Laser Sailing

Symes Wins ILCA (Laser) Legends Worlds, Clark Wins Grand Masters

Kurt Hoehne Laser Sailing, PNW sailors around the world 1 Comment
Symes Wins ILCA (Laser) Legends Worlds, Clark Wins Grand Masters
Bill Symes

As if PNW dinghy sailors didn’t know it already, Portland’s Bill Symes is a Laser sailing legend. And he just won the Legends class at the ILCA Master Worlds in Thailand.

For those of you unfamiliar with the ILCA Masters Worlds, it is a truly amazing gathering of older sailors still fit and ambitious enough to sail the seminal singlehander at the highest level. The age groups are Apprentice Master (35-44), Master (45-54), Grand Master (55-64), Great Grand Master (65-74) and, you guessed it, Legends (75+). And while the older sailors may not have the physical tools they once had, there’s an amazing amount of fitness on display and they are no less competitive than 18 year olds. They may, however, be a little nicer to each other on and off the water.

A start

This impressive annual gathering happens at carefully chosen locales around the world, with an eye toward keeping the ILCA (Laser) active worldwide. The locations are also chosen for good sailing conditions.

Results. Event web site.

Bill Symes has been at the top of the masters classes for decades. Last year he missed on a Legends win with a black flag in the first race on the last day.

Symes wasn’t the only PNW winner. Al Clark of Vancouver BC won the Grand Master title. Like Symes, Clark had his worst race in the first race on the last day, but managed to hold on to a two point lead for the series win.

I’d like to make a few observations. In the modern sailing culture of faster, faster, faster, anything less than foiling seems ho hum. I doubt any of the foiling folks had any more fun, or experienced any more intensity, than these masters going at the more sedate Laser pace. While there’s nothing wrong with pushing the envelope and foiling, the fun to be had on inexpensive dinghies should not be dismissed. Also, one might think that there would be only a handful of “old folks” with the fitness and will to do a 6-day Laser regatta. The Legends class had 20 participants, the Great Grand Master class had 32. Those are great racing fleets. Finally, half the Apprentice class, including the winner, were women.

I’m glad I kept my old Laser – er – ILCA.

2023 ILCA 6 Masters World Championship, RVYC / © Matias Capizzano

Al Clark and Bill Symes at ILCA 6 (Laser) Worlds

Kurt Hoehne Laser Sailing, PNW sailors around the world 0 Comment
Bill Symes heading into a leeward mark.

As I watched the resuilts come in from the ILCA 6 (Laser Radial rig) Worlds scores come in from Vallerta, I was certain that I’d be reporting overall wins for my friends Bill Symes in the Legends (75+ year old) class and Al Clark in the Grand Master class. Alas, a black flag DSQ in this morning’s first race and a third in the last race cost Symes the overall win. He had, after all, a nearly perfect scoreline. Clark had a tough final day as well, but finished off a hard fought victory. Congrats to both of them. Here’s the press release:

Vallarta, Mexico – Although Hurricane Blas threatened to steal the breeze, the wind gods prevailed on Banderas Bay for the final day of the ILCA 6 Masters World Championships. With the hurricane moving west, two more perfect races were completed under sunny skies and warm temperatures in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico. The 10–12 knot wind put the onus on boat speed and tactics for all the divisions. Downwind technique was also critical – those able to catch the waves most efficiently could make big gains on the fleet. 

The final day brought a shake-up in the Legends division, for sailors over the age of 75. American Bill Symes who was unstoppable throughout the week, was caught over early in the first race of the day allowing fellow American Chris Boome to take the win and move into a tie for first overall heading into the last race. In the final race, Boome managed to sneak ahead of Symes and clinch the championship by one point over Symes. 

Australia’s Jeff Loosemore added to his incredibly consistent event to win the Great Grand Masters division by a comfortable 25 points over former Olympic gold medalist, Miguel Noguer of Spain. 

Allan Clark of Canada closed out a hard-fought victory in the very competitive Grand Masters division, with the overall championship decided in just the final race. After a capsize on the first leg, Clark’s victory appeared in jeopardy, but Australian David Luketima’s fourth place in the final race was not enough to close the difference for the win. 

Great Britain’s sailors Ian Gregory and Jon Emmett closed out the championship in style, winning the Masters and Apprentice Masters divisions by comfortable margins. 

A thank-you goes out to the Vallarta Yacht Club and all the volunteers, staff, and event sponsors for an unforgettable week of sailing.

For full results, see here: sailwave.com/results/vyc/ILCA6Masters2022.htm

Symes Great Grand Master ILCA Champ

Kurt Hoehne Laser Sailing, PNW sailors around the world 0 Comment
ILCA full rigs starting

Bill Symes of Portlland, Oregon, once again claimed a championship at the world championships just completed in Barcelona, Spain. (ILCA is of course the class formerly known as the Laser, and there was an entertaining mix of Laser and ILCA logos in the sails!) Symes did it with 10 firsts and a third. He opted out of the last race, which gave fellow Oregonian Rob Hodson a chance to win the final race. Results here.

The ever humble Symes was interviewed early in the event, where he cited “a lot of good breaks” for some wins. Well, 10/11 firsts is a bit more than good breaks.

Other notable US finishers included “Legend” Peter Seidenberg, who again won the Legends class (aged 75+, Seidenberg is in his 80s), Robert Hallowell who won the ILCA 7 Grand Masters class, and Ernesto Rodriguez, who won the ILCA 7 Masters Class. For more information, and plenty of pictures of older ILCA sailors still sailing at a very high level, check out the web site.

Zzzap Go the ILCA North Americans

Kurt Hoehne Laser Sailing, Youth Sailing 0 Comment
Zzzap Go the ILCA North Americans

It doesn’t quite roll of the tongue like Laser North Americans, but the ILCA (née Laser) Class is coming out of Covid-cancelled activities with strength and numbers. In the PNW, the ILCA 7 (Standard rig) 6 (Radial) and 4 (4.7) fleets are being buoyed by a talented bunch of youngsters. One of them, Alex Zaputil, recently competed in the ILCA North Americans in San Francisco and has served up this report.

ILCA North Americans 2021

By Alex Zaputil
Alex working upwind.

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to compete in the 2021, ILCA (Laser) 4.7 North American Championships in July at St. Francis YC in San Francisco. There were many nations represented over the classes including: USA, Canada, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Mexico, BVI, St. Thomas, and Chile. I car-topped my Laser down arriving to a temperature of 60 degrees: a little bit cooler than I was expecting, but with warmer water than Seattle, I quickly acclimated. I was lucky to join the Alamitos Bay YC Race Team (and friends from Opti days) with coach Paul Didham, for training and the regatta. I learned many tricks and tips for sailing in big breeze! Most days the racing strategy was pretty similar: short tack up the sea wall as it was a 20+ knot westerly and a building flood tide. However, by the last day, an ebb began earlier on with a slightly lighter westerly (12- 15 knots) which mixed things up a bit. This was a 4-day regatta, but I had 2 training days before to get all tuned up and gather local knowledge- thank you also, Andrew Holdsworth! The courses were much longer than around here, as it was a championship regatta, so my months of fitness training paid off! As there were so many boats there were two alternating groups: one from about 11-2:30 and the other from 1:30-5:00. My best race in the regatta was a 5th, with a few times 2nd around the first weather mark. I was happy with my finish of 10th overall in a very competitive fleet. I found San Francisco to be the coolest place to sail ever with Alcatraz on one side of the course and the Golden Gate Bridge on the other: I hope to go back again soon!  

Thanks a bunch, Alex, for this report and heartfelt congratulations on the 10th/25! There were several other PNWers in the 75-boat 6s fleet, but apparently none in the 24-boat 7 fleet. Scuttlebutt ran a report on the event, and the results are here.

Can’t find a Laser logo in this start.

Seattle Freeze – er Frostbite – is IN

Kurt Hoehne Laser Sailing, Racing, Youth Sailing 0 Comment
Seattle Freeze – er Frostbite – is IN

Seattle singlehanded sailing is booming. The Frostbite series, run by the Seattle Laser Fleet, now dubbed the Seattle Dinghy Fleet as it’s split between Lasers and RS Aeros (plus a few Optis share the course), has short courses, competitor-led race committees and some great competition. The ascendency of the RS Fleet has attracted both new sailors and highly experienced sailors looking for a new challenge.

Lasers, in turn, have become the boat of choice for many younger sailors, with the Radial and 4.7 rigs enabling smaller sailors to compete. Parents often attend the races in RIBs and Whalers, and act as shore crew for their kids.

Four Frostbite days have already been sailed, the Most recent being this past Sunday when it was blowing 20+ at West Point off Shilshole Bay Marina. For the last two Frostbites, it’s safe everyone went home tired and satisfied after some challenging conditions. Here’s a recap of the December 6 event from none other than Hanne Weaver, who has competed, and won, at the top levels of the Laser fleet:

Another fantastic day sailing on the Puget Sound. I was able to participate in the 3rd Frostbite series race. I was impressed by the number of sailors who came out.  The wind came from ESE about 5-12 knots with some good current pushing us back. While racing I would ask myself two questions: do I hug the shore and get away from the current or go toward the middle and get better wind? What I found that worked best for me was just tacking when the wind shifted. I knew I wanted to finish on the top right of the windward mark because there was always a right shift. I made sure I have a plan for each race before it even starts. 

   By mixing up how we start keeps me on my toes. Since we got in the way of the shipping channel, the race community wanted to race us back down to the Meadow Point buoy. This meant a downwind start; the goal is to have clean air. I have worked on my down winds for many years. What I look at while I go down wind is the wave speed, angle and how close they are together. This helps me determine when to pump and carve. 

   Once down at Meadow Point buoy, another race course was set up. Great wind, great weather and great sailors, what more can you ask for. It was wonderful to see new faces and old ones too. I cannot wait to get back out on the water and race against you all again. 

Following are some of John Beaver’s photos. The rest are here.

  • Two 4.7s chasing a standard rig

This past Sunday, the big breezes kept some people off the water, and chased others home early, but it was certainly great sailing. There’s nothing quite like sailing a lightweight singlehander in big winds.

Mark Ross submitted the following report:

Our appreciation to volunteer race committee Giancarlo Nucci and Andrew Loe for running Frostbite #4 races on Sunday, January 3, 2021. They did a superb job of clicking off the races in difficult mark-setting conditions. Approximately 15 Aeros, 8 Lasers a handful of Optis participated. What a great way to start off the new year.

Fantastic winter sailing conditions with warm temperature (upper 40’s), wind shifty (predominantly from the S and SSE), and wind strength hovering in the mid to upper teens and puffing into the mid 20’s. There were some good waves for planing downwind and also a lot of chop. It looked to me like quite a few boats went upside down at one time or another. When sailing by the lee downwind the waves were rolling into the leeward side. My death roll was a result of getting hit simultaneously by a hard gust and a nice rolling wave. Looking at the pictures provided by Giancarlo Nucci and John Beaver you’ll see some  awesome dark threatening clouds and others with blue sky–I don’t remember seeing any blue sky but the pictures don’t lie! And no rain.

The following photos are from Giancarlo Nucci. The rest are here.

The Frigid Digit Regatta is coming up January 23/4 (Seattle Dinghy Fleet and Corinthian YC-Seattle) and there are Frostbite events February 7 and 28th and March 14. Check out seattlelaserfleet.org for more information. To register for Frigid Digit, please go here: https://cycseattle.org/event-3801728/Registration.

West Coast Sailing Offers Ovington ILCAs

Kurt Hoehne Laser Sailing, West Coast Sailing 3 Comments
West Coast Sailing Offers Ovington ILCAs

The ongoing Laser Performance vs the International Laser Class Association dust up seems to have taken a bit of a break during Covid 19. It’s probably not lost on the everybody that there’s (dare we say it) a growing demand for ILCA dinghies (think Laser) amid the pandemic. It’s certainly not lost on Sailish sponsor and all-around good guys and gals at West Coast Sailing. They’ve been hard at work securing parts and new boats. Their announcement, below, is definitely worth reading. Not only have they chosen the builder to work with carefully, they’re also working with other distributors to coordinate supply. Imagine, working together!

I’m hoping to get the inside scoop on what, if any, controversy remains between ILCA and Laser Performance. In the meantime, a container of new ILCA dinghies is coming to the Pacific Northwest. See West Coast Sailing’s press release, below. -KH

Ovington ILCA : A New Era of Winning Boats

West Coast Sailing Partners with Ovington Boats to Offer ILCA Dinghy & Spare Parts in North America

PORTLAND, Oregon – West Coast Sailing is pleased to announce a partnership with Ovington Boats to offer class approved ILCA dinghies. Ovington Boats, the UK based builder specializing in high performance sailboats, was approved by the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) and World Sailing in August 2020. A long time supporter of the class and its sailors, West Coast Sailing carefully considered all new builders and sought to find the best ILCAs available. This expansion of a decade-long relationship between the two companies will allow West Coast Sailing to offer race-ready boats, spare parts, and top tier support, while providing Ovington Boats with a leading partner for their North American distribution.

The ILCA landscape has evolved quickly in the past year with several new builders approved by the class. Chris Brown, West Coast Sailing President, is confident the Ovington ILCA will become the boat of choice for sailors looking for high quality spare parts, reliable support, and a strong track record of success. “Ovington has been building high performance and Olympic level dinghies for many years and has applied the same level of craftsmanship and attention to detail in how they build their ILCAs,” Brown said. “After careful analysis and a factory visit, working with Ovington was a clear choice for us.” Beyond building a top quality ILCA, Ovington Boats is backed by a great team and a commitment to ongoing support. This is a key part of the equation every sailor should consider given issues with previous builders. Ovington staff members have an average of 20 years of boat building experience, and Chris Turner has been a stable hand at the helm of the business for the last 15 years. Robust warranty and support systems give dealers the latitude to solve problems and keep sailors on the water so they can focus on what they do and enjoy best. Ovington is committed to success from start to finish.

Looks familiar, doesn’t it?
Apparently Ovington ILCA boats roll tack and gybe just fine.

“This is an organized, experienced team that is used to being held to the highest standards of Olympic sailors who demand the absolute best,” Brown continued. “We have chosen to work with Ovington because we believe all sailors should expect the same.” The first container Ovington ILCA dinghies will arrive at West Coast Sailing the last week of December. Sailors can place a preorder deposit now to reserve a boat, with shipping available across the country starting in early January. A full range of Ovington ILCA sails, spars, blades, and upgrades are available for immediate purchase via the West Coast Sailing ecommerce website. Zim Sailing of Bristol, Rhode Island and Vela Sailing Supply of Dallas, Texas will join West Coast Sailing to collaborate on regional distribution. Through all the changes with the class and availability of boats and parts, the team at West Coast Sailing remains committed to helping sailors get out on the water and is looking forward to this new era for ILCA sailing. Additional information about West Coast Sailing, Ovington Boats, and the ILCA dinghy, including boat package details and a full list of spare parts, can be found via the link below.

https://westcoastsailing.net/ILCA 

Youth Resurgence at Turkey Bowl

Kurt Hoehne 505 Dinghy, Corona Virus Break, Dinghy Racing, Laser Sailing, Racing, Youth Sailing 0 Comment

There are few, if any, more Covid-friendly, appropriately socially distant activities than dinghy racing. Especially for kids desperate for some kind of sporting activity. That reality, and the Seattle Laser (and RS Aero!) fleets’ ongoing organizational efforts, helped make CYC-Seattle’s Turkey Bowl a big and successful event last weekend. Even with cancellation of Sunday’s racing because of too much wind, the event was a tremendous success. While there are a lot question marks regarding upcoming social events and regattas over the coming months, one thing is certain: The Seattle singlehanded scene has provided great sailing throughout this troubling year and is well set up to do so moving into the future. Seattle’s RS Aero fleet continues to thrive and attract the very best talent, while the Seattle Laser Fleets – 4.7, Radial and Standard rigs – have become the place of choice for youth you develop their skills while having a great time, and a haven for some of us oldsters.

There were other fleets as well. Seven brave Opti sailors were on the course, four 505s and a lone Vanguard 15.

More than 20 RS Aeros turned up, and Dalton Bergan dominated with two firsts, a second and third. In the biggest Laser fleet, Hannah Weaver made a triumphant appearance winning in the Radials. There are excellent pictures from Jan Anderson (above) and John Beaver.

RESULTS

I put out the call for input about the youth fleet, and immediately got this back from Alex Zaputil, skipper of Zap, the winner of the Laser 4.7 class:

Turkey Bowl , as you know, was a one-day event. It was great to have a 10-boat fleet- the largest so far this year. Despite the forecast for Saturday, it turned out to be a generally lighter day. The first two races were a southerly of 12-15 and pretty puffy. On the first race, the fleet bunched up at the committee boat so much that I found it faster to start at the pin with speed, port tack the fleet and tack back to consolidate.  Tacking back to starboard fairly quickly was important, as the chop early in the day on port tack was not very fast! Hiking hard upwind was key. As the wind lightened for the last two races, the fleet became closer and going to the middle/right upwind paid off. — Alex Zaputil

And the following report came from Mark Ross:

Singlehanded fleets competing included RS Aeros (21 competitors), Laser Standard (5), Laser Radial (11), Laser 4.7 (9) and Opti (7).  Double handed fleets included 505’s (4 boats), FJs (4) and Vanguards (2).

One of the Aero sailors described the sailing as follows: On Saturday four races were sailed with a mix of wind conditions. The first two races were medium breeze and the last race was light. The wind and current were going opposite directions throughout the day, so keeping the bow above the chop and the boat dry was important. The pin end of the start line was being pushed up the course with the current resulting in several general recalls in the very aggressive Aero fleet, and the RC worked hard to keep the line square. The pin end of the start line was still generally favored. There were shifts on both sides of the course with longer lasting left shifts. You could go left or right up the windward leg as long as you maximized the time on the lifts and covered the fleet when there was an opportunity to do so. On the downwind legs it was important to have a good visual on the mark and it usually worked to sail close to the rhumb line while taking into account a few degrees of offset for the current.

Unfortunately on Sunday morning racing was postponed and competitors remained on shore as the wind was consistently blowing around 30. Shortly after noon the race committee canceled racing entirely for the day as the wind remained strong and there was no expectation that it would drop.  Thus the finishes on Saturday resulted in the following regatta winners….Dalton Bergan (RS Aero), Owen Timms (Laser Standard), Hanne Weaver (Laser Radial), Alex Zaputil (Laser 4.7), Barrett Milne (Optimist).

Thanks to CYC for putting on a great regatta.

–Mark Ross

The next frostbite is scheduled for December 6. Register here and dress warmly.

Not so Frosty Frostbite

Kurt Hoehne Laser Sailing, Racing, Youth Sailing 0 Comment
Not so Frosty Frostbite

The Seattle Laser and RS Aero fleets were the first local groups to counter Covid with the “It’s not really a race but we’re out there” kind of racing events that became the norm in this very strange year. It turns out that singlehanded sailing is one of the, or possibly the, most socially distanced sport one can do in a pandemic. So now that fall is here and with renewed interest in singlehanded sailing the Seattle Laser Fleet/RS Aeros are enjoying even greater participation in their already successful Frostbite series.

  • Laser 4.7s
  • RS Aeros at the start
  • Laser 4.7s
  • Laser 4.7s

This past Sunday, 36 sailors (19 RS Aeros and 17 Lasers of various rigs) enjoyed perhaps the ideal “frostbite” conditions. 5-12 knot northerly winds, balmy temperatures and bright sunshine gave racers a beautiful day of sailing. A handful of Optis joined the fun. The winds dropped during the day, but never enough akento diminish the racing. The race committee provided ample racing, and stood by for the occasional capsize. Coach Cam was on hand in the SYC Whaler.

There are no results to post, because none were recorded. A quick glance at the Aero fleet made it clear that it’s competitive enough that the same sailors were not always at the front, and in fact some excellent ones found themselves “back in fleet” on more than one occasion. In the Laser fleet, the disparity between the Standard, Radial and 4.7 rigs became more pronounced as the day wore on and the winds lightened. Generally speaking, going right after the start toward Golden Gardens seemed to be the right tactic. Occasionally, holding off from hitting the beach seemed to work. There were waves to be worked, and some real gains could be made carving turns on the runs.

Perhaps the biggest news was the prevalence of young sailors in the Laser fleet. There were healthy numbers of 4.7 and Radial rigs and in fact there were only a couple of Standard rigs. Young faces were everywhere, having fun and enjoying the outdoors and fellowship at the same time.

In the end, everyone was a winner on what may be the best sailing day of the year of really good singlehanded sailing. The next Frostbite is December 6, but before then the CYC Turkey Bowl on November 14-15 should be a great event. Check out seattlelaserfleet.org for more information. Frostbite registration is here.

Gorge Sailing, Pandemic Notwithstanding

Kurt Hoehne Columbia River Gorge, Dinghy Racing, Laser Sailing 0 Comment
Gorge Sailing, Pandemic Notwithstanding

We don’t have regatta reports from the dinghy racing on the Columbia River Gorge this year, but once again the Gorge delivered and we have pictures to prove it.

Here are some photos from the Columbia River Gorge One Design Regatta (CGOD) and the RS Aero Pacific Coast Championships. Check out the sites for results.

CGOD was notable for three Laser fleets (4.7, Radial and Standard, with the Standard fleet the smallest!) and the prevalence of youth in that class. The 15-boat Tasar fleet shows that class is healthy and a great two-person boat for the Gorge! The RS Aero PCCs were a veritable who’s who of Northwest Washington sailing. It’s worth noting that many of the names (Dalton Bergan, Jay Renehan) could be found on the leader boards of both regattas.

Dinghy sailing has been one of the sports that can remain active throughout the pandemic. It’s great to see sailors out there making it happen.

CGODs and Aero PCCs

Dinghy Racing is ON

Kurt Hoehne Corona Virus Break, Laser Sailing 0 Comment
Dinghy Racing is ON

In a bit of a throwback to days gone by of racing, the singlehanded dinghy sailors came out in force on Thursday off Shilshole in Seattle. Yes, Virginia, there IS racing while simultaneously social distancing. The Seattle Laser Fleet – which includes the RS Aeros in town, dotted the water on a perfect, sunny May evening. There were very good fleets of both boats with about 30 boats dotting the Sound.

Photos courtesy of Doug Frazer and John Beaver who between them had 4 kids on the Laser course! The fleet was split about evenly between RS Aeros and Lasers (Radial and Standard rigs combined).

The Aero sailors have been at it for a while this spring, meeting multiple times a week and working on their speed and technique. The World Championship, after all, had been scheduled to run this summer on the Columbia River Gorge. This fleet boasts some of the region’s best sailors and is likely the strongest Aero fleet in the US. So it’s no surprise they’re out there.

The Laser fleet, however, has not been as active. That all changed Thursday night when 14 Lasers, about evenly split between Radial and Standard rigs, were out. About half of the fleet were junior sailors which bodes well, not just for Laser sailing, but sailing in general. Fleet captain Mark Ross had worked with Corinthian Yacht Club to have one person in a Whaler on hand to set the course and run starts.

Five races were run with the boats returning in the fading light and a building northerly. Only smiles were seen on the sailors’ faces.

For more information on RS Aero and Laser sailing, visit seattlelaserfleet.org.