We’ve all seen the handwringing. We’ve all heard the pontificating. I’m one of those. We’ve all read the varying opinions as to why participation in sailing and racing is struggling.
ILCA Worlds Start. Plenty of countries represented in a still vibrant class.
“Big-boat” fleets are shrinking. Dinghy fleets are often on life support or only come together for Nationals, Worlds or Regionals. The US Sailing Championships do not have the prestige they used to. It’s great to see kids out there, but it seems they’re generally not carrying the love for racing into adulthood. Maybe they are, they just can’t afford the time or money.
What we haven’t heard or seen that much of are fully successful solutions. One might just have arrived with Starting Line Sailing (SLS) venturing into new ground as a builder of ILCA dinghies (yes, Lasers to many of us) and Hobie Cat. Two of the most successful boats at introducing sailing to the masses will now be produced by one of the most dynamic sailing groups around.
The solutions to a diminished sailing have been in the works for decades; community sailing programs scattered throughout the country, US Sailing endorsed education programs, editorialists in print and online proposing all kinds of solutions, one-design fleets such as Lightings making boats available to up-and-comers. All of these efforts have had some effect and should be applauded. None have had THE effect.
The key may be found in manufacturing and distribution. Enter Starting Line Sailing. SLS has a simple mission: “The goal is simple – grow sailing by keeping it accessible and fun.” The company isn’t exactly new. The driving force is George Yioulos, whose West Coast Sailing became a major force in small boat sailing over the last 18 years. In 2021 SLS was formed and acquired Zim Sailing and Dwyer Rigging and Masts. (Disclaimer – West Coast Sailing has been a sponsor of Sailish, but I’d write this piece anyway.)
George Yioulos
Yioulos is a whirlwind of energy. From the start, West Coast Sailing (WCS) was all about taking care of customers. Finding Lasers and parts for them when there were none. There was a WCS gear truck on site at big regattas so sailors could buy those last-minute fittings and clothing. Boat lines like Hobie and RS Sailing were added. WCS sponsored regattas and some of the more notable sailors.
An online storefront was very successful and expanded WCS’s reach internationally.
Then Yioulos “retired” and passed the reins to the team he built. But the Whirlwind couldn’t stay out of it long, especially when his deep convictions about making sailing accessible were calling.
The latest move is even bigger – taking on the manufacture and distribution of Hobie Cats and Lasers, the definitive “get people sailing” boats. This makes perfect sense. It’s no secret that there’s a bigger market, and profit, for Hobie products such as rotomolded kayaks and sunglasses. Why not bring in a sailing-focused supplier for the boats themselves? Things are happening fast. Hobie Wave and Getaway tools were moved to a new rotomolder in the US. Production to start in Februrary. Hobie 16 molds have arrived in Rhode Island at Zim Sailing. Production to start in late January.
Manufacturing sailboats is hardly a financial sure thing. In fact, the demise of sailboat manufacturers throughout North America is somewhat staggering. “It just might bankrupt the company, but I truly believe that it’s what sailing needs,” explains Yioulos.
Yioulos cites Vanguard Sailboats as an example of a successful small boat manufacturer. “This will be like creating Vanguard Sailboats 2.0,” he says.
The Hobie 16.
From my standpoint, the real potential of these new Hobie and ILCA arrangements (and any future ones Yioulos stirs up) stems from Yioulos’ experience as dealer. Yioulos knows firsthand what works in the Booties on the Ground world. Dealers need to be able to have a solid pipeline for parts, and if they’re in a small market, they can’t be expected to buy truckloads of product. There are many ways to get boats efficiently and cost-effectively into the hands of customers and Yioulos has the hands-on experience to draw on.
Dealers need high quality boats that don’t need to be fixed at the dealership before going to customers. Too often new boats have “issues” that are expensive distractions for the dealer and cause for a lot of customer distress.
Even more importantly, knowing Yioulos’ focus on supporting sailing on a very local level, it’s not hard to imagine sailing communities becoming excited about getting on the water. “The community aspect is vital,” Yioulos says, and he means it. We know that soon after two boats are on the water, it’s likely there will be a race, followed shortly by a regatta.
From my standpoint, it’s great to see this kind of energy coming into the manufacturing corner of the sailing world. It’s easy to get jaded and cynical about sailing and racing’s future. This is a breath of fresh air, and just maybe a whirlwind of fresh air.
A bland marine industry news press release this is not. Yioulos isn’t the kind of guy to wring his hands. He’s the roll up your sleeves type.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
For some Northwest sailors, it’s time to get the skis and boards in for a tuneup and make sure last year’s skiing gear still fits. For Laser and RS Aero sailors in Seattle, it’s just beginning.
Well, not exactly, since we’ve been sailing all year. But it IS the start of the fall and winter frostbiting season. Last Sunday was the first event of the year, with 17 Aeros, 5 Lasers and even three intrepid Optimist sailors. The conditions weren’t great, with a dying northerly. However, it wasn’t cold and with the fleet tucked in close to Meadow Point, approximately 6 races were sailed. Afterward, most of the racers gathered in the Corithian YC clubhouse and enjoyed a simple, but ample feast.
The Seattle Laser Fleet follows a successful formula of short races in quick succession, with a race committee of fellow Laser and Aero sailors and borrowing small powerboat from one of its members for race committee work and safety. Racing is always followed by a social and eating time, with the food provided by one of the fleet volunteers. It’s low key, and results are not recorded. National and Olympic champions dot the fleet and the wide ranging conversations afterward circle back often to what makes these little boats sail their best.
The RS Aero fleet continues to grow dramatically and the Laser fleet is planning for it’s District Champs, which should draw a number of sailors from all over the Northwest to the CYC Turkey Bowl.
Sunday’s was the first of six events. Loaner boats are available on a first come, first served basis. Visit the SLF website for details.. To register for frostbiting, follow this link.
If your fleet has frostbiting planned, share the info here (email me). There’s room for sailing and snow sports around here!
To provide a little flavor, here’s the post race reports provided by the Seattle Laser Fleet captain Mark Ross and the race committee Mike Johnson.
Mark Ross:
A very good start to the 2018-2019 Frostbite season as 17 RS Aeros, 5 Lasers and a 3 Optis hit the water for a noon-time start.
Races began in a light fog, slowly turning to sunny skies and light but very sailable wind. To many of us the tricky current and a big flood was challenging and frustrating but by and large the boats stayed fairly close together, keeping the sailing competitive from start to finish. A perfect starting line made for great practice as boats were gunnel to gunnel with no space to spare, then splitting to opposite sides of the course and vying for room at the marks. Thanks to Race Committee volunteers Jacques Garrigues, Mike Johnson and Naomi Medley for setting a great course, and in-keeping with frostbite style we completed five or six solid races, each about 20 minutes long before the wind died off, finishing the day a little early but still rewarding. Thanks Mike for the pictures. Keep an eye out for the sailish.com blog with a more detailed review of the sailing.
Almost everyone hung out after racing for an excellent meal put together by food & beverage volunteer Glen Wisegarver. Choice of chili or vegetarian soup, salad and pumpkin pie were plentiful and of course well received. And good conversation ensued as we got to know a bunch of participants new to the program this year and catch up with those we hadn’t seen much of since last season.
Frostbite #2 is on November 11, 2018:
Volunteers for RC and for Food & Beverage are needed.
The RC Driver will be Doug Stumberger. We need a second volunteer to be RC Assist with Doug.
We need someone to volunteer for Food & Beverage.
Volunteer here. Or directly contact Jacques Garrigues (RC Coordinator) and Glenn Wisegarver (F&B Coordinator) if you’re unsure of what to do as they know how to make it simple.
If you cannot volunteer for Frostbite #2 please go to this link and sign-up for a subsequent frostbite event.
To participate in a Frostbite Event register on-line here.If you are unable to register on-line bring cash or check.
Fee options:
(1) All 6 race days for one low price of $70
(2) Single race day fees are $20
(3) Students thru college fees $5 per race day.
Note: Seattle Laser Fleet membership is NOT required in order to participate. Drop-ins are welcome
Mike Johnson:
Starting lines were all very close with absolutely no sag in the middle and no second row. It was almost as through we were starting in an ebb. Boats were evenly distributed down the line, so we did not see a need to adjust the angle. We did lengthen the line after R2 due to a perception that things were a little too tight. The massive flood was tricky with the weather mark set in 40 ft of water just off Meadow Point requiring sailing around the shifting back eddy.
I did not get to watch the upwind legs much due to starting the Opti’s in sequence. We watched downwind and did not see one side pay predictably. There always seemed to be a big East-West split. Downwind it seemed conventional wisdom was to head West to ride the flood, but several times more wind made East pay. Feedback from the fleet was welcomed and most feedback was to keep racing till about 3. We were planning on running two more races to finish up the day, however the wind altered that decision for us and we shortened the last race.
Our target was 15 to 20 minute races and for the most part that is what we got. In most races the first boat was to the weather mark in 6 to 8 minutes. For the benefit of future RC teams, it would be good to get a consensus from the fleets if this is ok.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
Judging by the photos and reports coming in, the Pumpkin Bowl was much more about the kids and adults having a glorious good time than nail biting racing. A quick scan of the numbers tell a nearly 1-1 ratio of young competitors to adult supporters (volunteers, coaches) We at Sailish.com got to play a minor role with Bruce drumming up a pre-regatta weather report. The title sponsors were Harken and Pro-Tech Yacht Services.
Basically, it was the kind of youth regatta that can act as a template for the growing youth scene here in the PNW. To use that well worn phrase from Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come.” Yes, it’s a lot of work. But if you want your kids with spray in their faces instead of screens, this is the best way to do it.
On the racing side, the unstoppable Dieter Creitz from Seattle won the 55-boat Opti fleet with four out of six race wins. Maura Dewey won the 35-boat Laser Radial fleet winning five of seven races. There were also two 420 fleets, a 29er fleet, Laser 4.7s and and RS Feva fleet. Laser District 6 held its District Champs which allowed a few adults to sneak on the course. Results.
We have two reports, first from Opti Mom Jill Avery and then from the Mount Baker Rowing & Sailing Center (Seattle) coach Kaitlyn van Nostrand. Photos from various sources including Alyson Sydor and Doug Wardrop.
The Pumpkin Bowl Regatta held at the West Vancouver Yacht Club this past weekend is the largest on the BC Sailing circuit. The club hosted 165 boats, and over 200 competitors aged 7-20 from 2 provinces and 2 states. 54 dinghy and double-handed races were run on 4 courses in Howe Sound and boat classes included Optis, Lasers, Radials, 4.7’s, 420s, 29ers and Fevas. The Regatta was made possible by the dedication of over 130 volunteers (of which over 80 were on the water) and RCM/SAR 1 out of Horseshoe Bay watched over the action all weekend long. Much fun was had as witches handed out candy and painted faces of the youngest sailors, prizes were awarded and the athletes rigged their boats while getting inspired by a dedicated regatta playlist developed by West Vancouver’s own North Shore Sailing Team. –Jill Avery
Click a photo to enlarge.
Pumpkin Bowl was our first regatta as a team in Canada and my first time coaching an event in BC. I was left nothing short of inspired. Arriving late on Friday night, we unloaded an Opti in one of the neatly set up rows and dropped off our coach boat at the neighboring Thunderbird Marina. Saturday morning, we were welcomed with open arms by regatta volunteers and beautiful sunny weather. WVYC runs the regatta like a well oiled machine! A information table, volunteers at the hoist, a packet for coaches. This year we brought three Opti sailors, who had two exceptional days of sailing by a professional race committee and mark set boats that worked so hard in the conditions. This event is larger than any youth regatta in Seattle! We had an amazing experience and can’t wait to bring more sailors back next year. Thank you to WVYC! –Kaitlyn van Nostrand
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
It could be something in the air. Or water. Whatever it is, PNW women sailors rock! Of course the Sail Like A Girl gang pedaled (and sailed) their way to victory in the R2AK. But there’s another woman that deserves the spotlight as well, Hanne Weaver. Weaver won the US Singlehanded Women’s Championship sailed at the beginning of the month on Galveston Bay, sailed in Laser Radials.
I caught up with Weaver after the event as she was in Long Beach preparing for the Laser North Americans. Here’s her report:
The conditions were hot and humid. It was always light in the morning until the sea breeze came then it was about 10-15. The last day we didn’t sail due to lack of wind. My key to victory was keeping a consistent score. Having a good start and always the first beat getting to the top mark in the top 10. It’s always friendly competition when competing with someone you’ve sailed with a lot. But when you are on the water there are no friends.
I am going to keep sailing my Radial. I love it so much. I’m doing the Olympic campaign and right now in Long Beach for NA’s. Then I am going to Worlds and maybe Japan for future events.
My life is pretty much sail, gym, travel. Enjoying every minute of it. I couldn’t ask for a better life! Sadly I’m not as home as I was last year but still training out of Gig Harbor and Seattle when I can.
Here’s US Sailing’s report:
U.S. Singlehanded Women’s Championship:
For the second straight year, Weaver proved to be the top eligible Laser Radial sailor in the U.S. Singlehanded Women’s Championship competition. She won by a single point over Lillian Myers (Sarasota, Fla.). Kelly Cole (Charleston, S.C.) took home third place honors over nine races. Weaver and Myers changed leads multiple times throughout the Championship. Ten of the 80 sailors in the Laser Radial event were eligible for this title. Weaver placed seventh overall in the Laser Radial Class Nationals which was won by Ricky Welch (Long Beach, Miss.).
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
Owen Timms of Seattle has been steadily moving up through the Laser ranks and finished a very impressive second in Laser Midwinters West in Santa Barbara last weekend. He also graciously provided his impressions from the regatta. Here they are:
What a great weekend of sailing in Santa Barbara for the Northwest Laser sailors! The majority of us showed up on Thursday, in driving rain and dark clouds, but the forecast showed great weather on the way for the weekend. Friday was light to moderate, with the wind slowly building. Ending the day with a third, I was sitting in second place. Saturday was supposed to be more breeze, but the first race was sailed in under five knots. Then it turned on, and boy did it turn on!! 6 foot swell with breaking waves and 20+ knots of breeze is no joke. I think the biggest takeaway for everyone on Saturday was fitness is key, and dressing warmly (even while in sunny Southern California) is even more important. I got in on Saturday with numb feet, and shaking from the cold and I know everyone felt the same. On Saturday I scored a 3, drop of 13th, and a 4 to end the day. I was still in second place, and with the first place boat (Ed. note: Isabella Bertold) not sailing on Sunday, it was anyone’s regatta to take. Sunday was forecast to be about the same, with just a little bit less breeze. My goal was to stay consistent, play it pretty conservative and keep top three overall for the regatta. In the first two races of the day I managed a 3 and a 4, just what I wanted. After the second race, the wind switched about 110 degrees, blowing directly off the land. The Race Committee hustled, and we got the last start in with just minutes to spare. I never have sailed in a sea-state like that, swell pushing you upwind, wind chop against you. Steering through swell on the downwind is definitely an experience! Getting a tenth in that race, it secured my second place finish, with my buddy Marcus Huttunen from San Diego taking the win.
Of course Timms wasn’t the only Northwest Laser sailor to attend. I count 13 Radials from the Pacific Northwest and at least three more in the standard rigs. There was a significant Northwest presence. Victoria’s Isabella Bertold had a dominating performance of 5,1,1,9,2,2 to start with, sailing knowing she’d miss the last day’s racing because of work commitments. “All good though,” she said. “because it was just a tune-up for the Europeans in May.”
And, lucky fans get to live vicariously through photography. Here are some from Sharon Green that should get a few people to pull their Laser out from the back of the garage and get out racing! To see the rest of her shots, click here. (It’s worth it!) For the shots in the gallery below, click to enlarge. Also check out the great photography by Tom Walker by clicking on either of his photo credits.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
Laser Radials lining up for a start on Saturday. Matt Wood photo.
Corinthian YC’s Turkey Bowl doesn’t always attract the biggest fleets (something about sailing in November), but last weekend, thanks to the efforts of kids, coaches and parents, it was a remarkably well attended regatta. Nearly 60 boats were entered including 505s, Vanguard 15s, RS Aeros, Lasers, Laser Radials and Optimists.
Mats Elf won the closely contested 505 class, while Dieter Creitz won the Optis with straight bullets and Nate Walgren won the 4-boat Vanguard 15 fleet.
Lasers setting up for a start Sunday.
The singlehanded fleets each had a strong showing with 14 Aeros, 9 Laser standard rigs and 13 Laser Radials. Dan Falk, winner in the Aero class, “couldn’t remember having that much fun” as the last heavy air duel against Carl Buchan. They finished a foot apart, with the nod going to Buchan. Oregon’s Doug Seeman made his trip worthwhile, winning the Laser standard rig on the strength of a dominating performance on the light air first day. In the Radial class, it was Owen Timm taking the win over Abbie Carlson and Kit Stohl. The Radial class is really coming into its own and is a great place for younger and smaller sailors to compete at a high level
One of the groups of young sailors came from the Mount Baker Rowing and Sailing Center, a City of Seattle racing program based on Lake Washington and now headed up by Kaitlyn Van Nostrand. It would be great to have a city-based program turning up at regattas! Here’s Kaitlyn’s report from the weekend:
Mt. Baker Youth Sailing Team culminated its first fall practice series by attending CYC’s annual Turkey Bowl with 4 lasers and 2 Opti’s. Three of our novice sailors had never raced on the Sound before and for one of our Opti sailors, it was her breakout regatta! They were tough kids, considering most juniors start and stop when the weather is warm and dry.
With some nervous laughs, the junior sailors joined the 505’s, RS Aero’s, Lasers, Radials and Optis for 6 great races on Saturday. Our team learned about the current, being scared then excited about the waves, swell and lots of ah ha moments when we talked about how the current would affect the mark rounds, and connecting the theory to practice when the current did just that. For two of our Radial sailors, their goal was to finish the races. Finish they did and by the end of the day, the race committee was cheering them on as they crossed the line! For the other two second year Laser sailors, it was to see their great improvement that all the sailing they did this fall paid off. As they were able to finish closer to the fleet of great year around juniors sailors from SYC’s race team! Our Opti sailors learned how to stay out of the way of 505’s screaming past and got a few helloss from our laser master’s friends! After over 5 hours on the water and some warm chili, our sailors were falling asleep at the Clubhouse. Needless to say, they had a good night sleep!
The forecast was wild for Sunday, but we did manage to get two great races off in the funny west/south west direction. Then the real fun began, the swells started getting larger before the big gusts came just as the second laser race was finishing. Race committee abandoned racing for the junior classes and the parade of laser radials and opti’s made their way back to the docks. It was a wild ride in huge gusts and big swell for our lake sailors! They were pleased enough to be done early after the long day Saturday. We washed our boats, packed up and headed back to Mt. Baker. Lots of smiles, lots of excellent experience gained and excited to start up again in the Spring.
If any Junior Sailors are interested in joining our youth sailing team at Mt. Baker, we will be starting Laser and Opti practice again on the weekends in April 2018. Sailors must know how to sail, but do not need racing experience. All our boats are owned by Mt. Baker Rowing & Sailing Center and we have scholarships available. We practice April to November! Email Coach Kaitlyn at mtbakersailingteam@gmail.com to find out more.
Thanks, Kaitlyn, and I’ll second her call for more sailors. Whether it’s Mount Baker, Sail Sandpoint, CYC, SYC, high schoolers or any of the other great junior programs around, competitive sailing is definitely on the upswing in the Northwest. There are plenty of great coaches, parents and other sailors to help and keep things safe.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
The UW Sailing team sent singlehanders Erik Skeel and Laura Smit to Nationals in Florida. They’ll bring back some hard-earned experience to this very fun, very active team. Go Dawgs! Here’s Erik Skeel’s report:
Laura Smit and Erik Skeel
Each year in September, college sailors from Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia compete in Lasers to qualify for college sailing singlehanded nationals. This year the qualifying regatta was held at Shilshole. After one day of good racing Laura Smit from University of Washington was leading the woman’s fleet in radials, and I held first place in the men’s fleet in the full rig by just one point. In typical Northwest fashion the second day of the regatta refused to have enough wind to race. The Radial Fleet didn’t get off any races so Laura earned the woman’s berth to nationals. One race was completed in the men’s fleet, but it bumped me to second, leaving University of British Columbia in first. UBC decided not to go to nationals despite earning the berth, so I found myself booking plane tickets to Florida for nationals.
Singlehanded Nationals was held the first weekend of November, so as Seattle was getting covered in snow, Laura and I were flying to sunny Florida. Laser Performance outfitted all 18 sailors in each fleet with brand new Laser hulls, spars, rigging, and Mark II sails for the full rigs. To the other sailors from schools such as Stanford, Yale, and College of Charleston, this probably was not far from what they usually raced with, but I was blown away; I’d never even sailed with a Mark II sail. It quickly became clear that I was one of the only sailors without a paid varsity coach and I think I was the only sailor in the men’s fleet without a coach present who could offer support and advice on the water. The atmosphere was a stark contrast to the college sailing I was used to in the Pacific Northwest, but I tried not to let that discourage me.
Report time was 9:00am on Saturday, but everyone was already rigged by then and soon after began launching for a 10:00am start. The wind was a solid 5-8 knots in the morning until it dropped around 2:00. Racing was tough, but I had expected that as I was competing against the best college sailors in the nation. After all, among those in the regatta was 2016 Olympian Stefano Peschiera and others who will probably campaign for the Olympics. Due to the lack of wind in the previous afternoon, the first warning on Sunday was 9:00am. The wind, though slightly weaker than the previous morning, was shiftier, making for more variable scores among the competitors. With one day of racing under my belt, I had a better idea of how to approach such a competitive start and how to fight for clear air while still playing the shifts and sailing a strategic path. There was no room for error with such a talented fleet. If I ever missed a shift, took a risk that didn’t pay, or lost too much speed on a maneuver, I’d find myself suddenly fighting not to get last. Despite the incredible competition from sailors who had much better training and resources than me, when I sailed my best I was able to hang with the best sailors. On Sunday I had a couple races where I rounded the first mark in the top five. It was an honor to represent the Northwest college district at nationals. Men’s Results. Women’s Results.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
There may be nothing as worthwhile as messing about in boats, unless it’s specifically racing the Laser Master Worlds. For the 300+ “mature” (35 years old +) sailors, it’s a chance to enjoy sailboat racing in one of its purest forms, against an international crowd who are as interested in having an enjoyable regatta as winning it. It’s a long, tough regatta for a sailor of any age and the quality of racing is quite extraordinary.
Pacific Northwest Lasers outdid themselves this year in Split, Croatia. Bill Symes (Portland) won the Great Grand Master Radial, Al Clark (Vancouver) in the Grand Master Standard Rigand Deirdre Webster (Portland) in the Women’s 75+ all won their divisions. But more than victory on the water, the event and venue were by all reports tremendous. Bill and Al both sent in reports, and we’re lucky to have them. Reading Coach Al’s piece really gives an insight into the racing aspect end of things, especially the psychology, within the lead group.
Championships aside, Greg Jackson, who raced in the Great Grandmaster full rig division, had every bit as much fun if he was “making the top half of the fleet possible.” See a little video below.
These photos by Duje Petric were all lifted from the event’s Facebook site. To scroll through all those excellent photo galleries is to see a lot of fit “mature” sailors having a lot of fun with one of the world’s simplest, yet most challenging, boats. Click on any photo to enlarge.
Bill Symes
The Split scene
Split
Split
Waiting for a start is the same everywhere.
Lots of boats on the line.
Yes, the confounded boat does capsize.
Righting the boat is good exercise at any age
Check out all the nationalities represented in these sail numbers.
Bill atop the podium
Al atop the podium
Deirdre atop the podium
Don’t know who this kid is, except a future Laser sailor with stops in the 4.7 and Radial classes.
Report from Al Clark
2017 has been busy for me with my full time position at Royal Vancouver YC as their head coach. Duties included coaching our Laser/Radial high school aged sailors. Also I coached 29’ers at their Midwinters in March and Worlds in August. I particularly enjoyed these high level events with some very talented sailors. I love to learn about new boats and get all the pieces together to help them go fast the right way.
The third component has been coaching some of our Race Team alumni, Kyle Martin in his Finn (Miami OCR and Sailing World Cup Final) and Isabella Bertold (Delta Lloyd and Worlds in Holland) .
I watched and competed in about 17 regattas, 8 major events in 2017. So I would say I saw plenty of high level sailing and have come up with ideas over the years how to get to the front of the fleet.
My training for this year’s Worlds (Vacation time for me with my wife Sharon ) was very minimal. I wasn’t sure I had the mental energy to attend but signed up believing that when the time came I would be excited to race.
I did sail a local regatta in early July in Radials and then sailed the US Nationals in Lake Tahoe later that month. I kept in decent shape at my Crossfit gym and riding my bike .
On water training prior to to worlds was a few days in early September, and then it was on the plane to Croatia with the idea of sailing at the site. I had chartered a private boat and was able to start practicing Sunday September 17th, so with the practice race on the Saturday the 23rd, I had the week to work up to race trim.
I bought a carbon top section and had a new sail, and added my own hiking strap and compass (I use the compass quite a bit these days) . Generally I was quite happy with the boat (I really like the new boats from LP) and the gear by the end of the week.
I have marks for my vang, outhaul and cunningham. I find that when I feel the boat is fast with certain adjustments I make a note of it and try to keep that in mind. An example is I had 2 distinct marks on my vang for puffs and lulls in the 6-10 its we sailed a lot in. My outhaul marks are for upwind, a 1-5 scale on my deck.
The practice race (I sailed one lap) went well and I had decided to start near the favoured end then go on the first shift. Andy Roy was first off the pin then tacked , Peter Vessella was fast off the boat and I trailed both of them at the weather mark. I was in about 6th by the end of the run . Generally happy with my execution. The breeze was about 6 knots .
One of the factors for this event became clear after the practice race . The sail out to the race course was going to be about an hour and a half each day with at least an hour sail in . The wind didn’t happen till about noon each day (if it happened at all) so we were going to have long days on the water with lots of waiting . As a coach I am used to this .
The silver lining for me is that all the sailing out then in gave me plenty of time in the boat and I know that as I get the “feel” back I can be very quick in moderate wind in the Standard rig.
I was training whenever I wasn’t racing . Also entering the harbour each day there was no wind so I had a chance to work on roll tacks and gybes.
The first two days of the regatta (Sunday and Monday) we had no wind so there was a lot of catching up with old friends . Monday was cancelled early so after chatting with some of the guys I was walking home and noticed there wad a late afternoon breeze so I went sailing for a few hours . I really like sailing everyday when I’m at these events , even for a short time.
The Tuesday we had a decent sea breeze (12 knots) by the time racing started and many of the favourites were near the pin at go. Andy Roy was smokin’ fast in this start and I made up my mind to stay with him. This ended up being a recall. In the next start I was motivated to go hard near the pin again and was near Andy and a number of other favourites. I realized that my speed was good and my height also . I arrived first to the weather mark then sailed too conservatively on the run and rounded third . I fought through the race and was better on the final run , I had a 5 boat length lead down the final reach. Unfortunately I picked up a bag on my rudder and was passed by 2 boats .
Race two I made adjustments and again was pleased with my speed. I won this race with a good gap and felt, as I sailed in that this was one of my best sailed first days at a master’s worlds (nerves had been an issue) My self talk was to execute the game plan without fear. Keep the “what ifs” at bay. Examples are don’t go to the lay line to early and have faith in the decision your making .
Wednesday was slightly lighter wind but again 2 good races. I was a little too conservative in race one but was generally happy with a 4th , Andy won that race. The next race was Andy leading again at the top mark, I snuck into 2nd on the rounding and I sailed smarter on the run and rounded close behind Andy going out to the right. I hung with him (happy with my height) then decided to carry on after Andy tacked , this got me into the lead, I extended down the reach and won race 4 .
So after 2 days Andy Roy ,Tomas Nordqvist, Peter Vessella , Wolfgang Gerz and Nick Harrison were all sailing well and the battle was on for the Championship .
Wednesday there was no racing
Thursday brought again little wind and lots of waiting on the water with one race. This turned into a pivotal race. I started near the pin even though my compass was saying square line, even a bit boat favoured. I never came back from this and with plenty of scrambling ended 10th. Andy sailed a nice race and could have led but a big righty came in late up the first beat, so Tomas won this race . So now we have a close battle for the podium with others ready to pounce.
I decided that generally this race was one that I left the game plan and that I would ignore it and focus on the good races I had sailed .
Friday there was no racing , we actually had a breeze come up but ended up being to unstable and with the 175 Standards, we needed 2 hours to get in before sunset, pressure was building. There were a number of sailors that thought I had it won because the forecast for the last day was poor and no racing after 3.
I kept to the routine and sailed out to the race course Saturday. I will say that the long waits and the broken up regatta between races was difficult and I was pleased that I entered the final race with a positive mind set. I was determined to be on my front foot going hard, same as all the races that I did well in
We had one race with a late moderate sea breeze that was enough for me to be in the hiking strap (always good). I had a midline start that turned into a decent rounding at the weather mark (5th ). I passed Tomas on the run and headed left in 4th with the two leaders well ahead . Tacking on the shifts up the beat (many were going left) , I gained and was close in 3rd with a good gap to the rest of the fleet.
Andy and Tomas now had their own battle going on and I only had to keep my head. I ended 2nd in the race and was relieved that I had not let myself down by sailing poorly, but had risen to the occasion. Andy did what he had to with Tomas ending 2nd overall, Tomas 3rd .
My post mortem for the event is that the psychological aspects of competing are of utmost importance. There are a number of factors that helped me succeed – boat speed and height (when needed), executing quality starts, solid lane sailing tactics on the first beat, aggressive tactics on the run, hitting shifts on the second beat (and remembering that what seemed to work on the first beat doesn’t always work on the 2nd) , pushing hard to the finish .
It was amazing how much nicer it is to have a countryman and friend (Andy Roy) nearby on the race course when I wasn’t sure about a strategy. We fed off each other in terms of confidence, discussing tactics etc. at the end of each day.
Looking forward to the Worlds in Ireland next September
–Al Clark
Report from Bill Symes
My wife LauraLee and I have just returned to planet earth from one of the most dramatic sailing venues I’ve experienced in more than half a century of sailing, the Croatian coast. Split, Croatia’s second largest city and site of the 2017 Laser Standard Men’s and Masters World Championships, rises up from the remains of a 3rd century Roman emperor’s palace against a towering backdrop of granite cliffs, facing a cobalt sea and a string of islands surrounded, even in October, by swarms of white sails. Very cool.
We arrived as the guys from the just completed Standard Men’s Worlds (that’s the one for the younger, fitter, full-time sailing crowd) were leaving town, and the city was gearing up for the onslaught of 350 Laser “masters” (minimum age: 35; maximum age: unlimited), their significant others and assorted entourages. We were greeted with a gala opening ceremony on the city’s waterfront promenade – the Riva – complete with welcome speeches by the mayor and various local and Laser Class grandees, live performances by folkloric singers, a really loud audio visual spectacle, and vast quantities of food and beverage (the first of many).
Unfortunately, the wind in Split turned out to be somewhat less robust than the hospitality. We settled into a daily routine of waiting all morning for the offshore breeze to die, then waiting all afternoon for the sea breeze to fill in. The first two days it never did. Racing finally got underway on day three, with each fleet completing three races in light-moderate conditions. The pecking order quickly emerged, with the usual suspects topping the leader board in most divisions.
In the 62-boat Radial Great Grandmasters fleet (65+), I ended the day with finishes of 4-1-16, leaving me in third place behind a couple of Australians, current world champion Rob Lowndes and former world champion Kerry Waraker. Day four produced enough wind for two more races and 4-1 finishes for me. More importantly, I was able to drop the 16th, which boosted me into second, two points shy of the lead. The next day, on a dying breeze and shortened course, I managed a third bullet and moved into a two-point lead.
The forecast for the next couple of days was for no wind and, sure enough, after drifting around for 3 hours on day six, we were sent in without a race. Now the regatta was mine to lose; another abandoned race on the final day would not have been an entirely bad thing. But the race committee was determined, and they sent us out at noon to wait on the water while they prayed for wind. Their prayers were answered at 2:55 pm, five minutes before the deadline for last warning gun. We took off in an 8-knot breeze, and despite my initial anxiety and a mediocre start, the momentum was now on my side, and I was able to work through the fleet and take the race and the championship.
A couple of timeless bumper stickers.
Laser Masters Worlds is like an annual reunion with several hundred of your best sailing buddies, always in some wonderful place you’d have never thought to visit were it not for this event. For masters, the après sailing revelry is just as important as the on-the-water action. Not that the racing isn’t serious business; the field always includes former world champions and Olympic medalists, and the competition at the front of the fleet is intense. There’s a bumper sticker for Laser masters that says “Cheat the nursing home. Die on your Laser,” and these guys are living it. I can’t think of a better way to go.
(For a full regatta report and results, go to laserinternational.org. For Laser geeks interested in the more technical aspects of the racing, check out an upcoming article in Doug Peckover’s blog Improper Course.)
–Bill Symes
Greg Jackson may not have been in any of those podium pictures, but I can guarantee he had as good a time as anyone there. Here’s a little video of him talking about the event for a non-sailing crowd. Well worth a chuckle or two.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
Northwest Interscholastic Sailing Association Singlehanded Championships
Photo by Jim Skeel
It wasn’t the breeziest of regattas, but the high school singlehanded championships were sailed over the weekend off Shilshole Bay Marina in Seattle. The winners were Grant Gridley in the Radial class and Owen Timms in the full rig class. University sailors got their own Radial and full rig fleets. Congratulations to all who participated. BTW, I’m pleased to report that the Seattle Laser Fleet provided a number of boats in support of this event.
Here’s the report from the NWISA:
Saturday, September 23:
Competitors from around the Northwest were greeted by a light southerly on Saturday morning. This proved to be quite stable and peaked around 8 knots by noon. The breeze then began to fade, and by 3pm it had shut off completely. We were fortunate to complete 6 radial and 7 full rig races in that time, alternating between double lap windward/leewards and trapezoid courses. The 20 boat Laser Radial fleet especially was very competitive. This resulted in at least 8 general recalls (we lost count) and most of the later starts under I-flag.
Sunday, September 24:
The forecast for Sunday looked bleak, and after a shore postponement competitors left the dock at 11am to try racing in a fragile northerly. The breeze was just strong enough to start a Radial race, and it maintained a 3-4 knot average until most competitors had finished. After it fizzled out, competitors waited around on the water for another hour and a half before the Race Committee called racing for the day. NWISA is excited to send representatives Owen Timms and Per Black in the Full Rig and Grant Gridley and Abbie Carlson in the Laser Radial to St. Petersburg, FL later this fall. They will do a terrific job representing our conference. Big thanks to all the volunteers and race officials this weekend. The regatta was well run and made the most of our limited racing windows.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
It was a small but mighty fleet of Lasers at Bellingham Yacht Club’s Dale Jepsen One Design regatta this year. Jorge Yanez, the winner of the DJOD last year and the winner of the Laser Radial Masters Nationals event in the Gorge this year was there; the winner and runner up from 2015, Sascha Smutny and Doug Honey were there; and Perham Black, fresh off his win at the Bellingham Youth Regatta was there. The top of the 9-boat fleet was so evenly matched that places changed at nearly every mark rounding.
This is a photo from the Laser fleet in a previous Dale Jepsen Regatta.
Mike Johnson lead the regatta after two races with a first and a third for four points, followed closely by Yanex and Black with five points each. Yanez jumped out after that with two firsts in races 3 and 4, establishing a five point lead on Black. Undeterred, Black went hard right on the last beat of the last race, jumping past several boats and winning the race. Yanez finished 4th to save the regatta win by one point. If he had been 5th, the tie breaker would have gone to Black.
Third place went to Mike Johnson with only 4 points separating third through sixth places. It is for this kind of tight racing, often overlapped with other boats at every mark rounding and multiple boats arriving at the finish together, that we keep showing up. There were no protests, no starting line abuses, and only a few capsizes. Racers compared their ideas after each race were clearly glad to be lucky enough to be having fun among friends.
Regatta chair Mike Poulos, race officer Jonathan Knowles and their terrific volunteers, did a great job under difficult circumstances to choreograph five well-run and fair races. All races occurred on Sunday due to no wind on Saturday. Saturday had been the regatta organizer’s nightmare. Just enough wind to leave shore that went flat at the first warning, and then came back up 10 minutes after all boats got back to the parking lot. So on Sunday, everyone was elated to see a sunny 8 to 12 knot southeasterly materialize from the glassy bay – less than an hour before the first warning. The breeze held nicely right up through the last race and then died.
It is interesting to note that only three participants at the event this year were also at the event last year. Some could say we lost the others but the positive perspective says we gained several new people. Let’s build on that momentum and have some great events this fall. We could have a start at Corinthian’s PSSC (October 7-8) and Turkey Bowl (November 18-19). Would it be crazy to imagine 15 Laser’s on the starting line?
–Jay Leon
Ed. Note: I’d love to post something on the FJ and 505 fleets, so if anyone wants to share some words or photos, send them along and I’ll get them in. Also, thanks to Jay for the Laser report. No, indeed, 15 Lasers is not too many to expect for for PSSC and Turkey Bowl, especially if the great young sailors show up. Maybe both full rig and Radial fleets? Note this video from the Junior Olympic Regatta.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
