Please select your home edition
Edition
HKJ YY Leaderboard

Hot fleets for 2023 Australian ILCA Laser Championships

by Rod Thomas 2 Jan 2023 05:32 GMT 3-8 January 2022
2022 Sail Sydney © Beau Outteridge

The Oceania & Australian Open & Youth ILCA Laser Championships will be the largest dinghy championships for an adult and youth class in Australia this summer. The championships are being sailed 3rd to 8th January at Georges River Sailing Club, Sydney, with two races scheduled per day on each of the six days.

There are 180 boats racing in three fleets ILCA 4, 6 and 7s (still know affectionately as Lasers). The fleets have sailors from all Australian States and territories together with a number of sailors from Pacific, Asian and European countries, with 13 countries in all represented.

In the largest rig ILCA7 fleet Australia's Matt Wearn, the Tokyo 2020 Laser gold medallist, is the defending champion from the last Australian championships held in Melbourne in 2020. He has been pushed hard by his Australian Laser squad members Luke Elliott and Zac Littlewood in major regattas overseas in 2022. This year the British and New Zealand international Laser squads are competing in the Australian championships and will provide stiff competition. Elliott Hanson from Great Britain finished 12th at Tokyo 2020, and Thomas Saunders from New Zealand was the 2021 World ILCA 7 champion.

The ILCA6 (previously Laser Radial) fleet is the largest with 83 boats. This will provide close racing between Australia's top female sailors, a number of overseas female sailors, and Australia's up and coming youth a number of whom travelled overseas to World Laser Youth championships in 2022. The Australian women's Laser squad of Mara Stransky, Elyse Ainsworth, Casey Imeneo, and Zoe Thomson come off a full program of International Regattas and overseas training camps in 2022. Mara Stransky finished 14th at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and is Australia's 2022 Female Sailor of the year. They will have top competition in Emma Plaschaert from Belgium who has twice been World Laser Radial champion and finished 4th at Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The ILCA5 (previously Laser 4.7) fleet of 55 boats consists of youth under 17 years of age, most of whom have transitioned from junior classes such as Optimist, Open Skiff and Minnow classes, and will progress to ILCA6 and 7 fleets in the future. Close racing is expected from the stars of the future at the front of the fleet.

A new initiative being taken by the Australian Laser class association for 2023 is a 'Youth Solidarity' program. This program is designed to encourage clubs nationally to choose the ILCA 4 (Laser 4.7) for girls & boys transitioning from junior classes and is so doing provide the next generation of ILCA Laser sailors The initial launch is at the National championships, with the focus this year on female sailors. Each Australian Laser district (5 states + NT) has selected a young female sailor to compete at the Nationals. The selected sailors are receiving from ALCA:

free entry into the championship.; free ILCA 4.7 charter boat in race condition; Free squad coaching during the regatta.

Information, race documents and results on the 2023 Oceania and Australian ILCA Laser championships is being provided on the event web site on www.lasersdownunder.com.

Related Articles

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 on 14 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
2025 EurILCA Europa Cup at Warnemünde Day 1
A total of 302 sailors from 32 countries are competing in the ILCA 4, ILCA 6, and ILCA 7 classes The seventh regatta of the 2025 EurILCA Europa Cup Trophy kicked off yesterday in Warnemünde, Germany, with the first two races. A total of 302 sailors from 32 countries are competing in the ILCA 4, ILCA 6, and ILCA 7 classes. Posted on 6 Jul
ILCA UK Women's Regatta Weekend at Rutland
A stunning weekend for training, racing, yoga, a rules talk and friendship A stunning weekend of warm, sunny weather awaited 24 women and girls and their boats looking for training, racing, yoga, a rules talk and friendship. Posted on 4 Jul
Northern ILCA circuit at Rudyard Lake
Gritted teeth, hard hiking and several capsizes Rudyard Lake Sailing Club held the latest round of the Northern ILCA circuit with eleven ILCA sailors on Saturday 28th June. Posted on 3 Jul
ILCA UK Youth Series at Parkstone
45 sailors enjoy sparkling conditions in Poole Harbour Poole Harbour was at its best for the third round of the ILCA UK Youth Series hosted by Parkstone Yacht Club and sponsored by Harken. Posted on 2 Jul
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
2025 Suzuki ILCA Master Europeans day 3
Canadian sailor Maura Dewey has recovered the top ILCA 6 position With conditions very similar to the previous two days, the third day of racing at the 2025 Suzuki ILCA Master European Championships in Hayling Island concluded with two new races added to the score, bringing the total to six as scheduled. Posted on 19 Jun