Author: Beth

A record fleet competed in the inaugural South Australian RC Laser championships held over last weekend, 19-20 August. The Adelaide Radio Control Yacht Racing Club hosted at the popular Patawalonga Lake (aka “the Pat”) at Glenelg North in Adelaide – considered by many as one of the best RC sailing venues.

Congratulations to Scott Mitchell for becoming the inaugural South Australian RC Laser champion, to Scott Fleming for coming second (on count-back) and to Andrew Reid for taking third place. Here’s the full report from Adrian Heard. 

Shifty start to South Australian RC Laser Championships

After a week of rainy days the morning of Saturday 19^th August dawned with sunshine and a light north-easterly breeze. In the previous 48 hours an armada of nine Victorian sailors had assembled on South Australian soil, and together with nine local sailors and Mark Luland from Dobroyd in NSW, we had a fleet of nineteen boats for the event. By the listed 10.30am starting time the north-easterly breeze shifted to WSW, and around midday it shifted further to south-westerly and progressively strengthened during the day to a maximum of 7-8 knots. It was A rigs all day, with only Pat Parisienne, Bob Whitehead and John Berry daring to try B rigs after lunch.

After the first race was declared nul, due to the scorers being unable to read sail numbers at the distant finishing line, formal racing got under way. Scott Mitchell and Scott Fleming took first and second place in the first race, and this pattern or the reverse order was to be a regular feature of the day’s racing. Together they won twelve out of the sixteen races and occasionally by large margins. Other heat winners for the day were Andrew Reid (two wins), Rob Nowak (one win) and Jason Shilton (one win).

A real feature of the day’s sailing was the flukiness of the wind at the windward mark. This mark was set near the opposite side of the Patawalonga to the control area, and the distance and constant change in wind direction made judging the mark very difficult at times. We all had a bad moment or two at this mark. John Nieuwenhuizen had a couple of collisions early on, and Jurgen Luther and I had a farcial time trapped at the mark in race eleven. There were many other similar experiences by other sailors.

While the two Scotts were very consistent all day – Scott Fleming had to do only one 360 degree turn; remarkable in the conditions – Andrew Reid started slowly and improved as the day went on, and Rob Nowak could not find the consistency he needed to be able to win the title. Pat Parisienne was often near the front, and of the Mawson Lakes sailors I think Lindsay Sawyer and John Nieuwenhuizen should be pretty happy with their performances. For three of the eight Mawson Lakes sailors this was their first major regatta, and sailing in a fleet of nineteen boats was a potentially life-changing experience.

Scott Mitchell beat Scott Fleming on a count-back, by having one more second place. That’s how close it was. Congratulations to Scott Mitchell for becoming the inaugural South Australian RC Laser champion, to Scott Fleming for coming second and to Andrew Reid for taking third place. Also thanks to our PRO Johno Johnson who ran a great series, to the scorers Graham Ingerson and Bob Dagg and to the rescue boat operator Len Hearing. What a great mob they are at Adelaide Radio Control Yacht Racing Club. Yvonne and Peter Tiss were observers at the windward and leeward marks all day – a very busy job! Meredith Reardon helped with food and photography and John Berry organised the drinks.

All in all it was a very successful day, with smiling faces all around. There was resounding agreement that the South Australian RC Laser Titles are here to stay!

South Queensland RC Laser Championships

The  South Queensland RC Laser Championships was held between 29 – 30 July 2017 at Lakeside Park Dakabin, North of Brisbane. 21 entrants particpated in the event from the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, and NSW.

The event consisted of a two day regatta and was made up of two RC laser fleets, A & B – the faster yachts being assigned to fleet A.

Saturday started with very light and varying winds causing a certain amount of frustration for some of the entrants. Sunday’s weather did not fare much better, and after a late start the wind remained just as light in the afternoon as it had the day before.  
Nevertheless, with conditions being what they were, everyone enjoyed the warm and sunny conditions served up by sunny Queensland.

A shout out goes to Pine River Radio Yacht Club, the hosts of the South Queensland RC Laser Championships, as well as to the volunteers who helped out on the day. 
A special mention also goes to the Officer of the Day, Ian Ashe, and scorer, David Black.

The successful place getters of the South Queensland RC Laser Championships were:

1^st – Malcolm Kampe Qld                                                                                           

                                    

 

 

 
   

2^nd – Jason Rootes NSW

                                                                                                                                                         

 

 

 

3^rd – Daniel Bergan NSW                                                                                              

 

 

 

 

 

Best and Fairest – Linton Ward

 

 

 

 

  

Overall results of the South Queensland RC Laser Championship are hightlighted below.

 

Additional images from the day:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copy and images: Ray Nasmith 

The South Australian RC Laser Series Rounds 1-5

Radio yachting is humming along in South Australia and we are now halfway through this year’s RC Laser series having just completed round 5. This year, three from our last year’s RC Laser fleet have left us and we have gained one, resulting in between four and six regular sailors for the series. The big difference for our fleet this year is that we are a recognised class in the Mawson Lakes Model Yacht Club and we are now having Sunday afternoon sailing at the club once per month.

The 2017 season is proving to be very different to 2016. Last year we had mostly moderate to strong winds, but this year the weather has been much more stable with four of the first five rounds of the series being held in very light conditions.

Mark Easton and I have consistently taken the first two places in all but round 5. This has largely been due to the absence of Jurgen Luther, who won the series in 2016, and Lindsay Sawyer’s temporary absence on a caravan trip. Much of our work this year has been to get John Berry, who is relatively new to radio yachting,  and Don Turnbull, who is experienced in radio yachting but new to RC Lasers, to a level where they are competitive in the fleet. This process is well under way with Don Turnbull already finding a place in the middle of the fleet and John Berry having his first ever win during round 4.

The level of enthusiasm has been remarkable as the whole fleet, with the exception of John Nieuwenhuizen, will be attending the Championship of Nations at the Gold Coast in November. There is a great eagerness to learn and to experiment with rigs, and learning how to achieve maximum boat speed in light shifty conditions has been the key task so far this season.

Mawson Lakes is not an easy place to sail, but I suspect it is not dissimilar to Emerald Lakes on the Gold Coast. We certainly hope that there are similarities between the two venues! During round 2 the difficulties of Mawson Lakes were in evidence, with lots of wind shifts around buildings and a struggle between a north-easterly breeze and the south-westerly sea breeze. Round 5 was won by Lindsay in very fickle conditions and featured some of the closest racing between six boats that I have ever witnessed.

South Australia Radio Yachting – RC Laser Series Results 

                                                                                    Round No.

Skipper	Sail #	1	2	3	4	5
A Heard	192	1	1	1	1	2
M Easton	165	2	2	2	2	5
J Berry	256	4	3	5	4	4
D Turnbull	55	DNS	DNS	4	3	6
J Nieuwenhuizen	148	DNS	4	3	DNS	3
L Sawyer	172	3	DNS	DNS	DNS	1

We will sail the remaining five rounds of the series prior to the Championship of Nations, and use these rounds as a key part of our preparation for the November championships. My reading of our fleet is that, given the general rate of improvement, all of us should be able to mix it fairly well with the other 50-60 boats attending the Championship of Nations.

Words by Adrian Heard

Adrian Heard has been communicating with RC Laser sailors around the country to get an understanding of what RC Laser sailing is happening in their part of Australia. Here’s news on where fleets are growing, major RC Laser sailing events on the calendar and the preparations and some insights for the RC Laser Championship of Nations (CON17). 

RC Lasers Queensland

RC Laser sailing club competition continues to be strong around the country. The Paradise Radio Yacht Club (PRYC) in Queensland, which is hosting CON17 has an excellent fleet. Under the leadership of Peter Burford and Peter O’Grady it features ‘The Seven Amigos’, who I gather are the hard core of Gold Coast radio-controlled yachting. I am sure the Amigos will feature strongly when many of us are racing at Emerald Lakes later this year. I am told that Malcolm Kampe is the PRYC RC Laser sailor to watch out for.

RC Lasers NSW

At Dobroyd Aquatic Club (DAC) in Sydney, Noel McPherson keeps a close eye on one of the top RC Laser sailing fleets in the country. Graham Brown continues to dominate the winner’s podium with Robin Tickner, Noel and others keeping him honest. Noel describes the RC Laser sailing fleet as expanding, and that all of them are ‘dead keen’. New members include David Moont and Geoff Lucas, both of whom are starting to find their feet in the RC Laser sailing DAC fleet. There is a regular fleet of about eight RC Lasers and the standard of racing is high. Noel anticipates having a highly competitive DAC outfit at RC Laser CON17.

At North Lakes Radio Sailing Club (NLRSC) at Belmont in NSW there is a fleet of up to eight RC Lasers on race days. The 16 Footers Club at Belmont is arguably one of the best clubrooms enjoyed by an RC Laser sailing fleet in Australia. Three new members have joined the fleet in recent times. With RC Laser CON17 getting ever closer the North Lakes fleet will be doing some Tuesday morning sailing at Grahamstown Dam near Newcastle. Currently there are eight NLRSC entrants in RC Laser CON17 and Daniel Bergan expects that number to grow.

As if NSW RC Laser sailing isn’t strong enough and the envy of the nation, the NSW RC Laser Series brings the DAC and NLRSC fleets together and includes others such as Jason Rootes from Lake Macquarie Radio Yacht Club making a fleet of about twenty boats. Jason and Graham Brown have featured strongly in this series so far.

RC Lasers Victoria

In Victoria, Scott Fleming reports that RC Laser sailing numbers at Patterson Lakes Radio Model Yacht Club (PLRMYC) have been down due to people travelling. The Victorians plan to ramp up their RC Laser CON17 campaign by coming over to SA in August for the SA RC Laser titles. Needless to say the SA fleet will be doing everything possible to be competitive against the Victorians.

RC Lasers South Australia

At Mawson Lakes Model Yacht Club (MLMYC) in Adelaide there are six active RC Laser sailors, who are locally known as ‘The Tupperware Terrorists’. We have sailed four rounds of our SA RC Laser Series so far, with John Berry and Don Turnbull being the two most recent (and highly enthusiastic) additions to our fleet. I am leading the series, but with Jurgen Luther not sailing RC Lasers at the club level this year the MLMYC fleet is in a rebuilding phase. MLMYC will have six entrants at RC Laser CON17 and, with our own state titles this year, we intend arriving at RC Laser CON17 well prepared.

RC Laser Championship of Nations 2017

Many RC Laser sailors around the country have already entered the RC Laser CON17, with close to 40 Australian entries at the time of writing. However, Peter O’Grady and others in Queensland have put a huge amount of work into being highly organised for this event and I think that around 50 Australian entrants and a total of 60+ total entrants is what they would be hoping for. If you know of RC Laser sailors who are yet to enter or other radio control yacht sailors who would be interested in competing in an international competition, please give them a gentle hurry on. We need them to be there, so that Australia can turn on the best RC Laser Championship of Nations ever. To enter the RC Laser CON17, please register here

Cliff Bromiley of Radio Control Sailing Australia is doing his best to ensure that there are at least a couple of representatives from either the USA or Canada at the event. With around 10,000 RC Lasers in the USA alone it would be great to have representation from North America. Dirk Tesmer from IRCLCA in Germany (he will be at RC Laser CON17) would be more delighted than anyone to see a sailor from the USA at RC Laser CON17.

Who are Australia’s top contenders for RC Laser CON17?

Obviously one could not go past Kirwan Robb, the 2015 and 2016 national champion. However, Kirwan is yet to enter. The other standouts are Graham Brown and Scott Fleming. These two sailors are always at the top end of the fleet and will be right up there at RC Laser CON17. Geoff Smith from PRYC tells me to watch out for Malcolm Kampe and his excellent knowledge of Emerald Lakes. Malcolm is a very good IOM sailor who has adapted to RC Lasers well. Also add Peter Burford to the list, because he has local knowledge and a strong record of sailing at Emerald Lakes and in national titles.

As for the international entrants, there are some very good RC Laser sailors amongst them. Taco Faber from the Netherlands and Dirk Tesmer from Germany are highly likely to be top ten finishers. All in all it beckons to be a great series. Personally, I can’t wait to be there!!

RC Laser State Titles 2017 Dates

With RC Laser CON17 being so close there is an amazing line-up of state titles coming up, which give the enthusiastic RC Laser sailor a smorgasbord of opportunities to sharpen their sailing skills.

The RC Laser state title dates are as follows -:

29^th July                     South Queensland RC Laser Titles

19^th August               South Australian RC Laser State Titles

20^th August               New South Wales RC Laser State Titles Round 1

24^th September         New South Wales RC Laser State Titles Round 2

7^th October                 Victorian RC Laser State Titles

14^th October              Queensland RC Laser State Titles

None of us can say that we haven’t been given an adequate opportunity to prepare for RC Laser CON17.

Remember to enter for the event by registering here

Written by Adrian Heard
Photo by Mark Easton at Mawson Lakes Fleet, SA 

 

RC Lasers in New Zealand take off with the Icebreaker Regatta

RC Laser New Zealand continues to grow with the inaugural RC Laser New Zealand Icebreaker Regatta at Conroy’s Dam, Alexandra, Central Otago held over the weekend of 27th & 28th May 2017 and the launch of a new website to provide sailors in New Zealand with information about the RC Laser, the growing fleets, contact information and upcoming regattas.  Click on the link to check out the new website RC Laser Sailing New Zealand 

RC Laser New Zealand Icebreaker Regatta Day  One

Day one dawned with a cool start, virtually no wind and weak sunshine. “A” rigs were the only choice. As the first race was extremely light and a real challenge, it was decided that the racing be adjourned for lunch. 

The wind slowly picked up and a total of 9 races were held before the days temperature cooled down. By then, Rob Todd (NZL 03) had built up a sizeable lead. However, only 5 points separated the other 5 boats. It was the sort of day where an accidental “stuck in irons” was very costly.

Great to see 8 very keen spectators, mostly ex-yachtsmen of the more mature vintage, who had been alerted to the event by the pre-regatta publicity, as had Alan Baker (NZ 11) from Invercargill. Murray Watson, a genuine Central Otago character, was spotted on various controllers, handling the Laser in an exceptionally competent manner. Not only does it appear that Murray may be keen to have more future involvement with the RC Laser fleet, but his partner Jan is also enthusiastic. Murray’s mate saved the day for Norm Sinclair (NZL 07) by going home to Cromwell, and returning with a replacement battery pack. In short it was Rob Todd’s day with a substantial lead built up. Rob is the instigator of the Otago RC Laser fleet, and also the organiser of both of the recent Otago regattas. 

RC Laser New Zealand Icebreaker Regatta Day Two

A typical pleasant Central Otago winters day, with hardly a cloud in the sky. Luckily it hadn’t been too cold over night, and there was only a slight frost, which quickly thawed. With all of the 6 contestants & partners (3 couples in their motor homes) staying at “Chateau Le Brown” (NZL 04) a delightful spot on the edge of Alexandra.

The racing started with a very light drifter breeze, which again suited Dragos Blaga (NZL 05) and Tim Hills (NZL 10).  The breeze picked up to a point where “B” rigs were used for the last several races. Dragos had by then got his act together, and was putting pressure on the results. Norm was consistent throughout both days. The visitor from Invercargill, Alan, recovered remarkably well from a few knockbacks. Kevin and Tim were very close (one point in it finally) It was really amazing to see the close racing around the track most of the time, with one mistake being quite hard to recover from. Mind you, that is Yacht Racing at its best, hoping that the other guy also makes one, allowing you to catch up, but also normally with someone close enough to have a tussle with. Half a dozen interested spectators were observed on Day 2.

Due to the breeze having kicked in, & the travelling home times for participants, it was decided to knock off 8 races in succession, and then return to Kevin’s place for lunch.

The camaraderie was great, Kevin & Heather’s hospitality was most generous, not only accommodating all of the participants, but in arranging a “Pot Lock” tea which included several additional interested friends. Thanks must go to Dragos’ wife Luciana, who is a photographer extraordinaire producing the close up shots of day 2 of the event. Thanks also to all the partners of the participants who came along to enjoy the social side of this event.

In conclusion, this event was “Serious Fun” at its best. Great to see increasing interest in RC Laser sailing around New Zealand.   

Overall Results:

1st  – NZL 03 Rob Todd (Dunedin)

2nd – NZL 05 Dragos Blaga (Mosgiel)

3rd – NZl 07 Norm Sinclair (Dunedin)

4th – NZl 10 Tim Hills (Dunedin)

5th – NZL 04 Kevin Brown (Alexandra)

6th – NZL 11 Alan Baker ( Invercargill)

Report by Tim Hills. For more information go to RC  Laser Sailing New Zealand