Please select your home edition
Edition
Sailingfast 2018 2 728x90

2020 ILCA Laser Standard World Championship in Melbourne, Australia - Overall

by Laser 2020 Media 16 Feb 2020 09:03 GMT 9-16 February 2020
Philipp Buhl (GER) is the 2020 ILCA Laser Standard Men's World Champion © Jon West Photography

German Laser sailor Philipp Buhl put together an exemplary scorecard to win the 2020 ILCA Standard Men's World Championship by 12 points.

Buhl recorded four straight wins during qualifying and finished with just one double-figure score - a 10th in the penultimate race, which he was able to discard.

After being showered with champagne by his supporters on the beach, Buhl said it was hard to describe the winning feeling. "The week just happened," he said. "When I got the two firsts on the second day, that gave me good momentum, but I knew anything could happen up until the second race today (when he knew he was unable to be beaten). I had good first beats, good downwind speed. It all came together for me this week.

"I've come close to a world championship a few times before. It's so incredibly hard to make it happen. I think the Laser is the hardest class to win a World Championship. I'm just so happy!"

Matt Wearn (AUS) also put together a single-figure card to take the silver. Wearn didn't win a race, but had five second places and dropped an 11 from qualifying.

"Obviously I would have liked to have won," he said. "But I've still got a fair bit to work on so I'm happy to take second in a World Championship. This level definitely tests the form and I've been working on a few things all week. I'm still making silly mistakes here and there so I've got to iron those out and move one step up the podium (in Tokyo)."

Rio silver medallist, Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) took the bronze after an up-and-down regatta that included two race wins, two second placings and four scores that were in double figures.

Jean-Baptiste Bernaz challenged Buhl during the qualifying stage of the regatta, but a Black Flag in race 7 and a 32nd place in race 10 ruined his chances. To the Frenchman's credit, he bounced back to win the next race following both those high scores. With six race wins in total from the 12 race series, he finished fourth, just two points behind Stipanovic.

Defending champion Tom Burton (AUS) has been racing in the Moth and other classes after learning he had not been selected for Tokyo 2020 and his lack of time in the Laser showed. Burton finished in 15th place after being U-flagged in the final race.

The 2014 and 2015 World Champion, Nick Thompson (GBR) also had a regatta he would prefer to forget, finishing in 19th place and probably missing his country's nomination for Tokyo after compatriot Elliot Hanson finished 5th. However, Team GB does not have specific selection criteria, so both sailors will have to wait for the announcement.

It was a similar story for New Zealand, where Rio bronze medallist, Sam Meech, was the leading sailor in 8th but must wait to hear if he has done enough to get on the plane to Tokyo.

This championship did decide the fate of Hungarian brothers Benjamin and Jonatan Vadnai, however. By finishing in 23rd, Ben will attend his second Olympics and his younger brother must wait another four years for his chance.

This was probably the last World Championship for Laser legend, Robert Scheidt, who qualified for Gold Fleet and finished in 42nd place after becoming ill and failing to sail on the final day. The 47-year-old, who won gold in the Laser at Atlanta 1996 and Athens 2004 and silver behind Sir Ben Ainslie in 2000, showed he can still compete with men half his age.

The championship was raced in a wide variety of conditions, with winds from all points of the compass. However, the best sailors seemed unfazed, even when three races were held in cold and miserable weather yesterday.

There was considerable praise for the race management team and the host, Sandringham Yacht Club, who produced a well-organised regatta which included fast launch and retrieval of the 124 boats, a chef-cooked post-race snack for all competitors and various environmental initiatives such as a supply of chilled potable water to refill the sailors' bottles.

The International Laser Class Association is expected to announce the venue for the 2021 World Championships later this year.

Provisional Overall Results: (top ten)

1 Philipp Buhl (GER) 26pts
2 Matt Wearn (AUS) 38pts
3 Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) 64pts
4 Jean Baptiste Bernaz (FRA) 66pts
5 Elliot Hanson (GBR) 66pts
6 Hermann Tomasgaard (NOR) 71pts
7 Luke Elliott (AUS) 72pts
8 Sam Meech NZL) (86pts
9 Jesper Stalheim (SWE) 93pts
10 Filip Jurišic (CRO) 94pts

Results can be found here

Related Articles

Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta day 2
Classic Long Beach conditions return The weather conditions at the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta shifted noticeably today, delivering the classic Long Beach breeze that many expect from this world-class venue. Posted today at 6:44 pm
ILCAs at Notts County
With complementary watermelon for after-racing hydration A lovely warm and sunny day greeted 26 ILCA sailors at Notts County Sailing Club on 12th of July 2025. The wind was from a steady light south east breeze with occasional 14 mph gusts. Posted today at 6:09 pm
2025 Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta kicks off
The first week of the OCR includes five Olympic classes The highly anticipated 2025 Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta officially commenced on Saturday, 12 July, marking the beginning of Olympic campaigns since the venues were announced. Posted today at 8:14 am
Australian sailors take to Olympic waters
Regatta serves as an important test, not just for sailors, but also for organisers The Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta is set to get begin, marking the first major combined event on the waters of the LA 2028 Olympic Games. Posted on 12 Jul
Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta 2025 Preview
The fourth stop of the five series Sailing Grand Slam circuit Over 200 elite athletes from 42 nations have converged on Long Beach to test their skills on the same waters that will host sailing events during the LA2028 Olympic Games as they compete in the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta July 12-20 Posted on 12 Jul
The Long Laser Lunch – a reunion to remember
Sailors from every state reunited over lunch like it was just another regatta weekend. Last month 93 Laser sailors from across the country gathered at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club for what became a truly unforgettable reunion. Posted on 11 Jul
20 Canadians set for Long Beach Grand Slam Event
The Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta will be held July 12-20 20 Canadian sailors will take part in the fourth and next-to-last event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series, the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta, to be held July 12-20 at one of the two Olympic venues for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Posted on 10 Jul
2025 EurILCA Europa Cup at Warnemünde overall
Favourable conditions on the final day for the 302 sailors from 32 countries The 2025 EurILCA Europa Cup GER concluded yesterday after four days of competition in Warnemünde, Germany. Favourable sailing conditions allowed all 302 sailors from 32 countries to enjoy the final two races in the ILCA 4, ILCA 6, and ILCA 7 classes. Posted on 9 Jul
2025 EurILCA Europa Cup at Warnemünde Day 3
Ole Schweckendiek leads ILCA 7 fleet into the final day The third and penultimate day of racing at the 2025 EurILCA Europa Cup GER concluded yesterday in Warnemünde, Germany, with two new races completed by all fleets, except for the ILCA 6 silver group, which managed to complete only one. Posted on 8 Jul
2025 EurILCA Europa Cup at Warnemünde Day 2
Sometimes there's only a second between triumph and a premature start Sometimes there's only a second between triumph and a premature start — a reality that many ILCA 7 sailors faced on the second day of the 2025 EurILCA Europa Cup GER, held during the Warnemünder Woche. Posted on 7 Jul