2015 Laser Open Nationals venue announced

by WA Laser Association on 29 Nov 2013 The Western Australian Laser Association (WALA) is pleased to announce Mandurah, Western Australia and the Mandurah Offshore Fishing and Sailing Club (MOFSC) as the venue for the 2015 Laser Open National Championships. Racing will be held on the unobstructed waters of the Indian Ocean a short 10 minute reach to the start line from MOFSC. The Preliminary dates are the 27th Dec 2014 to the 4th January 2015. WALA is also pleased to announce that the Nationals 2015 website is up and running and we look forward to keeping you up to date with all the relevant regatta information.

Mandurah is located in Western Australia’s south west just 72km South of Perth. Mandurah is the second largest city in Western Australia and is based on the Peel Inlet and the Harvey Estuary (twice the size of Sydney Harbour) however racing will occur on the open ocean. Mandurah is a popular tourist destination for locals and International tourists alike. Having grown from a humble isolated holiday destination into a regional city Mandurah is often labelled the Gold Coast of Western Australia. With some of Australia’s best marine life and water activities it is little wonder Mandurah has become such a popular destination.

The Mandurah Offshore Fishing and Sailing Club provides the gateway to the pristine sailing conditions of the Indian Ocean. The 2011 ISAF World Championships held at Fremantle Western Australia has reinforced Perth’s reputation as having some of the best sailing conditions in the World. With near guaranteed afternoon 15-20knot Seabreezes and an average January temperate of 29 degrees it is not surprising that many International Laser sailors call Perth their favourite sailing venue. With completely uninterrupted waters many Perth locals would say that Mandurah exceeds Fremantle as a sailing venue. The late Rolly Tasker, Australia’s first Olympic sailing medallist in 1956 was a Mandurah resident for many years and a proud advocate for the area.

The Mandurah Offshore Fishing and Sailing Club facilities are modern and at a World Standard. MOFSC hosts the annual Easter Regatta which attracts over 150 dinghies and has become the premier annual regatta in WA. With rigging space aplenty and easy protected launching straight into the waters of the Indian Ocean it’s difficult to imagine a better host venue.

WALA will not be running a separate Masters Nationals event in 2015 however we are in full support and we strongly promote Masters Attendance at our Open Nationals to both local and Australia wide Masters sailors. In the preceding 3 years it has been a goal of WALA to increase Masters participation at all local events. As a result a WA record 100 boats attended the 2013 Laser State Titles in March and 80 plus boats competed in the Metropolitan Championships. It is WALA’s ambition to reach similar local attendance figures for the 2015 Nationals.

Being a popular tourist destination accommodation options are aplenty and diverse but it is still worth booking early. Please take the time to check out the accommodation tab where you will find links to popular accommodation options. Mandurah can be accessed by car in approximately 1 hour from Perth or by the recently built train line which also connects from Perth City.

The event website will be continually added to over the coming 13 months in the lead up to the event and can also be accessed via the link on the main WALA page here.

The word Mandurah is derived from the Aboriginal word ‘mandjar’ meaning meeting place and appropriately we look forward to meeting you and your family in December 2014.