Celebrating class

Double Bay Sailing to host celebratory exhibition for the ILCA Laser class dinghy’s 50th anniversary.

13 April 2021

Double Bay Sailing Club have announced plans to host a mammoth exhibition of International Laser Class Association (ILCA) Laser dinghies on Sydney Harbour next month, celebrating the 50th birthday of the one-design class.

Currently, the ILCA Laser class is one of the most popular vessels on both a national and global scale with over 218,000 boats sold throughout their 50 years of existence – the model being the boat of choice for single-handed dinghy due to its affordability, simplicity in rigging and ease of use.

Since its first introduction as an Olympic one-person dinghy class in 1996, Australia has won three medals, including gold in the last two Olympics.

With one of the largest fleets of active ILCA Laser dinghy sailors in the world, Double Bay Sailing Club is inviting anyone who has access to a Laser across greater Sydney and beyond to participate in this historic event.

Matt Wearn (Laser). Australian Sailing Team competing at Ready Steady Tokyo (Olympic Test Event) in Enoshima, Japan. 17-22 August 2019. © Beau Outteridge / Australian Sailing Team

Mara Stransky (Laser Radial). Australian Sailing Team competing at Ready Steady Tokyo (Olympic Test Event) in Enoshima, Japan. 17-22 August 2019. (Credit: Beau Outteridge / Australian Sailing Team.)

Philipp Buhl celebrates his 2020 ILCA Laser Standard Men's World Championship.

Double Bay Sailing Club Commodore, Andrew Cox, said of the event: “The exhibition will be a visual spectacle, with up to 200 boats sailing en masse against the backdrop of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, in what we expect will be the largest single fleet of ILCA Laser dinghies ever to sail on Sydney Harbour, and possibly anywhere in the world.”

“We are excited to be hosting this showcase event, which will highlight the popularity, the competitiveness, and the fun of the ILCA Laser class, and which we hope will inspire new and returning sailors to the sport,” added Cox.

Sailing is scheduled to begin Sunday, 30 May 2021 from the Sydney Opera House and head down towards South Head, followed by festivities at Double Bay Sailing Club.

Times are yet to confirmed but it’s currently expected that sailing will commence at 8.30am.

Event details are planned to be released over the upcoming weeks.

dbsc.com.au

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