Canadian Olympic Regatta Kingston to host Laser World Championships

by Marianne Davis on 9 May 2013 International Laser Class Association announced that CORK (Canadian Olympic Regatta Kingston) will host the 2015 Laser Standard Men’s World Championship and 2015 Laser Masters’ World Championships. The 2015 Laser Standard Men’s will undoubtedly be an exciting and highly competitive championship taking place over ten days in Portsmouth Olympic Harbour from June 29 to July 8, 2015 followed by the Laser Masters’ World Championships from July 10 to 18, 2015. The timing was selected for sailors preparing the 2015 PanAm Games in Toronto. The 2015 Laser Worlds will also be an important event for sailors trying to prepare or qualify for the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

'Both Kingston, Canada and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, submitted superb proposals to host the 2015 Worlds,' says North American Laser Class President, Andy Roy. 'Kingston is renowned for its great sailing conditions, thermal breezes and warm water, and the race course is just a short sail from the harbour. CORK has extensive experience managing successful large events and Kingston provides affordable accommodation, excellent dining options and is centrally located for our North American sailors.'

Recent hosts include Germany, Australia and Great Britain. The 2013 Laser Worlds will be hosted in Muscat, Oman. The 2015 Kingston championships will mark the 35th anniversary of the famous 1980 Laser Worlds held in Kingston, which had 351 entries. The event has grown significantly and the 2015 Laser Standard Men’s and Masters’ World Championships are expected to draw over 1,500 athletes, coaches, officials and spectators from over 50 countries worldwide. Approximately 100 volunteers will be needed each day throughout the competition and training.

'This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase why Kingston has earned the reputation as the Freshwater Sailing Capital of the World,' says Rob Carnegie, Director of Tourism. 'CORK has done an outstanding job of hosting first-class events for over 30 years and we are looking forward to supporting them as they work towards the 2015 Laser Worlds. This event will help continue to raise Kingston’s profile as a destination for international sailing and sport championship hosting. Early reports estimate the total economic impact to be around $3.5 million for the City of Kingston for the 2015 Laser Worlds. With over 1,500 visitors staying for nearly two weeks during our peak tourism season, that’s expected to have a significant impact on our local accommodations, restaurants and attractions.'

CORK Event Chair, Tim Irwin agrees. 'We are excited to welcome the World to CORK and Kingston in 2015. We have an exciting lineup for 2013 including the Laser North American Championship in July in addition to our annual events and preparations for the 2015 Laser Worlds. It’s going to be a great summer for CORK!'

The Laser is one of the most popular single-handed dinghies in the world with more than 200,000 boats worldwide. It provides very competitive racing due to the very tight class association controls which eliminate differences in hull, sails and equipment. The Laser was designed by Canadian Bruce Kirby.