lasersailorspring2014

SPRING 2014

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

®

FALL 20132

Call Clay to discuss rigging or ask questions.

[email protected]

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Clay-Allen Kit: rigged exactly how Clay Johnson rigs his boat. • Clay’s Centerboard Bungee System: often copied but never matched• Top of the line Allen blocks• Spliced and whipped 5mm V12 traveler• FSE Robline Dinghy Control• Hand-made, spliced dingleberry• Spectra hiking strap line with instructions for the BEST hiking strap adjustment system

Mojo Kit: successful upgrades to be Competitively Equipped.• Maffioli and V12 upgraded control lines• Custom made inhaul bungee• Vang Retaining Bungee• Ronstan and Harken upgraded blocks

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www.Laser.org 3

Call Clay to discuss rigging or ask questions.

[email protected]

1649 Bay AvenuePoint Pleasant

NJ 08742

Colie has the gear you need to win, not just get around the course.

SignatureUpgraded

KITS

Colie Sails’

Call Clay to discuss rigging

Clay-Allen Kit: rigged exactly how Clay Johnson rigs his boat. • Clay’s Centerboard Bungee System: often copied but never matched• Top of the line Allen blocks• Spliced and whipped 5mm V12 traveler• FSE Robline Dinghy Control• Hand-made, spliced dingleberry• Spectra hiking strap line with instructions for the BEST hiking strap adjustment system

Mojo Kit: successful upgrades to be Competitively Equipped.• Maffioli and V12 upgraded control lines• Custom made inhaul bungee• Vang Retaining Bungee• Ronstan and Harken upgraded blocks

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SPRING 20144

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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]

Cover: Radial sailor Rebecca Stambersky eyes the weather mark at Laser Midwinters in Florida. Photo by Larry Kennedy.

SPRING 2014District Contacts .....................................................................................................6

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

Remembering Hans Fogh ...................................................................................10

US Sailing News....................................................................................................12

Downwind Tactics.................................................................................................14

Book Review - Plotting the Course ..................................................................17

Coaches Corner: David Wright & Steve Hunt ..............................................18

2014 Event Schedule..............................................................................................21

Highlighting Achievements - CAN & US Sailors Recognized..................22

Racing Lasers - Then and Now..........................................................................24

Laser World insert .........................................................................................center

Grand Prix Winners ...........................................................................................28

Regatta Reports

Masters Midwinters East.......................................................................29

MMWE-Another Perspective..............................................................30

Midwinters East.......................................................................................32

ISAF Sailing World Cup - Miami........................................................33

District Reports......................................................................................................33

Precision Spar Straightner....................................................................................45

Hiking 360 .............................................................................................................46

Why Join the Laser Class?...................................................................................48

Membership Applications....................................................................................49

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Guaranteed to keep you dry.

Innovative quick-stow hood design.

Maximum support whilst maintaining flexibility and dexterity.

Developed for extreme weather protection in the most demanding conditions.

100% waterproof protection.

ZK sole provides superior grip in both wet and dry conditions.

Waterproof gator.

Hydromerino® inner lining provides natural odour control, moisture management and warmth.

Every garment pressure tested. Extremely rugged and durably waterproof seal. Proprietary seam tape.

INNER VIEW

MORE DURABLE THAN THE MARKET LEADING ePTFE OCEAN FABRIC

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SPRING 2014

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

®

SPRING 20146

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 Snow28 Starlit RoadTiverton RI [email protected] 8Lindsay Hewitt & David Trinder631-692-4798: [email protected]: [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 12Glenn Walker6255 Turtle Hall Dr, Wilmington, NC 28409910-612-5618 [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 20Steve Dolan21140 Chancery Ct. Brook� eld, WI 53045262-506-8879, [email protected]://d20.laserforum.org/District 21Matthew � [email protected] 22Kurt Hoehne, 524 N 67th StSeattle, WA 98103206-335-8776, [email protected] 23Geo� HurwitchGeo� [email protected] 24Nick [email protected]://skysail.com/sailing/d24/District 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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KO Sailing is proud to support the youth, performance and recreational boating communities all over the U.S., from right here in Seabrook, Texas.

As the largest small boat dealer on the Gulf Coast, KO Sailing is uniquely equipped to provide today’s performance racers with everything from boats and sails, to gear, apparel, guidance and more.

• Charter boats online Book for both events, get a discount!

• Coach boat charters available

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SPRING 20148

President’s Notes

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As this “winter to end all winters” is fi nally coming to a close (it is going to end, isn’t it?), the time is approaching for sailors north of places like Florida and Southern Cal to get their gear ready for the 2014 season. The mid-winter regattas are in the books, and strong numbers of Laser sailors were able to escape the winter blues for some racing or training in places like Cabarete (DR), Mexico and Florida. I regret missing the Florida Masters week this year, as the turn-out was tremendous and by accounts there was tight racing in

all three regattas.

In the previous issue of The Laser Sailor I stated that North American class membership saw an increase from the year previous. I’m not exactly sure how I misinterpreted the stats, but in reality the 2013 numbers were actually down a little from the year before, so I apologize for that error. There are a number of theories as to why class membership has seen a bit of a drop, and one contributing factor has likely been the Laser Performance vs. Bruce Kirby saga. Remember that the ILCA continues to encourage the two parties to

negotiate a settlement in their commercial dispute; and, in the meantime, the class executive will focus on maintaining the Laser as one of the strongest one-design classes on the continent, offering sailors of both genders and all ages a wide range geographic range of well

managed regattas.

Traditionally the fi rst event of the year in my district, D3 in Ontario, is called the Ice Breaker Regatta held at Toronto Sailing & Canoe Club in May. I’m worried that this year we literally could be breaking the ice. Might need to upgrade my sailing clothing just a little for that one.

This issue of TLS is another great one, as the Laser community continues to help by sending in excellent articles and photos. Thanks to all the contributors and, of course, to all TLS advertisers.

Andy

www.Laser.org 9

managed regattas.

Traditionally the fi rst event of the year in my district, D3 in Ontario, is called the Ice Breaker Regatta held at Toronto Sailing & Canoe Club in May. I’m worried that this year we literally could be breaking the ice. Might need to upgrade my sailing clothing just a little for that one.

This issue of TLS is another great one, as the Laser community continues to help by sending in excellent articles and photos. Thanks to all the contributors and, of course, to all TLS advertisers.

Andy

SPRING 201410

NIGEL HEATH

District 3 would like to offer sincere condolences to the Fogh family following the recent passing of Hans Fogh. Among his many accomplishments, Hans was the designer of both the Laser sail and later the Radial sail. Thanks Hans! His obituary follows: HANS FOGH March 8, 1938 - March 14, 2014. It is with great sadness that we announce Hans Fogh passed away peacefully from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease on March 14, 2014 in Toronto. A fi ghter to the end, Hans leaves Kirsten, his beloved wife and safe harbour for 49 years, his two sons, Morten (Debbie) and Thomas (Andrea) and his darling grandchildren, Sarah, Curtis, Marcus, Kaia and Lucas with whom he spent many joyful hours as “Farfar” attending their numerous special events. Hans is also survived by his family in Denmark, brother Jens Christian, sisters Gitte (Esben) and Annegrette (Christian). Hans leaves behind a niece in Canada, Pia (Danny) daughter of his late sister Inger (John Eastwood). Born in Copenhagen, Hans has had one of the most exemplary competitive sailing careers ever, winning numerous Worlds, European, North American and National titles in several classes including the Soling, Finn, Flying Dutchman, Star and Etchells. Hans came to Canada with

the encouragement and support of longtime friend, Paul Henderson, who managed to lever Hans’ former career as a gardener to become a sailmaker. Hans went on to build one of the most successful sail lofts in the world under the Elvstrom, Fogh and North banners. His involvement in the development of the original Laser sail and the subsequent Laser Radial sail are only the beginning of his many well-known accomplishments in the sport. Hans’ competitive sailing career was infl uenced by his close friend and mentor, Paul Elvstrom. His career spanned seven decades from his fi rst in the late fi fties, to his last race earlier this year with his bronze medal crew John Kerr and his godson Johnnie Kerr. Hans enjoyed sharing his sailing with his family. He was able to coach his sons as they entered the sport, then shared the 1984 Olympics with his oldest son Morten and was able to compete in 2 Olympic trials with his youngest son Thomas. Hans was most joyful helping his grandchildren learn to sail. A six-time Olympian, he won his fi rst Olympic Silver Medal with Ole Erik Gunnar Peterson in Rome in 1960 for his native Denmark. In 1984, 24 years later, he won a Bronze Medal in Los Angeles, representing Canada with crew John Kerr and Steve Calder. Hans was extremely proud that he won a medal for his home and adopted countries. Hans also won a Pan Am Games Silver Medal in

1987. Throughout his career, Hans enjoyed giving back to the sport he loved: coaching, mentoring, training and developing sailors at every opportunity. This was defi nitively evidenced by the many lives he touched and the countless letters of remembrances from sailors and friends that have given the family so much strength. Recognizing Hans Fogh’s contribution to the sport of sailing, he has been inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, Canadian Amateur Sports Hall of Fame, Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame and the National Marine Manufacturers Association Canada Hall of Fame, including a number of other awards he has received over the years. Separately, we remind D3 sailors that the winners of the 2014 Fogh Gold Cup series (Laser, Radial, top female Radial) will take home new sails again this year, with Fogh Marine gift certifi cates going to runners up.

In Remembrance - Hans Fogh

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SPRING 201412

Orange Bowl - December 26th to 30th 2013Miami OCR - January 25th to February 1st 2014 Mid-Winters East - February 20th to 23rd 2014

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US Sailing is taking a new tack to some of its championships. For the fi rst time, a US Sailing National Championship will be integrated as part of a larger class event. The 2014 Laser North Americans will be the host of the U.S. Singlehanded Championship, and the top eligible male Laser and female Radial sailor will be named United States Singlehanded Champion. The regatta will be hosted by the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club on June 12-15 in Long Beach, Calif.Athletes competing at the 2014 U.S. Singlehanded Championships will get a golden opportunity to race against a talented collection of the top Laser sailors in the world. With the growth of one-design sailing here in the U.S, and with ever more events in the sailing calendar, it became clear to US Sailing that the traditional qualifying series was limiting the number of sailors who could compete for the O’Day and Hanley Trophies. Our goal is to allow more people to have a chance to compete for these historic championships. As the Laser class is one of the largest singlehanded classes

in the world, identifying the top U.S. Singlehanded sailor through the North Americans is a natural fi t.

Who is eligible to be named U.S. Singlehanded Champion? Sailors must be at least 17 years of age in the calendar year and current members of US Sailing and the Laser class. All the

sailors will be scored as one fl eet with the highest eligible male Laser sailor winning the O’Day Trophy and the highest female Radial sailor winning the Hanley Trophy. Sailors must register at https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_registration_form.php?regatta_id=7615.

Taking a New Tack in Singlehanded Sailing

www.Laser.org 13

Orange Bowl - December 26th to 30th 2013Miami OCR - January 25th to February 1st 2014 Mid-Winters East - February 20th to 23rd 2014

Contact [email protected] to secure your position!

Sailing’s most accomplished brother and sister Olympic team members Zach and Paige Railey are pleased to share their knowledge

and techniques to fast track your sailing skills.

RPSRailey Performance Sailing

COACHING AND COACHBOAT CHARTER AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING EVENTS



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SPRING 201414

JUDITH KRIMSKI I love sailing downwind. For me sailing the beat is a bit of a grind (All that hiking. So boring!). But the run can be an organic mind-body experience. All that needs doing is opening yourself up to allowing the boat to move in concert with the conditions. That said you are the conductor using sail trim and body movements to create the downwind music. Combine that with good tactical sense and you have a winning downwind strategy. BOATHANDLING Downwind goals: Max VMG: I recently attended a masters clinic at ISA in Mexico where Coach Vaughn Harrison harped on us, “Sail the fall-line.” This concept combines a variety of sailing angles to navigate through wave and wind conditions with the goal of sailing the most direct, fastest line to the mark. Stability: Proper sail and vang trim are key to a stable boat. Recognizing that the groove for light wind sail trim (ex. sail trim at 110-90) changes as the wind picks up is one of the keys to boat stability. Active body: Successful downwind sailing is a dynamic activity using coordinated sail trim, sailing angles, and body movements that help balance the boat and speed it forward. RIG SETUP

For maximum speed downwind sail controls should be set to have good depth

in the bottom of the sail and allow the leach to twist off in gusty conditions, sailing through waves, or when altering course. Look to create fullness in the sail by adjusting the outhaul and easing the cunningham. Vang controls leech twist. It’s important to look up at your leech when sailing downwind. You should see the upper leech fanning (opening forward) when air is spilling out. WIND VANG CUNNINGHAM OUTHAUL MAIN LIGHT *Loose, eased 10” 90-110 degrees take bounce out MEDIUM *30 deg. twist eased 8” 90 degrees or less HEAVY *30 deg. twist eased 6” 75-80 degrees * Vang tension is a merely a guideline. To set the vang correctly for you look up at the leech for the appropriate amount of twist in each condition and your sailing skill level. If the boat feels unstable (rocking back an forth) more vang or main trim will help. Stability The concept of stability was brought home to me at the Mexican Masters Regatta in March. Through day one my performance steadily improved and with a great start in race three I went into the fi nal leg in 3rd place. Sailing downwind on the last leg worry about beating the boats behind me took hold. I stopped paying attention to sail trim and the boat became unstable. I saved a couple of capsizes but two thirds of the way down the boom went too far forward, the boat heeled dramatically to windward and BANG! I was in the drink.

Boats quickly passed me as I fl oundered. An 8th place fi nish was not what I expected. After the race Coach Vaughn came over. The fi rst words out of his mouth? “You were looking pretty unstable on the run. Stop counting boats and focus on sailing.” The next day taking coach’s advice to heart I focused on sailing. My fi nishes: 5-5-4. Downwind points of sail: Combines several points of sail. Each with it’s own unstable characteristics. 1. Dead downwind: The wind is hitting the sail at both the luff and the leech. The clash of two fl ows causes a rocking motion—not stable. 2. By the lee: Can become unstable when there’s too much leech pressure forward, the boat heels dramatically to windward and capsizes. 3. Broad reaching: Flow is attached in the conventional fashion. When a puff hits and you aren’t ready for it, apparent wind moves back causing the boat to round up. What’s stable? All of the above if you are looking for max VMG. Some good starting points are as follows: 1. Look up and around! Downwind is the time to get your head out of the boat - look around for puffs and wave action. Look up at the leech for signs it is bending far forward of the mast (prelude to a capsize). 2. Adjust controls. As wind increases the boat may start rocking from side-to-side. Increase stability by putting on bit more vang and reducing trim range as the breeze picks up. 3. Get off your butt. Downwind sailing is

Downwind Do’s: Tips for sailing fast and smart on the run

110%

90%

80%

70%

A. Downwind trim in light air.

110%

90%

80%

70%

B. Downwind trim in medium air.

110%

90%

80%

70%

C. Downwind trim in heavy air.

www.Laser.org 15

Continued on page 16

very active. You need to work your weight across the boat as well as fore and aft: a. Keep from capsizing to windward. b. Move back to get the bow up in waves. Balancing on the balls of your feet will help you move more quickly. 4. Rudder action and downwind sailing don’t mix. In light winds rudder slows you down. In heavier winds the sail overpowers it. Minimizing rudder movement is a good idea but rather than trying to lock it down let your approach be more organic. The feeling is akin to the rudder mirroring the boat’s behavior. When sailing by the lee (BTL induces lee helm) the rudder will follow to windward. When heading up the rudder will follow to leeward. Remember your primary focus is to use sail trim and weight placement to move the boat around.

Downwind Tactics Up in the lulls, down in the puffs. There are two goals when trying to achieve VMG downwind: sail the most direct line and keep the boat moving. But because the wind direction and velocity can vary so much it’s not always possible to sail directly to the mark. That’s why it’s always important to be cognizant of apparent wind and how your sailing angle affects it. Apparent wind is your gas peddle. If you are sailing downwind by the lee, sitting on your tuckus, you aren’t doing much to maximize VMG. But by putting on the gas peddle—sailing the angles—you improve speed.

Keep a clear lane Many of the same upwind issues apply when sailing downwind. Stay in the breeze and keep clear air. But sometimes it’s hard to know if another boat is on your breeze. That’s where a wind indicator on top of your mast helps. If it’s pointing in the direction of boats behind you it’s likely they are covering. Another good way to defend downwind is to anticipate boats trying to cover and S Curve so they have a tougher time taking your air. A boat that is

10 boat lengths away can catch you by S curving because they will cover a percentage of your breeze. As they get closer that percentage increases. Sailing Angles The best time to sail hot angles downwind is near the leeward mark. Hard by the lee and broad reaching are your best friends when sailing in bad air, or congested areas. Consider how much the fl eet spreads out downwind, then at the leeward mark, everyone comes together. Sailing simple turns downwind with boats on either side of you will certainly slow you down. Faster points of sail can open up space, or get you through the crowds while they are slowing down. Mark Roundings Inside lane at the mark. When sailing the second half of the course start thinking about maneuvers such as the pass to leeward that will put you in the position to take the inside overlap. Keep in mind you don’t necessarily want to actually pass the boat you are trying to control. It may be more advantageous to keep them slightly overlapped outside. Control that outside boat and preserve the slight

overlap. If they slow down to get behind you slow down too, keeping them in a pinwheel position. This type of rounding can equate to a boat length or more gained.

Avoid the pinwheel It’s amazing how many sailors will sail fast downwind, catch the boats around them and get sucked into a pinwheel. The chess game that is downwind sailing indicates you should be thinking way ahead so this doesn’t happen. One winning strategy is to slow down to get behind the inside boat so when rounding you are closest to the mark. Boats in the pinwheel will end up stuck to leeward of you. But be careful and watch the fi rst boat in the pinwheel closely. If she has good boat handling she may be able to shut the door on you.

Picking the correct gate Gates are almost never even. And with wind oscillations, wave state and current there are a number of factors to consider when choosing a gate. 1. Look upwind fi rst for wind direction and windward mark placement. If the wind is shifted to skew the course to one side, pick the gate on that side. 2. Pick the gate that is furthest upwind. 3. Consider which tack is lifted. 4. If there is a persistent shift happening one side of the course is , or will be shortly,

favored. You’ll want to be on the correct side of that shift. 5. If there is a group of boats going to one gate, even though it may be favored, consider taken the less used gate, as you will probably be in clear air and calmer

110%

90%

80%

70%

A. Downwind trim in light air.

110%

90%

80%

70%

B. Downwind trim in medium air.

110%

90%

80%

70%

C. Downwind trim in heavy air.

11

3

1

1

12

22

33

2 2

3

3

Figure 1: Pink with overlap usesgood boathan-dling to keep green overlapped outside. If green had moved to behind pink’s transom she had the opportunity to get a better rounding than pink or the option to tack out.

Figure 2: Pink has inside overlap on green and blue. Green slows to get on pink’s transom. Blue doesn’t anticipate the pinwheel so gets stuck with a bad rounding.

SPRING 201416

water. This is akin to starting near but not at the favored end of a starting line when the favored end is crowded.

Downwind skills to practice Rudderless sailing: This practice helps you get a handle on boat kinetics. Although kinetics are frowned on it’s a good practice because it gives you a real feel for what you and the boat can do. 1. Start by sailing dead downwind with the sail trimmed at 90 degrees. 2. Release the tiller and push down the leeward rail, then the windward rail. Repeat so it becomes a side-to-side rhythm. 3. Your goal is to sail downwind without using the tiller. Whatever the conditions experiment with sail trim and weight distribution. As you get more experience (things might be a bit crazy as fi rst but don’t give up!) with this you’ll fi nd you can balance the boat by moving back and forth and with slight trims of the sail.

Downturns: This is a go fast “Go down to go up” practice. 1. Sailing downwind, roll the boat to windward to induce lee helm. Notice how the boat turns more by the lee. 2. As the boat heels to windward move your weight across to the leeward side and “press” down on the rail to push down the boom. You should feel the boat accelerate as it turns upwind. Repeat this maneuver so you get into a rhythm of movement back and forth. Combine with trimming and easing to complete the practice.

Resources Both videos give a good look at the subject, especially the women’s Laser that includes views from on the boat and above. Women’s radial Olympics medal race: http://youtu.be/uyn-_yUaMZI Downwind sailing at the Gorge: http://youtu.be/rR7d_4TL1lA This article will also be posted on www.centerofeffort01.blogspot.com with links to the videos;

Thanks to Coach Vaughn Harrison, International Sailing Academy, La Cruz, Mexico for his help with this article. Read more about ISA at www.internationalsailing academy.com

1. Start by sailing dead downwind.

DOWNWIND S-CURVE

2. As boat goes by-the-lee PRESS the leeward rail down to flatten.

3. The PRESS to leeward will cause the boat to accelerate and head up.

4. Go back to dead downwind and repeat.

ANTOINETTE KURITZ

Sports metaphors and lessons have often been applied to business and lif e, but seldom has it been done as effectively as in Plotting the Course: Life Lessons from the Sport of Sailing (Makai Press / April, 2014), a new book by Rick Arneson.

Written in such a way as to inform and engage sailors and non-sailors alike, Plotting the Course delivers relatable and essential lessons for personal and professional achievement, drawn straight from the world of competitive sailing. Through a fascinating narrative that compares principles of sailboat racing to business, politics, history and more, you will discover what this diverse and intriguing sport can teach about organization, competition, leadership, decision-making, relationship-building, teamwork, personal growth, and more.

Discussing everything from the elements of good decision-making to what it takes to reach our goals, from how to effectively strategize to the role of competition in our lives, Arneson makes clear the importance of self-confi dence and critical self-evaluation to all aspects of our endeavors, and provides accessible explanations of how to manifest personal growth.

While each section of Plotting the Course is comprehensive, each is broken into bite-sized portions, providing useful and applicable aha-moment nuggets for the reader to digest. While the book is interesting enough to read in one sitting, it lends itself well to reading and absorbing small sections at a time.

Cover to cover, Arneson’s own extensive sailing and racing experience in a variety of tough fl eets comes through, as does his broad coaching perspective and keen business acumen. And these experiences are the

From the High Seas to the High Life: Plotting Your Course

Coach Nigel Cochrane took this shot of Carley Broussard at Midwinters East.

www.Laser.org 17

ANTOINETTE KURITZ

Sports metaphors and lessons have often been applied to business and lif e, but seldom has it been done as effectively as in Plotting the Course: Life Lessons from the Sport of Sailing (Makai Press / April, 2014), a new book by Rick Arneson.

Written in such a way as to inform and engage sailors and non-sailors alike, Plotting the Course delivers relatable and essential lessons for personal and professional achievement, drawn straight from the world of competitive sailing. Through a fascinating narrative that compares principles of sailboat racing to business, politics, history and more, you will discover what this diverse and intriguing sport can teach about organization, competition, leadership, decision-making, relationship-building, teamwork, personal growth, and more.

Discussing everything from the elements of good decision-making to what it takes to reach our goals, from how to effectively strategize to the role of competition in our lives, Arneson makes clear the importance of self-confi dence and critical self-evaluation to all aspects of our endeavors, and provides accessible explanations of how to manifest personal growth.

While each section of Plotting the Course is comprehensive, each is broken into bite-sized portions, providing useful and applicable aha-moment nuggets for the reader to digest. While the book is interesting enough to read in one sitting, it lends itself well to reading and absorbing small sections at a time.

Cover to cover, Arneson’s own extensive sailing and racing experience in a variety of tough fl eets comes through, as does his broad coaching perspective and keen business acumen. And these experiences are the

basis of engaging and illuminating anecdotes that pepper the book, giving his advice concrete reference points and thus making it all the more poignant.

Ultimately, Plotting the Course is about planning, about the diligence we are willing to expend, and about teaching readers how to do so effectively; performance is simply the result of good planning. According to Arneson, “Periods of performance are generally seen as the markers along the highway of our lives and careers. These are the moments when planning gives way to action, the results of which will provide a measure of success. But three minutes in the spotlight may be the accumulation of a decade’s preparation. Thus, while the moment of actual performance may be the most signifi cant in the short run, it is only a stop along the road in the long run.”

Taking his premise one step further, Arneson also discusses the role of learning in our lives, saying, “Learning is the cycle that never stops, and must be actively and perpetually pursued. Learning is how we grow…Learning is the backbone of any great civilization and the foundation of any successful individual’s life and career, expanding potential to unfathomable heights.”

This is a book

which informs,

inspires, and

engenders intelligent

thought and discussion.

Its advice is practical, easy

to implement; it makes sense. Whether you are a parent, an educator, a high school or college student, a manager, an executive, an entrepreneur, or someone looking to improve your personal relationships, there is a lot to be learned from Plotting the Course, not the least of which is that while there are no guarantees you will achieve all your goals, making certain to intelligently plot your course makes success in all endeavors far more likely.

Antoinette Kuritz is the Founder of the La Jolla Writers Conference and the Nightstand Reviews contributor for KUSI TV.

Plotti ng the Course will be available April 28 in paperback and electronic copy. Amazon and Barnes & Nobel will be carrying online and check your local bookstore for availability.

From the High Seas to the High Life: Plotting Your Course

Author Rick Arneson is a Laser sailor and native of San Diego. Before starting a college sailing team during his freshman year at Pepperdine, he’d won state and district cham-pionships, match-raced 12-meter yachts in the World Scholar-Athlete Games, and taken a gold medal at the AAU Junior Olympics. He would bring his experience to coaching sailors at the club, high school, and collegiate levels, including Stanford University, Orange Coast College, and UC Irvine. Since 2003, he has been a member of the U.S. Snipe team at three World and two Western Hemisphere champi-onships. He has been a marketing profession-al in a range of industries, and a contributing writer to Sailing World and various other sail-ing publications. He holds B.S. and M.B.A. degrees from Pepperdine University.

SPRING 201418

Coaches Corner 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.

Wright Leeward Mark ApproachDavid Wright, CAN

If you are just one boat, simply round the mark as if it’s a leeward mark, sail upwind on the same board for 30-40 seconds, then tack, and sail on the other board for 30-40 seconds. At this point make a windward mark rounding around an imaginary windward buoy and head back to the original mark. Then round it like a leeward mark and repeat this process. Each repetition you should alternate the side that you round the leeward mark so that you are practicing both port and starboard roundings just like a gate. My goal is always to be sailing perfectly upwind by the time my stern clears the mark.

If you have a partner the procedure is the same, except the second boat should tack immediately after rounding the mark. That way the boats sail apart for 30-40 seconds and then converge. When they do converge the crossing should go as it would in a race, with proper rule and avoiding action taken followed immediately by both boats bearing away and racing back to the leeward mark again. After each bear away the boats should be overlapped, sailing downwind on opposite tacks, making for a challenging situation for both sailors as they sail downwind and approach “the zone.”

This drill is great because it is continuous, physically hard, mentally stimulating and will improve your entry and exit to bottom marks which is a compression point on the course that is a great opportunity to make ground on other sailors.

Raise Hand on the Line DrillSteve Hunt, USA

Sail through the middle of the line full speed close hauled, skipper raises hand when they think they’re on the line. Tack, sail above boat and loop around to do it again, each boat does it twice. Coach call how far under/over they are.

Spithill DrillSteve Hunt, USA

Two boats sail on port through the starting line, one trailing the other, and they give themselves two minutes. Match race start is on. First boat determines when to head back and trailing boat decided to lead or follow based on time, GREAT FUN!! I set multiple lines to get everyone going at the same time, and have the people pick someone of similar skill for the drill.

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www.Laser.org 19

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SPRING 201420

Regatta Laser Radial Laser 4.7 Masters

World ChampionshipISAF Grade 1

SR: Santander, ESPSept 8-Sept 21

JR: Douernenez, FRAAug 16-23

Women’s: Douernenez, FRAAug 21-23

Mens: Gdynia, POL July 19-25

Youth:Gdynia, POL July 26-Aug 3

Karatsu, JPNAug 8-15

Hyeres, FRA Oct 3-12

NA Championship40 GP pts. ISAF Grade 1

Alamitos Bay YCJune 12-15

www.abyc.org


www.abyc.org


www.abyc.org

CGRACascade Locks, OR

July 11-13

Canadian Championships

30 GP pts. ISAF Grade 2

Royal Vancouver YCVancouver, BC

July 25-27


July 25-27


July 25-27 TBD

US Championships30 GP Pts, ISAF Grade 2

St Francis YCSan Francisco, CA

July 31-Aug 3


July 31-Aug 3


July 31-Aug 3

Rochester YCRochester, NY

Sept 11-14

CORK30 GP Pts. ISAF Grade 1

Kingston, ONwww.cork.orgAugust 16-20



na

Midwinters East30 GP Pts. ISAF Grade 1

Clearwater, FLwww.clwyc.org

Feb 20-23


Feb 20-23


Feb 20-22

Sarasota SSSarasota, FL

Feb 14-16

Midwinters West30 GP Pts. ISAF Grade 1

Richmond YCRichmond, CAMarch 28-30



na

Rolex Miami OCRISAF Grade 1

Miami, FL (men only)www.ussailing.orgJanuary 25-Feb 1

Miami, FL (women only)www.ussailing.orgJanuary 25-Feb 1

na na

Atlantic CoastChampionships

25 GP Pts. ISAF Grade 2

Sail MainePortland, ME

Aug 30-31


Aug 30-31


Aug 30-31

Fishing Bay Yacht ClubDeltaville, VAOctober 18-19

Pacifi c CoastChampionships


Santa Barbara YCSanta Barbara, CA

June 27-29


June 27-29


June 27-29

Jericho Sailing CentreVancouver, BC

July 18-20

Gulf CoastChampionships

25 GP Pts

Ft Walton YCFt Walton Beach, FL

June 21-22


June 21-22


June 21-22

Ft. Walton YCFt. Walton Beach, FL

May 17-18

No CoastChampionships

25 GP Pts

Dillon Yacht ClubDillon, CO

Aug 2-3


Aug 2-3


Aug 2-3na

Great LakesChampionships

25 GP Pts

Vermillion, BCVermillion, OH

July 19-20


July 19-20


July 19-20

Thunder Bay YCThunder Bay, ON

July 12-13

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CARBO RATCHETThe Carbo ratchet’s sheave design offers the perfect balance between holding power and easing ability. Line-friendly geometry prevents premature line wear. For no-hands switching, try a Ratchamatic®—the patented design switches the ratchet on at a load you choose. Simply adjust it to match your strength and sailing style.

Visit www.laserperformance.com to find your local dealer

www.Laser.org 21

Regatta Laser Radial Laser 4.7 Masters

World ChampionshipISAF Grade 1

SR: Santander, ESPSept 8-Sept 21

JR: Douernenez, FRAAug 16-23

Women’s: Douernenez, FRAAug 21-23

Mens: Gdynia, POL July 19-25

Youth:Gdynia, POL July 26-Aug 3

Karatsu, JPNAug 8-15

Hyeres, FRA Oct 3-12

NA Championship40 GP pts. ISAF Grade 1


www.abyc.org


www.abyc.org


www.abyc.org

CGRACascade Locks, OR

July 11-13

Canadian Championships

30 GP pts. ISAF Grade 2


July 25-27


July 25-27


July 25-27 TBD

US Championships30 GP Pts, ISAF Grade 2


July 31-Aug 3


July 31-Aug 3


July 31-Aug 3

Rochester YCRochester, NY

Sept 11-14

CORK30 GP Pts. ISAF Grade 1




na

Midwinters East30 GP Pts. ISAF Grade 1


Feb 20-23


Feb 20-23


Feb 20-22

Sarasota SSSarasota, FL

Feb 14-16

Midwinters West30 GP Pts. ISAF Grade 1




na

Rolex Miami OCRISAF Grade 1

Miami, FL (men only)www.ussailing.orgJanuary 25-Feb 1

Miami, FL (women only)www.ussailing.orgJanuary 25-Feb 1

na na

Atlantic CoastChampionships



Aug 30-31


Aug 30-31


Aug 30-31

Fishing Bay Yacht ClubDeltaville, VAOctober 18-19

Pacifi c CoastChampionships



June 27-29


June 27-29


June 27-29

Jericho Sailing CentreVancouver, BC

July 18-20

Gulf CoastChampionships

25 GP Pts


June 21-22


June 21-22


June 21-22

Ft. Walton YCFt. Walton Beach, FL

May 17-18

No CoastChampionships

25 GP Pts


Aug 2-3


Aug 2-3


Aug 2-3na

Great LakesChampionships

25 GP Pts


July 19-20


July 19-20


July 19-20

Thunder Bay YCThunder Bay, ON

July 12-13

2014 Schedule

SPRING 201422

CRAIG LEWECK

As I watch the 2014 Winter Olympics, I fi nd myself cheering equally for the Canadian and U.S. teams. Being removed from Europe, there is value for each of these countries in having convenient and elite competition. The success for each program benefi ts the other.Same goes for Olympic sailing, and someone worth cheering for is Laser Radial sailor Isabella Bertold, who was selected by Sail Canada as the 2013 Female Athlete of the Year.When I had breakfast with Isabella a year ago, she was at peace with failing to reach the 2012 Olympics, she had again found the fun in sailing, and her event performance was at an all time high.Hailing from British Colombia and

a member of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, here’s an update from this 23 year old today…

A recap of last year2013 was a pretty awesome year for me! Every time I raced I was just trying to improve on a certain aspect of my sailing. Despite being plagued with injuries following a bike crash while training in Lake Garda, Italy, my worst fi nish was 9th at the Europeans. After the crash, with a 7th place fi nish as the World Championship, I was reassured that even when I wasn’t physically 100%, my change of perspective was taking me in the right direction. Following the 2013 Worlds, I took

some time off to rehab my injuries and now I’m now eager to start my 2014 season.

Where are you personally and professionally?Winning a medal at the 2016 Rio Games is my goal and that means the rest of my life mostly gets put on hold. That being said, I am still taking some courses at school while training and working on a few other side projects at the moment; however, I’m pretty sure that everyone that has spent time around me these past few months will tell you that sailing is the priority and achieving my goal of winning a medal in Rio gets put before everything else.

What is your plan for 2014?I am going to start my 2014 season with the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Palma, Spain (March), followed by the Cup event in Hyeres, France (April). Other events on the schedule include the Holland EuroSaf Cup

(May), Europeans (June). Test Event in Rio (August), and the World Championship (September).

Any team updates?On my personal “team” front, I am very excited to for the fi rst time be racing with a title sponsor, InstaFund Financial. West Coast Sailing is again

a major supporter of my 2014 season along with the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, Wind Athletes, and the Canadian National Team. I am also thrilled to again be supported by Zhik, Bonk Breaker, Skratch Labs, and KT Tape. You really can’t run a campaign without a solid support team. I am very fortunate to have support for my 2014 season that I do.

Who are you training with?I’m very excited about a great year of training with many different people. My winter has been spent sailing with the up and coming Canadian youth talent based out of Vancouver. There is a lot of talent coming up and it was great to be pushed as hard as I was without having to leave home. Once I head over to Europe I will be back training with my usual training partner – looking at my schedule it’s going to be a fun year!

Isabella Bertold: 2013 Canadian Female Athlete of the Year

Sail CanadaRolex Awards 2013

Female Athlete of the Year: Isabella Bertold

Male Athlete of the Year: top 3 fi nalist: Al Clark

Bill Burk Youth Elite MemorialMale: Sandy Beatty

Female: Corinne Peters

www.Laser.org 23

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SAN DIEGO, Calif. (February 12, 2014) – Last Thursday night at the Sailing Leadership Forum Awards Dinner, sponsored by Old Pulteney and hosted by the San Diego Sports Hall of Fame, US Sailing, along with Leadership Forum attendees recognized the outstanding individual

and organizational achievements in training, community and one-design sailing, including the presentation of the Old Pulteney Maritime Heroes Award.

Leadership Award - Jon Deutsch (Richmond, Va.)

For the past nine years, Deutsch has been the mastermind of the widely popular Chesapeake Bay Laser Masters Championship. Deutsch is known for his spectacular photography, energetic regatta reports and phenomenal

website. He frequently provides on-water updates while racing via Twitter.

Deutsch documents events with his omni-present GoPro and other cameras, and promotes through social media and the club site. Sailors arrive home after the event to fi nd a “Thanks for Coming” email from Jon with the results and photos attached.

As with everything he approaches, Deutsch made himself into an expert, both on and off the water. His knowledge and service is in demand all over the Bay. He has served as the Laser District Secretary for the past seven years.

US Sailing Leadership Award – Jon Deutsch

Photo left: US Sailing Executive Director Jack Geirhart, Jon Deutsch, Gary Jobson, former US Sailing President. Photo courtesy

of US Sailing.

SPRING 201424

ANDY ROY

Having started racing Lasers back in about 1974, not long after the boat was fi rst launched, and for some reason fi nding myself still banging around in the boat today, I thought I’d share a few thoughts on some of the changes in Laser sailing I’ve seen over the past 40 years. I’ll cover some of the changes in the boat and rigging, clothing and other accessories, sailing techniques, regattas and a few other subtle differences in Laser racing between then and now.

A Little HistoryProbably not many sailors know that the Laser was actually not designed as a racing boat. Ian Bruce fi rst initiated the idea for the boat and asked friend Bruce Kirby to design a small sailboat which could be used for recreation purposes and which could be transported easily on the roof of a car. Ian had a potential client who sold leisure and camping equipment who was interested in adding a sailboat to his product line. That deal fell through, but ultimately led to Ian, Bruce, and sail designer Hans Fogh to fully develop, build and market the boat. Their formula was perfectly timed and executed, as the large baby boom generation was ripe for an affordable boat that could be raced to a strict one design rule, or sailed for just fun at a cottage or off a beach.

The event that started to attract attention to the boat was when Ian and Bruce heard about a regatta sponsored by Yacht Racing magazine called the Americas Tea Cup. They had fi rst called the boat the “Weekender” with a “TGIF” logo on the sail, and the group worked hard to get the boat ready to race in the regatta. Hans, an Olympic medallist, skippered the boat and won his class which was for sailboats costing less than $1,000. They went home after the regatta and worked feverishly on improvements. A young student was talking to Ian at a yacht club party that December and suggested they needed a more scientifi c sounding name for the boat.

Ian said, “you mean something like Laser?”, and he went right over to Bruce who also liked it, and the rest is history.

I think the price of new Laser in the early days was about $700. I remember paying about that much for my fi rst boat (used) in 1975. The fi rst Laser regatta of any size I entered was the 1975 Quebec Open at Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club. Ontario and Quebec were hotbeds of Laser racing in the early days, and even an event like the Quebec Open would attract a fl eet of 100 boats. I was a skinny kid and didn’t have much of a clue as to how to make a Laser go. I was just happy to be there, and was in awe watching guys like Ian and Evert Bastet smoke on up the course seemingly miles ahead of me. What I remember about that regatta was when a nasty storm quickly blew through the fl eet. I think every single boat fl ipped at the same time, and I remember hanging onto the centreboard on my overturned hull and looking around at about 100 multicoloured Lasers and their skippers in the same predicament. It was both thrilling and scary.

So let me take a stab at recalling some of the major differences in the Laser from then and now.

Hull and DeckLasers today are built better, and this isn’t a knock on the original builders, but due to the benefi t of improved processes and materials over the years. Early Lasers were more prone to water ingress at the hull/deck joint, centreboard trunk and mast step. It was more common back then to see sailors emptying their boats on shore after sailing, whereas I think that nowadays Lasers are generally pretty watertight.

Of course we had our choice of about 6 different hull colours, which is a little more interesting than the ubiquitous white boats of today. I believe it was the aforementioned Evert Bastet who had a unique boat. His hull was painted half dark blue/

half white down the centerline, which could confuse his competition going upwind (where is that guy in the blue boat I just crossed tacks with?).SailThe fi rst Laser sails were made under the brand of legendary Danish sailor, Paul Elvstrom, with the distinctive Elvstrom crown logo at the tack. The sail were built at Hans Fogh’s loft in Toronto, and they were well made. I understand that in the very fi rst year or two of the Laser that sails didn’t come with a window, so that must have made crossing tacks pretty interesting. I know that after Elvstrom stopped supplying the sails (late 70’s?), an Elvstrom sail in good condition became a collector’s item. I believe the only other notable change to the sail over the years was an increase in cloth weight. The new standard rig sail we’ve been hearing about is going to come out soon, so this long overdue change will certainly be welcome to improve sail longevity.

Blades and TillerThe fi rst blades supplied with Lasers were made of wood. I’m not sure how consistent or how cost effective they were to make, so in the mid-70’s the white blades were introduced and they were supplied with Lasers until only recently. Winner of the fi rst North American Laser Championships, Dick Tillman, who also wrote the fi rst book on Laser sailing and techniques in 1975, was also one of the fi rst Laser dealers. Dick told me that, “I experimented selecting heavy centerboards (dark wood), thinking a heavier board might provide extra stability vs lighter boards (light wood), where the thinking was that less weight would be advantageous. It didn’t seem to make much difference”. Dick also said that warped boards, particularly on the trailing edge, were certainly not unusual with the wood boards. The tiller supplied with boats was also wood and it was too long. Now that I think of it, there was a fair amount of wood used on the early boats: board, rudder, tiller and cockpit grab rails. The tiller came with an

Racing Lasers -- Then and Now

www.Laser.org 25

extension that was too short to fully hike out. In youth regattas where boats were supplied we had to use this tiller. It would encourage the bad habit of using a “frying pan” steering technique, or encourage some sailors to tie a piece of line or the main sheet tail on the end to enable the sailor to hike further. The extension joint was a non-universal fi tting, which would sometimes cause the extension to lock on one side during a manoeuvre. As a result a must do for racers was to custom build a tiller by fi nding a piece of aluminum channel, buying a piece of PVC pipe for the extension, and then inserting a rubber universal joint. It was a challenge to get the correct angle on the tiller out of the rudder head so that it wouldn’t bang on the traveller cleat when sailing upwind. In the late 70’s you could fi nally buy a decent tiller designed to fi t snugly into the rudder head. The PVC tiller extensions worked fi ne, and everyone took pride in their own tiller since they

had to construct it; and, one thing is for sure: the homemade tillers we used back then were a lot less expensive than today’s carbon versions.

Parts and RiggingWhen you bought a Laser in the 70’s the standard kit supplied with the boat was a far cry from today’s choice of low stretch lines and effi cient purchase systems. The diameter of the lines supplied was too large, and the ropes were stretchy. The very fi rst Lasers were supplied with yellow polypropelene line. Can you imagine how much the traveller and vang would stretch in a puff? But remember, they needed to keep the price down and just didn’t plan on the Laser taking off as a high-performance racing boat that would eventually be an Olympic class. Besides being too large in diameter, the supplied mainsheet was a little too short. This reminds me of competing in the Canadian 19 and under

championships in 1977. New boats were supplied, and they were stock issue right from the nearby Montreal factory. Due to the short mainsheet, in order to get the boom out to near 90 degrees a few of us would let our travellers off to the maximum downwind, which would allow the mainsheet/traveller block unit to be pulled forward and thereby enable the boom to be let out a little more. We would also untie the knot at the mainsheet block, pull it out and re-tie a knot to hold the sheet out a little more on the runs. Of course we had to remember to get it all back in order before rounding the leeward mark.With the lines clearly needing an upgrade, the standard swap-out was to buy Marlow pre-stretch lines, and these worked just fi ne until the zero stretch Spectra and Dyneema ropes came on the scene.The supplied mainsheet block with a new boat was a tiny little thing and it was non-ratcheting.

continued on page 26

SPRING 201426

There was only one decent ratchet block available, so pretty well everyone who raced went out and got a white Elvstrom ratchet. Some sailors used an integral swivelling block with cleat, but these could lead to an inadvertent cleating of your main precisely at an inopportune moment. The traveller, cunningham and outhaul cleats supplied on the boats were the black plastic style that just didn’t hold the line under load, so a must-do swap-out for racers was to replace them with metal versions. Many of the thru-deck installed parts didn’t have proper backing, so were prone to pulling out. This meant that many sailors would install an inspection port near the centerboard, solely to be able to thru-bolt the hiking strap. Another change some keeners did for peace of mind to avoid a breakdown was to thru-bolt the traveller, aft sheet and boom blocks.The hiking strap supplied with the boat was pretty basic and not very comfortable on the feet. These would also wear out after a while at the screw location. A popular add-on for improved hiking comfort was to buy a piece of refrigeration insulation tubing and insert the strap through it. Although more comfortable it had a tendency to cause the sailor to roll out of the boat.I don’t think during the fi rst few years of the Laser that the automatic bailer was available. Have you ever tried keeping water out of your cockpit with just the open drain plug and no bailer? It just doesn’t work. I think the early Laser sailors were good at kicking water out.

Spar sectionsThe early top sections had two rivets in the plastic collar, and they were more prone to breakage compared to today’s upper. The early booms did not have an internal strengthening sleeve near the vang fi tting, which meant that bending or breaking a boom was common for hard core racers. An early boom would not be able to withstanding the loads we put on our booms now using the high purchase vang system.

Rigging systems It wasn’t until I think the late ‘70’s that a few sailors fi gured out how to create innovative loops to increase purchase systems in both the cunningham and outhaul lines. Before the loops it was quite challenging to tighten the outhaul. It required the sailor to head up to take the load off the sail and then deftly pull on the outhaul line aft of the boom cleat (while also holding the tiller in that hand), and then a quickly take out the slack by pulling on the line where it exited the cleat (while also holding the mainsheet in that hand). This was not easy to do, particularly in stronger breeze and it was a technique that needed to be practised. Some sailors would not bother to let off their outhaul downwind, as it was just too hard to pull it back on in windy conditions. The cunningham would not release well after uncleating, so you regularly had to reach forward to pull out slack in the line to allow the tension in tack of the sail to release.Ah yes, which brings us to the boom vang. If you could only select one change to the Laser over the years it would have to be the ability to easily adjust the vang and to really crank it on to depower. Trying to tighten the vang during a race was tough. A skill that had to be practised was the ability to round the leeward mark in breezy conditions, and then after sheeting in you had to head up to close to head-to-wind, move inboard to press down on the boom as hard as you could with your right hand, which was holding the tiller (we only rounded marks to port – leeward gates hadn’t been invented), then quickly take up the vang slack with your left hand, and then lay the boat back off and get it moving. I preferred the lazier man’s technique of cleating the mainsheet at max-in, and then pressing my foot down on the sheet where it ran between the ratchet and boom block. The slack created allowed me to achieve decent vang tension. Although this worked well enough in that era, we certainly were not able to put on the type of vang tension possible today. There were

actually some lighter sailors who on heavy wind days would tighten their vangs on shore by sheeting in all the way, have a friend sit on the end of their boom and they would then set the vang. They’d sail at least the fi rst windward leg with a very tight vang, and some would even leave it tight all day and live with it that way even sailing downwind! The big problem with the vang was that once you rounded the windward mark you pretty well had to leave it wherever you released it and cleated it to before rounding and bearing off. It was frustrating to be sailing downwind and seeing that your vang was either too loose or tight, and you pretty well just had to live with it. If this happened on a dead run in really windy conditions you knew you were in for an on-the-edge leg, and you would need to be ready for a death roll or round up at any moment. The only choice to fi x the problem was to round up into the wind and make an imprecise adjustment as fast as you could before bearing back off. In the second race of the 1982 Laser Worlds in Italy, good friend and fellow Canuck (aka “Twister” - some readers know him well) rounded about 5 lengths behind me at the fi rst mark and we were in 1st and 2nd. He was catching me as we sailed down the fi rst reach, and I knew why. The leg was slightly broad of the beam, and I could see that his vang was a bit looser than mine. I knew if I could hold him off until the gybe mark I’d have the advantage on the tighter second reach. Sure enough, I was able to put a few lengths on him on the next reach, which enabled me to hold him off for the race win. This was of course a type of scenario that ended once the new vang came on the scene. The ability to easily fi ne tune adjustments to the vang has made a huge performance difference to the Laser.For the fi rst year or two of Laser racing nobody had yet fi gured out the need for using a tight clew tie-down. Also, class rules for many decades did not allow using a shockcord in-haul for the clew, which is a smart add-on

today. Dollies and CoversI wish Peter Seidenberg had developed his Seitech dolly design a few years earlier than he did. Very few people had their own dolly in the 1970s or 80s. Standard procedure when you arrived at a regatta site was to look for a couple old tires to put your boat on, and if you couldn’t fi nd any you’d just put it on the grass. Hopefully the host sailing club would have a few dollies that would be shared by the entire fl eet, but when a large pack of boats arrived back to the shore at the same time it forced you to get accustomed to carrying boats. A team of 3 was preferred, but often only two had to carry a fully loaded Laser a fair distance after a day of racing. Deck and hull covers were also quite rare. We just didn’t seem to worry about covering our decks overnight. You’d just roll your sail on the mast and leave everything in the cockpit. Best “how I found my boat in the morning” story took place in Gimli, Manitoba at the 1980 Laser Canadians. One of the top sailors and a meticulous guy about his boat was Canadian Steve Fleckenstein. He thought he’d air his hull out overnight by leaving two inspection ports open. Although he knew the forecast called for no chance of rain, what he didn’t count on was an infestation of shad fl ies being attracted to a bright light overhead, congregating and ultimately dying

Racing Lasers -- Then and Now - continued from page 25

www.Laser.org 27

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today. Dollies and CoversI wish Peter Seidenberg had developed his Seitech dolly design a few years earlier than he did. Very few people had their own dolly in the 1970s or 80s. Standard procedure when you arrived at a regatta site was to look for a couple old tires to put your boat on, and if you couldn’t fi nd any you’d just put it on the grass. Hopefully the host sailing club would have a few dollies that would be shared by the entire fl eet, but when a large pack of boats arrived back to the shore at the same time it forced you to get accustomed to carrying boats. A team of 3 was preferred, but often only two had to carry a fully loaded Laser a fair distance after a day of racing. Deck and hull covers were also quite rare. We just didn’t seem to worry about covering our decks overnight. You’d just roll your sail on the mast and leave everything in the cockpit. Best “how I found my boat in the morning” story took place in Gimli, Manitoba at the 1980 Laser Canadians. One of the top sailors and a meticulous guy about his boat was Canadian Steve Fleckenstein. He thought he’d air his hull out overnight by leaving two inspection ports open. Although he knew the forecast called for no chance of rain, what he didn’t count on was an infestation of shad fl ies being attracted to a bright light overhead, congregating and ultimately dying

inside his hull! A nasty surprise when he arrived at his boat in the morning to go racing. In part 2 in the next issue of the TLS, I’ll cover differences from then and now in Laser techniques and styles, clothing, courses and regattas, and talk about a mishmash of other miscellaneous observations of changes that have taken place in Laser sailing.

Your California Laser charter specialist

• Midwinter’s West – Richmond • CISA Clinic – Long Beach

• Leiter Cup - US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship – Mission Bay • North American Championship – Long Beach

• Pacific Coast Championship – Santa Barbara • US Nationals – San Francisco

2014 Schedule of Events •• Midwinter’s West Midwinter’s West Midwinter’s West Midwinter’s West Midwinter’s West Midwinter’s West Midwinter’s West Midwinter’s West Midwinter’s West Midwinter’s West Midwinter’s West Midwinter’s West – RichmondRichmondRichmondRichmond•••• CISA Clinic CISA Clinic CISA Clinic CISA Clinic CISA Clinic CISA Clinic CISA Clinic CISA Clinic CISA Clinic – Long BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong Beach

•••• LeiterLeiterLeiterLeiterLeiterLeiterLeiter Cup Cup Cup Cup Cup Cup Cup Cup Cup Cup Cup Cup Cup Cup - US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship – Mission BayMission BayMission BayMission Bay•• North American Championship North American Championship North American Championship North American Championship – Long BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachLong BeachUS Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship Mission BayUS Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship Mission Bay

Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship – Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraSanta BarbaraSanta BarbaraSanta Barbara•••• US Nationals US Nationals US Nationals US Nationals US Nationals US Nationals – San FranciscoSan FranciscoSan FranciscoSan FranciscoSan FranciscoSan FranciscoSan FranciscoSan FranciscoSan FranciscoSan FranciscoSan Francisco

RichmondRichmondRichmondRichmondRichmond •• Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship Pacific Coast Championship 2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events2014 Schedule of Events

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SPRING 201428

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NA Laser Grand Prix 2013 Winners

www.Laser.org 29

DAVID HILLMYER

The Laser Masters Midwinters East at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron bookended another great Florida Masters Week this February. With 70 sailors competing at each of the three Masters Week events, it was a record year for participation.

The three-day Masters Midwinters East event in Sarasota provided a bit of everything regarding wind and weather. Day one looked a bit doubtful at the outset, lots of fog and little wind in the morning. After about an hour and a half postponement, the fl eet was sent to the course. Two light air races were sailed with Scott Ferguson and Dave Chapin each taking the win in the two races sailed respectively. Post race the sailors and their guests all enjoyed a plentiful BBQ Chicken dinner, complete with all the sides and a keg of imported beer as well.

Day two was nothing short of a chamber of commerce day for Sarasota sailing. Warm, Sunny, and Breezy. PRO Judy Hanlon did a great job of getting things going, and keeping them going. Four races were sailed in near perfect conditions. Breeze was never

less than 10, averaged about 14, and peaked in the twenties. Some nice surf-able size waves treated the sailors to memorable downwind battles. Peter Shope certainly enjoyed the day, scoring four wins in the four races sailed. Post race another great meal was served… A fresh Sarasota style shrimp boil with yet another free fl owing keg.

Day three did not look promising, a glassy bay and not an encouraging weather forecast. With no wind in the morning, and an early afternoon cutoff for racing, some sailors were hedging their bets and starting to pack things up for an early exit back to the snow. However, Sarasota Bay did not disappoint. After a long, but optimistic postponement, the reliable sea breeze did come in and it also did not disappoint. Two fi nal races ensued in 7 to 12 knots of warm wind. Lynne Shore scored the win in race seven and Scott Ferguson got the bullet in the fi nal race. Peter Shope took home the overall win with a total of 14 points after 8 races.

Top Finishers:

Apprentice Masters1: David Heibert2: Scott Pakenham3: David Hillmyer

Masters1: Peter Shope2: Scott Ferguson3: Ari Barshi

Grand Masters 1: Dan Neri2: Buzzy Heausler3: Jorge Abreu

Great Grand Masters1: David Frazier2: Alden Shattuck3: Jacques Kerrest

The Sarasota Sailing Squadron thanks all of the sailors, volunteers, and our offi ce staff who helped make this a great and memorable event. Make your plans to come down and sail in Florida next year for Masters Week, escape the cold weather and do some great Laser racing.

Full results for the Florida Masters Championship, Midweek Madness, and the Masters Midwinters East can be found at: www.regattanetwork.com

Masters Midwinters East

SPRING 201430

MATT FISHER

This past February I used my son’s Laser to sail in the Laser Masters Midwinter circuit. It was a tremendous learning experience for me and hopefully in this article I can tell you what I learned. I don’t know that these thoughts will help you since this will likely be old news for a large majority of you, but if you get one idea or chuckle hopefully it will be worth your time. To put it mildly, I came out of the events with more parts of my sailing to improve than what I thought when I started. But I will do it again. It was a great eight days and I encourage anyone who has the time and age to get to these regattas.

I decided to get back into the Laser to improve a couple parts of my sailing that I have noticed were suffering. I need to confi dently sail downwind in a breeze and I also want to improve my timing on the starting line. I sail a Lightning and, as different as these boats are, I knew that some of the skills would transfer. I also sail an MC Scow which has some similarities to a Laser downwind. I went to Caberete a couple weeks before the Laser Masters circuit. Caberete is an outstanding program and I will go back when I am a little more competent in the boat.

I learned in 4 key areas:

Laser Fitness

I thought I was in good shape going into the midwinters but I was at 50% of where I needed to be for hiking in a Laser. My quads wore out way too early. I thought biking and squats would get me to a good hiking fi tness but I’ve concluded that hiking gets one in hiking shape. There also is a signifi cant mental aspect of hiking that I am trying to develop. My college roommate and sailing teammate at Miami of Ohio in the mid-seventies

was Dan Neri. Dan actually gave me some good advice after the second day at Jensen Beach where he sailed very well; “I decided I was going to hike harder today”. That profound statement helped me move my mind over pain at Sarasota. I also think hydration is a big part of hiking endurance and I wasn’t hydrating enough in Jensen Beach (there is a technique for going to the bathroom that also takes time to perfect). Hiking is the biggest part of upwind speed when it is blowing over 8 and I misunderstood my fi tness level. I am using my hiking bench much more aggressively in March as I prepare for the Lightning Midwinters.

Large Fleet Starting lines

Starting is obviously a signifi cant part of each race but at these regattas starts were critical for slightly different reasons than what I anticipated. There were about 70 boats at each regatta which is really cool but this required very long starting lines. I have had problems in both the Lightning and the MC with getting too close to the line with 30-40 seconds to go, and then being late to trim at 15 seconds. In the Laser I had imagined that I would have problems with the last 10 seconds before the start since I had heard that everyone trims in at 6 seconds to go. That really wasn’t the case. I thought I appreciated how long each line was but in my opinion you HAD to be at the favored end. If the line was leeward end favored, and you chose to start 1/3 of the way up that could be 60 yards, and that is how much you would be behind at the gun. Compared to other boats I have sailed when it is leeward favored, a Laser fl eet tacks to port quicker and takes advantage of the favored end. The best boats lose very little speed when they are tacked well. I actually learned quickly to get to the leeward end when it was favored. But when

the line was favored to weather I was too conservative. The penalty when the line is weather favored isn’t as immediately apparent until you tack, but it is equally devastating if you are not at the weather end, you just don’t realize it until part way up the beat. When it was weather favored I was not confi dent enough in my acceleration to go fi ght near the boat but that is where the leaders would come from.

I seem to be in a minority in the Laser in that I use a compass. On small lakes it is not necessary but I fi nd it helpful upwind in unfamiliar waters and big fl eets. I also fi nd it helpful in getting a very accurate idea of which end is favored. 10 degrees is huge, and to me, non-compass methods are hard to detect a 5-10 degree favored end. I get a line sight/heading from the committee boat to the pin and then go head to wind. If the difference is greater than 90 degrees it is weather favored, less than 90 and it’s leeward. I then match that head to wind to a starboard tack reading.

Interestingly, I had a much better West Palm Beach regatta than Jensen Beach. The left side of the course was favored due to current, the line was leeward favored, and the wind was blowing less than 8. I didn’t have to think or hike. Seriously, the only way several of us knew the left side had such a favorable current was because we sailed 2-3 hours the previous day. I won a race, but it was not a foreshadowing of things to come. I had trouble when the wind straightened out.

Upwind

I went into the midwinters thinking I would have good upwind speed in the 7-15mph range. I actually struggled in the medium breeze and did better when it was above or below

Masters Midwinters – another perspective

www.Laser.org 31

medium. My only conclusion is to put more time in the boat. The Laser sails better when you steer bow down. I had trouble fi nding that slot - a combination of when to pull the vang on extra hard, and how deep to drive rather than pinch. I feel like 35 years ago we pinched the Laser compared to today and I believe that is because of the ability to crank the vang.

Downwind

I stunk downwind. I got to the point where heavy air (for me 13+) downwind was fun and my speed was comparable to everyone else because I could plane down waves. In the 8-12 range, there is technique that is discussed frequently in this publication but I was not able to execute. The distance the top people gain/pull away downwind is incredible. I

learned several things though: In all conditions I need to get comfortable with a relatively loose vang, healing to weather, and sailing by the lee. I’m not there yet. Playing the waves comes after I get comfortable with that position. I know you all know this already, but I felt like the only one on the dance fl oor not dancing sometimes. People like Peter Shope and Ari Barisi were making enormous gains downwind, and they were working the boat. Ari uses the technique that I have seen on video and I see the kids doing it, but that is of playing the waves by the lee, and then heading up to a good broad reach. I need to learn to do that. Lindsey Hewitt said one line at the end of Jensen Beach that helped, and that was to keep the rig “loaded up”. That helped me at least get more aggressive with a looser vang, and more heal to weather and a sharper angle down the wave.

Summary

I was really impressed with the people at the midwinters. The clubs were very hospitable and the events were well run. I have sailed different classes before, and the group at the midwinters seemed to go out of their way to make someone like me feel welcome. Classes need characters like Dave Hartman that keep these events positive, and there were a lot of people who have a love for the class and this event. The fi tness level, the camaraderie, and the willingness to help on and off the water really made this fun. I need more time in the boat and need to travel since Ohio doesn’t have a lot of active Laser sailing. I look forward to seeing you on the circuit and can take all of the advice you’re have.

SPRING 201432

Midwinters EastDAVID WAGNER

The Gulf of Mexico provided a half and half kind of regatta for the 2014 Midwinters east championship. For the fi rst two days of the event, Clearwater provided the fl eet with fantastic racing. Day one featured an on and off breeze that if played right, could take you right to the front and if played wrong, you would most likely fi nd yourself shot out the back. The pressure rolled in and out all day, having sailors in the “I feel a little bit of pressure on my face” mindset to “I really need to hit the gym more because my legs are starting to burn from hiking” phase. The full rig fl eet got three races off cleanly and were sent in around 4:30. The radials were a bit less fortunate however. They were held for a long time, waiting for the breeze to fi ll before they got their third and fi nal race in. Thankfully, the breeze eventually came in and the radials raced, just in time to get in before sunset.New to Midwinters this year was an

Olympic regatta style racing schedule. Sailors would go out around 9:30 expecting three races to be sailed for that day. Which was a nice aversion from the “how many are we doing today” question that looms in some sailors minds as they sail out. Day two provided a fairly powerful breeze from the south. The shallow waters of the gulf helped produce deep troughed rollers, which for a Midwestern youth sailor, were a dream come true. While the waves were epic downwind, upwind they proved to be diffi cult to sail. On the outer loop especially, the steep, frequent, and powerful waves separated the men from the boys when it came to upwind technique and hiking strength. Again, three races were sailed and today,

everyone got in before dark. Day three and four provided more unfortunate weather. Day three was postponed on shore all day due to an, almost incredibly, thick fog. Sailors sat

around in the 5% visibility all day until two in the afternoon when racing was called. The following morning featured the same, anti-sailing weather. But when the fog cleared on land the fl eet was sent out, and to their

surprise, found great conditions, 10-12 knots from the south-ish. But right as everyone’s hopes were risen, a thick fog rolled back into the race course area. The fog wouldn’t budge all day and eventually the regatta was sent in without having raced. Amidst unfavorable weather conditions, Clearwater Yacht Club and CCSC hosted an incredibly ran event, good food and friendly volunteers greeted the sailors every day and it will for sure be again an impressive event in 2015.

Midwinters EastStandard - top 5 (50 boats) country total points

Robert Davis CAN 14Juan Magli GUA 15Karl-Martin Rammo EST 16Tom Ramshaw CAN 17Lee Parkhill CAN 22Radial - top 5 (67 boats)Luke Ramsay CAN 5Luke Muller USA 7William Marshall USA 13Brenda Bowskill CAN 19Luke Ruitenberg CAN 274.7 - top 5 (20 boats)Louisa Nordstrom USA 8Alexandra Mares USA 16TAbigail Affoo USA 16TGage Scoenherr USA 20Kyle Dochada USA 31

Photos by Nigel Cochrane

www.Laser.org 33

Photos by Nigel Cochrane

JOHN LONG

From January 27 – Feb. 1, ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami returned to the waters of Biscayne Bay, bringing together the world’s top Olympic Laser and Laser Radial sailors. Marking the 25th running of the event, the regatta is a mainstay on the winter circuit for sailors who are campaigning for the next Olympic Games. The event is part of the ISAF Sailing World Cup, a world-class annual series for Olympic sailing.

Established in 1990 by US SAILING, ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami draws elite sailors, including Olympic medalists and hopefuls from around the world. In non-Olympic/Paralympic years, the regatta is especially important as a ranking regatta for sailors hoping to qualify for the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider, which annually distinguishes the top sailors in each Olympic and Paralympic class.

For the Laser and Laser Radial classes, the two largest classes with 90 and 50 competitors respectively, the 2014 event consisted of a fi ve-day opening series and a double-point medal race. The top ten fi nishers in each class advanced to the medal race.

The fi rst day of the opening series started off with an AP fl ag due to lack of wind. Postponement was lifted at around noon and two races were completed in light and challenging conditions. Day two began with an AP fl ag. Once the fl ag was dropped the sailors were able to complete only one race for the day. On day three the AP fl ag was lowered around noon and the sailors headed out in anticipation of wind. The sailors were greeted with an AP fl ag on the water and rain, lots of rain. Finally, after a couple hours of heavy rain, the sailors were now experiencing thunder showers. With no races completed, racing was abandoned for the day at two in the

afternoon. Thursday, day 4, looked to be promising. Race committee was doing everything possible to get races completed in the limited windows of opportunity. Often RC had been running two Laser fl eets and the Radials on the race course at the same time. The wind remained light throughout the day, peaking at 10 knots or less. Race committee was able to complete the scheduled two races for the day. On day fi ve high pressure moved in and sat over Miami. Skies were clear, temperatures were near the 80s and there was no wind to be found. The AP fl ag was fl own on shore all day. No races attempted.

This year the regatta known for its steady winds was shaping up to be a regatta that rewards the sailors with the patience and skill to deal with the light air conditions. “Unfortunately the wind didn’t cooperate much this week, leaving us with only fi ve races,” commented Charlie Buckingham (USA) who was in 7th overall with the medal race remaining. Nick Thompson (GBR) also commented on the light air this week. “The race committee has done a really nice job working through this and it’s just a bit of bad luck for them as the weeks leading up to this have been really nice.”

The medal race, which was scored double the points, was held

on Saturday under some of the best conditions of the entire regatta. In the Laser class medal race Charlie Buckingham (USA) fi nished 9th. In the Radial class medal round race it was Paige Railey (USA) fi nishing 2nd followed by Erika Reineke (USA) and Claire Merry(CAN) coming in 4th and 10th respectively.

Overall scores in the Laser class had Charlie Buckingham (USA) fi nishing 9th, Lee Parkhill (CAN) and Chris Barnard (USA) in 11th and 12th. In the Radial class Paige Railey (USA) won her unprecedented sixth championship title at this event. Claire Merry (CAN), the winner of last year’s CORK OCR, fi nished fi fth. Boston Colleges, Erika Reineke (USA), winner of this year’s ISCA Women’s Singlehanded National Sailing Championship fi nished ninth overall.

Over a dozen of the top North American youth Laser and Radial sailors tried their skills against the world’s fi nest sailors. The top youth Laser sailor was this year’s Orange Bowl champion Luke Muller (USA) fi nishing 31st, followed by James Pulsford (USA) and Richard Didham (USA) fi nishing 39th and 57th respectively. The top youth Radial sailor was Hanna Weaver (USA) fi nishing 15th, followed by Dana Rohde (USA) and D’Amy Steward fi nishing 23rd and 46th overall.

Miami OCR( ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami)

SPRING 201434


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www.rightontrailer.com

www.Laser.org 35

SAIL GORGE!

1

www.rightontrailer.com

Deep Winter in the NorthWestKurt Hoehne District 22

Laser sailing never sleeps in District 22. The Seattle Laser Fleet hosted a successful Frigid Digit regatta in early February, with Dan Falk’s outstanding heavy air performance on day one trumping Carl Buchan’s impressive performance on day

2 by a single point. The amazing Frigid Digit meal, courtesy of Yun McFall, was served for a change in a high-rise with a full view of a snowy downtown. Seattle summer racing promises to be good on the Sound on Thursdays through CYC and on Lake Washington on Fridays through Sail Sand Point. The fl eet is currently seeking loaner boats to encourage (lure) sailors into the fl eet.

East of the Cascades, in fact just about as far east as you can get in D22, a new “Can-Am” regatta is taking shape. It will be held August 15-17 at Fort Peck Montana, and boats are expected to come from both Canada and from Montana. Winds are reputed to be great on the large Fort Peck Lake. This could be a signifi cant new regatta.

And of course the Columbia Gorge Racing Association has a spectacular July lineup including youth and open clinics with Rulo Borojovich, the Laser Blowout, the WIND Youth Regatta and a very exciting Laser Master NAs. Check-out www.cgra.org for the full rundown.

SPRING 201436

District ReportsDistrict 4Manitoba, CANBrigitte [email protected] www.sailmanitoba.com

Laser sailors in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario are looking forward to another great sailing season, particularly having endured the longest and coldest winter in a long time. It should actually count as two winters... What say we just move on to summer and never speak about it again.

To be prepared for the season some of our sailors are keeping fi t by attending a sport specifi c training twice a week at the Sport for Life Centre in Winnipeg. As always we will load up the trailer on the May long weekend and attend the Regina short course regatta in our friendly neighbour province Saskatchewan. Lots of training sessions and regattas are planned in June and July at different clubs in Manitoba.

The District 4 and the Laser Masters will be held on July 6 at the Falcon YC. For out of province regattas we have the Laser Canadians in Vancouver, Sail West in Edmonton, the U 19 and the OCR, both in Kingston, in our schedule. Let’s hope for an early spring so we can be on the water at the beginning of May!

District 5Saskatoon, CANMark [email protected] www.sasksail.com

2014 District 5 Dick Degner Laser, Radial and Master scoring eventsMay 17-18 SK, Wascana Short Course, Regina SK July 11-13 North American MASTERS Gorge, (Masters)July 12-13 AB, Prairie Wind, Radial and Laser (Rad/Laser)July 19-20 SK “Saskatchewan Champs, Battleford’sAug 1-3 AB W CANADIAN’S, Sail West, WabamunAug 30-31 AB, “Alberta Champs” Prov & Black Pearl Ball Sept 6-7 SK, District 5 Championships, Saskatoon SC 3 events to count from the 3 in AB and 3 in SK- 2 events (SK or AB) +1 Event (other) Inverse scoring. Only win 1 category. Radial Laser Master2013 Stephen Reichenfeld Nic Hamel Louis Pierre Gagnon2012 Finn Griggs Ian Elliot Lewis Oteruelo2011 Lesley Reichenfeld Simon Schmitt Lewis Oteruelo2010 Sydney Byrns Nic Hamel Mark Lammens2009 David Cormack Mark Bugiak Barry Tee2008 Hannah Meers Ian Elliot Barry Tee2007 Dominique Grell Erik Tulk Barry Tee

District 6Vancouver, CANAndy [email protected] www.district6x.ca

Greetings to all the sailors in District 6.

The weather has started to improve and sailors are starting to think about getting back on the water. For some of the more hardy sailors, there has been training and a few local regattas. Also, 11 District 6 sailors went to Florida for some warm water racing. The Royal Victoria Yacht Club hosted the Frozen Assets Regatta on February 1 and 2. The winds were steady enough that the race committee managed to run 5 races on Saturday and 4 races on Sunday. Sailors from the mainland liked the fact that some of them were able to catch an early ferry. The race committee was mainly made up of Cadets and they did an excellent job. There were 11 standard Lasers and no Radials. Bob Britten was the top sailor and he had 19 points. Second place went to Reece Myerscough who had 25 points. Aidan Koster was third with 27 points. Geoff Able and John Owen were fourth and fi fty with 33 points and 37 points. The Royal Vancouver Yacht Club hosted the March Madness Regatta on March 8 and 9. There were 6 standard Lasers and 7 Laser Radials. The weather was lousy on Saturday (heavy rain) but the wind was good (15 – 18 knots). The race committee, led by Hunter Lowden who is the newest sailing director, ran 4 races on Saturday. The weather itself was better on Sunday (sunny) but the wind was very light. There was one race completed and one race abandoned. The results were: Alexander Heinzemann, RVANYC, 5.00; Kyle Martin, RVANYC, 7.00; Al Clark, RVANYC, 9.00; Alex Shepard,RVANYC, 16.00; Kyle Gerrard, RVANYC, 20.00; Peter Woytkowiak, JSCA, 21.00. Radial Results:Tony Martin, JSCA, 8.00; Graham Harney, RVANYC, 9.00; Natalia Montemayor, RVANYC, 10.00;Jacek Suski, JSCA, 15.00; Miranda MacGillvray, RVANYC, 16.00; Jake Cullen, RVANYC, 18.00,Unknown, RVANYC, 29.00. Spring weekend racing should be starting soon and I hope that more sailors will be racing in local, round the buoy races. If all goes well, yours truly should be back in his Laser in the Spring. I had a hip replacement operation and have not been in my Laser for the last 18 months or so. Hope to see you on the water soon. Don’t forget about the summer west coast circuit.If you are a masters sailor, there are 6 consecutive weekends (starting with WAVES on June 27 – 29) and ending (with the US Laser and Laser Radial Championships in San Francisco) on July 30 – August3. The regattas will be in Districts 6, 22 and 24. The other regattas are: BC Sailing Championships at the Squamish Yacht Club on July 5 and 6; North American Masters at Cascade Locks on July 11 – 13; BC Laser Masters at Nicola Lake on July 12 and 13; PCC Masters at the Jericho Sailing Centre on July 18 – 20; Canadian Laser, Laser Radial and Laser 4.7 Championships at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club on July 25 – 27. All the regattas with the exception of the NA Masters, are in District 6.

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

District 7Rhode IslandDerek [email protected]

The winter of 2013/14 may not have been the longest, the coldest, or the snowiest winter on record in New England, but as I write this report in mid-March it sure feels like it has been all of the above. Many hardy souls have been frostbiting pretty much every weekend. However it’s not surprising that a bunch of District 7 sailors also headed off to compete in warmer waters, and our top sailors have achieved some stellar results.

Mike Matan and Peter Seidenberg sailed the Masters Worlds in Oman in December, where Peter won another Masters World Championship, with a dominating performance in the Radial Great Grandmaster Fleet.

Peter also sailed the Caribbean Midwinters in Cabarete in the Dominican Republic in January and came second in the Radial fl eet.

A large contingent headed south for Florida Masters Week in February including Daniel Bullard, Robert Page, Tim Desmond, Lowell Tomas, Philip Swanton, Ian McNeice, Peter Hopple, Tim Millhiser, Halsey Bullen, Amnon Gitelson, Britt Hughes, Lynne Shore, Scott Pakenham, Dan Neri, Hank Thorburn, David Frazier, Peter Shope and Scott Ferguson.

Scott Ferguson won the fi rst event, the Florida Laser Masters at Palm Beach Sailing Club. Peter Shope won the second regatta, the Laser Masters Midweek Madness at the US Sailing Center in Martin County, with Scott in second. And at the fi nal event, the Laser Masters Midwinters at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron, Peter and Scott fi nished the regatta tied on points with Shope winning the tie-breaker. As if that were not enough, other D7 masters picked up a number of trophies in the age group awards. Dan Neri was fi rst Grand Master at all three events, David Frazier took a fi rst and two seconds in the Great Grandmasters, Scott Pakenham scored a second and two thirds in the Apprentice Masters, and Lynne Shore was fi rst Woman at all three regattas. Did the sailors from other districts get tired of seeing D7 sailors on the podium so many times?

District 7 Radial sailors competed strongly at the Midwinters East in Clearwater Beach in Florida with William Marshall taking third place, and Richie Gordon and Jack Marshall also in the top ten in the Radial fl eet.

And at the end of February Dave Powlison and Judith Krimski headed off to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico for the Mexican Laser Masters where Dave won and Judith was fourth.

By the time you are reading this, the snow will (probably) have melted and it will be time to plan some summer sailing. The 2014 regatta schedule for District 7 is listed below, but check out the

website at www.laserdistrict7.com for the latest version with recently added events.

April 27 Peter Milnes Regatta, Sail NewportMay 10 May Madness Regatta, Quannapowitt YCMay 11 Spring Laser Regatta, Cedar Point YCMay 31 NH Seacoast Spring RegattaMay 31 Massapoag YC Laser RegattaJune 1 Lake Mascoma RegattaJune 7-8 Wickford Regatta June 21-22 John Bentley Regatta, New Bedford YCJune 29 Portland YC Maine State Championship RegattaJuly 12-13 Newport RegattaJuly 12-13 Lipton Cup Regatta, Squantum YCJuly 25-27 Hyannis RegattaAugust 1-3 Buzzards Bay Regatta, Beverly YCAugust 16-17 Chiott Vermont Laser Open, Malletts Bay BCAugust 30-31 Atlantic Coast Champs, Sail MaineSeptember 6-7 Massapoag YC Annual RegattaSeptember 20-21 New England Masters, Wianno YCOctober 11 Last Blast Regatta, Quannapowitt YCOctober 12 NH Seacoast Fall RegattaPlease feel free to contact me about any district matters at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you.

District 8Lower New YorkLindsay Hewitt:[email protected] Trinder: [email protected] www.laserd8.tripod.com

District 8 is seeing some changes for 2014. Ted Cremer after 6 successful years as D8’s secretary has passed the baton to David Trinder and Lindsay Hewitt. Kudos and thanks to Ted for all his hard work on behalf of everyone in District 8. In addition to his work on D8 Ted has been responsible for hosting the D8 Grand Prix’s and D8 Championships over many years at the Sayville Yacht Club. He has graciously agreed to oversee this event again this year at Sayville.Three other people that need to be recognized are Mike Duran, Lynn Sexton and Bob Terry. Mike and Lynn have steadfastly scheduled the East End of Long Island’s laser regattas. Mike and Lynn together have organized a great series for the past few years and once again have put together a great series for 2014. The third person that has been volunteering with his terrifi c web and video skills for D8 is Bob Terry. Bob, as our webmaster, handles all of the website material including schedules, directions, and of course his famous videos. D8 would simply not run without Bob’s unfailing support. As we write this, local frostbiting at Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club and other LI clubs is winding down and we are getting ready for the new 2014 spring, summer, and fall series. We have over 20 events planned in all different locations throughout D8. Many thanks to all the club reps that have helped put all of these terrifi c events together. Special note: The D8 Grand Prix and D8 Championship will once again be held at Sayville Yacht Club on July 19th and 20th. Please check the Laser D8 website at LaserD8.org for all updates, changes, directions and new events

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District 9 Upstate New YorkChas Williamson [email protected]

This time last year we had warmer temperatures - this year we still have ice at the South end of Lake Cayuga, preventing launching of the Cornell Sailing team’s 420’s. It is pretty crazy. And soon the students will be fl ying South for Spring Break!As usual, the Spring 2014 season will start with Ithaca YC Wine Keg on 24 May 2014, and we will be off to a good start with guaranteed good breezes with much warmer temps than last year, followed by Willowbank YC 31 May); an early start this year for Saratoga Lake SC (7 June); Newport YC (14 June) and Chautauqua Lake YC (21 June). For these and later regattas see the calendar below, and also check out the D9 Schedule on the ILCA - North America website. There you will fi nd complete schedules and information on the fl eets and clubs, thanks to Jerelyn and Sherri.Spring is just about to start, so we should be planning our summer regattas. I attach below the Calendar for 2014.

CALENDAR FOR DISTRICT 9 REGATTAS 2014Skippers Meeting 10:00 am for each regatta. 24 May, Ithaca YC “Wine Keg”Chas Williamson31 May, Willowbank YC Pedro Bushnell7 June, “Saratoga Lake SC Derby” Barbara Brown14 June, Newport YC Kenny Fourspring21 June, Chautauqua Lake YC David Menzies, Kevin Sixbey [email protected] July, Sodus Bay JSA - DISTRICT 9 GRAND PRIX CHAMPS Mike Foley 19 July, Seneca YC Bill Wilson2-3 Aug, Rochester YC - JO’s Natalie Steo [email protected] Sept, Willowbank YC “Deathroll” Peter Bushnell 7 Sept, Rochester YC Bobby Bryant 12-14 Sept, US Masters (Rochester YC) Bobby Bryant 13 Sept, Glimmerglass Regatta12 Oct, Henderson Harbor YC Tom King [email protected]

District 10New JerseyEric [email protected]://d10.laserforum.org

As usual the winter does give time for sailors to take a break from sailing in NJ and take trips down south to get their sailing fi x someplace warm. We had a cold winter which wasn’t very conducive to sailing in the area but they always know the reliable regattas were always going to be held. Just after Christmas many sailors got in their cars to make the trip down to Miami for the Jr Orange Bowl. Maddie Widmeier 76th RadialAndy Widmeier 21st RadialAndrew Puopolo 4th RadialDrew Lorenz 49th RadialCarter Pearce 106th Radial

The kids got their fi rst regatta, while the Masters got 3 in a row, as part of their Midwinter circuit. The Florida Masters Championship started the week followed by Laser Midweek Madness and ended with the Master’s Midwinters East. Here are the sailors who went and their results for all 3 events in their age categories.John MacCausland (Master) 3, 4, 5Mike Hecky (Master) 11, 9, 7Don Hahl (Grand Master) 5, 11, 9Newt Wattis (Great Grand Master) 8, 6, 6 Jim Knab (Grand Master) 10, 10, 15Mike Mays (Grand Master) 17, 17, 21George Fallon (Grand Master) 20, 16, 22Peter Madonna (Grand Master) 15, 9, XTony Iacono (Great Grand Master) X, 13, 10

The following weekend the Open Midwinter’s East was held in its usual spot of Clearwater.Noah Glosenger (4.7) 17th

Andy Widmeier (Radial) 39th

Dylan Hancock (Radial) 82nd Jeff Glosenger (Radial) 100th

Carter Pearce (Radial) 111th

Michael Ehnot (Radial) 121st

Brenden Gilman (Radial) 126th

As for this upcoming spring season we have a lot to offer. There are a few ocean sailing opportunities as well!!Toms River Spring Series March 30, April 6, 12, 27Marsh Creek April 12th

Annual Spring Regatta @ Shrewsbury Sailing and YC May 10th

Orange Coffee Pot Regatta @ Surf City YC May 31stD10 Full Rigs @ Corinthian Yacht Club of Cape May June 14-15Feed the Need Jr Regatta @ Pine Beach YC June 26th

Iron Man Jr Regatta @ Shore Acres YC July 10thPowder Puff Jr Regatta @ Metedeconk YC July 11thBeachwood Blowout Jr Regatta @ Beachwood YC July 18thAtlantic City Race Week July 19th

Summer Classic @ Ocean Gate YC August 1stD10 Radials and 4.7s @ Brant Beach August 16-17th

Follow District 10 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaserDistrict10Follow District 10 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaserDistrict10Email Eric Reitinger to join the email list: [email protected]

District 11Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, DCJon [email protected]

As this edition of the Laser Sailor went to press our fl eets were wrapping up their frostbite seasons. We had regular racing at Severn Sailing Association in Annapolis; Potomac River Sailing Association in Washington DC and the Hampton Roads Laser Fleet sailing out of Old Dominion University in Norfolk. Several other fl eets also got out on a couple weekends.

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Our calendar for 2014 is now up on the website. This year our District Championship will be at Tred Avon Yacht Club on the eastern shore of MD on August 23-24. The Lasers will be sailed on another course during TAYC’s Heritage regatta with boats much, much older than the Laser. I’ve always wanted to sail alongside a log canoe (to windward of course)!

The rest of the D11 schedule includes some not-to-miss events such as - SSA’s Sunshine Open in April, The Dave Irey Regatta at West River SC in May/June. Corsica River Yacht Club’s Annual Regatta in July. FBYC’s 75th Annual One Design Regatta in August. SSA’s Crab Claw Regatta at the end of September. Rock Hall YC’s Hard Rock Masters in October. And Finally the Laser Masters ACC at Fishing Bay Yacht Club in mid-October. If those aren’t enough, there’s a host of one day events around the District posted on our website at http://laserdistrict11.org

District 11 also has a great junior circuit with a concentration of regattas at the end of June and beginning of July. Starting with the Commonwealth of Virginia Championship at FBYC, the Rock Hall Junior regatta, Tred Avon YC’s Junior Regatta, and concluding with the MD Sate Championship, Annapolis YC Junior Regatta and SSA’s Sandy McVicker Regatta. It’s a great opportunity to come to the Chesapeake Bay for 7 race days over 12 days with an opportunity for some clinics and sight-seeing mixed it. More info at http://www.cbyrajuniorsailing.org

Looking forward to another exciting season of Laser sailing in the Chesapeake Bay Region (and Deep Creek)! To get updates on all of the Laser Sailing in District 11 visit our website and sign up for our email list. You can even follow us on Facebook and Twitter. All the info at www.laserdistrict11.org

District 12North CarolinaGlenn [email protected]

Championship Regatta Circuit for 2014Most of you already know that D12 is a highly competitive fl eet, with over 100 members and nearly 70 percent of those racing in our circuit makes it lots of fun and competitive. Our schedule for the year is posted below, please mark you calendar for at least two of these events!

May 3-4 Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club, South CarolinaMay 31-June 1st Savannah Yacht Club, GeorgiaJuly 26-27 Carolina Yacht Club, SOUTH Carolina

August 2-3 Carolina Yacht Club, NORTH Carolina- GRAND PRIX !!Sept 27-28 Lake Norman Yacht Club, North CarolinaOct 4-5 Columbia Sailing Club, South Carolina

District 13FloridaMichelle [email protected]

The active winter sailing season was kicked off by the D13 Championships held at the US Sailing Center in Martin County the second weekend in December. This venue usually has reliable wind, and it didn’t disappoint this time with warm breezes up to 18 knots for the fl eet of 6 4.7’s, 24 Standards and 43 Radials. Gage Wilson of Edison Sailing Center swept the 4.7 fl eet with 7 bullets in 9 races. In the Radial fl eet Claire Dennis of the SF Bay Area was edged out of fi rst place by one point; the win going to Addison Hackstaff from St Petersburg. Robert Davis (Kingston ONT) won the Standard division, with Chris Barnard of Newport Beach CA in second and Luke Muller of Lauderdale YC (2013 US Nationals champion) in third place.The huge Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta was hosted by Coral Reef YC on Dec 27-30. The weather gave the regatta a nice start with two days of a cloudy but warm 5 to 17 knots. The wind then got lighter for the third day and was too light for racing on the last day due to a stalling front. District 13 kids did very well: Eric Weis of Lauderdale won the 20-boat full rig fl eet and Brandon Kirby (also of LYC) fi nished 6th. Luke Muller (LYC) was the overall winner of the 127-boat Radial fl eet with Dana Rohde (LYC/Beaufort SC) the top woman in 13th place. Two St Petersburg YC juniors also had very strong fi nishes: Addison Hackstaff in 5th and Nic Baird in 9th overall.20 grownups competed in the Open Orange Bowl held concurrently with the youth event, at Coconut Grove Sailing Club. This event attracts parents of kids racing in the youth OB, Masters folks who can’t wait until February and a few of the Olympic guys who use it as a warm-up for Miami OCR. Eric Bowers (Minnetonka YC) won the event, Roman Plutenko from Chicago was second and top Master, and local favorite Augie Diaz fi nished in third.The Miami Olympic Classes Regatta (aka ISAF Sailing World Cup) in January was plagued by light air the whole week; a classic case of Murphy’s Law since Biscayne Bay has had plenty of wind for the last couple of months, except for when a regatta is scheduled. Paige Railey (Clearwater ) is back on top of her game and won the Radial fl eet, with Erica Reineke (Ft Lauderdale) also making it to the Medal race. The ubiquitous Luke Muller was 31st overall in the large and tough Standard fl eet. The Lauderdale YC Ocean Olympic Classes Regatta, the weekend after Miami OCR, attracted an international fl eet of 18 Radials and 28 Standards for some fun ocean sailing. The theme of light air continued, but it is hard to complain when the air is 83 degrees and the water is 78 degrees and bright blue. Tom Burton, ranked #2 in the world at this time, won the Standard fl eet, with new D13 secretary Michelle Davis bringing up the rear almost in dead last, but how cool is this sport when normal people can race world champions! Sophia Reineke (Erica’s sister) was fourth overall in the Radial fl eet, and honorary D13 member Dana Rohde was 5th. Although called an Olympic class regatta, the

SPRING 201440

Laser and Radial fl eets are open to both genders at this event.The old farts and geezers invaded Florida for Masters Week, held the second week in February. Three venues and 7 days of racing in 9 days for the over 35 crowd! This year there were around 70 boats at each of the 3 events, a record of sorts. We were treated to a mixture of wind from very light to breeze on and all of it was warm! The fi rst stop was the Florida Masters at West Palm Beach for some ocean sailing. We were invaded by the very talented Fleet 413 of Newport RI, but locals Phil Karcher of Sarasota and David Hiebert of Martin County held them off to fi nish second and fourth, respectively. Scott Ferguson won overall, beating out fellow Fleet 413’er Peter Shope by a lot since Peter kept breaking stuff. The second stop was the Midweek Madness at US Sailing Center Martin County, and we got to hike a bit both days. A front with thunderstorms was kind enough to wait until nightfall Sunday to pass, allowing us 8 races over two days. Peter Shope edged out Scott Ferguson to win this one, with David Hiebert again the highest placing D13’er in 8th overall. Another day off to travel over to Sarasota and the fl eet reassembled for the fi nal 3-day Masters Midwinters. Once again we had everything from 5 knots to 20, and once again Peter was fi rst overall with Scott in second. Dave Chapin was fourth overall, and Dave Hiebert was still near the top in 7th. Buzzy Heausler of Davis Island YC was also in the top 10.

District 15TexasForest [email protected]

Spring is back and many or most of us in Texas have been sailing our Lasers for a few weeks..... well many all winter long on the coast..... a bit less so here in Dallas as we’ve only had a couple opportunities between ice storms. But fl eet meetings and 2014 planning has kept this D15 rep busy. Through various discussions, emails and conference calls I believe we’ve settled on D15 circuit events and they are now posted on the ILCA-NA schedule. The circuit will consist of the following events.....- Easter Regatta (April) at Lake Travis Austin- CSC Laser Regatta (June) at White Rock Lake Dallas- Summer Solstice Regata (June) at Seabrook Galveston Bay- D15 CHAMPS ...Cannon Ball (August) at Palacios Matagorda bay- LaserPalooza (September) at Lake Arlington- Wurstfest (November) at Lake Canyon, New BraunfelsOur intent was this year was to drive toward fewer and bigger events while also encouraging combined junior and adult (parental?) involvement.....the 2013 events where such combinations occurred were among the best. Additionally we are also instigating .... or reviving.... a rotation of the D15 champs amongst the District areas i.e. north, central and gulf coast. This year is the gulf’s turn. Travelling in Texas can be a widely varied experience, so the collective decision to hold the D15 champs at Palacios will certainly expand this district reps’ range. Despite the summer heat, we look forward to the wide open water, sea breeze and hospitality of this new Matagorda bay venue. Thanks in advance go out to the good folks of PYC for sharing and helping put on this event. See y’all in Austin for the circuit kick-off at Easter Regatta and for those of you up north that want to expand

your season a bit more in November.... maybe a trip to Wurstfest in the Texas hill country should be in your plans. Thanks see ya on the water.

District 20WisconsinSteve [email protected] d20.laserforum.org

Epic winter. As I write this, spring is nowhere in sight. Hard water and cold temps abound on Lake Michigan and area inland lakes. CYC-Belmont Station has cancelled their fi rst three attempts at Spring Frostbiting this March. Unheard of; I can’t remember the last time that happened. Cold lake temperatures will bring breezy thermals once the sailing begins. Better hit the hiking bench. Otherwise, not much to report in the land of D20. Below is the fi rst draft of the 2014 D20 Regatta schedule. Still have a few dates to nail down. Look for a new D20 website on wordpress.com in the coming weeks. Confi rmed regatta dates will also be posted on laser.org with NORs and SIs as they become available. That’s all for now. Stay fi t. See you out on the water soon. Steve

May 3-4, 2014 Vlad Memorial Regatta/Area K Qualifi er Chicago Yacht Club, BelmontJuly 12-13 Great Lakes Masters, Thunder Bay, OntarioJuly 26-27, 2014 Hobelman Regatta/District 20 Champs, Chicago Corinthian Yacht ClubAug 8-9, 2014 Racine Laser Regatta, Racine Yacht ClubAug 23-24, 2014 Verve Inshore Chicago Yacht Club, BelmontSept 6-7, 2014 Milwaukee Bay One Design, Milwaukee Yacht ClubSept 12-13, 2014 US Masters Champs, Rochester Yacht ClubSept 20-21, 2014 Border Challenge, LaCrosse Sailing ClubSept 27-28, 2014 Jimmy Talbot Chicago Yacht Club, BelmontOct 11-12, 2014 Oktoberfest, Nagawicka Yacht Club

District 24NorCalNick [email protected] www.skysail.com/sailing/d24

Small Boat Midwinters at Richmond YC23 standards and 8 radials entered RYC’s series running the fi rst Sunday of the month from December to March.

The winners of the Laser standard series were 1st place David Lapier, 2nd Nick Burke, 3rd Roger Herbst (who lost the tie-breaker for 2nd). Emilio Castelli was leading the standard series by a lot but missed the last day as he was on vacation in Paris, but still got 5th place.In radials, 1st place Charlotte Lenz, 2nd place Michael Marlett, 3rd place Broderic Babasa.

Complete Results here: http://tinyurl.com/n8jrlqxIt was a good series this year. Nice conditions for the most part. No drifting. One day had 10-12 knots breeze, warm air and no clouds. Everyone came off the water exclaiming how good the

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sailing was. All the races were on Southampton Shoal. There were usually small waves which were nothing to worry about for beginners and enough to get traction on downwind for more advanced sailors. This is a good series for people wanting to step up from a short course fl eet. There’s a club dinner after racing on Sunday which is open to everyone. RYC has commented that Lasers don’t hang out after races. Our fl eet tends to pack up and leave, whereas others stay and socialize.

In February, there was a winter storm so racing was cancelled. All the diverse classes in the regatta did show up at RYC but never launched. The race committee did offer to run short course races inside the outer breakwater for any fl eets that wanted to go out. These races would not count in the Small Boat Midwinters series. You’ll be happy to know the Laser reputation for racing when everyone else is on shore or, if sailing, their boats are disintegrating was preserved on this day. The breeze started in the high 20s but had backed off considerably by the time we were done. The water was very fl at inside the breakwater. There was a 29er being sailed in straight lines by two guys who sailed Lasers as juniors, but otherwise only Lasers took RYC up on the offer for some fun racing. Emilio Castelli, Pete Trachy, David Lapier, Andrew Holdsworth, Nick Burke and a 5o5 sailor in a borrowed radial went out for a while with 4 whalers in support of the Pelican signal boat. RYC expected to do a lot of rescues so deployed lots of whalers. Some of the whaler crew did not get bundled up as they expected to work hard and get warm. That wasn’t a good call as they didn’t need to do any rescues and actually got quite cold. The race committee ran a bunch of twice arounds lasting 20 mins or so each. Thanks very much to the RYC race committee for enabling this fun.

The entry stats for Small Boat Mids show a downward trend from a peak of 54 total Lasers in 2012. The number of standards has held pretty steady but the radials have been on a downward trend.

Sunday Series at Richmond YCThis winter Richmond YC continued its practice of the last few years of inviting adults to scrimmage with their advanced juniors in Lasers. This helps the juniors raise their game and also raises a little money for the junior program. These casual races, which are a learning environment for many of the adults too, are held most Sunday afternoons other than when the Small Boat Midwinters are on. They are short-course fl at-water races around buoys set by the coaches. There was lots of clear blue sky this winter with the drought in California. The winds tend to be light in the winter, but there were only a few days with drifting conditions.The coaches vary the courses each race to shake things up and keep competitors on their toes. They will combine port and starboard roundings, start/fi nish line restricted or not, start/fi nish line used as a gate instead vs. using a leeward mark, varying numbers of laps and a “long distance” race of multiple legs around day marks back to the harbor at the end of the day. The 15th and last event of the series had a turnout of 25 boats or so, with many people showing up to practice for the upcoming Midwinters West. The Sunday Series coaches moved the racing area out onto Southampton Shoal for this last day. Usually the racing is inside the outer breakwater.The Sunday Series was begun by Mark Halman. This year Mark passed the organization on to Pete Trachy, who is also a Vanguard

15 and Moore 24 sailor. Thanks to both for organizing some good fun.Complete results and more here: http://rycsunday.myfl eet.org

Spring Dinghy at St Francis YCMarch 8-9, 2014The upwards trend in Laser attendance over the last decade at St Francis YC regattas continues with 38 Lasers entered at Spring Dinghy.

Top sailors in the 17 radials on the water were (1) Lindsey Baab (2) Jack Barton (3) Claire Dennis (4) Will Cefali (5) Lawson Willard (6) Michael Levy.

Top sailors in the 16 standards on the water were (1) Andrew Holdsworth (2) Nick Pullen (3) Nick Burke (4) Packy Davis (5) Simon Bell (6) David Lapier.Complete results here: http://tinyurl.com/nljqbg8It was a light air Spring Dinghy in 2014. On Saturday at the sailors meeting the RC let us know they would postpone till a Westerly showed up. That happened around 2pm so the fi rst race was launched around 3pm on both courses. Lasers were on the Alpha course (Cityfront).The standard’s fi rst race was a twice-around which got shortened to a once around. Most of the standard fl eet decided to short tack the shore on the fi rst beat. A small number of boats decided to go right, either gambling on late ebb or more pressure. Near the top of the beat, the boats on shore had to cross a big area of light air to get to the weather mark, which meant they misjudged the layline at fi rst and had to keep going back in to shore for current relief to get far enough up to get across the fl ood. The pressure on the outside won as Simon Bell was fi rst to the weather mark. I think Pete Trachy who was also on the outside was 2nd to the mark but may have been 3rd. Either way the three boats on the outside were roughly interspersed with the top 3 boats that went up the shore.On the second race, the fl ood was more established so you’d think short tacking the shore would be the thing everyone did. Quite a few people went out and they looked pretty good for a long time, maybe 3/4 of the way up the beat. They had relatively good pressure out there. But, sadly for them, a big left shift came through and on starboard their bows were pointing right at the beach. Short-tacking the shore clearly won on the 2nd race. Some people who went out didn’t fi nish within the time limit.On Sunday, we never launched. There were patches of breeze in various places and various times. At the awards ceremony the Bravo course PRO said the RC made a show of going out and setting up when a promising north-easterly reached the club, but it never held. So only two races were run all weekend. See, it isn’t all nuke all the time on the Cityfront. Within both fl eets there were a total of 5 ties. Maybe that was the small number of races or maybe it was indicative of close racing. Pacifi c Daylight Time began Saturday night, so the tides really made a jump from one day to the next:

Laserpalooza IIIMarch 15, 2014There was a change of venue this year. Laserpalooza moved to the Alameda Community Sailing Center (ACSC), a waterfront locale at the Encinal boat ramp. Ryan Nelson and West Marine

SPRING 201442

Rigging once again carried the weight and set up a bunch of workstations for different boat projects. West Marine ran a free BBQ and raffl e. Matt Ford of Svendsen’s Marine was there with a trailer full of class legal parts. Synthia Petroka of Beats Mowing the Lawn attended again for sail repair and sail number changes. Kame Richards of Pineapple Sails and co-founder of ACSC was a welcoming host and put effort into getting the compound ready with the West Marine team.

It was a beautiful sunny 70 degree F day. It was the biggest turnout to date with 30+ people milling around the compound at one point. An attempt was made to run a short course regatta, but the planning was late and an organizing authority with regatta insurance could not be found in time. Next year for sure. But all the usual Laserpalooza fun was on hand, plus some more things. Some people did go out for a sail in the 5 knots and fl at water. Two novice female sailors who have a little crewing experience on J/24s shared a radial, and Hideki Saito went out in his standard and guided them around a little bit. Most people chose to work on their boats and schmooze. Two other Lasers launched and went for a sail with the sailors new faces to the fl eet regulars.

Mike Bishop, the former TI Thursday night Laser fl eet captain has thrown his effort into helping ACSC get off the ground. Emilio Castelli is taking over as TI fl eet captain this year. If we could get a fl eet of Lasers donated to ACSC that would be a good venue to kick off a “rail-meat to mid-fl eet” program. The idea is to target the 1000s of dedicated racing crew on SF bay and turn them onto small boat sailing. Many of these crew, who commit a lot of time and money to racing, took up sailing as adults and lack small boat skills. Just 1% of 1000 is 10 sailors, which would be a big increase for our start lines. Kame Richards thinks there may be around 3000 crew on SF bay, so that would be another 30 Lasers. 1% seems like a low bar to set. So if you know of any Lasers sitting in backyards or abandoned anywhere or you have a boat you could donate, let us know so we can start building a trainer fl eet at ACSC. Such contributions are tax-deductible.

Roger Herbst straightened about a dozen spars for people using his hydraulic straightener, including top sections and standard and radial bottom sections. See the more detailed report on page45.

Roger also cooked jambalaya for everyone at the end of the day. Roger does this every year at the High Sierra Regatta too. That went very well with the wine Emilio Castelli brought from his vineyard in Sonoma. Altogether, another successful Laserpalooza

District 25SoCalJorge A. [email protected]/group/nalaserdistrict25

Winter Sailing Going Strong in D25!I so enjoy reporting on winter regattas in D25! In addition to practice sessions and sunny Sunday morning runs (lots of sunscreen), here were three events highlighting D25!:

Laser Masters Compete at Southern California Midwinter Regattas

Laser Masters turned out the largest fl eet at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club (ABYC) in Long Beach CA for the Southern California Yachting Association Midwinters Regatta. Laser racers from as far away as Park City UT, Portland OR and San Diego came to race at ABYC on the weekend before the California Laser Masters Regatta at Mission Bay Yacht Club (MBYC) in San Diego. It seems having two Masters events back to back was a good idea which I hope we will repeat next February. I also think a nice full-color ad in the latest issue of The Laser Sailor magazine helped promote the two regattas.

Racing on Saturday offered something for everyone as we had two races in light winds followed by two races with enough breeze to work the hiking muscles; however, the breeze ebbed toward the end of race four and completely died as we headed back to the beach, requiring much paddling and sculling. Regardless of the conditions, Keith Davids of MBYC swept the regatta with six fi rst place fi nishes, dropping a second place fi nish and adding his twelve Apprentice Master (ages 35-44) Handicap points. Actually Keith was tied on points with Bill Symes from the Willamette Sailing Club, who as the eldest racer competing, had no points added to his score; however, by the tie breaking rule, Keith took the title. Now how great is this when Keith, a Navy Seal, competes, albeit by handicap, with a guy eligible for Medicare? Rounding out the top fi ve in order were Grand Masters; Vann Wilson from ABYC, Douglas Seeman from Newport Harbor YC and Sanjai Kohli from ABYC.

California Masters ChampionshipsMission Bay, CAOn February 22 and 23rd, San Diego’s Mission Bay Yacht Club hosted the California Masters Championships. For the fi rst time this event was held the weekend after Alamitos Bay Yacht Club hosted the Masters’ Midwinters in Long Beach, giving Masters sailors a chance to sail back-to-back Masters events in Southern California and enjoy Southern California’s even-warmer-than usual winter.

Mission Bay Yacht Club greeted 29 sailors from as far away as Portland (Bill Symes and Dave Jursik) and Park City, Utah (Doug DuBois) as well as a good showing from Southern California Masters regulars (Vann Wilson, Pat Toole, Chris Raab, among others). There was a “free clinic” at Mission Bay Yacht Club the day before the racing, which was led by Doug Hart, followed by some on-the-water starting practice, with videotape and commentary afterwards from Doug.

On Saturday we saw a 6-8 knot promising breeze seemingly building in the ocean during the fi rst race which was won by Keith Davids, followed by last year’s winner Bill Symes. Unfortunately the promise faded, and the second race had the course shortened to allow it to be scored before racing was suspended for the day. After a hearty meal, we retired for the next day’s sailing.

On Sunday, the Race Committee moved the racing from the ocean into Mission Bay, fearing a forecast of light winds and hoping for more dependable breeze inside. The move was well received, and we completed four races in moderate, shifty conditions. Keith Davids (MBYC) slowed only by his handicap

www.Laser.org 43

(he just turned 45 so he no longer has to give GGM’s 3 points per race!) topped the fi eld (1,1, 1, (2), 1, 2), followed closely by Chris Raab and Bill Symes who tied for second place after adding the handicap points to Chris’ score. Rounding out the top 7 (after adding handicap points) were Philip Thompson of Newport Harbor, Kendal Wild of Mission Bay, Pat Toole of Santa Barbara, and Doug Seeman of Mission Bay.

In addition to overcoming the 10 handicap points Keith Davids had to give to many top sailors to win the California Masters, Keith was also awarded the “Iron Tiller” for the best combined score for sailors who sailed both the ABYC Midwinters and the MBYC California Masters. Bill Symes, who won last year’s California Masters, had the second lowest score in the combined events.Complete results and a link to Dropbox photos can be found at MBYC.org.

The award for the “most experienced” Master went to Leif Gihbsson (Mission Bay) who at 85 years old gave an impressive performance.

Racing Clinic at ABYCOur Alamitos Bay Yacht Club Junior Program Director, Allie Blecher, assisted by Jorge Suarez, Chuck Tripp, Vann Wilson and Rodion Mazin conducted a Laser/Radial Racing Clinic at ABYC on a warm and sunny January Saturday. Over twenty Laser from as far as San Diego and Santa Barbara met in Long Beach for the seminar with sailors ranging from beginners to high school stars! After a rigging presentation and Laser basics chalk talk we hit the bay to do drills and a couple of mock races. Then back to the class room for quick debrief and tips, then back on the water, this time split between an ocean group and a bay group. We all hit the beach at the same time (ABYC is getting a brand new ramp), for a fi nal debrief. The organizers new we hit a sweet spot with the vast amount of smiles and “when are you doing this again” remarks!Laser rigging demonstration on the patio

Nineteen sailors began the day outside where Jorge set-up his Laser on the patio for a rigging demonstration. Jorge, showed how to set-up a modern Laser assisted by Vann and Chuck who recounted many anecdotes of personal experiences and the consequences of stop-knots left untied, drain plugs unsecured and more, to the amusement of the audience. Following the rigging demo, Jorge conducted a chalk-talk on the basics of boat handling and sail set-up before everyone adjourned to the parking lot to transport their boats to the beach for rigging and launching.

Vann explaining the fi ner points of rudder and tiller set-up

Once everyone launched, we were coached on the water by Allie, Chuck, Jorge, Vann and Rodion. Allie set a start line and using the whistle starting sequence, conducted some races to fi xed marks in the Bay. Though we wanted to sail in the ocean, light breezes dictated we stay in the Bay.

Following the races, Allie sent everyone back to the beach for a lunch break and additional classroom time with Chuck. After the second chalk-talk, everyone re-launched with the intent of conducting a race out down channel to the ocean for additional coaching. It was slow going as light wind and the incoming tide made progress diffi cult. With the realization the wind was not cooperating, everyone returned to the beach and eventually back to the clubhouse were Allie conducted a de-briefi ng along with additional advice and tips on the day.

Turn out for the day was gratifying with a mix of new ABYC members as well as several adult & junior guests from several other local clubs. Interest shown by the participants has encouraged us to plan another race clinic on Sunday April 13th.

More to come as the Laser North Americans come to Long Beach, CA!!!!

SPRING 201444

D13 CHAMPIONSHIPS USSC Martin CountyDec 14-15 2013

www.Laser.org 45

Precision Spar StraightenerROGER HERBST, SHORELINE FLEET CAPTAIN.

We bend a lot of spars here in the San Francisco Bay Area ! We also break and over bend them trying to straighten them between 2 fence posts. Here is a better way.

The apparatus can be home built for around $30. Two 4’ long 2”x6” planks are secured to each other roughly 3” apart. A hydraulic bottle jack (<$20) is secured between the 2x6s midway between the ends of each plank using a heavy strap tie (available at any home improvement store), bent to conform to the bottom of the jack. The bent spar is secured on either side of the jack using bridles (again, using strap ties, see picture). The bridles are not rigidly attached to the 2X6’s. They have a steel pin through the ends (a 3/8 bolt), allowing them to be positioned anywhere along the beam. The trickiest part is making the saddle which must fi t securely between the top of the jack and the mast. The top should be cut to a 2.5” diameter to securely cradle the spar. The saddle should fi t snugly between the 2 X 6’s. 3 glued up pieces of plywood were used for this. An old top section collar can was cut in half and used to shim it to a 2” top section.

It’s quite easy to use. Each pump of the jack raises it only a few milimeters. You have to overbend the mast a little bit in the opposite direction of the bend, then take the pressure off and rotate the mast. If it is straight, it will rotate smoothly. If still bent, it will bind up as it turns. Repeat. Go slowly. You don’t want to over correct ! One trick…. When straightening a top section, place the saddle 4-6” above the mast collar, to place the correcting bend a bit above the original bend. This helps prevent the mast from working back and forth in the same spot, like bending a paper clip back and forth.

You can straighten a spar quite a few times this way. I’ve broken quite a few on the water, but never one on the straightener. So build one and start sailing with a straight mast. Most people think they’re faster that way.

SPRING 201446

CHRIS HERRERA AND PETER KRYSZTOF

When it comes to describing and explaining the physical demands in a laser, hiking will be the fi rst, second, and probably third topic that is discussed. Hiking has caused many sleepless nights for athletes, if not from both the secondary effects of pain and soreness, then from the sheer nightmare of what a struggle it is to hike with enough power while maintaining control of the boat with some degree of fi nesse.

The term Hiking “360” comprises of three components: preparation, training, and recovery. Preparation can be described as preparing the muscle groups with active fl exibility, fascial release, and blood fl ow. Training encompasses everything from strength development, to power acquisition, and muscular endurance. Recovery brings the entire equation full circle, decreasing any negative impacts on the body during the fi rst two phases of preparation and training. Recover techniques include nutrition, static stretching, intermittent compression and cold therapy.

Muscle Activation while HikingTo understand these three categories lets fi rst review the primary muscles groups involved with hiking. Straight leg hiking is a combination of static leg extension with small deliberate movements of a variety of complimentary muscle groups and patterns. The anterior tibialis and soleus stabilizes the ankle joint as the foot goes into plantar fl exion (toes pointed) activating gastrocnemius (calf). When the hips are extended while hiking, the quadriceps are in full contraction and the high hamstrings and gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus are activated. The most important muscle group that is activated while hiking is the trunk muscles. The muscles that make up this group are the hip fl exors, rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus, and the obliques. Hip fl exors are activated when the hip is in the bent position. The abdominals and obliques are activated throughout hiking to stabilize and maintain balance

PREPARATIONPreparation of these muscles groups is extremely important in order to get the body ready for intense exercise. Some of the preparation techniques include an active dynamic warm-up (see active dynamic warm-up link for full video). The active dynamic warm-up is a series of body weight exercises (squats, walking lunges, gate swings) and active fl exibility movements (Frankenstein walks, broadways, caterpillars) to get the muscles fi ring and establish proper length/resting ratio of muscle fi bers enabling the muscle to produce power and strength effi ciently. Other techniques include soft tissue

preparation using either a muscle roller (the stick) or a combination device that does both muscle prep and trigger point release.** Spending 5-10 minutes getting the blood fl owing can dramatically improve your workout or on-water practice. Another quick way to get some blood fl ow, especially during practice/racing at a cold venue is to utilize a heat pack or patch for the thighs as you sail out to the racecourse.

TRAININGOf the three categories training is the most diverse and individualized. Training can and should be broken down into power, strength, and muscular endurance development. All three categories must be trained in the periodization of your program in order to build a solid base in your quadriceps and hip fl exors. After this base is built then each athlete can customize the program to focus on the areas that most need improvement. As mentioned briefl y in the previous article:

Cardiovascular Training, the training of all three energy systems is unique in many ways but there is also an overlap as you transition from one system to the other. • Power: Power development will be the most explosive and dynamic portion of the workout. These exercises aid with quickness and tacking, especially in heavy breeze. o Resistance: moderate to heavyo Cadence: As fast as possibleo Hiking Exercise examples: speed

deadlift, eccentric squats (bands or chains), hang cleans, lunge switches, 20 yard sprints

• Strength: Strength development is the most common training method and is the meat and potatoes of a program. These exercises are usually completed in a circuit-based fashion with 2-3 exercises done in a row with no break. o Resistance: moderate to heavyo Cadence: 3-4 second eccentric

phase (muscle lengthening): 2 second concentric phase (muscle shortening)

o Hiking Exercise examples: squats, leg extensions, walking lunges, posterior lunges, band hip fl exion, cable 4-way hip circuit

• Muscular Endurance: Muscular endurance training is done as an athlete gets closer and closer to the event and is working on developing the ability to maintain an all out hiking position for as long as possible. o Resistance: light to moderateo Cadence: 2-3 second eccentric

phase (muscle lengthening): 2-3 second concentric phase (muscle shortening)

o Hiking Exercise examples: leg extension tear offs, walking lunges for distance, squat holds, hip fl exion pyramid, slide board prone marching

*See the Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced Hiking Workouts

RECOVERY Recovery is the most overlooked aspect of

Hiking “360”

both training and racing. Recovery starts as soon as you start to tow in or the second the last repetition is completed during your workout.

Nutrition is vital to the muscle recovery of a laser sailor during both training sessions and competitions. To understand muscle recovery, a laser sailor must understand what source of energy their muscles use during sailing-specifi c training and competition. Muscle cells are primarily made up of water and a stored form of glucose called glycogen. Glycogen is the body’s energy source during high intensity competitions, as in a laser race. An athlete’s body has roughly 90 minutes worth of stored glycogen to be used as energy. After, 90 minutes the body must turn to another energy source to prevent fatigue and a decrease in performance.

www.Laser.org 47

For additional training programs, go to www.

nalaser.org to download. You can also attend a clinic in Miami with Chris through

www.jaguartherapy.com located in Coconut Grove close to the sailing venue. Chris can be reached for

questions or information at: [email protected]

Cardiovascular Training, the training of all three energy systems is unique in many ways but there is also an overlap as you transition from one system to the other. • Power: Power development will be the most explosive and dynamic portion of the workout. These exercises aid with quickness and tacking, especially in heavy breeze. o Resistance: moderate to heavyo Cadence: As fast as possibleo Hiking Exercise examples: speed

deadlift, eccentric squats (bands or chains), hang cleans, lunge switches, 20 yard sprints

• Strength: Strength development is the most common training method and is the meat and potatoes of a program. These exercises are usually completed in a circuit-based fashion with 2-3 exercises done in a row with no break. o Resistance: moderate to heavyo Cadence: 3-4 second eccentric

phase (muscle lengthening): 2 second concentric phase (muscle shortening)

o Hiking Exercise examples: squats, leg extensions, walking lunges, posterior lunges, band hip fl exion, cable 4-way hip circuit

• Muscular Endurance: Muscular endurance training is done as an athlete gets closer and closer to the event and is working on developing the ability to maintain an all out hiking position for as long as possible. o Resistance: light to moderateo Cadence: 2-3 second eccentric

phase (muscle lengthening): 2-3 second concentric phase (muscle shortening)

o Hiking Exercise examples: leg extension tear offs, walking lunges for distance, squat holds, hip fl exion pyramid, slide board prone marching

*See the Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced Hiking Workouts

RECOVERY Recovery is the most overlooked aspect of

both training and racing. Recovery starts as soon as you start to tow in or the second the last repetition is completed during your workout.

Nutrition is vital to the muscle recovery of a laser sailor during both training sessions and competitions. To understand muscle recovery, a laser sailor must understand what source of energy their muscles use during sailing-specifi c training and competition. Muscle cells are primarily made up of water and a stored form of glucose called glycogen. Glycogen is the body’s energy source during high intensity competitions, as in a laser race. An athlete’s body has roughly 90 minutes worth of stored glycogen to be used as energy. After, 90 minutes the body must turn to another energy source to prevent fatigue and a decrease in performance.

During training and competition, muscle fi bers get broken down and glycogen stores are depleted. Nutrition two hours after a competition is essential to replace the glycogen stores and allow the muscle fi bers to regenerate larger. Within the two hours, there are two windows on when it is appropriate to intake a recovery meal. The fi rst window is 15-30 minutes post exercise/competition. This fi rst window is when insulin levels are increased so it would be appropriate to intake a recovery meal consisting of a 3:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio. A fruit smoothie with a scoop or two of whey protein powder is a good example of a meal that should be ingested at this time. The second window is two hours post-competition where a 400-500 calorie meal consisting of a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein is suggested. An example of this would be a turkey sub with a small fruit smoothie.

Once the athletes nutrition is addressed a combination of Static Stretching, Intermittent Compression and Cold Therapy complete the recovery cycle. • Static Stretching should be done fi rst. Holding the stretch for 15 seconds is important during recovery to reestablish the resting length of the muscle fi ber. Stretching the hamstrings, Piriformis/glutes, Abductors/adductors, hip fl exors, quadriceps, and low back are all important for lower body recovery.

• Intermittent compression can be done through the utilization of devices such Normatecs or Recovery Boots. These devices are full length leg boots with chambers that fi ll with air squeezing the legs tightly, thereby fl ushing the negative by-products to exercise and racing (lactic acid and interstitial fl uid “swelling”) back to the lymph nodes, where the body can process and get rid of them. • Finally, Cold Therapy will stop any further infl ammation and facilitate further healing. If you have access to a Game Ready Machine or HyperIce wrap, both combine ice and compression and allow the cold to penetrate deeper and encompass a larger surface area of the body, as compared to an ice bag. In lieu of these however a basic ice bag to the thighs and knees is suffi cient.

All of these techniques used in combination will not only make you a better sailor they will energize and preserve your body for the next training session and sailing event.

**(The Muscle Lever: see pic of Canadian Laser Sailor Chris Dold releasing his hip fl exors).

CORE (complete as circuit)LM Lateral Rotation 3x12 E no restPB Back Extensions 3x15 no restBicycle Crunch 3x50 no rest

MOVEMENT REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4

Straight Bar Eccentric Squats 90 sec 10 10 8 8

Power Lunge Switches 2 min 10 E 10 E 8 E 8 EMAIN LIFT

A1. Box Jump 0 8 8 8 6A2. Back Squat 2 min 12 12 12 12

A3. Kettle Bell Up/Downs 0 4 E 4 E 4 E 4 EA4. Treadmill Sprint 90s 20 sec 20 sec 15 sec 15 secAUXILLARY

B1: DB RDL (deep) 0 10 10 8B2. Leg Extension Tear Off 0 10, 8, 6, 4 10, 8, 6, 4 10, 8, 6, 4B3. Single leg PB Hamstring Curl 90S 10 E 10 E 10 E

Jaguar Therapeutics/Bow Down Training

HIKING WORKOUT 2 (INTERMEDIATE)

SPRING 201448

Why Join the Laser Class?

What are some of the benefi 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 benefi 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.

Depending on exchange rates, the next $9.00 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 $5.00 goes to 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 49

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 - $40 for one year or $75 for 2 years • Junior - $35 (Member may not turn 18 during term of membership), or $65 for 2 years (Member may

not turn 18 during term of membership)• Family, one year - $40 for the primary members and $25 for each additional member • Family, two years - $75 for the primary members and $45 for each additional member

Please provide family members names, DOB, boat type and sail number on an additional sheet of paper.

• International - $50 (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

MEMBERSHIP

SPRING 201450 SPRING 201450The World Leader in Outfitting Performance Sailors.

Black Diamond Tiller By Acme

Deck Covers and Hull Covers by APS

Deck Covers and

$234.95

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www.Laser.org 51www.Laser.org 51

The World Leader in Outfitting Performance Sailors.

Black Diamond Tiller By Acme

Deck Covers and Hull Covers by APS $234.95

GRP Rudder and Daggerboard

Traveler Blocks

Class Legal Racing Sail By North

$565.00

$475.00

SeaHiker GripX3 Boot by Sperry

Airprene Hikers by SEA

$198.00

Pro Mainsheets

Exc

el F

usio

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Roo

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Pro Cunningham Control Handle

Class Legal Pro Daggerboard Downhaul Kit

Pro Outhaul Kit

Pro Cunningham

$210.00

$29.90$41.40 $78.20

$38.16

$95.00

Single $41.52

Double $58.11

$21.73

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Br1 Dinghyby Musto

Spray Top: $130.00

Trousers: $125.00

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2812 Canon Street, San Diego, CA 92106

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Documents

rigging clayallen kit

clay johnson

strap line

bungee ronstan

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