Please select your home edition
Edition
Musto 2023 HPX LEADERBOARD
Product Feature
RS Tera
RS Tera

Laser Masters Florida Championship for the Jack Swenson Memorial Trophy

by Guy Noble 6 Feb 2020 06:42 GMT 31 January - 2 February 2020

Five Brits took a midwinter break from UK frostbite sailing and trekked off to Florida for sun sea sand and waves. What they actually got was one day of champagne sailing, one day of very light wind sailing and a final day of the most shifty fickle and tricky sailing you're ever likely to race in.

The three regulars Chris Ellyatt, Mike Hicks and Tim Law have been making the trip down to Florida for several years. The two consecutive masters events, usually held in March but this year brought forward to February because of the world Championships in Australia, are hosted by Palm Beach sailing Club and US Sailing Centre at Jensen Beach (review of this event will follow). It didn't take a lot of arm-twisting to persuade myself and Alan Davis to come along and get in some Pre-worlds training in Florida in preparation for the Laser Master Worlds in Australia - taking a week out of uk club frostbite series seemed like a no-brainer.

First let me declare that this is a blatant attempt at persuading more Laser sailors to come and race these kind of events - if funds permit. The focus here is to give an overview of these particular events not a blow by blow account of the racing.

Although we all are friends we are not in each other's pockets - Tim and Alan came with their wives Bernadette and Anne, Mike was with his son Charlie and we stayed at different hotels, meeting up sometimes to eat together. Florida offers some great sailing venues, beautiful beaches, great food and even golfing opportunities - so for partners or family there is plenty to do.

Accommodation was a bit more expensive than usual as Super Bowl was on in Miami but there are the usual range of choices from Airbnb to swanky hotels. Chartering boats is pretty easy and flights reasonable. For those of you that have done any of the European events it is more expensive as there is the air fare and charter to consider but if treated as a winter holiday it surely can be justified. ILCA and UKLA websites provide more info on the regattas timing.

The Standard fleet had 42 entries and the Radials about 24. Of these about half were from Canada, Spain, Germany and the Uk. The Laser Master are a very welcoming group always keen to get more boats on the water - so sailors from far afield are much appreciated. If you've done any of the UK or European Laser Masters events you'll know what the general level of the fleet tends to be - the US is no different. There are some ex-Olympians, some very enthusiastic amateurs and competent club sailors. Many good club sailors are put off because they think every one is going to be better. I thought that and in my case they were, to begin with. Sailing on a pond with 10 other boats demands certain skills which you probably now take for granted - lining up with 40 or 50 boats might seem daunting but you'll be amazed how quickly you'll learn and it's so exciting before you know it you are hooked.

The first day at PBSC offered up a good 12 to 15 knots with a moderate sea. We got in 3 races all run like clock work. First of the Brits in Race 1 was Tim Law with a solid 8th just behind his old rival Wolfgang Gerz (Finn Gold cup winner). Tim has had a tricky winter with some serious health issues to deal with so was pretty happy with that result but fitness and getting his racing head back in gear would become a problem as the days unfolded. Mike Hicks wanted to feel at one with nature so decide to swim with the dolphins on the first beat - not the fastest way round. Chris Ellyatt just piped Alan Davis with 13th and 14th respectively and I managed a 17th.

Race 2 - going right towards the beach was the favoured side but not getting a good start I was forced out to the centre left which didn't pay. MIke decide to go surfing in the breakers only tacking when a whopper broke over his head - could of been so much worse but he lived to tell the tale. Alan had the best result with a good 10th.

Race 3 proved a fairly similar affair with us brits owning the middle of the fleet. Although our results were a tad disappointing the sailing was stunning - warm, windy and wavy... the 3 w's as the late Geoff Martin described perfect masters sailing.

Day 2 could not of been more different. With the wind dying the first race was abandoned after sailing an hour with no finishers. The restart proved almost as frustrating with massive shifts lumpy seas and big pressure differences. Mike Hicks showed us how to do light wind sailing finishing a brilliant 4th.

Day 3 has become rather blurred probably on account of the huge 30 degree wind shifts which made for some serious shakes and ladders - suffice to say it was Alan Davis with a 9th and 6th and Chris Ellyatt with a 10th and 11th who came out on top. That evening we all entered into the spirit of the USA Super Bowl and watched the game while eating classic US food in a sport bar - arranged by Alan.

A word on the Americans and Canadians. Many of these guys are pretty much full time sailors and have been for many years so it's possible to learn a lot by watching them carefully. But it's important not to let their undoubted skill and speed demoralise you - they had to start just like us.

We all fought hard and started to get our heads into the Florida racing groove. Next venue on the schedule - Jensen Beach. So we packed the boats up and made our way about an hour up the coast to a protected area of water called the Indian River Lagoon. A big thank you to all at Palm Beach Sailing Club.

Overall Results: (top three)

1st David Heibert
2nd Dave Chapin
3rd Air Barshi

The Brits:
12th Alan Davis
14th Chris Ellyatt
15th Mike Hicks (second Great Grand Master)
18th Tim Law
21st Guy Noble

Full results can be found here.

Related Articles

2025 International Classes Regatta preview
The ICR has earned a stellar reputation as an outstanding lead-up regatta for competitors The Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club (RFBYC) is proud to announce that the 2025 International Classes Regatta (ICR)—the Club's premier annual dinghy event—will take place on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November 2025. Posted today at 7:10 am
Sail Canada introduces Canadian Sailing Team
21 athletes were selected based on the Canadian Sailing Team Sport Canada Carding Criteria Sail Canada is pleased to announce the list of sailors who will be part of the 2025-2026 Canadian Sailing Team. Posted on 26 Jun
Aussies Break into Top 10 at Kieler Woche
Put to the test from light air to heavy breeze The first half of Kieler Woche has wrapped up in Germany, with Australian sailors putting themselves to the test in five Olympic classes. Kiel delivered a complete spectrum of conditions for athletes to sharpen their racing skills. Posted on 26 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 6
Double gold for France in Olympic classes Perfect sailing conditions marked the final of Kieler Woche in the Olympic skiff, dinghy, and surf classes: On Wednesday, June 25, the waters off Schilksee offered fresh to strong, challenging winds with flat waves. Posted on 25 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 5
Tuesday served as a warm-up for the hot finale of Kieler Woche Sophie Steinlein and Catherine Bartelheimer from Bavaria in the skiff, as well as Kiel native Fabian Wolf on the foiling windsurf board, will enter Wednesday's (June 25) medal races as leaders. Posted on 24 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 3
A Tough Test for Athletes and Equipment Fresh to strong south-westerly winds with stormy squalls pushed participants to their limits on Monday at Kieler Woche. Posted on 23 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 2
The Olympic skiffs sorted themselves into gold and silver fleets after four daily races Subtropical sailing conditions with a light but sufficient breeze delighted the athletes on Sunday (June 22) on the second regatta day of Kieler Woche. Posted on 22 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 1
German frontrunners in the 49er and 49er FX classes Fantastic summer weather with light but quite variable winds meant a reduced sailing program for more than 2000 participants at the start of Kieler Woche on Saturday (21 June). Posted on 22 Jun
Australian Sailors ready to tackle Kiel Week
The third event within the five event Sailing Grand Slam Australia's Olympic class sailors are set to tackle Kiel Week, the third event within the five event Sailing Grand Slam, held in the north of Germany. Posted on 21 Jun
2025 Suzuki ILCA Master Europeans overall
Jon Emmett and Orlando Gledhill are crowned champions at Hayling island The 2025 Suzuki ILCA Master European Championships concluded today in Hayling Island, Great Britain, after five days of competition and nine races held for both fleets. A strong wind was expected, but conditions turned out to be lighter than forecast. Posted on 20 Jun