The ILCA 4 - The single hander you've been looking for?
by Mark Lyttle 20 May 2023 12:01 BST
ILCA 4 - The best single-hander for you? © Georgie Altham /
www.facebook.com/galthamphotography
UKLA are working hard on behalf of the wider ILCA/Laser sailing community. They are always looking at ways to include sailors of every age, weight and ability so they can race.
Mark Lyttle, the current UKLA chair, writes a weekly blog (anyone can subscribe to this) in which he talks directly to us all.
Recently he chats about the appeal of the ILCA 4, formally the Laser 4.7...
- Have you been looking for single hander to suit a lighter sailor with a National circuit of events?
- Do you feel the ILCA6 is a bit too powerful for you or you are not quite a competitive size for it?
- Are you a Masters sailor looking for a smaller rig than the ILCA6?
- Are you under 18 and want to go to a Worlds or Europeans with over 400 other sailors?
If the answer to any of these is yes, then read on, because - for one things - we have added the ILCA 4 to the Masters Nationals now!
The ILCA 4 (formerly 4.7) provides super racing for those boys and girls wishing to transition out of other junior classes like the Optimist or Topper. There is a ready supply of affordable second-hand boats and of course many sailors (and their parents) love the easy logistics and ease of access of single-hander sailing. Of course there a ready movement in time to the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 as well, if that what a sailor wants.
The ILCA 4 has seven or eight UKLA National events each year that are open to sailors of any age and all are welcome. That means our Qualifiers (really high-quality open meetings) and Inland championship are open to anyone. Our National Championship attracted over 100 in 2022. This year the Nationals are again at Hayling Island Sailing Club in August providing a great sailing venue and super onshore facilities.
We will have daily race clinics, a mentoring program and full social program so it is ideal for anyone wanting to come and race an ILCA 4.
As the boat is so easy to sail, why not bring a friend as it is quite easy to borrow an ILCA (only the sail and bottom mast section are different to the other rigs) and enjoy the week!
And remember this is open to all ages. You will find loads of information here on our website.
Also following requests from a number of Masters, we have added the ILCA 4 to the Masters Nationals at the end of June, also in Hayling. That means a separate start! It would be great to see a decent fleet as I know there has been a discussion about adding the ILCA 4 to the Masters Worlds but there is some hesitancy until it is proven at local or region level.
I know many people consider the ILCA 4 to be a "transition" class but it doesn't have to be. If you are getting great racing and you are not big enough for a ILCA6 then why move? I know in the past women /girls in particular have been encouraged to move to the ILCA6 but if it doesn't suit you, UKLA is quite happy to support that. While I know many of sailors are around 15 or 16 there is no reason why you can't stay in the class with your friends.
Internationally the Worlds and Europeans are U18 so you can still go to these events until the year you turn 18. And remember there is no selection for these events and GBR usually have more than enough places to have all entries accepted.
I hope with some of these initiatives and increased promotion, we can see a broader mix of sailors at our events and support the continued success of the ILCA 4.
Join us at ilca.uk