After a week of very mixed weather conditions in Sydney the 2023 Oceania & Australian Laser Open & Youth Championships were completed on Sunday 8th January with three races sailed on day 6  in moderate 15 knot winds. Days 3 and 4 had been lost due to strong winds and rough conditions, while day 5 had tested the less experienced with average winds 18 to 20 knots and higher gusts.

Matt Wearn by Jon West Photography

The overall top three placings in the ILCA6's which had the largest fleet with 83 boats went to Tokyo 2020 Olympic women's ILCA Laser sailors from European countries with double world Laser Radial (ILCA6) champion Emma Plaschaert from Belgium first overall. Mara Stransky Australia's Tokyo 2020 representative from Queensland finished fourth, just a point behind third and was winner of the Australian Champion ILCA6/Laser Radial perpetual trophy. Casey Imeneo from Victoria had strong performances with two wins on the last day to finish fifth overall. The junior ILCA6 division was closely contested with Evie Saunders from New South Wales 9th overall and Hamish Gilsenan from Victoria 11th overall.

Zoe Thomson by Jon West Photography

The largest rig ILCA7 fleet was hotly contested with 4 Australians, 4 from Great Britain and two from New Zealand finishing in the top ten placings. Australia's Matt Wearn, won his fifth Australian Laser championship, very closely followed by the top two from Great Britain with Elliott Hanson second on results countback and Michael Beckett third. The two leading New Zealanders were George Gautrey 5th and Thomas Saunders 7th in fleet of 41 boats. Stefan Elliott Shircore from WA was first under 21's in 14th.

The ILCA4 (previously Laser 4.7) fleet of 55 boats consists of up-and-coming youth sailors under 18 and under 16 years of age. The first three placegetters were young sailors from Victoria. Aidan Simmons and Angus McIntyre both won four of the ten heats, with Aidan the overall ILCA4 champion by two points. Riley Cantwell finished third overall and was the under 16 junior ILCA4 champion.

Based on strong performances in the ILCA6 and ILCA4 fleets the Battens Trophy for the best performed State went to Victoria, Victoria showed the benefit of strong State training programs and racing in Lasers and the feed in junior classes, in particular the Optimist class.

At the presentations late on 8th January there was a vote of thanks from the competitors and their support crews for the efforts of the Organising Committee, the Principal Race Officer and the volunteers on and off the water in organising and conducting another successful national ILCA Laser championships event.

Full results can be found on the Australian Laser class website and on Mobile devices on the Sailor app. under the Regatta section.

The ILCA Laser class's next regatta for the national and international fleets is in the Sail Melbourne Regatta at Royal Brighton from 14th to 18th January, with 71 ILCA Lasers entries.

By Rod Thomas