The Irish Laser Association’s Masters Championships, sponsored by MGM Boats and taking place in Royal St. George Yacht Club on June 12-13 looks set to be the first national sailing competition of 2021.

Taking place just days after the Government restrictions are lifted on sports competitions at regional and national level, the organisers of this year’s event in Dun Laoghaire are expecting a lot of interest from both local and travelling sailors.

Ed Rice, event coordinator for the Irish Laser Association says that “We’re expecting upwards of 50-60 local boats to take part and probably another 20-30 boat travelling from outside of Dublin.”

This year’s event will be run in strict compliance with Irish Sailing’s recommendations for covid-safe event planning. In essence, this means that much of the on-site activities that normally take place at the club will be virtual. “We’ll be running a virtual race office and protest committee. Furthermore, all participants will be reminded to maintain social distancing ashore and we will encourage everyone to wear face coverings before and after sailing” says Rice.

Rice also announced that Dun Laoghaire’s MGM Boats will be the main sponsor for the 2021 event. “We’re delighted to have MGM Boats on board this year. They are an integral part of the sailing landscape in Dun Laoghaire and have been very supportive of us over the years.”

Ross O’Leary of MGM Boats, himself a Laser sailor, said “Single-handed sailing, in particular the Laser, has provided an opportunity during the pandemic for sailors who wouldn’t normally sail a dinghy to get out on the water. This is great for dinghy sailing and also for sailing in general. We’re proud to be associated with the activities of the Irish Laser Association locally and nationally”.

The so-called Masters category of Laser sailing is for sailors aged 35 and over. While traditionally, the Masters is a smaller proportion of the fleet, it seems that this year the event will draw record numbers of both male and female Masters sailors.

Event chairperson, Brendan Hughes who is captain of the class locally, outlined how prizes will be allocated. “There will be placing in both the Standard and Radial rig, plus there will be prizes in each of the 5 different Masters age categories, ranging from Apprentice Masters (35-45-year-olds), right up to Legends, aged 75+. We’re also delighted to announce that for the first time, there will be a dedicated trophy for the top female sailor in the Radial class, the MGM Boats Ladies Champion Trophy.”

Early bird entry for the Masters event is open from Monday 17th to Sunday 30th May. Event entries close on Friday 4th June. More here