Please select your home edition
Edition
North Sails Loft 57 Podcast

An interview with James Mitchell about the 2020 Laser Worlds

by David Schmidt 6 Feb 2020 08:00 PST February 9-16, 2020
Matt Wearn keeps his full-rig Laser flat and going fast © Jon West

When it comes to One Design sailing, it’s hard to find a better test of a male sailor’s fitness and on-the-water strategy, tactics and overall acumen than the standard-rig Laser, which was designed by Bruce Kirby (CAN) in 1970. While this design isn’t new, it’s easily one of the world’s most popular One Designs, with fleets racing competitively almost anywhere one can find water and wind.

In additional to its longstanding popularity and the athletic prowess required to keep the boat flat and moving fast in all airs, the Laser became an Olympic class boat ahead of the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. This ushered in new generations of sailors and has helped keep the class at the forefront of high-performance sailing ever since.

This move also placed additional pressures on the class’ world-championship regattas, which are often used by countries (e.g., the United States) in determining who will represent a country’s flag at the Olympic Games. Moreover, all gold-medal hopefuls understand the importance of sailing fast and placing well at a world-championship-level regatta ahead of the Games.

Given that 2020 is an Olympic year, you can bet your last roll of duct tape that this year’s Laser Worlds (February 9-16, 2020) will be one of most competitive Laser Worlds in recent memory. Adding to this impressively steep hill that all competing athletes must negotiate is the fact that—unlike the Olympic Games—countries can send multiple representatives to the Worlds.

This year’s Laser Worlds and Laser Radial Worlds (stay tuned for a pre-regatta interview on this equally hot event) are being hosted by Sandringham Yacht Club, the Australian Laser Association and local community groups, and will be contested on the waters off of Melbourne, Australia. I checked in with James Mitchell, who serves as event chair of the 2020 Laser Worlds, via email, to learn more about this high-level One Design world-championship regatta.

How many boats are you expecting on the starting line?

140 boats, very close to our regatta cap of 160. Obviously, the timing of the regatta being a few months before the Olympics has encouraged the best to be here in Melbourne.

Do you have your eye on any pre-racing favorites? What about any dark horses?

Well Tom Burton (AUS) is ranked Number 1 by World Sailing with Matthew Wearn (AUS) ranked #2. With Wearn being selected as the Australian representative for the Tokyo Olympics we are really looking forward to seeing them both battle it out at our Worlds.

The question is, will this be the last time we see them go head to head in Lasers? Having said that the fleet reads like a who’s who of Laser Standard sailing.

Personally, I can’t wait to see Robert Scheidt in action.

How would you describe competition levels at the event compared to a laser World regatta from, say, the mid-70s/mid-80s?

Are you kidding! Every year the bar is raised. The vast majority in this regatta will be full-time athletes. Many have been in Melbourne for the last two months sailing in everything from five to 40 knots.

How important do you think local knowledge will be at the regatta?

Very little for three reasons. One - there is not much tide; two - the sea breeze does clock to the left, except when it pays on the right!; and three, as I said they have been here for months, they are the “locals”.

If you could impart one piece of local wisdom to visiting sailors, what would it be?

I’m not teaching them how to sail–my advice would be–walk the coastal path northwards one morning and southwards the next, great views along the wonderful Port Phillip coastline. Oh, and there’s plenty of restaurants in Sandy Village and good food at the Club too.

What kind of weather conditions can sailors expect? What are the best-case and worst-case scenarios?

I’m praying for the summer sea breezes, a southwester which builds on a warm/hot day from 1000 hours through the afternoon, with an accompanying short chop that develops into full rolling waves by late afternoon.

The southeasterlies and northerlies are flat water off shore breezes–not quite as spectacular but in many ways more challenging. It’s all good.

Can you tell us about any steps that you and the other event organizers have taken in the last couple years to help green-up the regatta or otherwise lower its environmental wake?

We have worked really closely with our hosts the Sandringham Yacht Club, the Australian Laser Association and local community groups to take practical steps to reduce the regatta impacts and use the events as a catalyst for change. Too many initiatives to mention really, but for example we have built a high-volume chilled water dispenser to encourage the use of refillable water containers; banned single-use plastic bottles and straws; run educational campaigns with local primary schools, and had the local harbor cleaned up.

We have some more announcements coming on that front too.

Anything else that you’d like to add, for the record?

The local Laser District has taken the financial risk in running this event and the others in the Summer of Laser Sailing 2020. It’s an event run by a group of passionate volunteers for the sailors who love Laser sailing in Melbourne.

Related Articles

Jazz Turner Video Interview
How she Faced Everything And Rose during Project FEAR I travelled to Brighton Marina to catch up with Jazz, talking about her own sailing, the challenges she faced during the circumnavigation, how the money raised will be used, and a glimpse of her future projects! Posted on 10 Jul
The Ocean Race Europe Video Preview
We speak to Phil Lawrence, Peter Rusch & Pip Hare to find out more The Ocean Race Europe will take place between 10 August & 21 September, following a debut event in the summer of 2021. The racing is in IMOCA yachts, the same as the Vendée Globe, but this time with 4 crew and an OBR who will document the action on board. Posted on 8 Jul
Foiling Frenzy at Fraglia Vela Malcesine
The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! Regardless of where sailors are in their careers, or the reputation they have, everyone wants to be there and have a tilt at the title. Posted on 7 Jul
The oldest video footage of Moth sailing
A look back into our video archive, to when the name of this class first settled down We delve into our video archive to find the oldest possible videos that show Moth racing. Are these International Moths, British Moths... or was the name still Olive, Inverloch 11ft, National Moth or Brent One-Design?! Posted on 6 Jul
The power of tech
What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? Posted on 2 Jul
Some thoughts on provisioning for distance sailing
A new perspective on provisioning and time spent at sea One of the great joys of distance racing unfurls the moment that the dock lines are untied. Suddenly, the myriad packing lists that inevitably define most trip-planning efforts become about as relevant as a tax return from eight years ago. Posted on 1 Jul
Bill Guilfoyle on the 2025 Transpacific Yacht Race
Bill Guilfoyle discusses the 2025 Transpacific Yacht Race When it comes to offshore sailing in the United States, the biennial Transpacific Yacht Race reigns supreme for its distance and promise of off-the-breeze sailing angles. Posted on 1 Jul
Jazz Turner completes Project FEAR
Drama right to the end in her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles Jazz Turner has completed Project FEAR, her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles in her Albin 27 yacht. A flotilla of supporters met her in Seaford Bay, which grew and grew the closer they came to Brighton Marina. Posted on 1 Jul
One thing. One big, very fast boat
One thing that opened the door, another made us enquire some more - 50 knots! Yes. It was one thing that opened the door, as it were. One thing that piqued the curiosity enough to go, ‘I'll take a look at that!' One thing that when you're trying to crack in excess of 50 knots... Posted on 30 Jun
A brief history of marine instrument networks
Hugh Agnew has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge One man who has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge, is Hugh Agnew, the Cambridge-educated mathematician who is one of the founders of A+T Instruments in Lymington, so I spoke to him to find out more... Posted on 25 Jun
Maritimo M600Cyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTERRooster 2025