|
Race Rhumble: Laser Invasion: The Worlds Come to St. Margaret Sailing Club in August
Jim Snair
|
|
Check out the Laser World Championships in August.
|
|
In 1978, my dad and I drove to Bedford to pick up my Laser: Hull # 64799. That was less than 10 years after the Laser was drawn on a napkin by her designer Bruce Kirby. Young sailors before me and for the decades to follow have flocked to the Laser as a teaching and racing dinghy.
And this August, almost 600 Laser sailors will ply the waters
of St. Margaret Bay using St. Margaret Sailing Club (SMSC) as
home base. For almost three weeks these singlehanders will duke
it out for the World championship title in two separate fleets:
standard and masters.
SMSC has been ramping up its facilities all spring as a result
of being awarded the regatta. The last time the Worlds were
in Canada was 28 years ago. SMSC is building a breakwater, a
marina, and a sail training center. The legacy of the event will
help enhance training of sailors for years to come.
Sailing a laser well takes training and endurance. The designer,
Bruce Kirby, did a great job of modifying the rig to allow for
lighter sailors to enjoy the boat handling skills one develops when
sailing solo. The first smaller rig was referred to as the “M” and
later on evolved into was it now called the “Radial.”
The Worlds just didn’t happen to SMSC. The hosting of
this event took years of planning and started back in 1999 at the
suggestion of Brian Todd. He spearheaded that first push to host
the Laser Worlds in Nova Scotia. He also sold #64799 to me back
in 1978, so he has a long connection with Laser.
The Worlds as noted are actually two events hosted by SMSC
over a three-week period starting in mid August. The age range
of the sailors can be as much as 60 years. More than 60 countries
will likely attend sending almost 600 pre-qualified sailors to the
events. These competitors are the best of the best and have already
“raced off” to qualify for this event from their home country.
The events will consume 800 volunteers as it runs its course.
The basic difference between the two events or fleets is that
the masters fleet has a minimum age requirement of 35. Older
sailors can race in the standard fleet, but sailors under 35 cannot
race against the masters!
I’m told by the organizers that cumulatively, this will be the
largest sailing event (almost 600 participants) in Canadian sailing
history. This should be no surprise as the Laser class boasts more
than 190,000 “members” (boats built) since the late 1960s. The
Laser is now the largest adult and youth racing class in the world
as well as the most active Olympic-class sailboat worldwide.
If you’ve got access to St. Margaret Sailing Club and or the Bay
during mid to late August, you’ll be treated to a rare sight in local
racing. Flags from all over the world will dominate the sailing
club’s lawn and almost 300 Lasers will be racing at anyone time.
There will be rescue boats, mark boats, race committee boats and
spectator boats in addition. It’ll be busy and fun to watch.
It’s a huge organizational task – volunteers outnumber sailors
– and those volunteers should be thanked and commended. It is
a worthwhile endeavour that will benefit the sailors and families
SMSC for years to come.
Mark it down…. right after Chester Race Week, sail east, just
a little ways, and you’ll find the Laser dinghies zipping around
inflatable marks. August 17 is the first day of the regatta and more
information is available at http://can09.laserinternational.org/
or through the club site at http://www.smsc.ca/
Jim Snair is a lifelong sailor and the managing broker at Sunnybrook Yachts.
>> Return to articles main
|
Share on Facebook
Printable Version
Larger text
