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

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1 6 continents, 122 countries - the biggest adult and youth racing class in the world

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5 Offi cial publication of the International Laser Class Association North American Region US Postal Service: Please return undeliverables to: ILCA-NA 2812 Canon Street San Diego, CA USA Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement # Please return undeliverables to: Bleuchip International PO Box London, ON N6C 6BC Editors Sherri Campbell & Jerelyn Biehl ILCA-NA Officers Andy Roy Chairman 15 Claudette Court Peterborough, ON K9J 7Y7 Canada Meka Taulbee Vice Chairman Dunedin, FL USA Eric Reitinger Treasurer 7908 Normandy Drive Mt Laurel, NJ District Contacts...6 President s Report...8 Regatta Reports First Laser Masters Week...10 Rock The Ice Regatta...11 Regatta Previews Atlantic Coast Champs...14 Pacific Coast Champs...15 North Americans...16 Master Regattas Masters Schedule Master US Nationals...18 Master North Americans...19 Master Great Lakes Event Schedule...21 District Reports Calendar...27 Keeping on Top of Fitness While Traveling...28 Why Join the Laser Class?...30 Membership Applications...31 John Long Secretary 4707 Sierra Madre Road Santa Barbara, CA jlonginsb@yahoo.com Al Clark Member at Large 337 E 6th North Vancouver, BC V7L1P al.clark@shaw.ca Sherri Campbell Executive Secretary 2812 Canon Street San Diego, CA USA phone: fax: sherri@odmsail.com 6 continents, 122 countries - the biggest adult and youth racing class in the world Cover photo: Joe Berkeley provides a great shot of winter frostbiting in Newport, RI. 5

6 26 HAWAII District 1 Claire Sears clairesears1@gmail.com District 2 Philippe Dormoy, 385 Place Desmarest, Ile Bizard, Quebec, H9C 2G Philippe_dormoy@steris.com District 3 Nigel Heath ; nigel_heath@manulife.com D3 website: District 4 Brigitte Smutney, Sail Manitoba; Pacific Ave. Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2Z sailing@sportmanitoba.ca District 5 Mark Lammens 510 Cynthia St. Saskatoon, SK S7K 7K , sasksail@sasktel.net District 6 Andy Hunt, W 8 th Ave Vancouver BC V6K 2A , hotline: athunt@vcn.bc.ca District 7 Judith Krimski Laserd7@gmail.com District 8 Frank Seckler laserd8@gmail.com 6 District 9 Peter Bushnell Cazenovia, NY peter.bushnell@carrier.utc.com District 10 Eric Reitinger 7908 Normandy Dr Mt. Laurel NJ Er4599@gmail.com District 11 Jon Deutsch 3422 Blithewood Dr, Richmond VA , jon@laserdistrict11.org District 12 Stanley Hassinger stanley.hassinger@gmail.com District 13 Michelle Davis laserbrain2@hotmail.com District 14 Lance Kim lance.k.kim@gmail.com District 15 Griffin Orr Griffin.orr@me.com forum/?fromgroups#!forum/txlaser/ District 16 Tim Fitzgerald, 2322 Bromfield Circle Wichita KS 67226, TIMFITZ875@gmail.com District 17 John E. Coolidge, Jr., 1113 Hanover St Chattanooga, TN jc@chattprint.com District 18 John Shockey johnrshockey@gmail.com District 19 Ken Swetka Koerber St., St Claire Shores, MI District 20 Sean Lennon spatricklennon11@gmail.com Facebook: Laserd20 District 21 Matthew Thompson D21.sec@gmail.com D21.laserforum.org District 22 Kurt Hoehne, 524 N 67 th St Seattle, WA kurthoehne@gmail.com District 23 Geoff Hurwitch Geoffh437@yahoo.com District 24 Stephen Aguilar 1809 Brier Way, Carmichael, CA sailsteve55@gmail.com District 25 Jorge Suarez, 7 Covina Ave Long Beach, CA jorgesuarez0@yahoo.com Groups.yahoo.com/group/nalaserdistrict25 District 26 Guy Fleming, Olina St. #6 Kaneohe, HI , guynsyd@hawaii.rr.com

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8 President s Report BY ANDY ROY As I write this there s a blizzard pounding the Northeast USA and Canada, and the wind chill is downright nasty. Come on sailing season! The midwinter events are in the books and the entries for the Laser Midwinters East were impressive, particular in the Radials where there were 102 entries. Adding in the Standards and 4.7 at 53 and 16 entries, respectively, there were over 170 Lasers out racing. Congratulations to the fleet winners: Michael Burns (4.7) Robert Davis (Standard), Joseph Hou (Radial Gold) Lucas Swain (Radial Silver). I want to pay recognition to an old friend who has put tremendous effort into the Class and, in particular, Masters racing. I first met David Hartman, believe it or not, at the 1977 Laser Midwinters sailed in Biscayne Bay off the beach at Rickenbacker Causeway. Here we are 40 years later and both still having fun Laser racing. Dave has been the key driver in creating, organizing and promoting the famous Laser Masters week held each winter in Florida. He has just handed over his position on the NA Masters Committee over to Dave Heibert, but I know he will continue to be at Masters events, including the Worlds, where he has been a consistent competitor for several decades. So for you Masters out there, if you see Dave at a regatta, buy him a beer for all the great work he put into the class. Thanks Dave! feel the Class is in good shape. Lasers and blades supplied from the Banbury, UK plant are of a high quality standard (I just bought a new boat myself); the MK II radial sail and its durability is a success; and, the long awaited composite top section is set to eliminate the problem of permanent bends. Yes, the LP supply to NA Laser dealers (particularly sails) has been an issue, but there are indicators are that this problem is being resolved. I m hopeful that this will continue. Looking towards the coming season from a personal view, my goal this season is to be ready for and have a solid result at the Masters Worlds in Croatia this September, where 350 entries (the set limit) are expected. What s your Laser regatta goal this year? In the last issue of The Laser Sailor I discussed the new composite top section (note the word composite - it s not carbon as some have been calling it). The new section has been available from PSA Australia since February, and many sailors are snapping them up. From all reports from down under sailors in both racing and training, there has been no noticeable performance difference between the aluminum and new composite top section. That is good news and means there is no need to rush out and buy the new section if your current top section is fine, although most competitive sailors will want to get one I m sure. I have been informed that Laser Performance will be shipping the new sections to North American dealers in the near future, so they should be available soon. When I assess the situation heading into the 2017 spring and summer season from an equipment point of view, I 8

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10 Regatta Reports First Trip to Laser Masters Week BY JON DEUTSCH There aren t many things to look forward to in getting old but Laser Masters sailing is definitely one of them. This was my first time sailing Florida Laser Masters week having just qualified a few months ago. The week consists of 3 events Florida Masters in West Palm, Masters Midweek Madness in Sarasota and Masters Midwinters in Tampa. For over a decade now I ve been running the Chesapeake Bay Laser Masters Regatta at Fishing Bay Yacht Club and so I was familiar with masters sailing in general. I ve also traveled to numerous ILCA-NA events from ACC to Nationals to North Americans and was eager to try out Masters week. Unfortunately, my schedule would collude to only allow me to attend the first 2 of the 3 events. The first event this year was in West Palm Beach at Palm Beach Sailing club which is nestled in a residential neighborhood with some marine industry nearby. The clubhouse has a few rooms and a bar that opens out to an expansive pavilion deck. Between there and the water was room for rows and rows of boats to rig and be stored. At the event were an incredible mix of sailors some hitting the masters circuit for the first time others having been to dozens and hailing from all across the US, Canada and beyond. Some drove in from Oregon and Colorado and parts of Canada another group flew in from Britain. I also found many of them had arrived a day early to practice before racing the following day. The racing at the Florida Masters took place out on the ocean after a mile and a half sail down the channel and out to the ocean we were in a confused sea with large swells that would obstruct the view of other boats and the wind. With light winds 6-10 everyone struggled to make the boat go. The shifty conditions especially in the first race made for a lot of passing lanes in picking the shifts right. Rob Hallawell was the most consistent on the day winning two of the races to lead. Carsten Steenberg, Dave Hiebert, Charlie Buckingham and Roman Plutenko would round out the top 5 after 3 races. I managed 2nd in the Apprentice (35-45) division. trek across the middle of Florida farmland I had never seen cows under palm trees before. In Sarasota on my first time driving over the causeway onto Lido Key I was struck by how pretty the water and the bay that would be the sailing area were. Sarasota Bay is a couple miles wide and surrounded on all sides providing protection from waves while having a lot of fetch for the wind. Sarasota Sailing Squadron was a monument to sailing in all of its forms. As a place that prides itself on being The World s Greatest Sailing Club its home to a wide variety of sailboats ranging from dinghies to trailerable keelboats to some wild-looking 30+ foot catamarans. The club sits on a corner of a peninsula with water on 2 sides and plenty of access for launching Lasers along a wide beach. Racing got underway on Tuesday after a brief postponement in overcast conditions with lighter air and very little chop. The usual big fleet tactics prevailed those who got to clean air and picked a few shifts right generally did pretty well. With 3 races sailed the fleet retired late afternoon for fish fries and a couple kegs of beer. Wednesday saw the wind up in the mid-teens for the early part of racing and it cracking off just a little bit as the day progressed. Peter Vessella won 3 out of 4 races on Wednesday to win the overall followed by Tim Law and David Hiebert. I was bummed to miss Davis Island but I had a great time meeting all the masters and spending most of a week in Florida and look forward to coming back next year! With no wind forecast for Sunday the race committee wisely postponed on shore for an hour and then abandoned altogether once the forecast was proving to be true. Awards of bottles of wine were handed out to the winners of each age group in both Standard and Radial fleets. The awards ceremony also included a cool tradition of reading aloud all of the past winners. So with racing done early on Sunday and a day off Monday before sailing resumed on Tuesday in Sarasota some hung around and spent the night in West Palm while others got on the road early. The trip from West Palm to Sarasota was a 3 hour 10

11 Rock the Ice 2017 Winter Laser Regatta Texas Laser Circuit Event District 15 February 4 and 5, 2017 Corinthian Sailing Club The early morning chill cut through the foul weather gear sending a chill to the bone. It is winter in Dallas and this day would be overcast with a moderate South wind. White Rock Lake was waking up slowly to the cool weather and moderate breeze. The long board boat pad would soon see a lot of activity this cold winter morning. But now in the early morning darkness the warm glow of the Club House lights and the propane heaters offered the only respite from the stabbing chill. Warm meals were being prepared. Oatmeal, breakfast tacos, hot coffee, tea and hot chocolate were made ready for the intrepid sailors. Later in the day the feast would continue with warm pasta and later the best homade hot chili! The sailors began to trickle in sleepily shivering against the sharp cool edge of the steel grey prove to be amazing. The sailors were feted to 9 races and 5 warm meals including a phenomenal homemade chili and the unveiling of Leeward Gate Brew house s first two incredible kegs! The weekend would offer challenging wind conditions with moderate and variable breeze on Saturday and very light winds on Sunday. The talented race committee was able to get off 6 very fair races on Saturday and 3 more on Sunday. The course selections were an excellent combination of windward Leeward, W2 ½ and even a couple of Olympic Courses. The start lines were sized to perfection and also square despite the shifting White Rock winds. The entire fleet was aggressive from the very beginning and yet managed to avoid any general recalls. There were 4 different race winners in the Full Rig Class. The Radial Rig Class and Junior Class were dominated by Rachel Mittman. She collected a perfect set of first places in all nine races quite an achievement! The Full Rig Class was won by Doug Peckover with his worst finish of 6 th being dropped. He earned an even balance of 1 st and 2 nd places to win the regatta. He was pushed hard by former collegiate sailor and Optimist dinghy stand out Griffin Orr. He was consistent in always finishing in 4 th or higher, including two 1 st finishes and a 2 nd. Mike Rist skillfully sailed into 3 rd by consistently finishing in the single digits. The Sailors were lavish in praise of the Corinthian Sailing Clubs talented Race Committee s professionalism and effortless race management. More praise was offered for the delicious warm meals oh that Chili was so good that morning. The weekend of February 4 th and 5 th The Dallas Laser Fleet and the Corinthian Sailing Club hosted the First 2017 District 15 Laser Circuit Regatta on White Rock Lake. The First ever Rock the Ice Laser Regatta 2017, added just recently to the D-15 Event Calendar, was a spectacular event in every respect. The event attracted 21 Laser Sailors from the Dallas area including three youth sailors. The weather could not suppress the energy and expectation of sailing a Laser on White Rock Lake. The food would 3.75 gallons of chili disappeared by Sunday afternoon. We look forward to 2018 and a larger fleet. Thank you to the numerous volunteers and valued advisors. This was a regatta to attend! Rock the Ice! Sail Flat! Sail Fast! Sail Downwind! Sail Lasers! 11

12 Newport Frostbite Sailing photos by Joe Berkeley 12

13 SAIL WITH INTENSITY Best prices on Dinghy sails, parts and gear! Back to basics on price without compromising performance! Laser Optimist Bic O Pen Sunfish C420 CFJ JY15 Flying Scott Vanguard Rhodes 19 Pico Zuma and more

14 Regatta Previews 2017 Laser Atlantic Coast Championships Wrightsville Beach, N.C. May 5-7, 2017 Come join us at Wrightsville Beach and sail in the Atlantic Ocean. Laser Standard, Laser Radial, and Laser 4.7 s Practice on Friday afternoon with racing on Saturday and Sunday. For details see : website: facebook: 2017 Laser Atlantic Coast Championship 14

15 2017 Pacific Coast Championships Ventura, CA June 9-11, 2017 Hello Laser, Laser Radial and Laser 4.7 Racers and Friends: Ventura Yacht Club (VYC) is delighted to be hosting the 2017 Laser Pacific Coast Championship from June Laser sailors of all ages and ability are encouraged to participate. Ventura has very predictable onshore knot winds in the afternoon which make it ideal for a Laser Regatta. There are plenty of affordable restaurants and lodging available, including nearby camping. Ventura harbor has Laser friendly launching facilities and boat storage where the competitors can enjoy the casual and relaxed atmosphere before and after racing. We are expecting a big turnout as this is part of a Southern California youth Laser / Radial series and many have already put this event on their calendar. This is also a great way to get ready for Laser North Americans at Royal Vancouver which is just two weeks after this event. Please join us for a fun weekend of quality racing at Ventura Yacht Club, June 9-11, NORTH AMERICA S NO. 1 HIKING PANTS HP004 3/4 AIRPRENE HIKING PANTS WITH BRACES HP006 3/4 AIRPRENE WAISTLOCK HIKING PANTS HP005 AIRPRENE WAISTLOCK HIKING SHORTS HP007 FULL LENGTH WAISTLOCK HIKING PANTS AVAILABLE ONLINE OR INSTORE FROM LEADING STOCKISTS 15

16 North American Championship Royal Vancouver Yacht Club June 21-25, 2017 The Royal Vancouver Yacht Club (RVYC) is excited to be hosting the 2107 Laser North Americans on June 20 to the 25th. The club has hosted many regattas over the years and looks forward to showcasing our hospitality to competitors from across the continent. We are located in the Point Grey neighbourhood of Vancouver, and sailing is done on English Bay. The RVYC dock is currently under construction, so boats will be stored at, and will launch from, Jericho Sailing Centre, located one kilometre west of RVYC. Social and dining functions will still take place at the Jericho RVYC Clubhouse after racing each day. Our food and beverage staff looks forward to presenting after race snacks, a regatta BBQ, and an extensive banquet dinner, for the competitors and coaches during the event. Winds in June are varied depending on weather systems coming ashore from the Pacific Ocean. During sunny days, we often get a nice sea breeze in the afternoon peaking at about fifteen knots. There is tide in English Bay, and the tide charts indicate that we will have flood tides early in the event (4 meters or 13 feet), with ebbs toward the end. Registration is opening April 1st and the early deadline is June 4th. The notice of race can be found at: Any questions can be directed to Hunter Lowden, Sailing Director -sail_dir@royalvan.com or Al Clark, Head Coach. 16

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18 Masters News 2017 North American Masters Regattas NA Masters Buffalo Canoe Club, ON Aug Dave Starck US Masters Columbia Gorge RA, OR Jul. 7-9 Bill Symes Can. Masters Wabamun SC, AB Aug Peter van Muyden Gr. Lakes Masters Milwaukee YC, WI Sep. 2-3 Steve Dolan Atlantic Coast Masters Surf City YC, NJ Jun. 3-4 Newt Wattis Pacific Coast Masters Gulf Coast Masters No Coast Masters Ithaca YC, NY Jul Peter Bushnell New England Masters Wickford YC, RI Sep Peter Seidenberg Buzzards Bay Masters New Bedford YC, MA Aug. 4-6 Mark Bear Masters US Nationals The Gorge, Oregon July 7-9, 2017 Laser Masters will return to the Columbia River Gorge this summer for their US National Championship. Racing will take place July 7-9 in the breezy waters off Cascade Locks, OR, site of the 2016 Laser North Americans. The organizing authority is the Columbia Gorge Racing Association (CGRA), host to more than 60 national, North American, and world championship regattas over the past 20 years. Notice of Race and registration are now online at CGRA s website ( The International Sailing Academy is conducting a five-day, pre-regatta coaching clinic for early birds July 2-6. Although the focus is on master sailors (35+) the clinic is open to all ages. As anyone who has attended an ISA clinic knows, they offer a world-class training experience and produce real performance gains. Space is limited so interested sailors should book early. For more information and registration, visit ISA at internationalsailingacademy.com/sailthegorge/#masters. Besides being a legendary sailing venue, the Gorge is a magnificent vacation destination, attracting families from all over the world for its breathtaking scenery, windsurfing, kite boarding, white water rafting, hiking, golfing, mountain biking, and summer skiing and snowboarding on nearby Mt. Hood. For a more relaxed day or evening out, there s an abundance of fine wineries, craft breweries, funky boutiques, and cozy bistros to discover. Accommodations near the sailing venue range from tent camping in the Cascade Locks Marine Park to the four-star Skamania Lodge resort hotel just across the river. More information is available on CGRA s Visitor Information web page. Looking forward to welcoming the Laser Masters to the Gorge this summer! 18

19 Masters North American Championships Buffalo Canoe Club August 25-27, 2017 Buffalo Canoe Club should be on every Laser sailor s bucket list. The Setting: When the glaciers of the Ice Age receded from the North East end of Lake Erie they left behind a dingy sailor s paradise called Abino Bay. The shape of the bay is perfect for sailing because it allows for progressively more exposure to stronger wind and larger waves as you sail out from the protection of Point Abino. As an extra bonus you sail on fresh water that is both warm and crystal clear. The Wind: The fetch of Lake Erie extends 350 kilometers (220 miles) to the south-west from Abino Bay. On most days in the summer a thermal induced lake breeze is generated from the SW. The prevailing wind is also from the West. Being aligned in the same direction they augment each other and often build to a velocity that makes for exciting racing. The Venue: In 1882 Buffalo Canoe Club (BCC) was founded and located deep in the protected corner of Abino Bay. It is in a very favorable location for rigging and going out and returning under sail. The club has paid homage to this natural wonder of the sailing world by constructing world class facilities and developing championship worthy race management. The racing lore of BCC is legendary. We know that most Master Laser Sailors travel to regattas alone because at most venues there is nothing for friends and family to do. Not so at BCC. This is a summer destination resort that has lots of facilities and activities for adults and children of all ages to enjoy. The Vista: When you arrive at BCC and park your car you re view of the waterfront will be obscured by two large buildings. Just for fun I strongly recommend that you walk up the brick pathway between them. Think of this narrow opening as a camera s view finder that as you walk up the path gradually expands your view into a wider angle. It is the best way to experience the magnificent vista of the waterfront and our iconic boathouse. The Feel: You are home. You are among people who understand your passion for sailing and all of that go along with it. They get you and you get them. As a result you will experience a feeling of comfort and fellowship. The Location: Don t let the name fool you Buffalo Canoe Club is actually located in Ontario, Canada. It s about 20 minutes from the Peace Bridge at the Canada/USA border. For more details go to Buffalo Canoe Club 4475 Erie Road Ridgeway, Ontario Canada L0S 1N0 Phone:

20 Masters Great Lakes Championship Milwaukee Yacht Club September 2-3, 2017 Milwaukee Yacht Club will host the 2017 Laser Masters Great Lakes Championship over Labor Day weekend, September 2-3. Late summer, early fall is a spectacular time to sail on Lake Michigan with reliable breeze and warm water. With its pool, hot tub, boat house, and club house Milwaukee Yacht Club has hosted many successful regional, national and international events in its storied past. Dinghy ramps, ample parking, affordable housing in walking distance and accomplished race staff has led to some very successful Laser events in recent years. Save the date and come join us. Website: Event website: Regatta Chair: Steve Dolan soling846@gmail.com<mailto:soling846@gmail.com> CANADA S LARGEST LASER DEALER CHARTER BOATS FROM THE MEXICO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS STILL AVAILABLE! Muskoka Lake Summer or Order Parts Online foghmarine.com 20

21 2017 Schedule Regatta Standard Radial Laser 4.7 Masters World Championship ISAF 200 points Split, Croatia Sept Medemblik, NED Women: Aug Youth: Aug Men: Aug Nieuwpoort, BEL July Split, Croatia Sept NA Championship 40 GP pts. ISAF 100 points Royal Vancouver YC Vancouver, BC June Royal Vancouver YC Vancouver, BC June Royal Vancouver YC Vancouver, BC June Buffalo Canoe Club Rideway, ON August Canadian Championships 30 GP pts. ISAF 50 points CORK Kingston, ON August CORK Kingston, ON August CORK Kingston, ON August Wabanum SC Edmonton, AB August US Championships 30 GP Pts, ISAF Grade 2 Tahoe YC Tahoe City, CA July Tahoe YC Tahoe City, CA July Tahoe YC Tahoe City, CA July CGRA Cascade Locks, OR July 7-9 CORK 30 GP Pts. ISAF 50 points Kingston, ON August Kingston, ON August Kingston, ON August na Midwinters East 30 GP Pts. ISAF 100 points Clearwater, FL Feb Clearwater, FL Feb Clearwater, FL Feb Davis Island YC Tampa, FL Feb Midwinters West 30 GP Pts. ISAF 50 points California YC Marina del Rey, CA March California YC Marina del Rey, CA March California YC Marina del Rey, CA March na Miami OCR ISAF 200 points Miami, FL (men only) January Miami, FL (women only) January na na Atlantic Coast Championships 25 GP Pts. ISAF 50 points Carolina YC Wrightsville Beach, NC May 6-7 Carolina YC Wrightsville Beach, NC May 6-7 Carolina YC Wrightsville Beach, NC May 6-7 Surf City YC Surf City, NJ June 3-4 Pacific Coast Championships 25 GP Pts. ISAF 50 points Ventura YC Ventura, CA June 9-11 Ventura YC Ventura, CA June 9-11 Ventura YC Ventura, CA June 9-11 Gulf Coast Championships 25 GP Pts No Coast Championships 25 GP Pts Great Lakes Championships 25 GP Pts Corpus Christi YC Corpus Christi, TX June Corpus Christi YC Corpus Christi, TX June Corpus Christi YC Corpus Christi, TX June TBD TBD TBD District 18 District 18 District 18 Ithaca YC Ithaca, NY July Milwaukee YC Milwaukee, WI Sept

22 District Reports District 3 Nigel Heath Ontario, Canada Its time to shake off the rust after a long off-season and get back into the boat and try to remember how to make that thing go fast again. But first I plan on getting to the gym and cranking out sit-ups, crunches, burpees etc., etc. There are a lot of great sailing specific exercises online. Hey we are now using Facebook for laser communications. Check out the District 3 Laser Sailing Facebook page, but we will continue to use the d3laser.com website. We have another sailing season jammed with regattas almost every weekend in Ontario. In addition to the Fogh Gold Cup racing series other highlight events for 2017 include the Canadian Laser Championships Aug in Kingston and the North American Masters Championships at the Buffalo Canoe Club Aug On my calendar I have also circled the Atlantic Coast Masters Championships in Surf City NJ on June 3-4 and the No Coast Championships in Ithaca NY on July Regarding the Fogh Gold Cup series, we are still finalizing the prizes for 2017 as Fogh Marine and the other laser dealers are having difficulty getting hold of certain gear. I continue to get inquiries from master sailors around the province who haven t been sailing for years or decades but grew up sailing lasers and are interested in getting back into it. I say a big welcome back to you!! Laser sailors are generally a friendly, welcoming bunch, so drop into your local sailing club and talk to local sailors or if you are in the greater Toronto area contact me and we will get you down to the Water Rats Sailing Club. Getting into laser or radial sailing may just save your life, or at minimum prolong it by encouraging a healthier lifestyle. As the bumper sticker says Cheat the retirement home and die on your Laser. See you on the water. District 4 Brigitte Smutny Manitoba As always we are hoping for an early spring in Manitoba to hit the water as early as possible. The RLWYC will be hosting Sail West, the Laser District 4 Championships and the Alumni Cup on July The NOR can be found on our website. If you are up for some extra training join us from July for a training camp with coach Dominik Fritz. The Canada Summer Games will be held at the Gimli Yacht Club from July 29-August 4. Two qualifiers are scheduled for the Lasers and Radials, one on June 11 and one on June 18, also at the Gimli YC. This year s Laser circuit offers 12 provincial regattas which are scheduled at different Yacht Clubs around the province District 5 Mark Lammens Saskatchewan *** Note Dick Degner changes!!!***. Prairie Wind is added to the AB events for the Dick Degner and Sail West for SK scoring events Dick Degner series events will be the Icebreaker Regatta at Calgary YC, June 3-4, Saskatchewan Championships at Redberry, July 1-2, Prairie Wind at Newell, July 7-9, Sail West at the Royal in Manitoba, July 13-16, Canadian Masters Championships at Wabamun SC, Aug and the Districts at the Short Course back at Redberry, August Canadian Masters Championships are at Wabamun SC on August 18-20, buy a new sail and black top section and hope for some breeze is a Canada Games year with the Sailing at Gimli, MB. Alberta s Peter van Muyden is the PRO Principle Race Officer so it should be a very well-run event. District 6 Andy Hunt Vancouver, BC Greetings to all District 6 sailors, volunteers and coaches. Not a lot has happened in District 6 during the winter months. Sailors were either skiing, travelling or otherwise doing other things. The only regatta to report on was the Frozen Assets regatta. This regatta is hosted every year by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club and is usually on either the first or second weekend of February. This year it was on February 8 and 9. There were 10 Laser Standards and no Radials or 4.7s. All but two of the sailors were from Victoria. The Race Committee ran 13 races over the two days and each sailor threw out one bad race. I did not attend so I can t comment on the conditions but I would like to congratulate the RC for running so many races. The top three sailors were: Max Gallant, RVICYC, 13.00; Fillah Karim, RVANYC, 31.00; Maura Dewey, RVICYC, Both Max and Fillah have their eye on representing Canada in the Laser Standard at the 2020 Olympic Games. Maura has ambition to represent Canada at the 2020 Olympic Games in the Laser Radial. Unfortunately for local sailors, the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club was unable to host the March Madness Regatta this year. The March Madness Regatta is a very low key event and I hope that it will be a go next year. Local clubs have either put together a 2017 racing schedule or are in the process of finalizing their schedules. I am more than happy to help sailors find local clubs where they live if they need any help. The Spring and Summer months in District 6 look busy for sailors. 22 The really big regatta will be the 2017 Laser, Laser Radial and Laser 4.7 North American Championships. This major regatta will be hosted by the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club from June 20 to 25, Registration and measurement will take place on June 20 and 21 and the actual racing will be from June 22 to 25. Three races per day are scheduled. On-line registration will be in effect by the time the Spring edition of The Laser Sailor is in the mail. Sailors who register before June 4 will pay a fee of $ CAN. Those sailors who pay between June 5 and June 11 will pay an additional $75.00 CAN. Registration closes on June 11, For more information on the regatta, please visit the regatta website at: Both local and visiting sailors should consider spending the week between June 25 and July 2 in Vancouver and participate in the WAVES regatta. This regatta is also hosted by the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club and is from June 30 to July 2, More information is on the RVYC website: It is yet to be confirmed but the WAVES regatta might be the 2017 District 6 Grand Prix (more opportunity to win GP points). I hope to have the District 6 Laser schedule posted on the Jericho Laser Fleet webpage by the time you receive this magazine. Please visit: I hope to see some of you on the water in Please don t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions and / or comments. District 8 Frank Seckler New York Renewed Excitement for Laser Sailing in District 8 for 2017 On January 26, Breakwater YC held its 8 th Annual Ice Breaker Regatta, which was run by superstar RC Marty Kank with assistance from Rachel Gruzen. (W/L) races were held in the harbor for downtown spectator viewing. Champion Chris Brodie, 2 nd Julian Barrowcliffe, 3rd Bud Rogers. 1 st Jr. Jean Mitchel,1 st Radial Joan Butler. Breakwater Early Spring Series has started and runs every Saturday Rig 1pm,Race 2pm; As always-extra loaner boats are available, so drop in & join us! Huguenot YC has had resurgence in its Laser frostbiting fleet this season; HYC is a short 20 minutes from Mid-Town NYC using Metro North and a 30-minute car ride. The frostbite results are not final but the Radials are being led by: Ryosuke Sakai, Graham Hagger, and Iris Volgel. Bill Heintz, Sasha Tichter, and Jason Viseltear lead the Full Rig fleet. Racing continues until April. On April 2, Huguenot YC hosts its annual HYC E.R.R.O.R. CUP (aka Execution Rocks Race out & Return) all are welcome,nor is one line. A warm weather series is in the planning. Nyack Laser Fleet has been privileged to have a Foiling Laser among its the fleet and so the members have been flying all winter. The HHRYA-0ne Design Series has not yet been completed but Nyack BC is ready to get racing. Starting in June, Laser Tuesday Night Practice and Sunday Laser Races at Nyack BC. Nyack BC 2017 Big 3 Laser Regattas are scheduled: The Lagoon Regatta May 29, The Firecracker July 4, and The Last Chance Sept 8th. American YC one of the founding Laser Fleets continues its high power brand of Laser Racing and continues with a powerhouse team of Laser racing individuals who have been topping the podiums in the class the past few years. American YC has penciled in September 2 nd as a District Event. The Laser youth movement has taken hold at Westhampton s Yacht Squadron, long time Laser sailor now club Sailing Director John Zambriski has invited District 8 to join their fleet with a Laser Regatta on July 29, all are invited young guns verse wise owls, and every one in-between. Harlem YC core group of Laser sailors who had scheduled to host District 8 regatta in 2015, but was nixed due to in climate weather would like to share that they have created a small boat membership for those who are non-affiliated and would like a place to keep and use your laser and would be interested in Laser racing on Eastchester Bay. Southampton YC is hosting Dr Hulls D8 Regatta Dr Hull has been one of the most generous sailors in the District and as a Laser sailor himself has put on this amazing BBQ/seafood feast for which the regatta is named after. I would like to recognize the organizational and enthusiastic spirit of Kent Rydberg who really puts it together and finalizes it all. This must come from his 30 years of mastery of East End sales of real estate with Douglas Elliman. D8 Travelers: The weather was nice in NY the week of February 11 th, but it was much warmer down in Florida where some D8 sailors earned honors: Florida Masters: Lindsay Hewitt 2 nd Great Grand Master, Natalia Gontcharova 1 st Radial Apprentice, Rachel Gruzman 2 nd Radial Apprentice, Eric Langendal 3 rd Full Apprentice Laser Open Mid-Winters East Regatta competitors missed the snowstorm of Feb : Conrats to: C. Klinger, M. Ploch, A. Ellis, A.Talbot, M.Wallace, and J.P.Panarelli D8 Schedule April 2 E.R.R.O.R. YC April 8 Spring Fling Regatta@ Seawanhaka Corinthian YC April Rules Seminar by North U@ Dinghy Shop May TBA Spring South Bay Water Sports May 29 Lagoon Nyack BC June 10 Dr Hulls Southampton YC July 4 Fire Cracker Nyack BC July 8 Around Shelter Island Southold YC July 21 Laser Shelter Island YC July 23 Laser District Shelter Island YC July 29 Laser District Westhampton YC Aug. 8 Laser Devon YC (pencil) Aug. 19 Ward Bell Sea Cliff YC Aug. 26/27 Grand Sayville YC Sept. 2 Laser District YC (pencil) Sept. 8 Last Chance Nyack B South Bay Water Sports Association sails from the beaches of the Dinghy Shop, which will be hosting a Rules meeting, and spring/fall Laser Series. In addition, becoming a member of SBWPA makes you a member of the GSBYRA, Shelter Island Yacht Club Annual Laser Clinic Friday July 21 followed by a Regatta on Sunday July 23, there is plenty of time to plan on sailing from historic Dering Harbor. Sayville Yacht Club host of last years J24 NA, Laser ACC Masters, and Laser GP anticipates on hosting the Laser D8 Grand Prix August 26 and 27. Get ready for the Great Thermal of the Great South Bay along with Sayville YC hospitality. Hempstead Harbor Club in Sea Cliff will host the Ward Bell Cup August 19, and also has Tuesday Night Laser Racing starting as early as May and continues throughout the summer. Laser Frostbiting at Seawanhaka Corinthian YC is just too easy to pass-up. Once you drop your boat off for the season all you need to do is drive up, set-up, sail, and return and have some chilly by a wood-burning fireplace. It would not be nearly as successful and fun as it is without the efforts by members like Eric Johnson and David Kruse. These men help make Laser

23 frostbiting a great experience! Their precision and expertise from rules meetings, to organizing instruction for sailors, and weekly reports and standings are outstanding; and of course a salute to Robert Terry for his ambitious videos recordings, and web site mastery. Frostbiting continues until April 8, there are a lot of very skilled and fast sailors on the line and every week there is a new face or too. Hats off to Chris Poole as he seems to be leading the way so far. Mark Your Calendars for Saturday April 8 th, Districts Spring Fling. <photo7> District 8 updates, and sign-ups for info can be found on org It is my time to retire. The Laser District really needs a Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Secretary. If you like Laser sailing, your voice can be heard by becoming part of the class. I encourage everyone to become a member I am recommending Robert Terry as Vice Chairman, Video recorder, and mentor. Chairman is a person who decides best dates or ACC s. NA, GP, and district events. The Secretary needs to collect information and relay it. My contact info: or cell District 9 Peter Bushnell Upstate New York Plans are pretty much complete for the upcoming season with another great set of one-day regattas and two-day championship events. The Grand Prix will be part of Centrals on Sodus again this year, hosted by Sodus Bay YC and Sodus Bay Jr Sailing Association (thanks to Mike Foley). With the success of the open No Coast regatta last year, the Ithaca YC is excited to host the 2017 No Coast Masters Championship July This will be a fantastic time for sure! Thanks to David Filiberto and IYC. Here s the full regatta plan for the district. Check out the ILCA-NA D9 website for details and postings. Looking forward to seeing you on the water! DISTRICT REGATTA PLANS May 27, Ithaca YC, Wine Keg Regatta June 3, Newport YC, Rochester June 10, Saratoga YC, Saratoga Derby June 24, Chautauqua Lake YC (to be confirmed) July 8-9, D9 GRAND PRIX, Centrals on Sodus, SBYC / SBJSA July15, Seneca YC, Doug Wisor Memorial Laser Regatta July 22-23, Ithaca YC, No Coast Masters Championship July 29, Thousand Islands Park YC Regatta July 29-31, USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival, Rochester Sept 9, Willow Bank YC, Death Roll, Cazenovia Sept 16, Otsego Sailing Club, Glimmerglass Regatta, Cooperstown Oct 8, Henderson Harbor YC Eric Reitinger District 10 New Jersey Er4599@gmail.com First off, I changed the FB group to a discussion based group so we can allow for more discussions and people can add regatta info, boats for sale or anything else of interest to the group. Link is above. Like the group and join in the discussion! Congratulations to Carrson Pearce (Surf City YC) on finishing 3 rd in the Youth Worlds in New Zealand.! A decent sized group of juniors made the trip down to Florida for the Orange Bowl. In the Full rig fleet Adam Wolnikowski (Susquanahanna YC) finished 19 th. Radials: Alex Fasolo (Bay Head YC) 12 th Mike Ehnot (Spray Beach YC) 22th Carter Pearce (Surf City YC) 23th Nicholas Stefanoni (Surf City YC) 27 th Michael Pinto (Ocean City YC) 31 st Christopher Araujo (Surf City YC) 33 rd 4.7: Lauren Ehnot (Spray Beach YC) 6 th The Masters started off their season with the Midwinters Circuit. I will only post the overall results. Florida Masters: Mike Hecky (Brant Beach YC) 8th Don Hahl (Brant Beach YC) 24 th John MacCausland (Cooper River YC) 13th Jim Irwin (Riverton YC) 37th Jerzy Sliwinski (Marsh Creek SC) 46th Master s Midweek Madness Mike Hecky 11th Don Hahl 30th John MacCausland 17th Jim Irwin 45th Masters Midwinter s East Mike Hecky 13th Don Hahl 24 th John MacCausland 15th Jim Irwin 20 th Peter Hurley (Mantoloking YC) 4 th Just as the Masters circuit completed, the open Midwinters East took place in Clearwater, another sizeable fleet made the trip down 4.7:Lauren Ehnot 2 nd Full Rig: Peter Hurley 36 th Brenden Gillman (Bay Head YC) 40 th Radial Gold: Carrson Pearce 3 rd Luke Arnone (Mantoloking YC) 9 th Carter Pearce 18 th Mike Pinto 34 th Mike Ehnot 48 th Silver: Dixon Pearce (Surf City YC) 27 th Maddie Widmeier (USCGA/Brant Beach YC) 6 th Nicole Moeder (Bay Head YC) 14 th Current schedule: Monmouth will be hosting Full Rig D10s for the first time. They are very excited to host the event and should offer some great conditions. TRYC Spring Series: April 2, 9, 23, 30 (no sailing Easter Sunday) April 15 Marsh Creek Spring Marsh Creek Sailing Club May 13th Monmouth Spring Laser Monmouth Boat Club May 6 Shrewsbury Spring Laser Shrewsbury S & YC May 27 Plank Shore Acres June 3-4 Orange Coffee Pot & Master Surf City YC June D10 Full Rig Monmouth BC June ACC JO Brant Beach YC July Area C Smythe Baltimore County SC July Mid Atlantic Island Heights YC August 12th Cape May Laser CYCCM August D10 Radial/4.7 SCYC October 14 Memorial Marsh Creek Sailing Club District 11 Jon Deutsch MD, VA, DE, DC To start the 2017 year we ve made a few changes to make it easier to communicate about Laser sailing in our district. For starters, the website has been completely redone. The old URL will continue to redirect, but the new url is laserdistrict11.wordpress.com. On that website is the updated 2017 schedule and links to NORs, etc. The website should work a little better on mobile devices and be a bit easier to update going forward. Second we re switching from using a Facebook page to using a group. If you followed the page, please go find the group and join (a fast way to find it is to click facebook logo in top right of district 11 webpage). The page will be shut down soon. The group will allow fleet leaders and anyone else with events, results and boats for sale or wanted to easy reach out and share with the rest of the group. Finally made some adjustments to the list. Subscribe by visiting laserdistrict11.wordpress.com/ / This too will be used by fleet leaders for sharing regatta announcements, results, and other pertinent information to District sailors. As of writing the District Championship for 2017 hasn t been finalized, but look for details on the new website. See you online and see you out sailing this spring! District 12 Stanley Hassinger NC, SC, Georgia It has been an eventful winter around the district and we are looking forward to a great 2017 sailing season. District 12 sent at least 8 Junior Radial sailors to the Valentine s Day Youth Regatta and Florida State Laser Champs at St. Petersburg Yacht Club on February 4-5. Long courses and drifter conditions made for tough sailing, but Charleston s Lucas Sawin did a great job representing D12 with a 4 th on day one and a 2 nd on day two. He ended the regatta in 3 rd place overall in the 29 boat Radial fleet! The James Island Yacht Club crew has been frostbiting on Sundays this winter with great competition made even better by some College of Charleston hot shots! Three of our most esteemed Masters Laser RC Laser Complete Ready to Sail Radio Controlled Sail Boat What s Included: Hull Standard Mast Standard Boom B Sail Radio Equipment Keel Rudder Electronics represented D12 at Master s Week in Florida this year. Martin Willard from Wrightsville Beach and Charlie Usher from Savannah sailed in the Midwinters at Davis Island Yacht Club. Finn Hassing from Hickory, NC, participated in all three Masters Week events: Palm Beach, Sarasota, and the Midwinters! Way to go! This year we have six regattas making up our Championship Series. A sailor s best three regattas are scored and the winner is announced at the award ceremony following the final regatta of the year at Columbia Sailing Club (CSC) in Columbia, SC. We also hold our annual district meeting at the CSC regatta. This year our regatta series schedule is: April 29-30, Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club, Beaufort, SC June 3-4, Savannah Yacht Club, Savannah, GA July 29-30, Carolina Yacht Club, Charleston, SC August 5-6, Carolina Yacht Club, Wrightsville Beach, NC September 23-24, Lake Norman Yacht Club, Mooresville, NC November 4-5, Columbia Sailing Club, Columbia, SC Finally, we are excited to share that Carolina Yacht Club in Wrightsville Beach, NC will host the 2017 Laser Atlantic Coast Championships on May 5-7. A beautiful club, experienced race committee, and spectacular ocean venue are sure to make for a fantastic event! Check out our Facebook page for more info: search Facebook groups for D12 Laser Sailors Please come join us! District 13 Michelle Davis Florida Fantastic! According to PricewaterhouseCoopers (the folks that mistakenly wrote La La Land was the Oscar winner) and Steve Harvey (the fellow that mistakenly announced Miss Colombia as winner of the Miss Universe pageant), I won the Open Midwinters East in the Radial Class! For my victory, I d like to thank wait, what do you mean there s been a scoring mistake? What do you mean I didn t win? You re saying a boatload (actually and literally boatloads) of people beat me? Well, that s even more fantastic! Now I ve got a new goal-get faster and get better. That s one of the best parts of sailing, the boatspeed bar is always being raised so you re constantly being challenged. You can t get bored in this sport. So here are some of the folks that had boatspeed at the D13 winter events D13 Championships (Lauderdale Yacht Club, December 2016) 1 st overall Laser-Ernesto Rodriguez 14 th overall Laser-Bill McKenzie (pretty phenomenal for his age) 1 st overall Radial-Charlotte Rose 2 nd overall Radial-Gage Wilson For more information, or to order, please go to: GET IT TODAY! $ (REG ) 23

24 3 rd overall Radial-Chase Carraway 1 st overall 4.7-Blaire McCarthy 2 nd overall 4.7-Heather Kerns 3 rd overall 4.7-Chris Purcell By the way, nice to 86 total boats out and sailing across the 3 fleets for this Championship. Thanks Lauderdale Yacht Club! Coconut Grove Sailing Club Open Orange Bowl (Coconut Grove Sailing Club, December 2016) 1 st overall Laser-Marek Zaleski 2 nd overall Laser-Ernesto Rodriguez 3 rd overall Laser-Peter Vesella Lauderdale Yacht Club Olympic Classes Regatta (Lauderdale Yacht Club, January 2017) 1 st overall Laser-Enrique Arathoon 2 nd overall Laser-Malcolm Lamphere 3 rd overall Laser-Augstin Vidal Incatasciato 1 st overall Radial-Erika Reineke 2 nd overall Radial-Chase Carraway 3 rd overall Radial-Christina Sakellaris Since it s covered elsewhere in this issue, I won t go into specific details about the Florida Masters week but keep in mind there are three phenomenal regattas in 9 days and we saw D13 sailors all over the fast end of the results. Perusing the results, a couple stick out-dave Hiebert ended up on the podium in each of the 3 events and Monica Wilson was top female at every one of the events. Plus, Monica was 2 nd overall in Radials at the Master Midwinters. Probably the true winner of the Florida Masters Week is Dave Hartman, the guy that pretty much started this event and grew it to where it is today-literally 100 of your best friends spending a week in Florida doing all they can to sail their Laser faster than you can sail yours. Dave told us he s retiring from organizing the event. From all the masters past, present, and future, thanks for making it happen Dave! And good, now that you re not organizing the event, we don t have to be nice to you. Alright everyone, let s all tack directly on Dave, don t ever let him cross on port, and force him over the start line every chance you get. Since it s also covered elsewhere, I ll skip the details on the Open Midwinters East. But, I will note we had 171 boats sailing across the three fleets. Thinking out loud, how do we get that number to 200 for next year? I ll also note D13 faces getting up to the pointy end of the fleet in a couple of cases. In the 4.7 fleet, Brandon Geller ended up 3 rd, Katie Nelson 4 th, and Will Murray claimed 5 th. In the Radials, Carson Pearce grabbed 3 rd, Chase Carraway 4 th, Halie Schiffman 5 th, and Sophia Reineke 6 th. In case you ve been busy and haven t been able to come racing this winter, don t worry, D13 has all sorts of stuff for the spring and summer. To find out what events are happening, check out the calendar on the Laser.org site. We re trying to post any races in D13 on the Laser.org calendar so they re in one, easily-found, simple to remember, consolidated calendar. To view races (or to post them to the calendar), just go to Laser.org, select calendar tab, pick all events drop down, and then search by selecting the date range in the calendar boxes by checking District 13 under category (scroll down the page to see the categories). If you don t see stuff listed, you re doing something wrong. We re not posting regattas on the District 13 webpage because, first, I m lazy and don t want to double the work by maintaining two calendars, and second, I d rather be sailing than maintaining a second calendar. A couple of easy events to keep in mind are the Melbourne Spring Regatta on April 22 and 23, the Treasure Coast Series (May 20 Melbourne, July 15 Jensen Beach, October 7 Miami), the Hugh Elliott Trophy (May 20 Tampa), the Sunshine State Games (June 17 and 18, Jensen Beach), the BBYRA Series (all in Miami on April 8, June 3, June 25, and July 23), and the Coconut Grove Sailing Club Goombay Regatta (May 27, Miami). And these events don t even include the D13 summer travel schedule, Wrightsville for the ACC s, Surf City for the Orange Coffee Pot, the Gorge, Croatia.. By the way, speaking of the District 13 webpage, we got it back from whoever hacked the link. The site is up and working now so start putting up content. One good reason to check out the page is the dropbox links to lots of killer-diller pix from the D13 Champs and Lauderdale OCR. Thanks Anne Streater! She posted billions of pics of those events, so there s bound to be a good one of you. Again, note, we re NOT using the calendar on the District 13 webpage. We re using the calendar on the Laser.org site only. Also, don t count on me to post lots of content because, first, I m lazy, and second, I d rather be sailing than sitting in front of a computer. Come to think of it, I m tired of sitting in front of the computer typing this, so I m out. See you on the line or in the line up. And Miss Colombia was totally robbed of that crown. District 14 Lance Kim Gulf Coast As the new District 14 secretary, I m excited to be rebuilding the fleet along the Gulf Coast! About half a dozen of our sailors had a blast at Midwinters East in beautiful Clearwater. We have a full season planned with an event every month and looking forward to meeting y all at regional and national regattas. Our season calendar can be found on our Facebook group (LaserDistrict14) and on Laser.org. District 15 Griffin Orr Texas Another exciting spring season awaits Texas sailors! Already having completed our first district regatta of the year, Corinthian Sailing Club s Inaugural Rock the Ice Regatta, Texas Sailors are gearing up for the famous Austin Easter Regatta. The Austin Easter Regatta, organized by Fred Schroth and hosted by the Austin Yacht Club will be held on April 15/16. Get ready for excellent sailing on the now full Lake Travis as well as fantastic awards by the Easter Bunny himself! Next, the Corpus Christi Yacht Club will be hosting the Laser Gulf Coast Championships on June Come down for some strong breezes and even stronger competition! And to close out the spring sailing season while opening the summer is the 2017 Seabrook Summer Solstice regatta held June 24/25 by the Seabrook Sailing Club. Also be sure to check out the full write up of this year s Rock the Ice Regatta in this edition of The Laser Sailor written by regatta chair Jody Smith. Sail fast, Sail Downwind, Sail Lasers! District 19 Ken Swetka Michigan Michigan is happy to see Spring upon us. Some of us were fortunate enough to get some Laser sailing in Florida. Some of us took to Southern sailing. D19 s Chad Coberly (Grand Rapids) won not only his age division but overall in the Masters Midwinters Radial Fleet at Davis Island (Tampa, FL). Congratulations Chad! Other D19 sailors in one or more of the 3 events were Leigh Savage (Grosse Pointe), Carey Jones (Ann Arbor), and yours truly. Carey did all 3! Masters rule!! The schedule in D19 is still in flux but we have a new venue for our District Championships. It will be at Boyne City Yacht Club on Lake Charlevoix on June Thank you to George Peet for taking it on! Below are some reports from our various fleets on when they sail and how you can join them. Eagle Lake Sailing Club Edwardsburg, MI, www. eaglelakesailingclub.org By Ryan Fountain Eagle Lake has five racing fleets during the regular season (June August), with Lasers being part of the Saturday fleets normally three races per day. We also have three holiday regattas, with Lasers sailing five races in each. In addition, we have Spring and Fall short race sessions where Lasers sail with other boats, and handicapped scoring is used. Visitors from other clubs are welcome to sail with us. Anyone who wants to do so should contact either the fleet captains or the sailing commodore (Ryan Fountain) before hand. Michigan Sailing Club Ann Arbor, MI org/racing/ By Ovidiu The racing schedule is on the web site listed and the following regattas as open to non-msc members: The Dan Rice Memorial Regatta Sunday May 28 Named in honor of a former long-time club member, this regatta is considered the club championship. All classes of sailboats 18 or less are eligible. Spring Laser Regatta Sunday June 11 One design regatta featuring the Laser. Anyone with a class-legal Laser is invited. Fall Laser Regatta Sunday Sept 10 One design regatta featuring the Laser. Anyone with a class-legal Laser is invited, including Radial and 4.7. The Bone Chiller Regatta Sunday Oct 29 Mixed-fleet regatta scored by Portsmouth Handicap. All classes of sailboats 18 or less are eligible. CreekFleet Stoney Creek Metropark By Kevin Varga Kevin Varga is there most every week and would love to have other Lasers sailors join. Weekly races: 6pm June 1st to August 31st 2pm September to October 29th Weekend Regattas: CreekFleet Summer Solstice - Sunday, June 10am CreekFleet Dog Days of Summer Regatta Sunday, August 10am Lake Lansing Haslett, MI By Doug Carlson Olav Messerschmidt will be taking over as the official Laser Fleet Captain at the Lansing Sailing Club. I m very confident that LSC s Laser Fleet participation will continue to grow and with Olav s enthusiasm and leadership, the LSC s District 19 Laser Regatta will continue to live up to or exceed the hospitality LSC has become known for. The Annual District 19 Laser Regatta will be on Saturday, August 19th. Forecast already looks great!! Get it on your personal calendar now so you don t miss out on the fun this year. You know you will be fed well and it s always a great time. This is the year for 40 boats!!! Irish Fleet - Harbor Springs, MI By Tom Babel Spring and Fall Regattas are a combined event which has become known as The Babel Cup (in recognition of my father). Everyone is welcome. The Spring date is May 27, 2017 and the Fall date is Sept 16. We meet at 11:00 AM, sail at HIGH NOON, five races, $10, have some beers. Also for the Fall regatta, the GTYC is having a party/car show at our Bluewater Hall (just north of GTYC), food, beverages, fun, that all us Laser Sailors could attend after sailing. We did it last fall and was a fun time Regattas/Events May 27 Spring Babel Cup Harbor Springs May 28 Dan Rice Memorial Michigan Sailing Club June 11 Spring Laser Regatta Michigan Sailing Club June D19 Championships Boyne City June 25 Creekfleet Summer Solstice Stony Creek July 22-23? Leland Regatta Lake Leland August 19 Annual Lake Lansing Laser Regatta August 27 Creekfleet Dog Days of Summer Stony Creek Sept 10 Fall Laser Regatta Michigan Sailing Club Sep 16 Fall Babel Cup Harbor Springs Sep 23?? No Sweat Regatta Portage Lake Oct 29 Bone Chiller Regatta Michigan Sailing Club That s all for now from D19 (Michigan)! As always check www. D19Laser.org or for even more schedules, reports, and photos! 24

25 District 20 Sean Lennon Wisconsin, Illinois Hello Laser Sailors! The spring is fast approaching here in District 20! We have some great events planned for this summer. I am writing this article after stepping off the plane from sunny Florida and straight into a blizzard. I had a great opportunity to be trained as a US Sailing Level 1 Instructor Trainer. We have made great progress on the regatta schedule for the district. The events are as follows: June 17-18: Districts 20 at Pewaukee YC July 29-30: Hobelman at Chicago Corinthian YC August 5-6: Milwaukee Bay ODRegatta at Milwaukee YC September 2-3: GL Masters at Milwaukee YC TBD: Border Challenge at La Cross SC September 23-24: Red Flannels at Chicago Corinthian YC October 13-15: Regatta at Carlyle SA TBD: Oktoberfest at Nagawicka YC For current updates to the schedule, keep an eye on our District 20 Facebook page, or send an to spatricklennon11@gmail.com Youth racing is a critical part of our fleet, as well, and many programs are beginning to integrate the Laser Radial and 4.7 as a part of their platforms. In Chicago and in Milwaukee, yacht club sailing schools are examples of this dedication to the Laser. Two examples of Laser youth regattas in the Milwaukee area are the Kaszube Cup (July 10-12, South Shore YC), and the Milwaukee Bay Youth Invitational (August 5-6, Milwaukee YC, as a part of the Milwaukee Bay One Design event). If you know of other youth Laser regattas in the district, please keep me informed so we can help promote this sport to our youth! I am excited to see all of you out there. District 22 Kurt Hoehne Northwest For the first time ever, the Seattle Laser Fleet gave up some of the reigns of the Frigid Digit Regatta to a yacht club, CYC Seattle. The club responded by getting off 10 races in near drifting conditions the first day and light air the second. Dalton Bergan brought his Laser magic out of retirement on a not-so-frigid February weekend and controlled the regatta. The biggest news was how the Radial fleet turned out. Grant Gridley of Oregon won a hard-fought series over Owen Timms and Abbie Carlson were tops in the 10-boat fleet. Timms and Carlson joined Talia Toland and Hanne Weaver at Midwinters in Clearwater, Florida soon afterward where Toland and Weaver finished in the top 10 of the Radial fleet. A great summer of Laser sailing is on tap in the Columbia River Gorge. The International Sailing Academy from La Cruz, Mexico, is bringing their renowned Laser coaching clinics to the Gorge this summer, including a pre-regatta tune-up for Laser North Americans June 14-18, WIND Clinic for youth Laser sailors June 27-30, and a special masters training camp leading into the Laser Masters US Nationals July 7-9. The Gorge Blowout downwind burner is scheduled for July 28, followed by the District 22 Championships which will be held in conjunction with the CGOD Regatta July For more information, check out the Columbia Gorge Racing Association website at www. cgra.org. (re photos - the trophy shot is Dalton Bergan with his son Connor and the trophy with lots of famous names on the back. The other shots are all by Cam Hoard of The Sailing Foundation) District 23 Geoff Hurwitch Utah The snow is starting to melt and immediately we start to think about the SkiGatta. Park City Sailing will race Lasers on Saturday, April 1st and ski race on Sunday, April 2nd. The lowest average of places from the two events gives us our winner. The season for Colorado and Utah is set to begin shortly after with Park City Sailing beginning on Tuesday, June 6th and Cherry Creek in Colorado starting on Thursday, May 4th. Both venues continue racing into the Fall with Park City ending on the last Tuesday in September, Cherry Creek ending on October 23rd with a Frostbite series. Look for racing some regattas in the Rocky mountains with the Dillon Open com/ usually scheduled for the first weekend in August, and the Park City Sailing Association Fall Regatta scheduled for September 30/ October 1 District 24 Stephen Aguilar NorCal Exciting news for district 24 this summer. The Laser National Championships are going to be held at Tahoe Yacht Club July Lake Tahoe is a great venue and a wonderful destination for sailors and their families. Hiking mountain biking and a variety of water sports for all. SVENDSEN S GRAND PRIX The 2017 laser summer series will again be sponsored by Svendsen s. This year there are 15 events everything from ocean racing to high Alpine Lake racing. Two new venue have been added this year. Benicia yacht club will be holding a regatta during the Benicia waterfront Colie Sails Signature Upgraded KITS Colie has the gear you need to win, not just get around the course. Successful upgrades to be Competitively Equipped Maffioli and V12 upgraded lines Custom made inhaul bungee Vang Retaining Bungee Ronstan & Harken blocks 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 Bay Avenue Point Pleasant dev@coliesail.com NJ

26 festival. This event will be held in the Carquinez Straits which is where the Sacramento and San Joaquin River s dump into the San Francisco Bay. Lots of current and normally a lot of wind through this narrow straits. The second new venue is Avila Beach. The San Luis yacht club Will host the lasers for one day event. This will be open ocean racing with Beach launching. Launching from the beach through the swells is going to add some excitement to this race. This year four of us from District 24 went to the Florida s Masters Week. Emilio Castelli, Pete Trachy and myself flew out from California. We rented an RV and charter boats from Andy at the tackle shack. What an easy trip to plan and what a great trip. We met up with Sherri Smith in West Palm Beach and caravanned to the events as a group. We all had a great time and I have to tell you that I met some really Nice and fun people at all the events. I m going back next year it was a blast. I d like to thank everybody who signed my guitar and thank you Pete and Emilio for being such great traveling companion. Sherri thanks for running point for us... The season starting and it s time to jump in that fun and challenging 14 foot boat. Hope to see you on the water. THE ALUMINUM TRAILER LIKE NO OTHER UNIVERSAL DOLLY FULLY ADJUSTABLE EXTENDED RETRACTED Canfield, OH Toll Free

27 2018 Schedule Please contact the ILCA-NA office if interested in hosting an event below: Regatta Standard Radial Laser 4.7 Masters World Championship ISAF 200 points NA Championship 40 GP pts. ISAF 100 points Alamitos Bay Yacht Club Long Beach, CA July Alamitos Bay Yacht Club Long Beach, CA July Alamitos Bay Yacht Club Long Beach, CA July Canadian Championships 30 GP pts. ISAF 50 points St Margaret Sailing Club Glen Haven, NS July St Margaret Sailing Club Glen Haven, NS July St Margaret Sailing Club Glen Haven, NS July US Championships 30 GP Pts, ISAF Grade 2 Houston Yacht Club La Porte, TX June TBD Houston Yacht Club La Porte, TX June TBD Houston Yacht Club La Porte, TX June TBD CORK 30 GP Pts. ISAF 50 points Kingston, ON August Kingston, ON August Kingston, ON August na Midwinters East 30 GP Pts. ISAF 100 points Clearwater, FL Feb Clearwater, FL Feb Clearwater, FL Feb Midwinters West 30 GP Pts. ISAF 50 points Alamitos Bay Yacht Club Long Beach, CA March TBD Alamitos Bay Yacht Club Long Beach, CA March TBD Alamitos Bay Yacht Club Long Beach, CA March TBD na Miami OCR ISAF 200 points Miami, FL (men only) January Miami, FL (women only) January na na Atlantic Coast Championships 25 GP Pts. ISAF 50 points Pacific Coast Championships 25 GP Pts. ISAF 50 points Gulf Coast Championships 25 GP Pts No Coast Championships 25 GP Pts Great Lakes Championships 25 GP Pts District 7 District 7 District 7 District 22 District 22 District 22 District 13 District 13 District 13 TBD TBD TBD na District 3 District 3 District

28 KEEPING ON TOP OF YOUR FITNESS WHILE TRAVELING BY CHRIS HERRERA DPT, CSCS, USAW CODY SMITH SPT Every sailing athlete who is on a regatta circuit knows that it is extremely hard to keep on top of a fitness program while traveling. Combining flights and driving both nationally and internationally virtually makes it impossible to find a gym with the equipment to complete a normal fitness routine. On top of this, long trips also place the athlete in bad sitting postures, hotel beds and occasionally even a friend s couch leaving them feeling stiff, sore, or achy. In order to maximize the traveling time with a structured, progressive, and challenging training program, utilize these four training techniques/concepts that combine strength training, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility. 1) Calisthenics You might be thinking of calisthenics as burpees, jumping jacks, and sit ups but there are hundreds of challenging calisthenics (exercise only utilizing your own body weight) that will challenge the fittest athlete. The key to make it challenging and progressive is complete them in stacked sets without any rest between the exercises (multiple exercises in a row focusing on the same muscle group. 2) Strength Bands Strength bands are thick bands ranging from ½ inch to 5-inch-thick bands utilized for a variety of strength and plyometric exercises. Strength bands are easy to pack and travel allowing a much needed strength training option when actual dumbbells might not be available. Common exercises such as: bicep curls, triceps curls, scapular rows, resisted squats, shoulder raises, and resisted pushups. The bands can also be used for power exercises such as: resisted running, squat Jumps, plyo pushups, and lateral Monster walks/jumps 3) Suspension Training Suspension training is a type of training only using suspension straps. There are a variety of types (TRX and Jungle Gym XT). The athlete can attach them from a door or hang them for a secure spot making it easy to use almost anywhere. These can be used for upper body, lower body, and even core exercises. The other great aspect about suspension training is that they can be used for both muscular strength and muscular endurance. 4) Stretching/Myofascial Release After a session combining calisthenics, strength bands, and suspension training it is essential the athlete starts the recovery process in order to stay fresh and ready for the next session on the water. Traveling with a small foam roller, lacrosse ball, and the strength bands described earlier can all be used to stretch and release tight muscles and joints. o Upper Body: Latissimus Dorsi (Lats) Triceps Posterior deltoids (shoulders) Upper Traps Long back extensors Low back musculature o Lower Body: Quadriceps Hamstrings Hip Abductors IT band Gastro/Soleus complex (Calf) o Joints Spine: Mid back & Low Back 28

29 Pre and Post exercise foam rolling for 5-10 minutes will release tight fascial restrictions, increase local blood flow and can decompress tight joints. Areas to focus on are: The lacrosse ball is used like a foam roller but can focus on releasing trigger points and smaller areas that a foam roller is unable to get. Areas such as: plantar fascia on the bottom of the foot, muscles around the shoulder blade, Glutes, hips, and shins. While placing pressure through the ball, make small movements slowly moving the ball on and around the areas that are sore or tender. When using the lacrosse ball make sure to only put pressure on these areas for seconds at one time causing a release of the area. If to much pressure for to long of a period is applied it can cause inflammation and a reactive tightening of the area defeating the original purpose. Strength bands allow you to provide additional overpressure and/or distraction to maximize the amount of stretch achieved. Each time you make a stop while traveling; stretch each muscle group for about 1 minute. A total of 8-10 minutes every couple of hours can greatly help maintain flexibility while traveling. Travel 1 (full body) WARM-UP: SH COMBO, In and out squats, Wideouts, walking lunge with twist CORE (Complete as Circuit) Suspension Knee Tucks (pushup position) Hip Bridge (feet in TRX) Plank (suspens Trainer) Jaguar Therapeutics 3x15 3x10 3x1 min MOVEMENT (complete as circ.) REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 Sinlge leg Squat (hold suspension as Guide) 12 E 12 E 10 E 10 E Quick Feet (Alternating) 30 seconds 20 E 20 E 15 E 15 E MAIN LIFT (Complete as circuit) A1 Waliking Lunge with Rotation 15 E 15 E 12 E 10 E A2. High Row with Band (Speed) 15 E 12 E 12 E 10 E A3.Lateral Band Walk (feet never cross) 12 Steps E 12 Steps E 10 Steps E 10 Steps E A4. Pushup with Rotation (1 sec holds) 30 seconds 12 E 12 E 10 E 10 E AUXILLARY (Complete as circuit) B1.Eccentric Squats B2. Band Bicep Curl B3 Band overhead Tricep Extension 45 seconds SECONDARY EDT - Escalating Density Training (10 Minutes) - C1.Scapular Rows: suspension As Many as Possible (AMAP) C2 Pushups As Many as Possible (AMAP) STRETCHING/FOAM ROLLING BAND STRETCH FOAM ROLLING hamstrings, quads, Gastrocs: 2 min Each Hips, Lats, Spine, IT band 29

30 Why Join the Laser Class? What are some of the benefits 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 benefits 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 office. You receive the North American Association s quarterly publication The Laser Sailor which is loaded with regatta reports, technique articles, fitness and nutrition tips, sailor profiles, 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 specific 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 org containing all the latest news as well as the up to date calendar of events, complete with maps to show you how to find the events. And you can also find 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. 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 benefit by joining the Laser Class! What does the class association do with your membership dues? The first $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 , and a knowledgeable person will answer you right away. $9.72 of your dues goes to the International Class where they use the money to pay their staff to make sure world level events get scheduled, ensuring all the boats are the same by inspecting the builders to make sure they are complying with the Laser Construction Manual, keep track of rules changes proposed by members, interfacing with ISAF on various levels, including keeping both the Laser Standard and Laser Radial as Olympic equipment, etc. A little over $7.00 goes to the quarterly assembling, printing and mailing of The Laser Sailor to you for the year. Around $5.00 goes to support and promotion, ranging from direct support of the districts and regattas to the website. Most of the remaining dues go toward all the things it takes to running an organization of 2400 members, from Executive Secretary travel costs, to federal income taxes all the way to mundane office 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 benefits 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! Your membership makes you eligible for the LaserPeformance/ILCA-NA Grand Prix where you earn 30

31 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Name Address City State / Prov. Zip / postal code Phone 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 - $50 for one year or $95 for 2 years Junior - $45 (Member may not turn 18 during term of membership), or $85 for 2 years (Member may not turn 18 during term of membership) International - $60 (any member not living in the US or Canada), one year only Amount enclosed US$ Please make checks payable to ILCA of NA or provide credit card information 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 advertisers. 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

32 2812 Canon Street, San Diego, CA ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID San Dimas, CA Permit No. 410 SPG-17