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WINTER 20154

www.Laser.org 5

Offi cial publicationof the InternationalLaser Class AssociationNorth American Region

US Postal Service:Please return undeliverables to:ILCA-NA2812 Canon StreetSan Diego, CA 92106 USA

Canada Post:Publications Mail Agreement #40612608Please return undeliverables to:Bleuchip InternationalPO Box 25542London, ON N6C 6BC

EditorsSherri Campbell & Jerelyn BiehlILCA-NA

Offi cers

Andy RoyChairman15 Claudette CourtPeterborough, ON K9J 7Y7 [email protected]

Meka TaulbeeVice ChairmanDunedin, FL USA727-631-7005meka@sailfi t.com

Eric ReitingerTreasurer7908 Normandy DriveMt Laurel, NJ [email protected]

John LongSecretary4707 Sierra Madre RoadSanta Barbara, CA [email protected]

Al ClarkMember at Large337 E 6thNorth Vancouver, BC [email protected]

Sherri CampbellExecutive Secretary2812 Canon StreetSan Diego, CA 92106 USAphone: 619-222-0252fax: [email protected]

WINTER 2015District Contacts .....................................................................................................6

President’s Report....................................................................................................8

Coaches Corner: Sail Canada.............................................................................10

Rigging Shortcut.....................................................................................................12

Beam Reach - 1984...............................................................................................13

Masters Report ......................................................................................................14

Weight & Strength.................................................................................................16

Turn on the RRS: Part 1 - Starts.........................................................................18

2015 Event Schedule.............................................................................................21

Laser World Insert .........................................................................................center

Regatta Roundup

Fat Boys.....................................................................................................22

Cedar Point Fall Series..........................................................................23

Masters ACCs..........................................................................................24

High School Champs..............................................................................26

Collegiate Champs..................................................................................28

District Reports.....................................................................................................30

An Overlooked Skill: Agility & Balance.........................................................38

Why Join the Laser Class?...................................................................................40

Membership Applications....................................................................................41

WINTER 2015

6 continents, 122 countries - the biggest adult and youth racing class in the world

®

Cover shot: Photographer Thom Touw caught Master sailor Peter Seidenberg going fast at the recent World Masters in Hyeres, France.

WINTER 20156

District 1Danielle Dube, 8 Sunnydale DrGlen Haven, NS B3Z 2T8902-823-2802, [email protected] 2Philippe Dormoy, 385 Place Desmarest,Ile Bizard, Quebec, H9C [email protected] 3Nigel Heath416-417-0193; [email protected] D3 website: www.d3laser.comDistrict 4Brigitte Smutney, Sail Manitoba; 409-145 Paci� c Ave. Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2Z6 [email protected] 5Mark Lammens510 Cynthia St. Saskatoon, SK S7K 7K7306-975-0833, [email protected] District 6Andy Hunt, 111-2260 W 8th AveVancouver BC V6K 2A7604-733-9663, hotline: [email protected] 7Derek Stow28 Starlit RoadTiverton RI [email protected] 8David Trinder631-418-5220: [email protected]

District 9Chas Williamson, 9 Lagrand CourtIthaca, NY 14850607-272-0630 [email protected] 10Eric Reitinger7908 Normandy DrMt. Laurel NJ [email protected]://d10.laserforum.orgDistrict 11Jon Deutsch3422 Blithewood Dr, Richmond VA 23225804-305-1244, [email protected]://www.laserdistrict11.orgDistrict 12Charles [email protected] 13Michelle [email protected] www.laser.org/m/_general/d13.aspDistrict 14Britt [email protected] District 15Forest [email protected]://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/txLaser/District 16Tim Fitzgerald, 2322 Brom� eld CircleWichita KS 67226, [email protected] 17John E. Coolidge, Jr., 1113 Hanover StChattanooga, TN 37405 [email protected]

District 18John [email protected] 19Ken Swetka27022 Koerber St., St Claire Shores, MI 48081248-635-5363www.d19laser.orgDistrict 20Troy TolanSpring� eld, ILCarlyle Sailing Assn. 217-960-2681, [email protected]: Laserd20District 21Matthew � [email protected] 22Kurt Hoehne, 524 N 67th StSeattle, WA [email protected] 23Geo� HurwitchGeo� [email protected] 24Stephen Aguilar1809 Brier Way, Carmichael, [email protected] 916-968-3554District 25Jorge Suarez, 7 Covina AveLong Beach, CA 90803562-260-8116. [email protected]/group/nalaserdistrict25District 26Guy Fleming, 44-392 Olina St. #6Kaneohe, HI 96744-2617808-955-4405, [email protected]

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www.Laser.org 7

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Designed with all the features that you are looking for on the water, our watches include highly visible displays and simple functions as standard. The audible countdown timer can be adjusted to any start sequence, and the highlighted synchro function means that the start time will always be spot-on. Both watches are packed with useful features such as a key lock function, loud alarm and a bright back light leaving you to concentrate on the race.

Race Watch Available in black, blue or red.

Regatta Master Watch Available in black.

Sailing time.

WINTER 20158

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Carib_Laser 3rdver.pdf 26.11.2006 16:42:53

Dec-Jan 2015 Clinics & Regattas

Dec. 29-Jan. 3 New Year’s Clinic and Regatta

Jan. 5-9 Midweek Clinic and Regatta

Jan. 11-14 Midwinters Pre-race Clinic The perfect warmup for our annual regatta

Jan. 15th-18 13th Caribbean Laser Midwinter Regatta

Jan. 20-24 Masters Clinic and Regatta

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BY ANDY ROY

In the previous issue of TLS I made mention of the upcoming (at the time) 2014 Laser Masters Worlds in France that had an anticipated record number of entries. With the event now in the books there is certainly no doubt that Laser Masters participation is a real phenomenon, evidenced by an incredible 499 entries at the Worlds (a few people were joking that the organizers should have just added a fake entry so we could get to the 500 mark). The charter boat hand out (and return) went quite smoothly, as did the measurement process (except for a few thickness problems on new rudder blades – a bit unusual). The trailers and car/van topped boats came rolling into Hyeres from all over Europe and the UK, and the two boat parks (for Radials and Standards) quickly jammed up with boats. The launch ramps throughout the week did get a tad congested when sailors returning from racing hunted for their dollies, and the ramps were also aligned for a downwind approach making for some interesting pile ups.

Except for a curious lack of places to sit at the regatta site, the onshore facilities and organization were good. Some good recommendations for future Worlds came out of the event that we are already relaying to the CORK folks in Kingston. The overall race management at the Worlds was excellent, particularly when considering that there were 5 starts on each of the Standard and Radial rig race courses. The PRO and his team on

the Standard rig course did a superb job. Conditions on the opening Sunday started out a little on the light side for my liking, but by Tuesday through Friday the wind picked up to offer beautiful sailing in the 14-20 knot range, with some big waves, warm air and water temperatures. With reasonably priced accommodations and plenty of decent restaurants nearby, I’d have to say it all added up to be one of the most enjoyable regattas I’ve been to. There were competitors from 36 different countries and 6 continents, and North America was well represented. NA sailors who fi nished in the “cube positions” included Peter Seidenberg (3rd in the GGM Radial and also 1st in the new 75+ division), Bill Symes (5th in the GGM Radial), and Peter Shope and Scott Ferguson (3rd and 4th in the very tough Masters Standard fl eet). I was able to score a cube by getting into a nice groove on the windier days and ended up fi nishing one tiny point out of the top spot in the GM Standard fl eet. At the prize ceremony I grabbed the mike to say a few words to invite everyone to come to the 2015 Worlds in Kingston. We likely won’t see 499 entries at the 2015 Masters Worlds, but I think the turn-out will be very strong.

The Laser World Council meeting was held in October in London, and a summary of the meeting will be printed in the Laser World section of TLS. At the recent NA Executive Committee meeting we discussed the issue of non-Class legal sails and equipment. This is certainly not a new issue, but it remains a diffi cult one to fi nd an easy solution for. One of the options that we may have to move towards is to increase the level of equipment

inspection to ensure Class legal equipment is being used at events major events.

Many NA Laser sailors are likely in the midst of planning a mid-winter event, either on the West Coast, Florida, Mexico or the DR. A snowstorm here in the Toronto area today has got me motivated to pull the trigger on booking for the Florida Masters Week in February. I’ll be looking forward to some large fl eet racing and 3 regattas over 8 days in sunny FL.

Most of the 2015 major regatta calendar is fi lled in and on the www.laser.org website, although we still have a couple of events, including the Canadian Championships (likely to be in D2) and Great Lakes Championships, both Open and Masters (any GL district venue interested in hosting).

For the New Year I’m hoping for and optimistic that there will soon be a resolution to the Kirby v. LP dispute, and also looking forward to the long overdue approval of the new radial designed Standard sail. Discussion of added equipment inspection to ensure Class legal equipment is being used at events.

Happy New Year to all North American Laser sailors!

President’s Report

www.Laser.org 9

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Carib_Laser 3rdver.pdf 26.11.2006 16:42:53

Dec-Jan 2015 Clinics & Regattas

Dec. 29-Jan. 3 New Year’s Clinic and Regatta

Jan. 5-9 Midweek Clinic and Regatta

Jan. 11-14 Midwinters Pre-race Clinic The perfect warmup for our annual regatta

Jan. 15th-18 13th Caribbean Laser Midwinter Regatta

Jan. 20-24 Masters Clinic and Regatta

www.caribwind.com

BOOK NOW to attend a winter clinic or regatta.

WINTER 201510

Coaches CornerWe’ve asked a few of our top North American coaches to

share some of their favorite drills with us. If you have a drill to share, send it to the ILCA-NA offi ce for publication.

Downwind Starts with Leeward Mark RoundingsA skewed start line is set with the pin end higher than the boat. A short start dequence is used to start the group who then sails downwind to the leeward mark, round it and sail back up to the start line.

VARIATION: Have the boats sail aroudn the boat and pin end in a counter-clockwise rotation. When the coach blows the whistle the boats turn and sail for the leeward mark, back up and fi nish.

OBJECTIVE: To get into the groove and sailing bast downwind as quickly as possible whil trying to gain the inside overlap at the leeward mark. Get sailing quickly once around the leeward mark.

SweatboxHave a start line set, large or small leading out of the harbor. The coach will motor upwind monitoring where the boats are located on the course. The idea is to keep the sailors inside the invisible triangle created by the two start marks and the coach boat.

OBJECTIVE: To work the boat interactions (lee bows, crossing or ducking) as well as tacks.

COACHING TIP: Allowing a boat to sail outside the box to get back into the drill is import-ant. Make the boats in the front tack more often to force them back to the trailing group.

VARIATION: Sailing between channel marks on the way out to the sialing area. Use this as a pre-set sweatbox. drill.

Thanks to Sail Canada & Ken Dool for these drills.

www.Laser.org 11

We’ve asked a few of our top North American coaches to share some of their favorite drills with us. If you have a drill to

share, send it to the ILCA-NA offi ce for publication.

Thanks to Sail Canada & Ken Dool for these drills.

WINTER 201512

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Rigging ShortcutPulley at the ‘boom outhaul clam cleat’

BY ARI BARSHILaser Training Center www.caribwind.com

Tired of spending time tying the outhaul pulley, never really having it in the same place or the same distance from the Clam Cleat each time you rig?

Here is a system that was inspired by World Champion and Elite coach Al Clark from Canada.

1. Pass a 3mm line through the pulley and tie the ends. This is the only knot that you will make. 2. Hold the knot wherever you want the pulley to be on the boom. Loop the line around the boom, pass the pulley through the loop, and voila... it’s done! 3. Having the pulley on the side of the clam cleat and not on top, prevents outhaul interference with the foot of the sail while tacking in light winds.

The shot was taken at the 1979 Laser Worlds in Rockingham, Western Australia. The ‘Fremantle Doctor” (strong afternoon sea breeze) was prevalent for most of the regatta and, as shown in the picture, weight jackets were a must. I am fairly sure that’s U.S. sailors Andrew Menkart and well know rules expert, Dave Perry, in the 3rd and 2nd positions in the photo. The two went on to fi nish 3rd and 5th in the Worlds. The regatta was sponsored by BP who had a nearby refi ning facility. The company’s colors were and still are green and yellow, so hence the sails that came supplied with the boats. The winner of that Worlds was Lasse Hjorntnaes from Denmark.

www.Laser.org 13

The shot was taken at the 1979 Laser Worlds in Rockingham, Western Australia. The ‘Fremantle Doctor” (strong afternoon sea breeze) was prevalent for most of the regatta and, as shown in the picture, weight jackets were a must. I am fairly sure that’s U.S. sailors Andrew Menkart and well know rules expert, Dave Perry, in the 3rd and 2nd positions in the photo. The two went on to fi nish 3rd and 5th in the Worlds. The regatta was sponsored by BP who had a nearby refi ning facility. The company’s colors were and still are green and yellow, so hence the sails that came supplied with the boats. The winner of that Worlds was Lasse Hjorntnaes from Denmark.

WINTER 201514

BY BILL SYMES

Baby it’s cold outside, but North American masters are still basking in the afterglow of a sizzling hot week on the French Riviera. The 2014 Laser Masters World Championships, held in October in Hyères, France, attracted a record 499 competitors from 21 countries, including 49 from the US and Canada.

In what was perhaps the standout performance of the event, our own Mr. President Andy Roy put together a spectacular string of 4 bullets on the backside of the regatta to come within one point of topping the 87-boat Standard Grand Masters division. Joining Andy on the podium was fellow NA master Peter Vessella in 3rd, with ILCA boss Tracy Usher (7th) and Mark Bear (8th) also breaking into the top 10. The New World was also well represented in the Standard Masters division, with US National champ Peter Shope taking 3rd, Scott Ferguson 4th , and Al Clark 7th in an epic (116 boats!) and intensely competitive fl eet.

Over on the radial course, two Great Grand Masters made it to the podium, Peter Seidenberg in 3rd and Bill Symes in 5th. The other top North American fi nishers were John Dawson Edwards, 3rd in Standard GGMs, Ray Davies, 6th in the Standard Apprentice fl eet, Kurt Wessels 10th in the Radial Apprentice fl eet, and Bruce Martinson 11th in Radial GMs.

As always, Laser Masters Worlds was a fabulous experience for all participants, on and off the water and regardless of fi nish position, all North American master sailors should be making plans now to be in Kingston, Ontario, next July 10-18 when the 2015 Laser Masters Worlds returns to ILCA-NA’s home continent. I know I am.

2015 Preview

In addition to Masters Worlds, the 2015 calendar is showing a full dance card of great sailing opportunities for geezers, leading off as usual with the legendary Florida Masters Week. First stop this year is the US Sailing Center at Jensen Beach for Masters Midwinters Feb. 7-9, followed by Midweek Madness Feb. 11-12. The circus then moves to West Palm Beach to climax with the annual Florida Masters Regatta Feb. 14-15. This one should be on everybody’s bucket list.

Out west, we have our own mini-Midwinter getaway planned in Southern California, with back-to-back regattas at Alamitos Bay Feb. 21-22 (SCYA Masters Midwinters) and Mission Bay Feb. 28-Mar 1 (Laser Masters California Champs). Note: the sailor with the best combined score will earn the coveted “Iron Tiller” trophy!

The fi rst scheduled regional championship is the Masters Gulf Coast Champs, April 25-26 at Ft. Walton Beach, FL. This should be an excellent tune-up for the 2015 Laser Masters North American Championship, hosted by the Carolina YC in Charleston, SC, May 22-24.

The action then moves west, fi rst to the Columbia River Gorge for the Masters PCCs, hosted by CGRA June 27-28 (come early for the Gorge Laser Performance Clinic June 23-26!), then on to St. Francis YC in San Francisco for the 2015 Laser Masters US Nationals, August 14-16. Don’t forget to pack the Advil.

The fi nal masters regatta currently scheduled is the Atlantic Coast Champs, Sept. 19-20 in Brant Beach, NJ. More events are still in the pipeline, so be sure to tune into the ILCA-NA website (www.laser.org) frequently for more information and schedule updates.

Looking forward to seeing you all out on the water in 2015!photo credits: Jan Anderson (janpix.smugmug.com)

Masters ReportEvent Venue Dates

Midwinters East Jensen Beach, FL Feb 7-9Midweek Madness Jensen Beach, FL Feb 11-12Florida Masters West Palm Beach, FL Feb 14-15Midwinters West/SCYA Alamitos Bay, CA Feb 21-22Calif. Masters Mission Bay, CA Feb 28-March 1Gulf Coast Masters Ft Walton Beach, FL April 25-26NA Masters Carolina YC, Charleston, SC May 22-24PCC Masters CGRA, Oregon June 27-28World Masters Kingston, Ontario, CAN July 10-18US Master Nationals St Francis YC, San Francisco, CA Aug 14-16Master ACCs Brant Beach, NJ Sept 19-20

www.Laser.org 15

February 21-22, SCYA Masters Mid-Winters, Alamitos Bay YC, Long Beach, CA. Website: www.abyc.org

February 28 - March 1, California Laser Masters Championship Regatta, Mission Bay YC, San Diego, CA. Website: www.mbyc.org

The events are scored separately. You can enter one or both. For those Masters sailing in both there will be an “Iron Tiller” award for the best combined score.

Special Half-Day Clinic on Friday, Feb 27th at Mission Bay Yacht Club

Event Venue DatesMidwinters East Jensen Beach, FL Feb 7-9Midweek Madness Jensen Beach, FL Feb 11-12Florida Masters West Palm Beach, FL Feb 14-15Midwinters West/SCYA Alamitos Bay, CA Feb 21-22Calif. Masters Mission Bay, CA Feb 28-March 1Gulf Coast Masters Ft Walton Beach, FL April 25-26NA Masters Carolina YC, Charleston, SC May 22-24PCC Masters CGRA, Oregon June 27-28World Masters Kingston, Ontario, CAN July 10-18US Master Nationals St Francis YC, San Francisco, CA Aug 14-16Master ACCs Brant Beach, NJ Sept 19-20

2015 Masters Calendar

Photo credit below: LauraLee Symes

WINTER 201516

Getting older puts strength into the spotlight – Studies of masters athletes are reshaping understanding of how much physical decline is in evitable, why it happens and how to prevent it.

How much age-related physical decline is inevitable, and how much is the result of the changing priorities and social pressures that force most 45-year-olds to be less physically active than they were in their teens and 20s?

It’s a tricky question, but one place to start is with the remarkable group of 60 triathletes assembled by Dr. Jeanick Brisswalter of the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis and his colleagues in France and Australia. They range in age from their 20s to their 70s, but have one thing in common: they all train for about two hours each day on average, including about 250 kilometres of cycling a week.

Even these remarkable athletes can’t completely outrun – or outswim or outbike (or outsail) – the ravages of time, but studies of masters athletes (typically over the age of 35 or 40, though the defi nition varies from sport to sport) are reshaping our understanding of how much decline is “inevitable,” and why it happens. The latest results suggest that even trained athletes get less effi cient as they age – and surprisingly, the secret to avoiding this fate lies not in the heart or lungs, but in the muscles.

It’s well established that VO2 max,

a measure of endurance, and sprint power decline steadily starting in your 30s or 40s, and despite their Herculean training efforts, the triathletes in the new study were no exception, although the 70-plus group was still fi tter than the average sedentary 35-year-old.

Most previous studies of masters athletes have focused on these parameters, and concluded that this loss of endurance and sprint power are enough to explain why older athletes are typically slower than younger ones.

But Brisswalter’s study, which will appear in a forthcoming issue of the European Journal of Applied Physiology, zeroed in on a third factor: effi ciency. In cycling, effi ciency measures how much metabolic energy you have to burn to maintain a given pace or power output on the bike, much like the fuel effi ciency of a car. Similar effi ciency measures can be calculated for running and swimming.

The results showed a clear decrease in effi ciency starting with the 50-59 age group. By the time they were in their 60s, the athletes had to burn 17.6 per cent more energy than athletes in their 20s just to produce the same amount of power on the bike – a signifi cant defi cit.

So how do you improve cycling (sailing) effi ciency? In beginner cyclists, simple improvements in form and technique may help. For experienced cyclists, better effi ciency may result from changes in the muscles themselves, though this hypothesis remains controversial. For years, the most famous case study of improved cycling effi ciency came from tests of Lance Armstrong by University of Texas physiologist Dr. Edward Coyle between 1992 and 1999 – but those results are now considered highly questionable.

In 2012, another group of French researchers (including Brisswalter) tested the effects of a three-week strength-training program on cycling effi ciency in two groups of athletes, one with an average age of 26 and the other with an average age of 52. Three times a week, they did 10 sets of 10 knee extensions at 70 per cent of maximal load, with three minutes of rest between sets.

The younger athletes were stronger and more effi cient to begin with, and didn’t make any signifi cant gains by the end of the program. The older athletes, on the other hand, improved their leg strength by 17.9 per cent and also improved their cycling effi ciency by 16.3 per cent, enough to completely

The following article might be of interest to Laser Master sailors (or

sailors of any age), and it was written by Alex Hutchinson who writes a

column on health and fi tness for the Globe and Mail (Canada’s leading newspaper). Alex also blogs about exercise research at sweatscience.

runnersworld.com, and there is some good stuff there to benefi t Laser sailors both young and not quite

as young. We have received Alex’s permission to reprint his article for

The Laser Sailor. We’ve also inserted “Laser sailing” into the article in a

couple places where it suits.

Weight & StrengthBy Alex Hutchinson

www.Laser.org 17

eliminate their effi ciency defi cit compared with the younger group.

That result lends support to the theory that declining effi ciency is a result of changes in muscle properties, both from loss of muscle mass and from changes in the neuromuscular signals that travel from the brain to the muscle. Other studies have suggested that running effi ciency may also be linked to muscle strength and power.

The most promising antidote, then, seems to be strength training. Brisswalter recently completed another study with masters cyclists, not yet published, that saw improved cycling effi ciency after strength training. That’s also the

approach taken by Kingston-based running coach Steve Boyd, who holds Canadian masters records at distances ranging from 3-kilometre to the half-marathon, and attributes his longevity in part to consistent work in the weight room.

He recommends a full-body workout that incorporates upper-body exercises such as the dumbbell press and single-arm row, and lower-body exercises such as the Bulgarian lunge and Swiss ball curl.

Of course, strength training alone won’t make you a great runner or cyclist (or Laser sailor), but accelerated muscle loss due to the hormonal changes associated with aging mean that it takes on greater

importance as you get older.

“In fact, at 50,” Boyd says, “I consider my strength training as important as my running.”

From TLS (A. Roy): On fi rst glance it would seem that

weight training would not be as benefi cial for Laser dry land

training compared to, say, cycling, swimming, rowing or running;

however, and as Alex describes, for Masters sailors looking to improve

their fi tness levels or perhaps compete in next summer’s Worlds

in Kingston it could be a good idea to add a healthy dose of strength training to your winter training

regimen.

WINTER 201518

Let’s face it. At fi rst glance The Racing Rules of Sailing can seem daunting to learn. All those numbers and letters, defi nitions, fl ags…. anyone might be confused. But in reality for a book of 140 pages there are really just 10 pages the average racing sailor should learn. These include Defi nitions and the sections that include Fundamental Rules and When Boats Meet.

What’s in those 10 pagesDefi nitions: Conveniently placed in the very beginning of the rules book, defi nitions help you understand rules terminology.

Part 1-Fundamental Rules: Rules covering safety, sportsmanship, acceptance of the rules and decision to race.

Part 2-When Boats Meet: Section A—Right of Way: Rules for boats on the same tack, on opposite tacks, overlaps, while tackingSection B—General Limitations: Rules for avoiding contact, Acquiring right of way, changing course, proper courseSection C—At Marks and Obstructions: Rules for rounding marks and passing obstructions

Starts: How the Rules Apply1. Rule 11: On the same course, overlapped:

a) Two boats, A and B, are overlapped on the starting line. Leeward boat A proceeds to luff-up. Because A is leeward Boat B’s responsibility is to keep clear.

b) Two or more boats are overlapped on the starting line. A is the most leeward with B and C respectively to windward. Boat A luffs up but in this situation must give both B and C time to react. If C does not keep clear of B then B can’t keep clear of A. In a protest situation, if A protests B, then B should protest C. Passing the protest “up the line” could exonerate boat B. As a results of C’s actions, she couldn’t keep clear of boat A.

What is A’s responsibility? In both scenarios because A has chosen to luff up she is obligated under Rule 16.1: Changing Course, which states that if A changes course she must give B room to keep clear.

2. Rule 12: On the same tack, not overlapped: a) Boat A and B are traversing the line on

starboard tack with A clear astern. In this arrangement Boat B has right of way. A must keep clear. Boat B is also not required to anticipate boat A establishing an overlap prior to it occurring.

What is considered an overlap? (See defi nition for clear astern and clear ahead) In the situation described

Turn On the Racing Rules of Sailing: Part 1, StartsBY JUDITH KRIMSKI

www.Laser.org 19

above when at any point equipment from one boat overlaps the other boat. If any part of boat A’s equipment overlaps any part of B’s equipment the two boats are overlapped. Also if there is a boat/s overlapping A and B (even though they may not be overlapped) then an overlap exists.

3. Rule 15: Acquiring right of way: Boat A has just established an overlap to leeward of boat B so she must initially give B room to keep clear. B doesn’t need to anticipate the overlap therefore she isn’t required to keep clear until it occurs. A cannot sail so close to B so that if B turned up the boats would make contact with each other. In this diagram A didn’t give B enough room to keep clear.

What is the exception to Rule 15? When boat A acquires right-of-way because of boat B’s actions. For example: During the starting sequence the RC boat becomes favored. A is on the layline and boat B barges in, sticking her bow in between A and the RC boat. Boat A becomes overlapped to leeward when boat B barged in. Because of the way the overlapped occurred A is not required to give B room to keep clear.

4. Rule 16: Changing course: Boat A wants to luff up to spill time. Because she is changing course she must give boat B room to keep clear. Because A is the right of way boat B must also luff up to keep clear.

5. Rule 17: On the same tack; proper coursea) There’s no proper course restriction prior to the

starting signal so Rule 17 is turned off. That means boat A, which has established an overlap from astern, can luff boat B, provided she gives B room to keep clear. Once the starting signal sounds A may not sail “above her proper course” so she will need to go down to close-hauled or below.

b) The race has started and Boat A can’t quite make the pin. Since her proper course, “the course a boat would sail in the absence of other boats.” is to round it A has the option to luff up above close-hauled. That said if she hits the mark she must do a penalty turn.

What does room to keep clear and keep clear mean? There are several rules that require the right of way boat to give room to keep clear. Rule 13: While tacking and Rule 16: Changing Course are two such examples. “Room” is enough space in the existing conditions for the keep clear boat to comply with her obligations and maneuver in a seaman-like manner. In layman’s terms she should be able to turn her boat to keep clear and not immediately make contact with the boat she is avoiding. It’s important to note that a keep clear boat needs to make every effort to do so. This includes turning away and trimming the mainsail if required.

Starting Penalty Flags1. I FLAG: If any part of a boat is On Course Side (OCS) during the last minute of the starting sequence she must sail “round the ends” to start. It’s important to note that if you are a windward boat a leeward boat can still push you over the starting line. If this happens you should sail to windward of the starting line and round the RC (RC to starboard) or the pin end (pin to port) of the line before starting.2. Z Flag: During the last minute of the starting sequence boats may not be in the triangle formed by either end of the starting line and the fi rst mark. If a boat breaks this rule a 20% penalty will be assessed. She shall not be penalized if

WINTER 201520

Regatta Standard Radial Laser 4.7 Masters

World ChampionshipISAF Grade 1

Kingston, OntarioCanada

June 29-July 8

Youth:Kingston, Ontario Aug 14-19

Medemblik, NEDAug 6-14

Kingston, Ontario, CAN July 10-18

NA Championship40 GP pts. ISAF Grade 1

SAIL NCManteo, NCJuly 30-Aug 2



Carolina YCCharleston, SC

May 22-24

Canadian Championships

30 GP pts. ISAF Grade 2

District 2 or 3 District 2 or 3 District 2 or 3 District 3

US Championships30 GP Pts, ISAF Grade 2

Brant Beach YCBrant Beach, NJ

July 21-24


July 21-24


July 21-24

St. Francis YCSan FranciscoAugust 14-16

CORK30 GP Pts. ISAF Grade 1

Kingston, ONwww.cork.orgAugust 15-19


Kingston, ONwww.cork.orgAugust 10-13 na

Midwinters East30 GP Pts. ISAF Grade 1

Clearwater, FLwww.clwyc.org

Feb 18-22


Feb 18-22


Feb 18-22

USSC Martin CountyJensen Beach, FL

Feb 7-9

Midwinters West30 GP Pts. ISAF Grade 1

California YCMarina del Rey, CA

March 27-29


March 27-29


March 27-29na

Rolex Miami OCRISAF Grade 1

Miami, FL (men only)www.ussailing.org

January 24-31

Miami, FL (women only)www.ussailing.org

January 24-31 na na

Atlantic CoastChampionships

25 GP Pts. ISAF Grade 2

Fishing Bay Yacht ClubDeltaville, VA

May 16-17


May 16-17


May 16-17


Sept 19-20

Paci� c CoastChampionships


Royal Vancouver YCVancouver, BC

June 19-21


June 19-21


June 19-21

Gulf CoastChampionships

25 GP Pts

Texas Corinthian YCKemah, TX

May 2-3


May 2-3


May 2-3

Ft. Walton YCFt. Walton Beach, FL

April 25-26

No CoastChampionships

25 GP PtsDistrict 17 District 17 District 17 na

Great LakesChampionships

25 GP PtsDistrict 3 District 3 District 3

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the race is postponed or abandoned.3. Black Flag: During the last minute of the starting sequence boats may not be in the triangle formed by either end of the starting line and the fi rst mark. If a boat breaks this rule she shall be disqualifi ed. She shall not be penalized if the race is postponed or abandoned.Recall Flags1. X FLAG: Indicates an individual recall usually accompanied by one horn. When starting lines are crowded it’s sometimes diffi cult for a boat that is over early to get back to restart. I’ve noticed the tendency is to keep sailing, and while you are within your rights (although it seems silly since you’ll just have to go back), you’d be better off luffi ng head to wind and waiting until there is room to turn downwind. —Point-of fact: Once you turn back towards the line you have no rights and must keep clear of other boats that are racing.2. First Substitute: Indicates a general recall usually accompanied by two horns. Miscellaneous Flags1. AP FLAG: Racing is postponed. 2. Class Flag: If you are sailing in a regatta with multiple fl eets your class fl ag will be displayed at the start of your racing sequence (5 or 3 minutes).

Get the Book!Knowledge of the rules helps make racing safer, fairer and more fun! Plus there is a strategic advantage to be had from rules knowledge. Instead of being one of those sailors who gets into rules infraction situations rules knowledge helps enhance your perspective on what’s happening on the racecourse. You’ll become that sailor who can navigate the course without fouls AND sail more competitively to boot. If you do get into a situation where you’ve fouled another boat rules knowledge will allow you to either do your penalty turn quickly and get back on with racing or hail “Protest” and get on with racing. Debating rules on the water takes up valuable time and more importantly takes the focus off the racing. So practice those circles. “Do the circle dance!” as I say. I know corny…..I also say “Spin to Win!” But that’s another article.ResourcesThe Racing Rules of Sailing can be downloaded for FREE at http://www.sailing.org/documents/racing-rules.php.

Or get the app on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/racing-rules-sailing-for-2013/id583264067?mt=8

www.Laser.org 21

Regatta Standard Radial Laser 4.7 Masters

World ChampionshipISAF Grade 1

Kingston, OntarioCanada

June 29-July 8

Youth:Kingston, Ontario Aug 14-19

Medemblik, NEDAug 6-14

Kingston, Ontario, CAN July 10-18

NA Championship40 GP pts. ISAF Grade 1




Carolina YCCharleston, SC

May 22-24

Canadian Championships

30 GP pts. ISAF Grade 2

District 2 or 3 District 2 or 3 District 2 or 3 District 3

US Championships30 GP Pts, ISAF Grade 2


July 21-24


July 21-24


July 21-24

St. Francis YCSan FranciscoAugust 14-16

CORK30 GP Pts. ISAF Grade 1



Kingston, ONwww.cork.orgAugust 10-13 na

Midwinters East30 GP Pts. ISAF Grade 1


Feb 18-22


Feb 18-22


Feb 18-22

USSC Martin CountyJensen Beach, FL

Feb 7-9

Midwinters West30 GP Pts. ISAF Grade 1


March 27-29


March 27-29


March 27-29na

Rolex Miami OCRISAF Grade 1

Miami, FL (men only)www.ussailing.org

January 24-31

Miami, FL (women only)www.ussailing.org

January 24-31 na na

Atlantic CoastChampionships



May 16-17


May 16-17


May 16-17


Sept 19-20

Paci� c CoastChampionships



June 19-21


June 19-21


June 19-21

Gulf CoastChampionships

25 GP Pts


May 2-3


May 2-3


May 2-3

Ft. Walton YCFt. Walton Beach, FL

April 25-26

No CoastChampionships

25 GP PtsDistrict 17 District 17 District 17 na

Great LakesChampionships

25 GP PtsDistrict 3 District 3 District 3

2015 Schedulethe race is postponed or abandoned.3. Black Flag: During the last minute of the starting sequence boats may not be in the triangle formed by either end of the starting line and the fi rst mark. If a boat breaks this rule she shall be disqualifi ed. She shall not be penalized if the race is postponed or abandoned.Recall Flags1. X FLAG: Indicates an individual recall usually accompanied by one horn. When starting lines are crowded it’s sometimes diffi cult for a boat that is over early to get back to restart. I’ve noticed the tendency is to keep sailing, and while you are within your rights (although it seems silly since you’ll just have to go back), you’d be better off luffi ng head to wind and waiting until there is room to turn downwind. —Point-of fact: Once you turn back towards the line you have no rights and must keep clear of other boats that are racing.2. First Substitute: Indicates a general recall usually accompanied by two horns. Miscellaneous Flags1. AP FLAG: Racing is postponed. 2. Class Flag: If you are sailing in a regatta with multiple fl eets your class fl ag will be displayed at the start of your racing sequence (5 or 3 minutes).

Get the Book!Knowledge of the rules helps make racing safer, fairer and more fun! Plus there is a strategic advantage to be had from rules knowledge. Instead of being one of those sailors who gets into rules infraction situations rules knowledge helps enhance your perspective on what’s happening on the racecourse. You’ll become that sailor who can navigate the course without fouls AND sail more competitively to boot. If you do get into a situation where you’ve fouled another boat rules knowledge will allow you to either do your penalty turn quickly and get back on with racing or hail “Protest” and get on with racing. Debating rules on the water takes up valuable time and more importantly takes the focus off the racing. So practice those circles. “Do the circle dance!” as I say. I know corny…..I also say “Spin to Win!” But that’s another article.ResourcesThe Racing Rules of Sailing can be downloaded for FREE at http://www.sailing.org/documents/racing-rules.php.

Or get the app on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/racing-rules-sailing-for-2013/id583264067?mt=8

WINTER 201522

Regatta RoundupKIRKPATRICK WINS FAT BOYS REGATTA By Joe Berkeley

The Fat Boys Regatta was won by the most slender of margins. Steve Kirkpatrick beat Peter Shope by one skinny point to take home the most prestigious trophy in all of sport.

After sailing, at the award ceremony at the International Yacht and Athletic Club, Mark Bear refl ected upon the origins of the Fat Boys Regatta. It should be noted that Mark Bear is a highly accomplished individual. Not only has he fi nished upon the podium at the Laser Master Worlds, he is also a professor at MIT and one of the authors of the textbook, Neuroscience, Exploring the Brain, currently on sale on amazon.com for $107.51. But of all of Mark Bear’s extraordinary accomplishments, inventing the Fat Boys regatta is the one for which he is most admired by the members of Laser Fleet 413.

The inspiration for Mr. Bear’s Opus came as a brainstorm following yet another frustrating RIISA regatta in Barrington, Rhode Island in June. The start was early in the day, before the sea breeze fi lled and the event was a light air fl ail-a-thon until the afternoon when it was time to sail to shore. That’s when the sea breeze would fi ll, after the racing was over.

Tired of being beaten by sailors who would be well suited to serving as jockeys aboard racehorses or coxswains in crew shells, the big and tall Mr. Bear, who named one of his Lasers “Fat Bastard” and the other “Pork Chop,” took matters into his own hands.

Along with long-time friend John Bentley, Bear invented the Fat Boys regatta where sailors would compete for one day during the best breeze of the day. Rather than fl op around on the water, the competitors waited on shore for the sea breeze to fi ll then went out and raced until the sunset. After the inaugural Fat Boys regatta, which regatta co-creator Mark Bear won, there was a very large party.

Those who attended the party would call the event spirited. Those who lived in the vicinity called the authorities. All of the competitors survived the fi rst Fat Boys regatta party, but at least one marriage did not. These things happen. The institution of marriage is a mystery and it may well be that if one enthusiastic party can break it, well, it was going to break anyway.

The Fat Boys Trophy is remarkable for its beauty as well as

its desirability. Steve Kirkpatrick was duly honored. He described the key to victory as a “no holds barred, full risk, not conservative at all” approach to the regatta. In the second race of the day, Kirkpatrick observed the breeze going right, so he made it his business to win the boat, and “snuck through a hole on the starting line that was so small it was scary. But I made it and shot off the line.” His advice for those in the middle of the fl eet was to keep you bow pointing toward the mark and always sail in pressure. Easy to say, hard to do.

Kirkpatrick concluded his remarks with a note that frostbiting in fl eet 413 starts next weekend. The entire season costs something along the lines of $140, which Steve said is, “the best value in sailing.” Throw in an Intensity sail and you have an enviable program for all of $250. Don’t have a boat? Steve believes you can fi nd a nice, gently used Laser for around $2800 on craigslist.

One point behind Steve Kirkpatrick was Peter Shope in second, Ed Adams was third, Dan Neri was fourth, and Christine Neville was fi fth. There was some controversy at the regatta. The Fat Boys Runner Up Trophy, known as The First Loser has gone missing. The trophy is just as desirable as the winner’s trophy, and is engraved with some of the top names in sailing, including Paul Elvstrom, Dennis Conner, Paul Cayard, and more.

If you know where the trophy is, please contact fl eet 413 on Facebook. All of the competitors were grateful to have Moose McClintock as RC, assisted by his sister. Moose runs perfect races and everyone was honored to be on his racecourse.

Joe Berkeley is a freelance writer who fi nished 12th at the Fat Boys. His work is on his website, joeberkeley.com

www.Laser.org 23

Cedar Point Fall Laser Series

Well that was worth the wait! For the CP Fall Laser regatta we had over 30 boats on the line and plenty of competition. I can not remember the last time the starts were so competitive! Many thanks to our visiting sailors who traveled from Newport and around to attend the regatta.

Because only the people that attended each race day are the ones who can really relate to the winning strategy and the reasoning of it all, we are going to try to shift the point of our write ups to be more boat speed oriented. We want everyone who reads the write ups to take away some tips and tricks to implement immediately the next time they go sailing. So here are 10 tricks that helped.

1. Modding: We had between 15 and 1 kt TWS at any point during the day, it was wild. Having your OH, CH and Vang next to you on the rail was very important. The fi rst control I adjust to power up or depower is the vang. This is the fastest and most effi cient way to get effi cient mast bend and fl ow exiting the leach of your sail.

2. Hiking. Most people think that when it starts to hurt you are hiking your hardest and going as fast as you can. Although it takes a long time to build endurance and aquire a good technique, you are not hiking as hard as possible until you loosen your strap so that the inboard end hiking of your pads are near the edge of the boat, you are straight legged hiking, your chest is below your knees and the boat is in balance and blasting along upwind. When you are all the way out and you are still itching for more leverage and want to sheet out and put the bow down, you are hiking as hard as you can.

3. Hiking strap adjustor. If your adjustable hiking strap does not hold in light and moderate conditions you need to fi x it. You always want to be connected to the boat. Your feet need to be pulling hard against the strap so you are in control of the loading and unloading of pressure on the leach, heal of the boat and general feel. Any time your butt is near the rail upwind, you need to have an appropriately tight strap so you can lean out and “hike hard” off the strap. 4. Stand up: As laser sailors we wear many hats. You are the strategist and need to see what is coming down the track and react before others to take advantage. We are so very low to the water in our seated position so by standing up we nearly double our ability to see long range. Sunday was a day were standing up helped a great deal. I stood up anytime I was not certain about what was coming down the course in the next minute. When racing against talented competition need to try even harder to get around them and stay ahead.

5. Data Processor: There are endless changing variables on the race course and constantly sorting through all the relevant important information is critical. On unstable days like last Sunday you need to be thinking, current set and drift, wind speed and direction, boat speed, tacktics, puffs and lulls, high and low

percentage moves, risk to reward ratios, and everything that folds in to what may be a constantly changing game plan. You need to be constantly reevaluating everything and running through present scenarios as well as what could happen in 1/2, 1,3,5, and 10 minute time intervals.

6. We are not sailing OD: Ok yes, the laser is just about the best OD around but there are so many ways to legally make your boat faster or simply keep an older boat competitive. Do all your controls work well? If you can not adjust every major control from the rail while hiking in 15 plus kts you need to make some changes. Is your sail the optimal shape? Newer sails allow you to trim far more accurately resulting in a better VMG at every point of sail. Has your hull ever touched anything but the water and the strap on your dolly? Chances are you have scratches on your hull and the guy who baby’s his hull is going to have less drag. Have you weighed your spars? There are huge tolerances out there and poorly matched weights with a sailors ability could be a very disastrous set up. How much extra gear do you wear or carry out on the water. Fully soaked and all geared up we can weigh 20 lbs more. Adding 20 extra pounds to a 130 lb laser is 15.3% more displacement. Go light when you can, we are sailing very weight sensitive boats.

7. Know your competitors: At some point in the race you will need to decide weather you should attack or defend. Many times on the last beat you will need to make sure one or 2 people do not pass you, or that you need to beat another boat or two. Knowing where you are and who you will be close with in the end of the day can be vital.

8. Don’t just sit there: I always see people sailing around the course like statues, extremely still in their posture. The laser is very physical and needs constant readjustment to rebalance and repower. As I mentioned earlier there are endless variables affecting our boats while sailing, and if we do not correct the boat will immediately get out of balance. By anticipating and trying to look to induce heel for waves, ease for puffs, fl atten in shorter wave sets, etc we will loose to those who are on top of it all.

9. Clean line of site. I was reminded of how important it is to have on Sunday. My sunglasses were wet with salt water, and it was still quite sunny. For the last 2 races I took off my glasses and could see much better, regardless of the bright sun. M ability to read the wind increased greatly. Next time it is wavy or my glasses are wet I will look to take them off quickly.

10. Take notes: Ok this is not an on the water speed tip but if you write down all the cool tips and tricks you learn in dinghy sailing you will remember them better for next time. You can always reread them before big events just so you stay sharp and are in the right mindset.

Andrew ScrivanCPYC Laser Fleet Captain204130

WINTER 201524

Laser Master ACCsBy Jon Deutsch

Over 40 Lasers were at Fishing Bay Yacht Club for the Laser Masters Atlantic Coast Championship where John MacCausland (Cooper River Yacht Club) had all top 3 fi nishes in 8 races to win his 2nd Chesapeake Bay Laser Masters Championship in 3 years and the overall Masters ACC title.

The weekend started with 12-17 knot wind out of the west and partly cloudy skies, air temp in the mid 70’s and water temperature 69 degrees. The fi rst race was a single lap modifi ed windward-leeward where New Jersey natives MacCausland and Mike Hecky (Riverton Yacht Club) started out 1-2. The 2nd race was two laps on the same course in similar conditions and Severn Sailing Association’s Jonathan Phillips got bullet.

By the 3rd race the sailors were getting a little more comfortable with the shifts and the +5 knot puffs rolling down the course. Some were so comfortable they took time out of racing to enjoy a swim in the warm clear waters of the Piankatank River. With another 1st by MacCausland and 2nd by Phillips a two-boat race was beginning to shape up at the top of the leaderboard.

By the 4 race wind was still up but shifting even more necessitating a course change. And to mix things up late-arriving Rob Halawell from Connecticut Yacht Club put up a bullet after masterfully sailing Ss on the downwinds.

As the 4th race ended the wind nearly shut off and was followed by a 45-minute postponement. Once the wind settled it was back to same strength albeit 60 degrees to the right and Halawell put up another bullet on shortened course to fi nish out the day.

That evening sailors were treated to another legendary surf-and-turf Alain Vincey dinner followed by sailors doing what they do - telling sailing stories. Some great giveaways were provided by sponsors Dynamic Dollies, Annapolis Performance Sailing

and MacCausland Moorehouse Sailing. And at the end of the night the sailors were treated to drone footage of race 1 courtesy of Ned Rennolds. After hours a tent city was

erected where many sailors rode out the night in very gusty conditions.

By morning Brad Squires, with cooking from Julia

Lee, greeted the wind-wary sailors with hot food and hot coffee as they prepared for what would be a gusty day of sailing. As sailors

left the beach the signal boat, Mr. Roberts, was on

station reporting a steady 16 knots with gusts into the low 20s.

Many sailors wisely took advantage of the rig swap rule to downsize their sails while others elected to ‘fi nish ahead’ by staying ashore and not even subjecting themselves to the challenging wind and waves.

www.Laser.org 25

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The fi rst race Sunday was truly a test of stamina, boat handling and in some cases navigation. Post racing some sailors reported so much spray in their faces on the reach legs that they were having a hard time looking up for more than a few seconds to try and spot the wing mark almost a mile away as they blasted down the reach.

Three more races were sailed as the fl eet slowly dwindled with many sailors just trying to survive it. Luke Shingledecker from Severn Sailing Association showed he was the master of the windy races winning the day with a 3-1-1. Dennis Russom of Greater Wildwood Yacht Club also had a great day with top 5 fi nishes as did Hecky to hold onto 3rd place.

In the end it was MacCausland and Phillips who stayed consistently at the top of the fl eet to end up 1-2 in the Masters age bracket and overall. Congratulations to John MacCausland on a well-sailed weekend in some trying conditions!

Top fi nishers by age:

Apprentice Master: 1. Luke Shingledecker - (SSA) 2. Jason Ipe (PRSA)Master 1. John MacCausland (CRYC) 2. Jonathan Phillips (SSA)Grand Master 1. Mike Hecky (RYC) 2. Dennis Russom (GWYC)Great Grand Master 1. Rich Parolski (OCSC) 2. Dan Miller (PRSA)

Aerial photo by Ned Reynolds. All other photos: Jon Deutsch

WINTER 201526

High School Sailing Crowns New Singlehanded ChampionsISSA, the Interscholastic Sailing Association, held their annual High School singlehanded Championships in Bellingham, Washington over the November 1-2 weekend. 18 sailors in both the Radial & Full rigs, representing their various Districts across the USA competed in tying conditions to be named the HS Champion for the 2014-2015 season.

Below is a short summary of conditions for the event along with photos by Mike Powell.

RADIAL RIGSaturday, November 1:Racing started at 11:00 with a light north east breeze. One race in each fl eet was completed before the wind shutoff. At 3:30 another light breeze fi lled enough to get an additional race in each fl eet completed. No more races were completed on Saturday. Racers were sent in as the sun set.Sunday, November 2:Racing started around 10:40am with a steady 10-12 from the south east. Racing was sailed in the middle of Bellingham Bay where the wind was stronger. The wind stayed strong with minimal shifting throughout the day. Wind speed ranged from 8-15. Waves were 1-2 feet. Tide was strong from course right to left. Temperature was in the mid 50s. 8 races were completed in each fl eet Sunday for a total of 10 races.In the Laser-Full fl eet Patrick Shanahan is your ISSA Cressy Full Rig National Champion. Patrick won the regatta by 18 points over Colin Brego in 2nd and Cooper Weitz in 3rd.In the Laser-Radial fl eet Nic Baird is your ISSA Cressy Radial National Champion. Nic won the regatta by 12 points over William Marshall in 2nd and Scott Rasmussen in 3rd.

FULL RIGSaturday, November 1:Racing started at 11:00 with a light north east breeze. One race in each fl eet was completed before the wind shutoff. At 3:30 another light breeze fi lled enough to get an additional race in each fl eet completed. No more races were completed on Saturday. Racers were sent in as the sun set.Sunday, November 2:Racing started around 10:40am with a steady 10-12 from the south east. Racing was sailed in the middle of Bellingham Bay where the wind was stronger. The wind stayed strong with minimal shifting throughout the day. Wind speed ranged from 8-15. Waves were 1-2 feet. Tide was strong from course right to left. Temperature was in the mid 50s. 8 races were completed in each fl eet Sunday for a total of 10 races.

In the Laser-Full fl eet Patrick Shanahan is your ISSA Cressy Full Rig National Champion. Patrick won the regatta by 18 points over Colin Brego in 2nd and Cooper Weitz in 3rd.

www.Laser.org 27

In the Laser-Radial fl eet Nic Baird is your ISSA Cressy Radial National Champion. Nic won the regatta by 12 points over William Marshall in 2nd and Scott Rasmussen in 3rd.A big thanks to PRO Kyle Eaton, Chief Judge Jared Hickman, hosts Bellingham Yacht Club and Whatcom Sailing, and regatta chair Scott Wilson.Thanks to LaserPerformance for supplying 36 brand new Lasers and Nick Ewenson for all his work getting the boats ready and making repairs.

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Rigged exactly how Clay Johnson rigs his boat.

WINTER 201528

Men’s Collegiate Singlehanded Nationals Saturday, November 8:

A cold and foggy day resulted in no sailing for the fi rst day of the College Sailing Laser Performance Men’s Singlehanded National Championships. The fl eet hit the water once in the afternoon, but fog rolled back in to prevent racing.

Sunday, November 9:

After no racing Saturday and a strong morning forecast, the race committee moved report time and fi rst start up one hour. Racing started promptly at 9:30 by PRO Ben Glass. Wind started at 12-15 with gusts to 20 from the south and large waves 3-5 feet. Inner and Outer trapezoid courses were sailed all day. Wind and waves eased off and shifted west. Wind speed was around 6-8 and waves around 1-2 feet for races 3-4. Around 2pm the wind fell below 3knts and racing was called for the weekend with 6 races completed.

Thanks to PRO Ben Glass, Chief Judge Bryan McDonald, the Bellingham Yacht Club, Western Washington University, and Whatcom Sailing for running a great event.

Thanks to our sponsors LaserPerformance, Marlow Ropes for providing great lasers and mainsheets.

Congrats to Stefano Peschiera from the College of Charleston on winning the Glen S. Foster Trophy as the College Sailing Men’s Singlehanded National Champion. Luke Muller from Stanford fi nished 2nd and Avery Fanning of Coast Guard fi nished 3rd.

Luke Muller from Stanford fi nished

www.Laser.org 29

Women’s Collegiate Singlehanded Championship Saturday, November 8:

A cold and foggy day resulted in no sailing for the fi rst day of the College Sailing Laser Performance Women’s Singlehanded National Championships. The fl eet hit the water once in the afternoon, but fog rolled back in to prevent racing.

Sunday, November 9:

After no racing Saturday and a strong morning forecast, the race committee moved report time and fi rst start up one hour. Racing started promptly at 9:30 by PRO Ben Glass. Wind started at 12-15 with gusts to 20 from the south and large waves 3-5 feet. Inner and Outer trapezoid courses were sailed all day. Wind and waves eased off and shifted west. Wind speed was around 6-8 and waves around 1-2 feet for races 3-4. Around 2pm the wind fell below 3knts and racing was called for the weekend with 6 races completed.

Thanks to PRO Ben Glass, Chief Judge Bryan McDonald, the Bellingham Yacht Club, Western Washington University, and Whatcom Sailing for running a great event.

Thanks to our sponsors LaserPerformance, Marlow Ropes for providing great lasers and mainsheets.

Congrats to Erika Reineke from Boston College on winning the Janet Lutz Trophy as the College Sailing Women’s Singlehanded National Champion for a third year in a row. Lindsey Baab from Brown University placed 2nd and Dana Rohde from Coast Guard Academy placed 3rd.

WINTER 201530

District 1Danielle DubeNova Scotia, CAN

After having a beautiful (warm!) September and early October, the weather has fi nally turned cold and most sailing in the D1 provinces has fi nished. On October 18-19th, the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron held its Fall Dinghy Regatta, which attracted 7 lasers and 3 radials. In the Laser fl eet, Luke Ruitenberg of RNSYS fi nished fi rst with a total of 13 points, followed by second place (and fi rst female) Antonia Lewin-LaFrance with 20 points. Gordon Stevens placed 3rd with a total of 30 points. In the radial fl eet, Aiden Harris of RNSYS placed 1st, Julian Qu fi nished 2nd, and Brandon Ritchie of RNSYS placed 3rd.Many D1 sailors have packed up their boats and are planning to train and compete in Florida this winter. In the next issue I hope to have results from The ISAF World Cup in Miami (January 25-31st), and Laser Midwinters East in Clearwater (Feb 18-22, 2015).Finally, in an effort to keep people informed on what is happening in District 1, I will be making a Facebook group titled “Laser Class District 1”. As soon as next year’s schedule is available, I will post it to the site, and will also use the site as a forum to answer your questions. I also encourage sailors to use the group to ask each other questions, set up training sessions, or post results from events that I may have missed.Wishing you all the best this holiday season.

District 3Nigel HeathOntario, CAN

Things are quiet in District 3 at present, but we are looking forward to some mid-winter sailing in warmer climates and hopefully an early start to the 2015 sailing season. At the Water Rats Sailing Club we used this quiet period to make a few improvements to our facilities. If you haven’t been down to the Rats for a few years you wouldn’t recognize the place.…well the clubhouse anyways. No longer are we sailing out of the bridge of an old junked freighter whose charm and character included a racoon invested, feces strewn, asbestos- ridden biohazard that is was. It’s amazing that we used that place as much as we did, but hey, it served our needs for decades and maybe it made us better sailors. On a cold day we didn’t have the option of staying warm inside a comfortable clubhouse, so we went out sailing often in terrible conditions. Things have fi nally improved for the better, as we now have a respectable clubhouse, electricity and most recently added some comfortable furniture. It now has a café feel to it…..the Ratbucks Café. Hopefully it’s not so comfortable that we avoid sailing on cold

weather days.

The new Ratbucks café. Thanks to Joe van Rossem, James Belfrage, Ben and Max Friolet for their help assembling furniture.We are probably in the middle of snowkiting season by the time you read this. Kiteskiing is one of the most effi cient forms of harnessing natural power, and a lot easier to learn than kitesurfi ng. It’s a huge adrenaline rush that forces you to push your comfort zone, but it’s also important to focus on safety given the potential power of the kite. The Water Rats, Cherry Beach and Lake Simcoe (Keswick) are the most popular locations. If you are interested in trying this, come out and see us some weekend.

District 4 Brigitte SmutneyManitoba, CAN

Not much going on in District 4 at -27 degrees celsius. We’d all rather be sailing that’s for sure....! On November 6th we had our awards ceremony to honour this years top sailors, coaches and volunteers. Congratulations to all of our champions: Laser 4.7 - James Thompson, Laser Radial - Colin Krawchuk, Laser - Andrew Murtomaki, Laser Master - Bill Dawson, District 4 - Kyle Ross and U19 District 4 - Anthony Clark. During the winter Team Manitoba will be attending the Louis Riel Training Camp at the Western Canada Training Centre at the Royal Victoria YC. We are also in the midst of planning a trip to the Midwinters at the West Coast. Team activities during the long winter month include concussion, drug and nutrition seminars, mental training sessions as well as fun stuff like rock climbing, sky zone, archery, go carting and a day at adrenalin adventures. Happy Holiday from Manitoba!

District 5 Mark LammensSaskatchewan, CAN

Dick Degner Series fi nal results, Spring Short Course-Wascana, Sail West/Founders-WSC, Icebreaker-CYC, Prairie Wind-Newell, Districts, Short Course-Redberry, SK Championships, Battleford’s, Top 3 scores, min of 1 from either SK or AB. Overall Open, 1st Ian Elliott-39 pts, 2nd Ilia Rudnitskiy-36 pts, 3rd Mark Bugiak-32 pts, 4th Luke Harrison-31 pts, Overall Radial 1st Stephen Reichenfeld-32

pts, 2nd Lesley Reichenfeld-29 pts, 3rd Connor Weicht-26 pts, 4th Andre Gagnon-26 pts, Overall Masters 1st Louis Pierre Gagnon, 56 pts, 2nd Lewis Oteruelo-46 pts, 3rd Barry Tee-42 pts, 4th Mike Hooper-40 pts, 5th Phil Paxton-34 pts.

District 6Vancouver, BC, CANAndy Hunt

Greetings to all District 6 Laser, Laser Radial and Laser 4.7 sailors, coaches and volunteers.

By the time the Winter edition of The Laser Sailor reaches your doorstep, there will be no more regattas scheduled for District 6. There was one regatta in September (Fall Dinghies), one regatta in October (Pumpkin Bowl) and one in November (Bluenose Regatta). The Fall Dinghies was held at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club on the last weekend of September (27 and 28). The Lasers and Laser Radials raced on the outer course which was near the Oak Bay Marina. There were 21 Laser Full Rigs, 25 Laser Radials and 1 Laser 4.7. Victoria did not live up to it’s reputation of being a windy venue as there were only two races on Saturday and one race on Sunday. The top 5 sailors in the Laser Full Rigs were: Reece Myerscough, RVICYC, 7.00; Tony Martin, JSCA, 13.00; Graham Harney, RVANYC, 15.00; Aidan Koster, RVICYC, 16.00; Max Gallent, RVICYC, 16.00. The top fi ve Laser Radial sailors were:Natalia Montemayor, RVANYC, 7.00; Maura Dewey, RVICYC, 13.00; Alex Brown, Comox Bay Sailing Club, 13.00; John Owen, RVICYC, 15.00; Chris Volkers, Comox Bay Sailing Club, 22.00. The lone 4.7 sailor was Garrett Reid from the Hollyburn Sailing Club. The West Vancouver Yacht Club was host to it’s annual Pumpkin Bowl Regatta on October 18 and 19.The Pumpkin Bowl was the last regatta of the BC Sailing Circuit. The wind at the Pumpkin Bowl was moderate on Saturday and very windy on Sunday. Some of the sailors who registered only sailed on Saturday and not Sunday. Down near the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, a yacht measured the wind at 22 knots on Sunday. There were 14 Laser Full Rigs, 46 Laser Radials and 5 Laser 4.7s. Sailors came from all over BC as well as some from Calgary and the US. The top three Laser Full Rigs were: Max Gallant, RVICYC 6.00; Ian Elliott, RVICYC, 7.00 and Reece Myerscough, RVICYC, 9.00. In the Laser Radials, the top fi ve sailors were: Alexander Fritz, RVANYC, 8.00; Hanne Weaver, RVANYC, 9.00; Maura Dewey, RVICYC, 14.00; Talia Toland, SYC, 25.00; Jackson McCoy, PMYC, 32.00. The fi ve 4.7 sailors were: Matthew Stanaghan, WVYC, 9.00; Michale Haines, WVYC,12.00; Josh Smithman, RPSA, 16.00; Adrian Conn, Squamish Yacht Club, 24.00; Scott Penegoodoff, WVYC, 24.00.

District Reports

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The Kitsilano Yacht Club was host to the Bluenose Regatta on November 1 and 2. Moderate winds prevailed on Saturday while the winds on Sunday were a little bit less. There were both Standards and Radials but no Laser 4.7s. Five of the seven Laser Full Rigs came from the Jericho Sailing Centre. The top three Laser Full Rig sailors were: Peter Woytkowiak, JSCA, 23.00; Jacek Suski, JSCA, 24.00; Jorge L Yanez del Castillo, JSCA, 26.00. Speaking of Jorge, he is one of the few Laser sailors based out of the Jericho Sailing Centre, who is doing a lot of travelling, especially to the United States. There were 8 Laser Radials and the top three fi nishes were: Benji McMaster, RVANYC, 13.00; Marcia Macdonald, RVANYC, 16.00; Deirdre Webster, JSCA, 35.00. Marcia has recently started to race the Laser Radial and hopes to compete in the 2015 Laser Master Worlds in Kingston, Ontario. As mentioned above, BC Sailing and Helly Hansen put on a multi-regatta dinghy circuit for all Laser sailors (as well as double-handed boats) throughout the year. The scores are calculated by the number of boats in a regatta and how many regattas each sailor participates in. There were 51 Laser Standard sailors registered in the circuit, an amazing 95 registered Laser Radial sailors and 9 Laser 4.7 sailors. In the Laser Standards, the top fi ve sailors were: Max Gallant, RVICYC; Reece Myerscough, RVICYC; Adam Sorensen, RVICYC; Bob Britten, RVICYC and Dominic Fritz, RVANYC. In the Laser Radials, the top ten sailors were: Alex Brown, Comox Bay Sailing Club; John Owen, RVICY; Miranda MacGillvray; RVANYC, Alexander Fritz, RVANYC; Evan Robson, RPSA: Jake Cullen, RVANYC; Maura Dewey, RVICYC; Kieren Horsburgh, RVICYC; Talia Toland, SYC and Graham Brown, RVANYC. In the Laser 4.7s, the top three sailors were: Matthew Stranaghan, NSST; Josh Smithman, RPSA and Michela Haines, NSST. I am sorry if I spelled some of the names wrong but I got them from results that I found on the internet. As you can see by this report, the Royal Victoria Yacht Club’s Standard Laser team is doing something right. It seems as though they have taken over the results from the RVANYC race team. However, the RVANYC Radial team continues to do well at regattas. For 2015 (as far as I know), English Bay will host two major ILCA NA regattas. These regattas are the 2015 Pacifi c Coast Laser, Laser Radial and Laser 4.7 Championships and the other is the 2015 Canadian Laser Master Championships. The PCCs are hosted by the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club while the Canadian Masters are hosted by the Jericho Laser Fleet and the Jericho Sailing Center.

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.

District 7Derek StowTiverton, RI

2014 was another successful year of Laser racing in New England (aka district 7) with over 30 regattas sailed, and 44 boats at our Standard Rig District Championship in Newport. As I write this at the end of November, frostbite sailing is in full swing at various locations including Newport (over 40 boats sailing on the weekend before Thanksgiving) and Cedar Point YC. The 2014 fall frostbiting season at Marblehead was won by Wayne Colahan with an average score of 3.87, ahead of Tom Daily, Chris Palmieri, Stein Kaane and Steve Uhl. Thanks to the hard-working regatta organizers and race committees for all their efforts in making this another great year for us. And a special word of thanks this season to Joe Berkeley, Laser sailor and freelance writer extraordinaire, who

has been producing superb regatta reports full of wit and wisdom for almost every event he has sailed.

A contingent of nine sailors from District 7 travelled to Hyères in France for the Laser Masters Worlds in October. Peter Shope was 3rd and Scott Ferguson was 4th in the Standard Rig Masters fl eet. Mark Bear was 8th in the Standard Grand Masters fl eet. And Peter Seidenberg came third in the 73 boat Great Grandmaster Radial fl eet, in spite of having to race against mere kids aged only 65. For the fi rst time this year, there was a separate award for the sailors aged over 75 (twelve in all) and of course Peter Seidenberg took home the world championship in this category. Also racing in Hyères were Mike Matan, Joe Berkeley, Eric Aker, Halsey Bullen and Judith Krimski.

On September 14th deep blue skies and a moderate but varied wind set the tone for the 40th Loon Cup on Lake Cobbossee - stop #4 of 5 in the Maine State Championship

Series. The wind averaged in the 8-12 knot

WINTER 201532

range W-NW, and typical for lake sailing was varied both in intensity and direction. Peter Clapp valiantly started 8 races to allow one throwout for 15 sailors. Colin Gowland was the clear winner with a 19 point total, which included 4 bullets and one second. The next members of the top fi ve were Tom Jamieson, Gary Orkney, Hank Thorburn, and George Haselton. The competitors fi nished the sunny day with a great cookout and some cold, refreshing beverages prior to an epic sunset over one of Maine’s most pretty and regularly sailed lakes.

A couple of weeks later, the fi nal event in the Maine Series was the Hippo Cup held in Thomaston. Thomaston is, of course, famous as the place where the Smuttynose Axe Murderer and the Thorndike Slayer were hanged in June 1875. Seven races were sailed in a puffy 10-17 knot southerly on the river. A premium was placed on strategy and boatspeed as 12 sailors battled it out in all of Maine’s fall glory. Gary Orkney of Connecticut fi nished 3rd while Colin Gowland and Josh Saltmarsh battled for the top spot. The fi nal race culminated with a long and persistent tacking duel with Saltmarsh slowly gaining on Gowland throughout the leg. Colin held him off at the fi nish to take the win and fi rst spot in the Overall Maine Championship series. Gary Orkney edged out Hank Thorburn by one point to take second overall in the series, while George Haselton and Sally Sharp rounded out the top 5. Sally Sharp also won an uncontested 1st in the woman division. Special thanks goes out to all the regattas organizers, sailors and Annapolis Performance Sailing for sponsoring the events.

The New England Laser Masters Championship was sailed at Wianno YC in Osterville on Cape Cod on the weekend of Sep 20/21. Not many people know that Osterville is really a mis-spelling of its former name of Oysterville and that it was once the home of movie star Lee Remick. On Saturday, the conditions were sporty with winds at 10-20 miles per hour from 175-180, and later 200 degrees. On Sunday the winds were softer with lumpy waves. Scott Ferguson was on fi re, dominating the 31 boat fl eet, winning the regatta with a 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, DNC. Peter Shope was second overall and Peter Vessella was third. Glenn Dickson was fi rst Apprentice Master, Scott Ferguson fi rst Master (of course), Peter Vessella was fi rst Grand Master and, as always, the iron man of district 7, Peter Seidenberg, sailed a great regatta, beating younger, heavier competitors in the big breeze on Saturday to place 6th overall and win the Great Grand Master Division.

The last regatta on the 2014 district 7 schedule was the famous Fat Boys Regatta on November 9 which was moved from Bristol to

Newport this year. The true origin of the Fat Boys is lost in the mists of time, but legend has it that it was started by Mark Bear and the late John Bentley many years ago with the plan that the regatta was only to be sailed after the sea breeze had fi lled in so that the heavier, larger, manly man sailors could exert their deserved dominance over the lighter sailors under 240 lbs. This scheme didn’t quite work out this year as the regatta was won by Steve Kirkpatrick (not fat) by the slenderest of margins over Peter Shope, with Ed Adams in third, Dan Neri in fourth, and Christine Neville (not fat and not even a boy) in fi fth.

As we look ahead to planning the 2015 season, you can mark these dates on your calendar now…April 26 - Peter Milnes RegattaJune 6,7 - Wickford Regatta July 11,12 - Newport RegattaJuly 31, Aug 1,2 - Hyannis RegattaAugust 7,8,9 - Buzzards Bay Regatta

Please feel free to contact me about any district matters at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you.

District 8Dave TrinderNew York

After a highly successful summer with laser racing events every weekend, district 8 is now well into winter sailing. With an average of 20 lasers each Sunday, it is well worth the cost of a dry suit to join Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club’s winter sailing. Sunday November 30th was the annual Turkey Bowl.regatta which had everyone racing for the coveted chocolate turkey. The light to medium breeze kept the racing close but in the end, Rick Wood was a clear winner with 9 points, followed by David Trinder (12) and Lindsay Hewitt (13). Winter sailing continues every Sunday through April 2015. Email [email protected] for more information.

District 10Eric ReitingerNew Jersey

Those who didn’t make it up to Monmouth for their annual fall regatta, missed a beautiful day on the Navesink. 7 boats arrived to race in a puffy and shifty south to south east breeze with wind 8-12mph. As it was said a few times, you could go from fi rst to last and vice versa on this river and it did happen quite a few times. Dave Magno started off strong the fi rst few races and brought an early lead. Eric Reitinger came on strong at the end and was able to have fewer worse races than Dave. No position was safe, changing every leg of the race. The RC was able to get in 7 good races and get us off the water by 1:45. We then sat on the second deck of the club and socialized while we ate

lunch. Once again thanks to MBC for hosting us. Keep in mind that Red Bank makes a great family trip! Cristian Henkel brought his family and they were all out on the water either sailing or stand up paddle boarding. The downtown

area is also quite nice, offering plenty of places to eat and things to see.The Philadelphia Cup was held just off of Penns Landing. You can’t beat the scenery with the Battleship New Jersey, Camden Aquarium, Ben Franklin Bridge and the Philadelphia skyline all around you. The logistics get better every year with a nice ramp for the Laser and Sunfi sh fl eets. The scenery was picturesque and the racing was tight. Heavy current and puffy conditions offered some challenging conditions. The wind started very light out of the north and locked in out of the northeast after one race. The current also switched after the fi rst few races changing the conditions for the fl eet. Eric Reitinger and Dennis Russom battled for the top position and Eric prevailed. Sailors were treated with a nice Mt. Gay sponsored rum party along with various snacks sponsors. The Toms River Yacht Club 2014 Fall Series was a huge success! Sailors competed in 21 races over the course of four weeks. We had light winds and warm temperatures the fi rst week, wet and medium breeze the second week, and breeze on for the last two weeks. In total, 22 different Laser sailors competed! Clay has been doing a great job getting junior sailing continuing outside of the normal summer season and the fall series as well as his team shows that he wants to help get sailing popular back in NJ.Marsh Creek held their annual fall Laser regatta in mid-October. There were 16 boats in 8-25 mph out of the NW. Top 3 were Glen Dickson, Peter Madonna, J.R. Futcher. Congrats Glen.There have also been a few frostbite series going on. Marsh Creek has had their series running every Sunday in November and through December. Monmouth also runs their series through December every Sunday and Cooper River luckily had their series every Sunday in November (minus the fi rst Sunday) and Thanksgiving). Cooper River was unique because the river was supposed to be dredged starting in the fall. County issues have caused the dredging to be pushed so we were lucky to continue sailing. This year was also unique in that we haven’t

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had a dominant race winner every time. Only one person won multiple days of the series, showing how competitive the fl eet was. The conditions have also been fairly light and very shifty. We were also fortunate to not have very cold conditions. The football, pizza and drinks were always waiting for us once we got off the water. Also saw at least 24 different boats over the series and an average of 17 boats a day (bring the radials, we sadly lost that fl eet for a few years!).November 9 Nick von der WenseNovember 16 Eric ReitingerNovember 23 Brent Barbehann November 27 John MacCauslandNovember 30 Eric ReitingerOverall Series winner: John MacCauslandCraig Priniski also has been taking pics and video thanks to his GoPros. Search for his name on YouTube to see some of his work over the series and last years too!

Next year we do have a few major events in the area so add these to your calendar.

July 21-24 Laser Nationals @ Brant Beach YCAugust 15-16 Laser Radial and 4.7 D10 Champions @ Cape MaySeptember 19-20 Laser Masters Atlantic Coasts @ Brant Beach YC

District 11Jon DeutschVA, MD, DE

Winter time in District 11 brings Frostbiting at a number of our fl eets, we’ve got results from the fi nal fall events and we’re currently planning events for next season. Fleet captains and anyone else organizing events in D11 -please send along your events (and later results) so we can post them on the D11 website.

This year Severn Sailing Association and Potomac River Sailing Association are both running Sunday frostbites from November through March. The Hampton Roads Laser Fleet also sails on select Sundays as does Corsica River Yacht Club Laser Fleet.

Some results from this fall:SSA held their fall series in September over two days. Leading the Standards was Jack

Field, Bob Tan (SSA), Nicholas Place (CRYC). In the Radials was Sandy Westphal(SSA), David Grace (SSA) and Chris Young (SSA).

The last weekend in September was SSA’s Crab Claw Regatta sailed in relatively light winds over 2 days for 7 races. Jon Deutsch (FBYC) won the standard fl eet followed by locals Luke Shingledecker (SSA) and Jonathan Phillips (SSA). The radial fl eet was led by Phil Schofi eld (SSA), Dorian Haldeman (SSA) and Adam Wolnikowski (SYC).

The Hard Rock Laser Masters were sailed at Rock Hall Yacht Club the fi rst weekend of October. James Jacob (SSA) was the overall winner followed by D10 sailors Had Brick (IHYC) and Jim Knab (CRYC).

The Laser Masters Atlantic Coast Championship was held at Fishing Bay Yacht Club - check out the complete report elsewhere in this edition of The Laser Sailor.

FBYC closed out their Laser sailing season with a Frostbite Regatta the fi rst weekend in November with 9 boats. Stephen Sparkman (FBYC) got a bullet in his 3rd day racing a Laser after returning from a 15-year hiatus. It’s great to have him in the fl eet. Jon Deutsch (FBYC) was second followed by Clark Dennison (FBYC).

Looking forward to next year - look for early regattas at SSA for the their Crab Claw Regatta and May 16-17 - the Laser Atlantic Coast Championship at Fishing Bay.

Stay warm this winter and see you racing lasers soon!follow our updates and subscribe to our email list at http://www.laserdistrict11.org

District 12Charlie UsherNC, SC, GA

My fi rst order of business is to thank Glenn for serving as the D12 Secretary last season and to congratulate him on winning the District Championship for the fi fth time! WOW! Our full list of 2014 Champions:

FULL GLENN WALKERRADIAL CHASE CARRAWAY4.7 NATHAN PORTER

JUNIOR CHASE CARRAWAYOVERALL MASTER JOHN POTTERAPPRENTICE MASTER GLENN WALKERMASTER BUTCH MUMMAGRAND MASTER JOHN POTTERGREAT GRAND MASTER FINN HASSING

The District has six Championship Regattas planned again this year. We have a great mix

of venues with two river regattas in the Spring in Savannah and Beaufort, this summer in Charleston Harbor and Wrightsville Beach [my favorite ocean venue] and two lake events this fall in Charlotte and Columbia. Four of the six venues allow camping which is always fun and easy on the wallet. The district has a great bunch of up and coming Juniors and a crusty bunch of Masters who keep coming back for more fun.

I will mail a postcard and post on the D12 website once all the dates are confi rmed.

The fi rst two events are locked and loaded:1] Savannah Yacht Club on April 11-12. This includes a dock party at the Ushers on Friday evening, dinner at the club on Saturday night, a great sea breeze [I hope] and interesting tides at the confl uence of two rivers. Camping is available at the club.2] Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club on May 2-3. A social gathering on Friday night for the out of town sailors, great camping, easy launching, dinner at the club on Saturday and a great sea breeze. This regatta will also be our Grand Prix event for our district!

Come join the fun in D12 next year! Follow us on our website: http://d12.laserforum.org. If you have any questions, contact me at [email protected].

District 13Michelle DavisFlorida

The Laser Fleet Miami Sunday Series held on Biscayne Bay fi nished for 2014, although our last event was cancelled due to high winds. Price we pay to share a race committee with other classes; 4 of us Laser people went out anyways to play around and enjoyed 25 kt gusts and deathrolling into the warm 78 degree water. The overall top 10 for 2014 are: 1.James Liebl 2.Roberto Porter 3.Michelle Davis 4.Ernesto Rodriquez 5.Erich Mones 6.Francis Hawley 7.Andre Guaragna 8.Hernan Peralta 9.Freddy Sambolin 10.Emilio Miguel. The LFM Sunday Series, Treasure Coast Series, Suncoast Series, Melbourne YC Small Boat Sundays and Lake Eustis Club Race weekends will all start up again in 2015; details and links will be posted on the D13 website as events get scheduled.Some international results from D13’ers include the Masters Worlds, held in Hyeres, France last October, where a passel of folks attended: David Hartman was 15th in the Great Grand Master division, David Hillmyer was 30th in the Apprentice Standard, Tim Landt was 35th in the Grand Master Standard, and Peter Vessella made the podium with a 3rd in the Grand Master Standard division (OK we share him with D24). Meanwhile, Paige Railey was 6th at the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Abu Dhabi in November.

WINTER 201534

Upcoming regattas this winter: The D13 District Championships will be held at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron on Dec 6-7, and as of this writing 71 boats are registered in all three rigs. Coconut Grove sailing club will host the Open Orange Bowl on Dec 27-30. Lauderdale YC will host the Lauderdale Olympic Class Ocean Regatta on Jan 17-19. This event is open to all and is a great chance to play on the ocean and test your skills against some of the best in the world who may use it as a warm-up for Miami OCR. Open Midwinters East will be held in Clearwater on February 18-22. And for the 35 and older crowd, the dates and venues are set for the now classic Masters Florida Week. Masters Midwinters East is at USSC Martin County Feb 7-9, Midweek Madness is at the same location Feb 11-12, and the Florida Masters will be at the Palm Beach Sailing Club Feb 14-15. NOR’s and additional information about these events are posted on the D13 website: http://laserdistrict13.org/

District 15Forest AkinsTexas

Since my last report this past summer D15 has had a busy time. All of which has been in great sailing weather!Let’s start with the District 15 Champs conducted at a new time and place for us Tejas Laserers. August in Palacios .... and what an event ..... but fi rst some explanation. During last winter’s planning, there had been a

developing desire to have more TSA (juniors) and adult combined events. Fred’s Easter regatta has historically and successfully done this already. To quell any further concerns we collectively agreed to try this combination a bit more at the Palacios YC’s TSA Cannonball juniors event which occurred in August. Where’s Palacios ? .... north end of Matagorda bay about an hour and half drive south of Houston Galveston. Barney Gulley, Hans Trieu and the PYC gang put on a great regatta .... and apparently dialed up some fantastic wind as well. Try to imagine 2 days of steady 15-20 winds in 85 degree water with 2ft+ wave rolling through...... oh .... and no boat other than those racing and the shimp boats staying within their channel hundreds of yards from the edge of the course ! I have never seen so much water left solely to a regatta.....perfect. Juniors and adult racing together worked well. Young Keen Butcher (1st) showed all of us how it’s done followed by perennial favorite Doug Peckover (2nd).

For full results see https://www.regattatech.com/events/TSA/PYC14/scoring/showResultsRosterI was too far back to even see what was going on up there ..... but having fun doing it ! The Butcher name was a recurring theme there! Thanks to Keen Butcher Sr. for the support and coordination. Looking forward to it next year. Next up was LaserPalooza at Arlington in September. Jack Hattendorf and the AYC folks put on yet another beautiful weather albeit light-air event. Yep Doug won that one and I’m still trying to fi gure out why ...at 200 lbs ..... I got 2nd........so is Owen Bushaw (3rd) and Jack (4th). Once again we had nearly the whole lake to ourselves. It’s an <expletive deleted> shame what the city is doing to AYC. Yet in the face of this adversity the AYC have quickly secured a new location and are soldiering on. Check out their new website http://arlingtonyachtclub.org/ Last and far from least was the year end Wurstfest. My webmaster delegate Greg Wallace posted a great wrap-up at our district website .... http://laserd15.org/wp/?p=193 Coach Luther Carpenter did his annual “trot-out-to-spank-the-gang” deal again with Doug P. following closely behind.It’s great having guys like this to learn from. Luther put together the really nice narrative on the website...an interesting and informative read to be sure! Go to this link for results and photos of this beautiful Lake Canyon Texas hill country event.http://www.wurstfestregatta.com/index.php/wurstfest-regatta-i/ Although not within D15, I can’t miss giving congrats to our Dallas Laser Fleeter Sklar Bayman for winning the radial Fleet at the No Coast event at Lake Dillon.... way to go bud.As usual I’m writing this at the deadline (well ... past it a bit....thanks/sorry Jerelyn) and my feeble memory is running outta stuff to make up but I did want to pass along my thanks to all those who made this another great year in D15. Another year of increase in folk’s sailing-racing lasers particularly at our home club Corinthian SC on White Rock in Dallas. We have (yet again this year) a number of new folks joining our fl eet-club, buying boats and going to regattas..... and I believe a couple in the pipeline for next year.... right Griffi n ?Our formula has been pretty simple.....loaner boats, coaching, emailing, website and more than one person promoting and supporting. There are many more to thank ...but these come to mind ..... Greg Wallace .... webmaster-communicationsFred ..... he just communicates and puts on the best regattaMark Babb....for loaner and infrastructure maintenance and on-water coachingKirk Taylor ...emailing -communicationBruce Moore.... mentoring, historian and D15 sec. adjustment from time to timeLuther and Doug for on the water coaching.... think Ryan did a bit too.

...and most of all ..... the juniors and new folks for showing us a bright Laser future. Next year will be another great one particularly with the Gulf Coast champs back at TCYC...... and my last as D15 sec. Don›t everybody volunteer at once! Stay in shape this winter.

District 19 MichiganKen Swetka

Sailing is over in Michigan as Winter has come early. Seeing Lake St Clair mostly frozen in mid-November put a damper on even the heartiest frostbiters. The Fall weather even caused regatta cancellations so there is only one regatta report.

Grand Traverse Yacht Club Fall Regatta Report by Tom Babel

“DOC ROB” CAPTURES THE BABEL CUP

Eight Lasers Sailed on October 4th in the GTYC Fall Laser Regatta. The scores from this regatta are added to the Spring Regatta for “The Babel Cup”. PRO Jordon Owen called for a four race series of windward/leeward courses. The air temperature was in the mid 40’s with a SW breeze/10-20.

There was plenty of close racing throughout the fl eet. At the front of the fl eet, Than Dykstra, Dirk Phelps and Tom Babel crosses tacks in the gusty/shifty conditions. Rob Lovell, Bob Bemben and Jack Shields sailed strong all day, hiking hard up wind and concentrating downwind to stay away from the disastrous capsize. Tom Hazelton and Andrew Girrell rounded out the fl eet, which enjoyed the comforts of the GTYC after racing with a hot shower, warm brats and a cold beer.

Rob “Doc Rob” Lovell won The Babel Cup with his combined score of 1st (Spring Regatta) and 4th (Fall Regatta) for a low point total of 5 points. Bemben was second with 9 points and Hazelton 3rd with 10 points.

Many thanks to PRO Owen for another great year of RC work, David Phelps for his support and the GTYC membership that pitched in to make the event happen.

Fall Regatta results summary:

1) Tom Babel 4 points2) Dirk Phelps 9 (Top Junior)3) Than Dykstra 124) Rob Lovell 195) Bob Bemben 20 (Top Master)6) Jack Shields 237) Tom Hazelton 278) Andrew Girrell 30

www.Laser.org 35

That’s all for now from D19 (Michigan)! As always check www.D19Laser.org or www.facebook.com/D19Laser for more reports and photos!

District 20Troy TolanIllinois

This sailing season I traveled more than I have for a long time - more like it was in my college days. Met a lot of new people, I hope I can now call friends. All the while I was trying to pay attention to events and people’s attitudes about sailing Lasers.Laser Sailors are in it, for all sorts of reasons. For me, it’s the traveling, the physical challenge and being somewhat competitive. For others, it is all over the board, from just happy to have a boat to sail - to those who incorporate coach boats to approach perfection and win more consistently. I remember someone saying, late in the season, they wish they didn’t have to focus so much on winning and could just enjoy the regattas. Well, I am certainly doing my part to help them win - and events should be enjoyable. Everyone should respect these differences. Ideas I want the district members to think about for this coming year is Youth participation at the local level, with more 4.7 and Radial centered events, and most importantly, working on how to grow the local fl eet.There are many articles written on how to grow a fl eet. The most common idea is that, it takes more than just one person. It takes at least two energetic people working together to build the momentum needed. I encourage each local fl eet in the district to make plans or create a playbook in order to grow your fl eet. The strength of our district is directly related to how strong the fl eets are at the local level.If you haven’t done so already, set up a Facebook “Page” or “Group” for you fl eet. I would not try to use your Yacht Club FB site, because you will get lost in all the voices. If you need help in setting one up, just contact me. Here are the D20 local fl eet sites so far:www.facebook.com/CSALaserFleethttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Bay-Laser-Fleet/358169443602Lake Springfi eldhttps://www.facebook.com/

groups/305383369552839Neenah Nodawayhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/108397912513807https://www.facebook.com/groups/PewaukeeLaserFleet/The last regatta of the year was on my home waters of CSA and turned out to be a great success! Special Thanks need to go out to the

Volunteers – Howard Harris (for guiding me through CSA working & strong-arming some of the Volunteers), John (PRO) and Peggy Woodworth & Mandy Harris (for race committee, loved the start order withthe 4.7 and Radials fi rst - it felt like I was sailing with everyone!), John Folwell (for scoring in a timely fashion), David Crosby/Mark Paoli (for Crash Boat 1) and DavidWaugh/Jim Disano (for Crash Boat 2). Both crews did a great job of being in two places at

once setting courses, (balloons released at the windward mark drifted across the fi nish line) and rescue detail. And fi nally, two people who took on the mission to pick-up, setup, serve, cook, wash-up and put items away! Thanks Cheryl Harris and Terri Crosby!!!!!!!! Saturday’s strong breeze made the start of racing a challenge for some of the competitors! Konrad Powell and Molly Dudinger from IBYC battled it out for top position in the 4.7s. Porter Peterson, IBYC, dominated the Radials with Megan Crosby and Howard Harris ofCSA, trailing close behind. In the Laser Class, Blair Dryden and Ted Harris from KSA held the top, with me, Ian Moriarty, CSA and Tim Dixon, IBYC, in the hunt! After completing 4 races, we headed in to warm-up and get ready for the grilling, bonfi re and tunes. Sunday’s light air changed the outlook for some sailors! Kolton Powell, 11 years old from IBYC won race fi ve and got 2nd in the last race of the 4.7s. Radials became dominated by Porter but, Reagan Lessick, student of Wayne Myers of ECSC, posted two 2nd place fi nishes. And fi nally, in the Lasers, Bryan Burke, CSA, was just edged out of 1st by Tim Dixon, IBYC, in race 5, and Ted Harris wins race 6 with Bill Hanson, DPYC, not far behind. Final results can be viewed under “Results Archive” at regattanetwork.com.In closing, please renew your membership to keep our organization strong! Even if you no longer race or sail, it would be great to have your support. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you or your fl eet.

District 22Kurt HoehneSeattle, WA

Bellingham Yacht Club was “Laser Central”

for much of the Fall. The Dale Jepsen One Design Regatta featured a 25-boat full rig fl eet and a fi ve boat Radial fl eet. Dan Falk won the full rig fl eet, better than holding his own in the light air early and then dominating when the wind piped up.

On November 1-2, BYC hosted the ISSA high school singlehanded championships, followed shortly thereafter by the collegiate singlehanded championships. An infl ux of junior sailors has been boosting the fl eet size in the Seattle area. What a great sign! The Seattle Laser Fleet’s famed frostbite series started off in impressive fashion with 30+ boats turning up at Sail Sand Point on Lake Washington. Including the Sail Sand

Point venue to the frostbite schedule has turned out to be a great move. The next frostbite was held on the Sound and saw a number of “lake sailors” make the trip to salt water. Corinthian Yacht Club’s Turkey Bowl before Thanksgiving similarly saw very encouraging participation, with 20 Standards and 9 Radials with their own starts.

District 23Geoff HurwitchUT, CO, AZ, NM

District 23 fi nished the season with two good events. First to run was the 2014 Laser No Coasts which coincided with the Dillon Open. The high altitude Colorado weather didn’t disappoint and sixteen Laser sailors got to enjoy the excellent race venue. Blaine McCleskey came out on top

WINTER 201536

with a commanding performance. The next regatta was the season ending Park City Sailing Association Fall Regatta which was held just outside of Park City, Utah on the Jordanelle Reservoir. Light winds on Saturday made way for a stormy but windy Sunday and plenty of races were sailed in order to make for a good event. New to Park City local sailor Michael Zavell, who also came in second overall in Park City Sailing Association’s season championship in 2014, came out on top in a hotly contested event. Now the boats have been stored away and skis have been waxed in preparation for the snow in both of these mountain states. The next event on the calendar is the SkiGatta which combines Laser sailing on Saturday with ski racing at Park City Mountain Resort on Sunday. That event usually takes place the fi rst weekend in April. Look for more details on www.sailpc.org

District 24 Stephan AguilarNorCal

What a gift it is to live in Northern California and in district 24. From the Pacifi c Ocean to the majestic Sierra Nevada’s we have a wide variety of venues and conditions. In October of this year we held the second annual short course fl eet championships at Richmond Yacht club. The four fl eets in our district are Lake Washington sailing club, The Shoreline Laser fl eet, The treasure Island laser fl eet and the Lake Tahoe laser fl eet. Twenty-Four sailors participated in this event. It was a perfect day at Richmond with fl at water and the wind varying from 8 mph to 15+. Tracy Usher was the overall winner. The Lake Washington sailing club Took top honors as the 2014 fl eet champions.Totally Dinghy Richmond Yacht Club-September 20 -21st

12 standards and eight radials participated in this event. This is part of our summer series sponsored by Svendsens boat works. After two days of racing Tracy Usher edged out Emilio Castelli in the standard class. In the radial class Jon Andron fi nished on top with Walt Spevak A close second.

Fall dinghy St. Francis Yacht Club-October 25 and 26th

16 standards and six radials participated in this event. This was the last event of the 2014 summer series sponsored by Svendsen’s Boat Works. After two days of racing on the beautiful city front of San Francisco Radion Mazin fi nished on top with Stephen Bourdon fi nishing second in the standard class. In the radial class Jack Barton took top honors with David Wyllie in second. Svendsen’s Grand Prix This is our summer series. There are 10 races held at various locations throughout our district. From Mountain Lakes to the Pacifi c Ocean. A test of your abilities the sail in various conditions. The winner this year in the standard class was Emilio Castelli Who just dominated. Second-place went to Nick Roach. In the radial class Laird Henkel took top honors. That about does it for this year. Have a happy new year.

District 25Jorge SuarezSoCal

Laser Racers come from all points of the compass to compete in Long Beach, CA Sailors came from as far south as Brazil (Chris Barnard and Erik Bowers training in Rio),as far north as Oregon (Master Sailor Doug Seaman), and from our neighbor to the east Arizona (Dirk Hacker of ABYC) to sail in this year’s ABYC’s Turkey Day Regatta in Long Beach, CA on November 22nd and 23rd. Not to be out done by out of state sailors, the Bay Area, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Marina Del Rey, Long Beach, Newport Beach, and San Diego were all well represented!Saturday started with the slight northerly Santa

Ana wind that has lingered all week (yep, 75 degrees and sunny!) By the time of the fi rst warning, the wind shifted to the South. Bob Anderson, our PRO, found a great little spot just northeast of oil island Chaffey. Since sailing is a learning experience, the whole fl eet learned a lot about the Black Flag as Mr. Anderson bypassed all other options to take control of the fl eet! The race committee did a great job in providing four very competitive races in the light wind that dominated the day! As I hit the dock, the expected clutter of all types of boats racing to the dock for ABYC’s famous turkey dinner! It was crowded, but the Lido 14 volunteers took charge and kept things moving very effi ciently! A Sabot parent commented to how smoothly things were going and imagined all the PRO’s communicating and planning the fl eets return! She was very impressed! I missed dinner, but not the leftovers the next day! The Santa Ana’s came back on Sunday with the expected shift by the warning signal, but this time the wind shifted to the West! This forced our circle, as well as the Opti’s, just south of Seal Beach. The wind in the fi rst race was as light as Saturday but a bit shiftier. By the start of the second race, the wind fi lled in to full hike and full power conditions! Although there was a Black Flag fl own, the Lasers couldn’t resist starting at the boat! I heard some Laser “crunches” (one of them was mine!) but not Patience crunches (the ABYC RC boat)! Since I retired from the race due to my horrendous foul, I had a chance to make two keen observations (1) Watching US Sailing Team members Chris Barnard and Erick Bowers battle downwind is very entertaining, and (2) The Opti’s were very comfortable and fast in the wind and waves! I enjoyed watching both! Two more races in

full hike mode and surfi ng conditions completed the day and the regatta with a total of eight races. Here are the top fi ve in both fl eets:Radial:1. Lucas Pierce – SBYC2. Lawson Willard – SFYC/St.FYC3. Paul Didham – SDYC4. Joseph Hau – ABYC/NHYC

5. Caden Scheiblauer – SBYC/CBYCStandard:1. Chris Barnard – ABYC/NHYC2. Erik Bowers – Minnetonka YC3. Cooper Weitz – CYC/SFYC/StFYC4. Richard Didham – SDYC5. Peter Neal - KHYC Thanks to ABYC”s race committee and judges for providing great racing and wise resolutions!Masters: Don’t forget about the Master Midwinter Champs at ABYC and California Master Champs at MBYC on back to back weekends in February 2015!

www.Laser.org 37 WindCheck Magazine October 2012 55

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Balance, Proprioception, and most importantly Agility are common areas in all sailing athletes fi tness programs that are tremendously overlooked. In order to understand how to improve these areas on land and translate those improvements to the water, they must defi ned.

Agility: The body’s ability to be quick and graceful with precision. Agility will combine these two attributes (quick & graceful) with speed and anticipation when applied to sports.

Balance: A state of body equilibrium or equal distribution of weight. The ability to move or to remain in a position without losing control or falling.

A big key to improving agility and balance is the body’s proprioceptive skills. Proprioception is: The unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself. Both agility and balance are either helped or hindered by the body’s proprioceptive skills.

Most people believe they are either “coordinated” or not. Athletes who are not very agile will give you statements like: “I have heavy feet”, “My legs are to heavy to be quick”, “Everybody in my family is uncoordinated also”, and the excuses will keep coming. The fact is that all three of these categories can be improved and actually improved much quicker than building strength or increasing the cardiovascular system. This is because learning these skills are a combination of learning proper body mechanics with physical practice and repetition of specifi c movement patterns.

By improving in these three areas your sailing will improve as you are able to tack quicker, more effi ciently, stay “lighter on your feet”, and keep the boat level in the water as your prepare yourself to hike post tacking.

Proper body mechanicsProper body mechanics can be achieved with the combination of preparing your body for the movement that is about to be made (body prep), mid-movement body control (keeping your center of

gravity over your base of support as much as possible), change of direction recognition (knowing and preparing the body to change directions), and proper upper, mid, lower, and extremity movement (keeping the entire body working together). When all of these are done effi ciently and concise the athlete will have the best possible chance to be agile.

Physical Practice and repetition of movement patternsWhen working with athletes on their agility, I like to use the phrase: “practice doesn’t make perfect, but perfect practice makes perfect”. With improving agility, balance, and proprioception this is 100% correct. The more the athlete practices agility tests, drills, and a variety of movement pattern exercises, the more the muscles and nervous system remembers and engrains this into the body.

How to improveSince this area of fi tness is overlooked it is often easier to skip these exercises than feel self-conscious and awkward in the gym trying to set them up or not know how to do them correctly. There are actually quite a lot of equipment to help improve agility and balance. Equipment such as speed ladders, agility cones & poles, bosu balls, balance foam pads, and resistance bands all are used for agility, balance, and proprioception.

Below are exercises that are grouped by skill that will improve your agility. (These can be viewed on jaguartherapy.com, go to article based videos: Laser sailing)

Novice agility/balance exercises:• High knees• Butt kicks• A-Skips• B-Skips• Bounding• Straight leg bounding• Heel to toe walks• Anterior quick feet• Lateral quick feet• Speed ladder drills (novice)

An Overlooked Skill: AGILITY & BALANCEChris Herrera DPT CSCSJustin Toews PTA, B.S.

www.Laser.org 39


Intermediate agility/balance exercises:• Lateral band slides• 3 cone single leg jumps• Speed ladder drills (intermediate)• Single leg balance with eyes closed

Advanced agility/balance exercises:• 4 cone box drill• Lateral High hops• Speed ladder drills (advanced)• Single leg balance on Bosu ball• Single leg balance with lateral ball toss

In order to objectively quantify your improvement you must test before your workouts as a pre-test and after 4-6 weeks of training and working on these skills as your post-test. You can use an exercise like speed ladders to see how much quicker you are by time while seeing how many less mistakes you make as a test or you can use a standardized agility test with preset scoring. Some standardized tests include:

Agility Tests• Hexagon Test• T-Test (pictured)• Comprehensive Field Test (pictured)• Shuttle Run• Zig-Zag test• Illinois agility test

WINTER 201540

Why Join the Laser Class?

What are some of the bene� ts of a strong class association?

A strong class association means lots of boats to race against, near you and around the world!

A strong class association with lots of racing attracts the world’s best sailors - giving you the best racing possible!

A strong class association means major events scheduled at the best sailing locations and moving all over the North American Region - there will always be a big event near you!

A strong class association means solid class rules making all boats as identical as possible - you are competing against other sailors, not their pocket books!

A strong class association means lots of people looking to buy boats keeping the resale value of your boat high.

A strong class association keeps an eye towards the future and works with the builders to make improvements where needed while preserving as well as possible the competitiveness of older boats.

To be strong, a class association needs the support of its sailors!

What are some of the direct bene� ts of membership?

You receive the annual Laser Class Handbook with the current class rules, interpretations of those rules, class constitution, guidelines for events, useful information for keeping your boat in good shape, contact information for your district, etc.

You receive the International Class Association’s quarterly publication “Laser World” which gives a roundup of international events sailed around the world, as well as information from the international offi ce.

You receive the North American Association’s quarterly publication “The Laser Sailor” which is loaded with regatta reports, technique articles, fi tness and nutrition tips, sailor profi les, reports from each of the North American Region’s 26 Districts and much, much more. In addition, the magazine also contains advertising from Laser dealers selling Laser specifi c gear and aimed entirely at Laser sailors - if you are looking for something for your boat you will see it advertised here!

You will have access to the class website at www.laser.org containing all the latest news as well as the up to date calendar of events, complete with maps to show you how to fi nd the events. And you can also fi nd archived copies of The Laser Sailor as well as useful articles on how to sail your boat faster.

Your membership makes you eligible to sail in any of the 50+ major Laser Class regattas scheduled every year throughout the North American Region, including open, masters’, youth and women’s events.

Your membership makes you eligible for the LaserPeformance/ILCA-NA Grand Prix where you earn

points when sailing in major events, ranking you against your fellow competitors and making you eligible for end of the season prizes, like new sails, carbon tillers, etc.

You get direct benefi t by joining the Laser Class!

What does the class association do with your membership dues?

The fi rst $14.00 of your membership dues go to pay the North American staff who work incredibly hard to: make sure our North American events get scheduled every year and that these events follow the high standards of the Laser Class, to publish our quarterly newsletter, etc. Importantly, that money also makes sure that if you ever have a question you can simply pick up the phone, or send an email, and a knowledgeable person will answer you right away.

$9.72 of your dues goes to the International Class where they use the money to pay their staff to make sure world level events get scheduled, ensuring all the boats are the same by inspecting the builders to make sure they are complying with the Laser Construction Manual, keep track of rules changes proposed by members, interfacing with ISAF on various levels, including keeping both the Laser Standard and Laser Radial as Olympic equipment, etc.

A little over $7.00 goes to the quarterly assembling, printing and mailing of The Laser Sailor to you for the year.

Around $5.00 goes to support and promotion, ranging from direct support of the districts and regattas to the website.

Most of the remaining dues go toward all the things it takes to running an organization of 2400 members, from Executive Secretary travel costs, to federal income taxes all the way to mundane offi ce expenses.Your membership dues are used to keep the Laser Standard, Laser Radial and Laser 4.7 as THE singlehanded dinghy to sail and race in North America and throughout the world!

Why should you join the Laser Class?

To enable the Laser Class to remain a strong class association and continue to make the Laser the pre-eminent singlehanded dinghy of our time.

To gain the benefi ts of membership outlined above.

To protect your investment in your boat, making sure that if the time comes to sell then you can be certain that the high demand driven by a strong class will enable you to get the best price for your boat.

The International Laser Class Association, North American Region is what it is today because of the support of its members. Keep that tradition alive, join or renew your membership TODAY!

www.Laser.org 41

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Name_______________________________________________________ Address_____________________________________________________ City ___________________State / Prov. _____Zip / postal code ________ Phone ____________________ E-mail____________________________ Sail # ______________DOB (month/day/year) _____________Sex ______ Boat usually sailed _____Laser ______Radial _____Laser 4.7

Current Membership Fees

All amounts are in US dollars. (Canadian checks must be in US dollars.) • Regular - $45 for one year or $85 for 2 years • Junior - $40 (Member may not turn 18 during term of membership), or $75 for 2 years (Member may

not turn 18 during term of membership)• International - $55 (any member not living in the US or Canada), one year only

Amount enclosed __________________US$

Please make checks payable to ILCA of NA or provide credit card informati on as shown below. Thank you for joining the Laser Class. Credit Card payment by Visa, Mastercard or AMEX (Sorry – no Discover)Name on credit card: ________________________________________________________ Credit card number: ________________________________________________________ Exp. date: _________ Credit card billing zip/postal code _________ Security code____

NOTE: Occasionally we make our mailing list available to our adverti sers. If you do not want your name included on these lists, please check here: _________

RETURN THIS FORM TO: ILCA OF NA 2812 CANON STREET SAN DIEGO, CA 92106

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