This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

2011 Laser U.S. National Championships to be Sailed on Santa Monica Bay

Laser sailors from California and around the nation converge on Marina del Rey for the 2011 Laser U.S. National Championship regatta

The 2011 Laser U.S. National Championship regatta takes place from Aug. 3 to Aug. 7 on Santa Monica Bay, hosted by the California Yacht Club. This regatta is one of many Laser events underway around the country and in the United Kingdom this week. In San Francisco, the Heavy Weather Laser Slalom will be hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club. Meanwhile, in preparation for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the men's and women's Laser and Laser Radial events begin on Friday, August 5th at the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta

Here on Santa Monica Bay, adults and juniors (age 18 and under) will compete in Standard and Radial Lasers in two fleets totaling approximately one hundred boats. Southern California participants include Tucker Strasser, Derek Thomas, Mary Ho, Jaclyn Hollander, and Lynn Dixon in the Laser Radial class and Julian Soto, William Petersen, John Staff, James McJones, Steve Mather, Sanjai Kohli, Derek Heeb, Terence Gallagher, David Collins, Brian Cottrell, Greg Dair, Charlie Buckingham, Michael Bradley, and Chris Barnard in the Standard class. 

The single-handed ("no crew, no excuses") Laser is a unique sailboat as it was literally sketched on a paper napkin by Canadian Bruce Kirby in 1970. Today there are over 200,000 of these "one-design" dinghies on the water and it is easily one of the most popular sailboats in the world. "One-design" refers to the fact that all the boats are identical and strict rules exist regarding any modifications. This means that the competitors' skills, not their technology, determines how well they sail. These rules are administered by the International Laser Class Association, which also sanctions Laser regattas such as the U.S. National Championship here in Marina del Rey. 

Find out what's happening in Marina Del Reywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Officially unveiled at the 1971 New York Boat Show, the Laser's design and flat deck allow it to be easily carried on a typical car's roof rack. It became a men's Olympic-class boat in 1996 at Athens and the Radial class for women was added at the 2008 Olympic Games. All Lasers are 13' 10.5" in length and weigh 130 pounds. With only a mainsail, these "cat-rigged" dinghies are challenging boats to sail in almost any wind conditions. The Standard rig sail is 76 square feet in size while the Radial is 62 square feet. The Radial (and other sail sizes, such as the smaller 4.7 and the large "Rooster" 8.1) was developed to allow sailors of different sizes and weights to enjoy sailing Lasers. 

The single-handed nature of the Laser appeals to sailors who seek individual challenges. To keep the boat "flat and fast," Laser sailors must hike-out, using their body weight to counter-balance the power of the wind. To get an idea of what it takes to handle a Laser, there are numerous videos available including this classic from the first "heavy air" Laser regatta on San Francisco Bay in the early 1970's. There are many Laser sailors in Marina del Rey, sailing privately or out of yacht clubs like CYC and Del Rey YC and facilities like the UCLA Marina Aquatic Center

Find out what's happening in Marina Del Reywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A new feature of the U.S. National Championship is the commitment that it and the California Yacht Club have made to the Sailors for the Sea's Clean Regattas Program.  The purpose of the Clean Regattas program is to minimize the impact sailing events have on the environment, both on the water and on land. Sailors and boaters intimately know the dangers facing our waters and will "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle" by eliminating disposable bottles and recycling anything that can't be reused. Boats will be rinsed with fresh water only (a necessity when sailing on the ocean) so that soap residues won't wind up in our harbor's waters. 

Although the races themselves take place on the bay, if you are lucky enough to own a boat (or know someone who does), you can shadow the fleets during the competition (but be sure you stay well off the race course so as not to obstruct the racers and judges). If you don't have that option, watching the Lasers depart from and return to Marina del Rey harbor is still a marvelous sight. The north jetty is a great spot for watching the Lasers' departure and both jetties offer good views when they return.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?