News 2011 Laser Master Worlds - Application for entry process ends Tuesday, March 15!

SFBayLaser

Member
The Application for Entry process for the 2011 Laser Master Worlds, to be sailed in San Francisco from August 5-12, closes tomorrow, Tuesday, March 15! If you have not applied for entry yet and are thinking/planning to attend this event then you need to go to the ILCA website and get signed up now - go to http://events.laserinternational.org/en/events/overview/100z62 and click on "Application Form" in the left column menu box.

For those who have not been following, the event will be hosted by the St Francis Yacht Club, located along the San Francisco "City Front" near the Golden Gate Bridge. Boat storage and launching will be at Crissy Field, a short walk to the west of the main clubhouse, and racing will be on the waters just to the north of the club - away from the shore but close enough to provide spectacular viewing from the club itself. The plan is to run staggered starts - those fleets not actively racing will be onshore and afforded the ability to watch the other fleets from the club. This format was followed for the 2008 Laser North American Championship and met with rave reviews from the competitors.

San Francisco has a well deserved reputation for being cold and windy. The water temperature averages 58F year round (due mostly to the offshore upwelling) and some consider that to be a bit chilly. Couple that with San Francisco's world famous fog and it can feel even cooler. And the breeze can reach into the mid-20 knot range by the end of a typical afternoon. On the flip side, we can also get extended periods with the "fog out", leaving us in sunshine and more moderate breezes (as evidenced in 2008 Laser Slalom videos at http://media.laser.org/coverage/237304-2008-Heavy-Weather-Laser-Slalom). In either case the racing will be top level. And, as well, the surrounding scenery will be spectacular, from the Golden Gate Bridge near the weather mark, to Alcactraz at the leeward marks, to Angel Island, to the San Francisco City skyline.

And for those that look at the Master Worlds as an opportunity for a vacation, don't forget that the Napa Valley is only 45 minutes driving to the north, Monterey/Carmel/Pebble Beach about 2 hours driving south, Lake Tahoe about 4 hours driving east and Yosemite about the same. And, of course, there is plenty to see and do in the Bay Area!

For those wanting to get in a test event before the worlds, the Elvstrom Regatta will be held in Mid-April with the same Race Committee and course configuration as the Worlds. Currently there is still discussion of making this a 3 day event to give the RC more practice and to make it more worthwhile for those traveling from out of town. Check out some great pictures of racing at last year's Elvstrom Regatta at http://media.laser.org/coverage/237013-Elvstrom-Zellerbach-Regatta-Laser-District-24-Championship (and note the sunshine!).
 

Back
Top