting members. The office of the Past President has been removed and the voting rights of any appointed World Council members has been removed.
It is proposed that a region representing over 40% of the membership of the organization will have the right to appoint an additional voting member to the World Council. Currently, the European Region represents over 60% of the worldwide membership and would receive a second voting position on the World Council.As in the past, it is proposed the ILCA World Council will continue to annually elect the ILCA President from amongst its voting and non-voting members, excluding paid staff and or the Builder Representative. If the elected president is a Regional Representative, he or she will relinquish that position upon becoming the ILCA President. It is proposed that the ILCA Vice President will be elected from amongst the voting and non-voting members of the World Council, but would be a regional representative or other appointed member – i.e. the Vice President would not be a stand-alone position.
It is proposed that the provision for two Advisory Council members to the World Council is removed. Instead, it is proposed that there will be one Builders’ representative, elected annually by majority by all the ILCA approved builders. This representative would be a voting member of the World Council. It is noted that implementing this constitution update will also require a change to the ILCA Class Rules to remove the reference to the Advisory Council in the ILCA Class Rules.
Other Updates:
It is proposed that all World Council members must explicitly comply with the ILCA conflict of interest policy.
The proposed wording formalizes that the annual accounts are reviewed annually by an independent party prior to publication.
The wording of the disciplinary provisions of the constitution is proposed to be updated.
It is proposed that the voting period for subsequent amendments to the ILCA Constitution is shortened from 6 months to 3 months.
Other grammatical and minor wording changes have been proposed throughout the document to aid in readability and clarity.
Grand Prix Report - Draycote Water 23/04/2022
Unusually for an ILCA event at Draycote, there was a hive of activity in the race office from the very start of the event as competitors arrived and saw thar the forecasted 20 gusting 30knot wind was probably understated and that the thoughts of their capabilities overstated, so those that could, swapped down from the ILCA 7 to the ILCA 6.
This left a fleet of twenty one ILCA 6 and six ILCA 7s to try their best.
For the morning races the race team, lead by PRO Dave Rowe, set the now traditional outer loop course with reasonably long (1400m) windward/leeward legs with nice length (500m) reaching legs.
This meant that we were able to enjoy the clean air coming from the east and on all four legs of the course tactics were key.
It very quickly became apparent that there were entrants young, strong and talented enough to work with the waves being created across the expanse of water and those that quite simply; weren't.
The 1st race didn’t get off the most auspicious of starts with two boats a little too keen at the start but turned into an epic across the fleet as entrants got to grips with the course and breeze which at points was brutal…. The race was won by George Colquitt from West Kirby SC who gave everyone else a Master Class and winning by a clear 6 boat lengths but behind it was a very different story with true ILCA style elbows out single class racing with Great Grand Masters competing against Under 16s!
There was a quick turnaround between races and it got away cleanly, but this time George didn’t have it all his own way with Carsington’s Joe Scurrah taking the win followed closely by George Colquitt and Edward Baker.
The fleet then had a well earned lunch: bowls of hot soup for those needing to warm up a bit and probably something more nutritious for the more athletic amongst us.
For the afternoon race, the Race Team set an inverted P course, I mean what could be better than two screaming reaches followed by a dead run in winds gusting mid 30knots? Add into that an even longer beat, oh joy…… and we got to have three laps of this epic.
Many entrants, having called upon the services of the ever present professional Safety RIBs, decided enough was enough the call of Wherry in the bar was too strong and elected to ease their kickers and retire to the bar. Meanwhile at the front George, Ed and Joe continued with trade punches with George winning, Ed 2nd, Joe 4th and Carys Attwell (Rutland) gatecrashing the party with 3rd.
The forth and final race saw only 15 entries, George with his two wins and a second had secured the Overall win but 2nd place was still to be finalised between Ed and Joe with the victor taking the 2nd step of the podium, this eventually turned out to be Ed.