Preview for the Mitre 10 Laser NZ Nationals - NPYC, January 16th to 19th 2020
by Nick Page 12 Jan 2020 07:55 AEDT
12 January 2020
Laser Radial Start - Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta - Day 2 - February 2 © Richard Gladwell
New Plymouth Yacht Club will be hosting another strong fleet of close to 100 sailors aged from 14 to 80 next week for the annual Mitre 10 NZ Laser Nationals.
With our top men and women Olympic aspirants committed to sailing in Australia this summer in the lead up to the Laser Worlds in Melbourne in February this weeks contest offers a unique opportunity to our top non Olympic sailors to take home the coveted Standard and Radial Laser National Championship titles.
In the Standards the Open and Masters fleets will be combined, allowing reigning World Apprentice Master World champion Dave Ridley a chance of getting the better of an extremely strong group of younger sailors. These include those moving up from the Youth ranks such as Luke Cashmore, Harrison Baker and Albert Stanley as well as experienced campaigners including Alastair Gifford, who has been near the top for several seasons, and other top Masters including Andrew Dellabarca, Rohan Lord and Cris Brodie.
In the Radials the Open and Masters fleets will sail separately. In the Opens it will also be a contest of youth vs experience with top Youths sailors Caleb Armit, Thomas Mulcahy and Matthew Rist, all fresh from competing at the Australian Laser Nationals, sure to be pushed hard by several others including multi World Masters champion Scott Leith and up and coming Women's contender Courtney Reynolds Smith.
In the Masters Radial, with Scott electing to sail in the Open fleet, reigning Radial Masters national champion Ed Tam will again be a top bet, although apprentice Phil Wild, who is returning from an injury break, and GM Roger Winton, also fresh from the Aussie Nationals, will be among those with other ideas.
The Laser class has been a regular visitors to New Plymouth, with several legendary contest over the years. It has a deserved reputation for providing challenging and exciting conditions and a great contest for everyone and we are sure that this year will be no exception. There is still time to get your entry in and join the fleet, with late entry available until the 15th January.
All details are available on the NZLaser Association website.