UKLA ILCA4 Qualifier at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy

Epic, breezy racing scheduled for the 23rd and 24th of October brought the ILCA 4 sailors from all over the UK together, to see who could withstand the wrath of mother nature the best.

With a punchy start the regatta we all launched our boats out into the harbour. The wind started off reasonably moderate at around 10-15 knots blowing Easterly, but then as we all waited for the ILCA 7's to start, it picked up somewhat.

For some of the lighter sailors in our fleet, they had to start de-powering with lots of cunningham and kicker to try keep the boat flat and driving through the chop, but for the rest of us, we were enjoying having a powered-up sail and blasting the boat around upwind.

UKLA ILCA 4 Qualifier at the WPNSA - photo © Georgie Altham / www.facebook.com/galthamphotography

Around 80% of the sailors realised that the starboard end was indeed favoured due to the pin being quite low down, and so it was a rather busy line. As the committee boat sounded its horn for the go flag, we all charged upwind towards the mark. This regatta was very much about boat speed, and therefore the sailors who were fastest in the fleet generally shot out ahead. The winning strategy was shown by the ILCA 7's start and was that if you started out on the committee boat and peeled off almost straight and continued for a long time, eventually you would get that knock close to the lay line which you could tack onto and get lifted right to the mark. I personally did this, and ended up around about a football field ahead of 2nd place.

This optimal strategy was the same for the 2nd race. However, not all of us read the back of the committee vessel to check which course it was, the front of the pack got very confused on which way to go, including me! By the time I had made my way to the incorrect, inner course downwind gate, I looked back and saw that half the fleet started reaching towards the outer loop as instructed to do so. However even though I was now quite far behind first, I did the same as in the first lap, taking into account the wind was turning anti-clockwise, and managed to catch up to come out on top once again.

UKLA ILCA 4 Qualifier at the WPNSA - photo © Georgie Altham / www.facebook.com/galthamphotography

In the third race, the wind had finished turning anticlockwise, and oscillations reduced. The pin was raised higher, and the wind filled in more towards the middle left of the course than the right; therefore the winning strategy was to start at the pin, keep trekking towards the left hand side, and then tack close to the lay line once you reached that lift. It got particularly shifty right at the upwind mark, where most of the place changing took place. I was leading all the way up to the last upwind mark with Henry Redmond challenging me very close behind in second. Unfortunately, we misjudged the lay line, and tried to pinch up towards it. Cleverly, Toby Smith who finished the event in 3rd place went slightly past the lay line, and then rapidly footed down on top of us, securing a well- earned victory in that third race.

On the second and final day, the wind howled even stronger than it did the previous, really testing the fleet's endurance. The winning strategy all day was to start pin, tack on the shifts up towards the mark, as it was less consistent and more to do with position management. In the first start, I started starboard, hence not leading up at the first upwind mark, however soon I figured out the strategy and overtook the temporary leader. In the second race, 90% of the fleet started starboard. At first, it was lifting right, and I thought to myself, "Damn, I messed up". But I kept at my strategy knowing I had a discard in hand, and eventually I got that left lift I saw in the standards, which was so much it allowed me to tack onto it, crack off and cross the entire fleet at the mark. I won that race with a very comfortable distance, just because I persevered with my plan.

Amelie Hacker during the UKLA ILCA 4 Qualifier at the WPNSA - photo © Georgie Altham / www.facebook.com/galthamphotography

In the last race, someone managed to have an excellent start and port tack the fleet right off the line, however he shot out to the right side of the course and missed out on that crucial left lift on the left side of the course. Henry Redmond was my main challenger again. We both executed the same strategy, and we finished again 1st and 2nd. Archie Burton did well to come third in the last race (4th overall), with young Toby Smith showing a lot of promise (as he did in the Tera fleet), coming 4th in the last race and 3rd overall.

Well done also to Imogen Palmer and Aimee Bray who came first and second amongst the girls, ahead China's Yizhuo Liu in third place.

The awesome regatta was concluded with a swift and efficient prize-giving, including some awards relating to the national championships. The exhausted sailors went back home with a positive, reflective mood. The weekend tested boat speed, decision making and fitness, and was one to always remember.

Thanks once again to the on shore team and race team at WPNSA and all the great volunteers who helped put on another great event. Also thank you to our terrific sponsors:

• Sailingfast - Duncan brings his battle buss down from Scotland for most the big events, which is so ridiculously well equipped, you could replace everything on your boat. Although based in Scotland they will get anything to you super fast. He also supplied many of the prizes for the draw on Saturday evening. sailingfast.co.uk

• Noble Marine - Ian MacManus (the man behind the name) has crafted a very competitive and excellent insurance product for all Laser/ILCA sailors. A very personal service and a extremely useful website help make this the 'go to' company. www.noblemarine.co.uk

• Ovington Boats - Chris Turner lives dinghies and has been a significance presence in the boat building world for decades. OB are now the official UK builders of ILCAs. A very smart new Ovington ILCA Dinghy was on display at the Masters event. www.ovingtonboats.com

• Vaikobi - a brand born on the waters of Sydney Harbour, out of a passion for all ocean sports. Across the team, we paddle, Surfski, SUP, Wing Foil and Sail. Sailing has been a passion within the business right from the start. The senior management team at Vaikobi comprise more than fifty years of marine industry and sailing experience between them. www.vaikobi.com

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