Entries to the 2017 Australian Laser Championships to be held at Adelaide Sailing Club have been rolling in steadily as the December 1st deadline to Late Entries approaches. All prospective entrants should click HERE to enter and avoid the $100 Late Fee which comes into effect after 1630ACST on the 1st December 2016.
To date 133 boats are entered across the three rig categories, with the Radial rig division accounting for 62 entrants, the 4.7 rig having 38 entrants to date and the Standard rig division having 33 entrants.
All Laser districts in Australia are represented, with 9 entrants from Overseas entered at this stage. Overseas entries have been received from the Brazil, Great Britain, Japan, Thailand, Ireland and Tanzania!
World No. 10 (and former World No. 1) Matthew Wearn headlines the entrants in the Standard Rig division.
Matthew Wearn Photo: onEdition
Wearn pushed Australia’s Tom Burton to the wire in terms of selection to the Australian Olympic Team. Burton got the nod in a close call from Wearn, and then went on to win consecutive Gold Medals for Australia in the Laser class at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Wearn is a hot prospect for Tokyo 2020 and has already competed on the new Olympic course and will be looking to the Adelaide Laser Nationals to cement his place at the top of the pack chasing Burton.
World No. 2 Alison Young from GBR will head to Adelaide as the highest ranked Laser Radial sailor in the Women’s division. Young, who finished 8th in the 2016 Rio Olympics in the Radial will be pushed hard by the sailor who she just beat into 9th at Rio, World No. 16 Australia’s Ashley Stoddart who will head back to Adelaide having finished 4th in the Women’s division of the 2010 Australian Laser Championships – also held at Adelaide Sailing Club.
Perth youngster Finn O’Dea is the highest ranked entrant so far in the 4.7 Division, having recently finished 20th at the 2016 Laser 4.7 World Championship in Kiel, Germany in August. Australia had a large team of 16 sailors competing at the Youth Championships in Kiel, supported by Australian Sailing Team Youth Coaches, Luke Elliott and Tristan Brown.
