Upcoming Regattas and Announcements
Hello New England summah! Have you seen the forecast? It calls for increasing sailing with a mix of jibes and tacks, some planing possible. 100% chance of fun.
June is Jammin with Three of the Seven 2025 Grand Prix Grand Prix Events
Wickford Regatta, June 7-8
Next weekend kicks off with a classic in Wickford. Skip and Barbara run a excellent show. Twenty boats are already signed up, and among them I see past Olympians, young hot shots like Grayden Mott, the fast trio of Sean, Jeff, and Jamie from the north country, and past galactic masters champions. Let's get to 40 boats! Sign up here
Portland Regatta, June 21
Back by popular demand as part of the D7 Grand Prix, the Portland Yacht Club is excited to welcome back the ILCA crew for a day of spirited racing. I'll add the registration link to the D7 website as soon as it comes in, but you can contact Justice Pollard for more information: jbqpollard@gmail.com
2025 John Bentley Memorial Regatta, June 28
Here's a message from our friends at NBYC:
Calling all New England ILCA sailors! Come to a one-day regatta at the best sailing venue in North America, and help settle the perennial question, "Who is the single-handed champion of Buzzard's Bay?" The regatta honors the memory of a beloved NBYC sailor, John Bentley, who started the event 24 years ago. Sailors will be reward with good cheer, great race management, epic sailing conditions, and warm hospitality. Please help keep the tradition alive. Vie for the coveted Bob Saltmarsh perpetual trophy This is an open regatta and part of the D7 Grand Prix. Past winners include many national and world ILCA champions: Peter Follansbee, Ben Richardson, Scott Ferguson, Mark Bear, Brian Fisher, Marc Jacobi, Peter Shope, and Michael Zonnenberg. Registration is now open at this link!
2025 D7 Grand Prix Scoring
This year's Grand Prix scoring will be a bit more nuanced, but first a few acknowledgements. Two years ago, we would never have revived the D7 Grand Prix without the spark from Marblehead Fleet Captain Tom Dailey. I was looking for ideas to promote travel around D7. Tom called out across the dry sailing area. "That's easy. Do a grand prix. We used to have one way back." Secondly, many thanks to our sponsors. Over the last two years, we have had support from Collie Sails, US One Design and the International Sailing Academy. Thank you for helping out! I am happy to announce that ISA has stepped up again to offer a free tuition to one of their outstanding clinics in sunny Mexico. This will be first prize for the Grand Prix, a $2600 value. I have yet to seek goodies for second and third places. Could be steak knives with a vegetarian option of tofu molds in the shape of an ILCA; we'll see. The final word before I describe the scoring system is a caveat. My wife has a PhD in math. If any of you tell her that I am doing mathy stuff in a public forum, I'll secretly loosen your stern plug on race day.
The last two years, we used a very simple high percentage system with a big emphasis on showing up. Anyone who competed in a grand prix event received a percentage score based on their results, so if you placed mid fleet, you received 50 grand prix points (50%) for that regatta, whether it was a fleet of ten or one hundred. We added all percentages across the events to determine the grand prix rankings. This year, we will add a bit more recognition for fleet size. In 2025:
1. Grand prix scores will be a function of competitors' placement in each eligible regatta. There is no sign up or fee. Upon competing in one grand prix regatta, competitors are automatically part of the grand prix and will receive points for every grand prix regatta attended and zero points for any not attended.
2. In each regatta, a given competitor will earn grand prix points equal to N minus the number of boats that placed higher than said competitor. N equals the number of competitors. For example, in a fleet of 100, first place would earn 100 points, second place 99 points, and so on.
3. Because we still want to promote showing up, which Mom says is 50% of getting ahead in life, every eligible competitor in a given regatta will have an additional 10 points added to their score as determined in 2 above. That's up to 70 points for just hooking up the trailer!
4. The winner of the grand prix will have the highest number of points, and the rest of the fleet will be ranked accordingly.
Clear as mud huh? I can see scoring gurus squirming in their seats at my simplified system that does not employ the percentage step described by US Sailing for high score systems in long series. Feel free to reach out to me if you see big problems, but know that when fall comes and I have to tally all this, I'll walk into my kitchen, admit my sins to my brilliant wife, and she'll whip out the HP calculator. "Honey, I need your help. Someone has to go to Mexico."
But wait! There's more in June
Winnipesaukee Spring Laser Regatta, June 21st
I am so excited that, thanks to the efforts of Jeffrey Rabinowitz and the good folks at WYC, ILCA racing is returning to Lake Winnipesaukee. We'll definitely make this a grand prix event next year. Here is a note from our friends at WYC:
The Winnipesaukee Yacht Club is excited to invite all sailors to the 2025 ICLA (Laser) Regatta. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, June 21st at 45 Dockham Shore Rd., Gilford, NH. We intend to present a memorable event for everyone and to bring the lake’s dinghy sailors together for a great day of sailing! Please mark your calendar and come sail and encourage all your friends and family to join along. This regatta is open to youth sailors as well. This regatta is open to those who are not from the Lake Winnipesaukee as well and want to enjoy the beautiful scenery we have at the lake.
We look forward to seeing you on the water!!
For more information, contact:
Jeffrey Rabinowitz, Event Chair, jarabinowitz@gmail.com
Announcements
Lake Sunapee Grand Prix event, August 23-24
Calling all New England Laser (ILCA) sailors - Lake Sunapee Yacht Club
will be hosting the only ILCA District 7 Grand Prix event in New
Hampshire August 23-24, 2025! Come test your skills and be rewarded
with good cheer, great race management, no salt sailing conditions,
and warm hospitality. For more information check www.lsyc.net
Duxbury Bay Maritime School Summer Series
If you live on Boston's South Shore, DBMS is getting organized for summer ILCA racing. If you are interested and want more information, contact philip.morse123@gmail.com
Hyannis Yacht Club One Design Series
HYC started their summer series today, June 1st. But do not worry, it goes all summer. The NOR is here. Register here.
Taylor Pond ILCA Invitational, July 12, 2025.
Come join us in beautiful Auburn, ME. This will be a great warm-up for the Atlantic Masters at Kollegewiidgwok the following weekend. Contact petergarcia207@gmail.com.
Courageous Sailing Summer ILCA Series
Live in Boston and want to get out on an ILCA in Boston Harbor. Here you go! Courageous Sailing will run two 5-week Laser racing Series from 5:30 to 8 pm on Thursdays, from May 29th - June 26th and July 10th - August 7th. Racing is on club boats - no need to worry about bringing your own! Each series is $125 (or $100 for members of Courageous). You can sign up for one or both series. We are upgrading rigging this year and have 10 boats available. We generally have barbecues and beverages after racing and a really great community of sailors to hang out with. We'll have two staff members running the racing who will be more than happy to offer coaching for folks who want it. If interested, you can sign up on our website here: https://courageoussailing.org/product/laser-racing/
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District News
ILCA NA Provides Financial Support for Clinics
If you are interested in having an open ILCA clinic, ILCA North America will provide small grants to help with the expense of hiring a coach. Contact laserd7@gmail.com
Cedar Point Yacht Club Wraps Up a Honking Spring Series
Note: Don't forget that CPYC is hosting the 2025 D7 Championship, October 4-5. It's going to be beyond intergalactic. Interdimensional! Big, big, big. 100 boats easy. But first, a word from CPYC on their successful spring series:
The wind punched particularly hard this Spring, for the Cedar Point Yacht Club frostbite series. There were the occasional light, shifty and variable days. But for the most part, the breeze was full on for all 10 weekends, with gusts topping 30 knots plus and sustained breeze in the 20 knot ranges. That made for some very competitive and challenging sailing, putting a high-premium on boat handling and sailing skill. This year, CPYC’s Antonio Maya-Le Fort won the combined Fall and Spring series for the Robert R. Larsen Perpetual Trophy. Antonio has put the work in, practicing consistently, and excelling in both his Laser sailing technique and his mental game. “I started enjoying sailing a lot more this season,” said Antonio, in the season recap. “I’ve always had a hard time doing things in moderation and finding balance in my life but, with sailing at least, I’ve been making progress in that regard.”
Fall and Spring Series Results:
The Robert R. Larsen Perpetual Trophy for Combined Spring/Fall Series:
Antonio Maya-Le Fort
Top Great Grand Master:
Matt Doherty
Top Junior:
Hannah Austin
Fall Series:
1. Andrew Scrivan
2. Paul Craine
3. Antonio Maya-Le Fort
Spring Series:
1. Antonio Maya-Le Fort
2. Steve Girling
3. Paul Craine
A first! GoPro action from CPYC' Vice Commodore Cup. Phat!
The Vice Commodore’s Cup is the traditional opener for the summer racing season at Cedar Point Yacht Club. It was a solid, breezy weekend of sailing, with multi class fleets and the Laser fleet among the strongest in terms of numbers and depths of competition. Steve Girling showed a lot of consistency in a shifty northerly to win the 6-race series with 13 starters. The regatta was one of CPYC’s open events for the season, with a great showing of local competitors.
Check out the action provided by Frederico Bediaga:
https://gopro.com/v/gVO5dN00R09z2
https://gopro.com/v/KBmZ2Gad3glQJ
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2025 District 7 Regattas as of 1/27/25 | Date | Counts towards D7 Gran Prix? | Notes | Under the Rope | April 6 | | Eastern YC, Marblehead, MA Show up at 11 AM & register on site. Prizes and party afterwards. Contact tomdailey15@gmail.com | Peter Milnes Regatta | April 19 | | Fleet 413, Newport, RI | Cedar Point YC Vice Commodore’s Cup | May 25th | | Cedar Point YC, Westport, CT First warning is 14:00, Contact cpylaser@gmail.com | Wickford Regatta | June 7-8 | Y | Wickford YC, Wickford, RI | Winnipesaukee Spring Laser Regatta | June 21 | | Winnipesaukee YC, Gilford, NH Contact jarabinowitz@gmail.com | Portland YC Regatta | June 21 | Y | Portland YC, Falmouth, ME | John Bentley Regatta | June 28 | Y | New Bedford YC, South Dartmouth, MA | Cedar Point YC Commodore’s Cup | July 5th | | Cedar Point YC, Westport, CT First warning is 14:00, Contact cpylaser@gmail.com | Taylor Pond ILCA Invitational | July 12 | | Taylor Pond YC, Auburn ME. Great warm-up for Atlantic Coast Masters. Contact petergarcia207@gmail.com | Atlantic Coast Masters | July 19-20 | | Kollegewidgwok YC, Blue Hill, ME | Hyannis Yacht Club Regatta | July 26-27 | | Hyannis, MA (assuming ILCA is a class) | Helly Hansen Marblehead Race Week | July 26-27 | | Eastern YC, Marblehead, MA | Buzzards Bay ILCA Masters Championship | August 2-3 | | New Bedford YC, New Bedford, MA | Stone Horse Regatta | August 10 | | Stone Horse YC, Harwich, MA | Malletts Bay Boat Club Regatta | August 16-17 | Y | Colchester, VT | Lake Sunapee Yacht Club Open Regatta | August 23-24 | Y | Sunapee, NH | Cedar Point YC Rear Commodore’s Cup | August 31 | | Cedar Point YC, Westport, CT First warning is 14:00, Contact cpylaser@gmail.com | Massapoag 75th Annual | September 5-7 | | Sharon, MA | Niantic Bay YC | September. 20 | Y | Niantic, CT | Ponce De Leon Regatta | September 7th | | Eastern YC, Marblehead, MA. Show up at 11 AM & register on site. Prizes and party afterwards. Contact tomdailey15@gmail.com | New England Masters | September 6-7 | | Wickford YC, Wickford, RI | Cedar Point YC Fall One Design Regatta | September 27-28 | | Cedar Point YC, Westport, CT Times to be announced. This is a great warm-up for the D7 Championship the following week!, Contact cpylaser@gmail.com | Cedar Point Yacht Club D7 Championship | October 4-5 | Y | Cedar Point YC, Westport, CT | Hyannis YC Oktoberfest Regatta 2025 | October 12 | | Hyannis YC, Hyannis, MA Great annual event! | Turkey Bowl | November 23 | | Eastern YC, Marblehead, MA Show up at 11 AM & register on site. Prizes and party afterwards. Contact tomdailey15@gmail.com | D7 Gran Prix races in green. Sail as many as you can and win points for great prizes |
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As for the sailing, the weather couldn’t have been better. Winds initially were about 15 from the SW, with 3-6 foot swells, but after race 2, conditions calmed down dramatically, with SW winds of about 10 and 1-3 foot swells. John ran W courses of varying lengths, with a leeward mark just upwind of the start/finish line.
