  This section is being added to and modified on a regular basis. Last amended 16th May 2011
You may contact Andy Kissick, who is running this site on agkissick@gmail.com if you have any questions
The 2011 National Championship is being sponsored by Andrew George Boat Bits
New boats, sails and most spares will be available throughout the whole Championship weekend
Reasons for the West Lancs venue
A decision was made to take the Nationals further North, after several years on or near the South Coast
Although the South Coast is an area with large numbers of RC Lasers in several Clubs, it was felt that the Clubs further North had carried the burden of travel for a while,and that they should be encouraged to attend. Of course, the overall attendance is reliant on the south coast clubs being prepared to travel north. Time will tell if this is the case
A careful search produced West Lancashire Yacht Club, based at Southport some 20 miles north of Liverpool
Access via the motorway network is good, there is a splendid Clubhouse, and a very suitable water directly in front of the Clubhouse
General Club facilities are excelent, c/w snooker room (you must wear a tie, and shorts are not considered suitable attire!), a Steward, bar and lounge area. In fact, everything we could wish for
West Lancs also has some experience of running Model Yachting events, including a very successful Radio A Nationals in 2004
Date
The date chosen is a little earlier than in the past
Consideration had to be given to the quality of water available. It is a sad fact of life that come mid June onwards, too many of our waters suffer from weed. By choosing the earlier date, we hope to ease the problem. The lake at Southport has recently been partially drained and refilled with 'fresh' sea water to further help keep any weed at bay
That the dinghy fleet at West Lancs will be racing at their sea venue at Ainsdale over the weekend of 21/22 May is a bonus, freeing up the entire area in front of the Clubhouse
This weekend also falls in nicely with the Int 1M World Championships at West Kirby the following weekend. With a bit of luck, some of the European 1M sailors will also bring their Lasers, and join us
Location
The Club is situated on the Marine Lake, Southport, Merseyside PR8 1RY
Ordinance Survey ref 320220 approx Google Earth shows the club quite well (see pictures above, top)
As you drive along the sea wall (Marine Drive) the lake is to the North of the pier, between the town and the sea. West Lancashire Yacht Club is the Club nearest to the pier. Be careful, the large green channel bouy is situated at the carpark exit! You have to enter the slip road to the Club a little to the north, by Southport SC. Cars should not be left in the dinghy park, but in the carpark alongside the clubhouse
The Club
WLYC was founded in 1894, and has a long history of progressive thinking. It has changed considerably over the years. Once a rich gentlemans club (one ex-commodors yacht weighed in at some 100 tons!), the Club is now primarily a dinghy club, with an active offshore fleet. The current Clubhouse was opened in 1967 and extended in 1974. The changing facilities have been further upgraded since that date.
Alway innovative, in the early 1900's along with the sailing clubs at West Kirby, Hoylake and Liverpool, they developed a local One Design, the Seabird, that an average person in management could afford, quite a radical idea for the times! Interestingly, the RC Laser weighs, in pounds weight, a similar amount, that this One Design cost, in pounds Stirling, when first introduced! They were one of the early clubs to adopt the Laser dinghy, our 'big brother', and in 1967 organised and ran the first ever 24hr dinghy race, still running after 44 years. The Club was one of the first in the area to be awarded the coveted 'Volvo Club' status in recognition of the standards of training given by the Club.They have a thriving junior section with regular training sessions, and the current Enterprise National Junior Champion is a product of this programme
As already stated, facilities are excelent, but tradition is retained. It is assumed that you will remove head gear on entry to the Clubhouse. 'Proper' dress code is expected in the Snooker Room, and if you make the mistake of sitting in the Commodors Chair, it is the only blue chair in the lounge, you will be honour bound to stand a round of drinks for all those present in the Clubhouse. You have been warned!
There will be limited overnight motorhome places in the car park, but you must confirm in advance. If you want to tent, that is ok but the ground is stoney rather than grass
Southport
A Victorian seaside holiday town of approx 150yrs standing. The town has developed a lot in recent years but retained a sense of tradition. If you want a Blackpool, then go to Blackpool!
Lord Street, the main shopping area, is rightly famous for its shops; the architecture is both amazing and diverse. Its worth the trip just to look at the buildings
Lord St boasts a red tarmac roadway, is tree lined, and the entire boulivard is almost 100M wide
Southport has the longest pier in the UK. OK, most of it is now over dry land, and the tide does not come in all that often, or that far, but you can walk it for free
There is accomodation to suit all tastes, from top 5star, through multi-chain to more humble, but no less attractive, B&Bs. The prices vary accordingly. There are camp sites within a reasonable distance. www.visitsouthport.com will lead the way. So far, it seems that the local Premier Inn is the favoured accomodation; it's within very easy walking distance
The town is complete with all sorts of evening entertainment: restaurants, picture houses, clubs, pubs, a casino...anything you could want. Except of course, you will be staying at West Lancs to share the evening, the AGM, and the sailing club priced beer!
Evening do
The Saturday evening will include the Association AGM, immediatly after racing. This has a strong time restriction, so should not be very onorous, but is still an important part of the weekend
You will have noted from the Entry Form, the cost of the evenings food has been kept down to only £5.00 per head. Quite remarkable really, so there is no excuse for not joining us! One of the considerations is to keep the cost as low as is reasonable, certainly a great deal less than the past few years, to encourage attendance. The Club drinks prices are somewhat lower than in the town, and the lounge will be a part of the package
There is likely to be the usual raffle etc during the evening and if you would like to donate a suitable prize, the organisers would be happy to accept your offering. It doesn't have to be much, but will be appreciated by all
Food information
Friday No Club food but Dave Fowler will have a B B Q by his mobile palace 'bring your own'
The Club bar will be open, and it's cheaper than in town!
Saturday Breakfast Bacon butties hot drinks etc
Lunch Soup and roll
Pie and mushy peas or baked beans
Variety of sandwicher
Saturday Evening
4 courses
Home made chicken liver pate and french bread
Chicken in tasty sauce
Carrots and green beans
New potatoes
Appple pie and custard
Tea/coffee mints
Sunday Breakfast Bacon butties hot drinks etc
Lunch Hot soup and roll
Hot meat sandwich
Variety of sandwiches
Tea and coffee will be available all day and the Club bar will be open normal hours
You should have pre-ordered (and paid for!) the Saturday evening meal. If you have not, and want to attend,you have till Thursday evening to contact Andy (agkissick@gmail.com) to arrange it and you can pay when you sign in on arrivel
Event Information
The event will run using the 08.01.2006 Class Rules, the latest version. We will be using the 2011 UK RC Laser Association Standard Sailing Instructions, and Event Mangement Systems. These can be viewed on the Association website www.rclaser.org.uk
Competitors are reminded that the safety of their yacht and her entire management including insurance is the sole responsibility of the owner/person in charge, who must ensure that the yacht is adequate to face the conditions that may arise
Neither the Sailing Instructions nor any inspection of the yacht limits or reduces the absolute responsibility of the owner/person in charge for the yacht and her management
The race organisers shall not be responsible for any loss, damage, personal injury or death, howsoever caused, to, or by, the owner/person in charge, as a result of their taking part in the Championship
Moreover, the owner/person in charge warrents the suitability and measurement standards of the boat for the Championships
Will Skippers please note that the entry form includes an Insurance declaration that confirms that you have Public Liability Insurance to a minimun of £2,000,000. The simple answer is, through your Club, to pay to join the Model Yachting Association, £10.00 p/a. The insurance cover provided is considered to comply with our Sailing Instructions
If you go afloat in the Safety Boat for any reason, you must be with an 'official skipper' and you must wear a bouyancy aid. These will be provided on request
You must have a protector on the end of your Tx aerial if it is of the extending type
The event is a catogary 'B' event as defined by ISAF
The Official Notice Board will be in the Clubhouse 'wet bar'
The Official Course Board will be in the vacinity of the Start Line
In the event of a frequency clash, attention will be drawn to this by means of a whistle blast. It is the skippers responsibility to ensure that they have the correct frequency at all times
Skippers will be allowed to walk the lakeside, from the sluice gates, across in front of the Clubhouse as far as the fence demarking between the Clubhouse and the Dinghy Park. Please be aware of other lake users. The lake has not been closed to others during the event, and on the Saturday, the Club juniors will be training, albeit on a different section of the lake. Club members will be allowed to sail and to use the Club premises during the Championship, and the neighbouring Club, Southport Sailing Club, will be sailing as well, so the lake could be busy. Relations between the Clubs are good, so there ought not to be any problems
May we remind you that during the hours of racing, boats are only allowed on the water when they are scheduled to race, except by the express permission of the PRO. Practice sailing during racing hours is not permitted. Please do not use your transmitter outside your normal heat times, beause of the possibility of radio interference with those racing. Sailing before and after racing is unrestricted and you are welcome to sail from lunchtime on Friday 20th May. If you go on the water on the Friday, you will have to be responsible for your own frequency allocation, and there is no guarantee of safety cover, so don't lose control! You should be OK if you use the frequency you have been allocated for the Championship
For sailing during the Championship you have been allocated a frequency, as necessary; please use the frequency you have been given
Entries
Entries must be on a copy of the Official Entry Form. This can be downloaded, see below
There will be a limited entry of 50 boats, on a first come first served basis. If necessary, a waiting list will be complied, and skippers on any such list will be informed either by email or telephone on Sunday 15th if their entry has been sucessful
Please ensure that you pay special attention to the Insurance declaration, and sign the form!
Entries should be received by Sunday 15th May. Late entries will be accepted at the orgaisers discretion
Unusually, the Club has agreed to accept entries on the day, right up to the start of the first race: but there will be an additional £10.00 charge for this. The acceptance of either late entries or entries on the day will depend on the overall entry numbers
The postal address for entries is on the Entry Form
Cheques need to be made out to:- UKRCLA ( United Kingdom Radio Controlled Laser Association)
Prizes
Current thoughts are along the following lines: Prizes for the top six overall, Ladies prize, Under 18 prize , Team prize (teams will be allocated by the organisers). Entrants from outside the UK will be allowed to race, and even win the Championship
The final make up of prizes will depend on the total entry numbers
Race Officials
Principle Race Officer Damian Chisholm
Assistant Race Officers Ian Donaldson and Tom Walton
Chief Scorer Diane Fowler
Safety Boat David Reaser
Protest Chairman Ian Donaldson
Scoring System Adam Kissick
All are experienced officials of many years standing
This Championship Web Site supplied and maintained by Andrew George Boat Bits
Programme of Events
Friday 20th May
12noon Clubhouse opens
Practice sailing, we cannot guarantee safety cover
The immediate area will be open to anyone who visits the Club, although access to the Clubhouse will be
restricted to Competitors, Club Members and Guests
8.00pm Relaxed evening in the Clubhouse, where Race Officials will be pleased to meet you
Dave Fowler will have a b-b-q in use, bring your own meaty bits
Saturday 21st May
08.00hrs Clubhouse opens
09.00hrs Registration in the Clubhouse
10.30hrs Boats off the water
10.45hrs Briefing in the Clubhouse
11.00hrs Commencement of racing
Racing will finish by approx 17.30hrs
AGM The AGM will start in the Club lounge 10mins after the last race has finished
19.00hrs Clubhouse available for the evening
20.00hrs Food, drinks and talking time
Sunday 22nd May
08.00hrs Clubhouse opens
09.00hrs Boats off the water
09.15hrs Briefing in the Clubhouse
09.30hrs Racing commences
No race will start after 15.30hrs
If racing is still in progress at 16.00hrs the PRO will have the authority to abandon that race.
16.30hrs Prizegiving in the Clubhouse
Safety Boats
There will be a dedicated Safety Boat available for our use. Only approved drivers will be allowed to skipper this boat. All WLYC Safety Boat Drivers are RYA qualified, but don't worry, we've had a word and they have promised not to trash your pride and joy
The main job of the Safety Crew will be course setting, but they will be available to assist if you have control problems
If you lose control and need assistance, call for help earlier rather than later. Remember, if you call 'out of control', or express similar sentiments, you have committed yourself to retire from that race
The lake at Southport is a salt water environment, and if the wind blows hard, there can be quite large waves. Get as water tight as you can
You are reminded that only the Official Safety Crew are allowed in the power boat. However, you may travel in the boat by invitation from the Safety Skipper, for instance to collect your boat in the event of entanglement or electrical failure. If you go in the Safety Boat, you must wear a bouyancy aid
Storage and the Clubhouse
There will be no special area within the Clubhouse designated for boat storage. As a consequence there will be many boat bags and stands strewn about the club premises. Think carefully about a means of identification
For those of you with less than generous room in cars, or who are sharing transport, it will be possible to leave boatbags overnight, in the gents changing room, but the Club cannot accept any responsibiity of any sort, for boats and equipment so left
No boat will be allowed in the Clubhouse in a rigged condition
There are charging points throughout the Clubhouse, but they are limited in number, so think about the number of charged cells you need to bring with you
The area in front of the Clubhouse is hard standing, so you will need either a boat stand or some padding on which to rest your boat between races
The water level can vary, and sometimes is a little lower than ideal. The lake side has a hard edge, going immediatly down to some 4ft water depth, so extra care may be needed when lanching and during recovery.You might like to sort out some form of buddy system to assist during launch and recovery
If you arrive on the Friday, you are welcome to sail etc. but there will be no frequency control or safety cover, so take care not to lose your boat!.
Class Rules
The Official Class rules dated 08/01/2006 will be the version in force for the 2011 Championships
These rules are now published on the Official UK Association website
Main points:-
1). Only NiCad, Alkaline or NiMh batteries may be used, 4 or 5 AA cells
2). No cunningham Downhauls permitted................................see the change to this rule in the SSI's
3). Only Officially manufacturer supplied sails to be used.........see the change to this rule in the SSI's
4). All events are to be category B under ISAF rules
Sailing Instructions
Standard UKRCL Sailing Instructions 2011 will be used. Any changes will be posted on the Official Notice Board.
The latest copy of the SI's is now published on the UK Official website.
Two main items of note
1). Cunningham Downhauls are permitted
2). D sails are permitted. Either the Official Laser D sail or the version manufactured by John Tushingham. No other version is permited, and there
is a size check
Boats may be weighed, and must be available for inspection at any reasonable time. Only Race Officials have the authority to spot check your boat
Scoring System
HMS2007. This is now the standard MYA system. We all know it as the 4 up, 4 down, between fleets
Entry Form
Entry form is downloadable here
(select file, Download original in the Google Docs window - or just file and print)
Racing Rules of Sailing
The event will be governed by the current ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing, and the RC Laser Class Association Rules
The following comments were made by a PRO at an earlier, and different, Class Championship, and are well worth thinking about-
'The modern Racing Rules make most situations quite clear, and you are all experienced skippers
It's quite simple really, we are taking part in a non-contact sport: there should be little need of Protests. If an incident occurs, you know it, the other skipper involved knows it, your fellow competitors know it and those on shore watching the race know it. You do not need an observer to tell you. One of you is in the wrong, so one of you is obliged to accept a penalty
We are all honour bound to sail to the rules, and one 360 turn is not a huge price to pay for an error. If you think you may be in the wrong, rotate'.
Our Class has a very good reputation regarding the Racing Rules, and complying with them. Lets keep it that way.
The Official Race team will be constantly on duty as Official Race Observers. If for some reason it is decided that Skippers are not behaving, then additional Observers will be selected from the non racing skippers. It is a part of accepted protocol that you so act, if requested to do so
Official List of Entries
This list will be updated regularly. If you do not wish to appear on this published version please inform us. They are published purely in order of receipt
Skipper Club Sail No Frequency
1 Andy Kissick Alderney SC (CI) 25 40.985
2 Richard Price Fleetwood 54 2.4
3 Nick Hodshon Gosport 908 40.835
4 David Bedford Wanderers (Aus) AUS 120 40.865
5 Buzz Coleman Coal House Fort 16 2.4
6 Peter Iles Fleetwood 739 40.715
7 Bill Lees Ayr Bay 901 40.775
8 Jonh Sharman Fleetwood 428 2.4
9 John Park Yateley 05 2.4
10 John Tushingham Keighley 711 2.4
11 Liz Tushingham Kieghley 422 2.4
12 Jim Reid Aye Bay 810 Brown 26.995
13 Dave Fowler Kingsmill 840 2.4
14 Fred Charnley Preston Dock 46 2.4
15 David Swainson Gosport 179 40.935 16 Jordan Porter West Lancs YC 670 40.745
17 John Trimmer Poole 26 Blue 27.255
18 Graham Ardron Fleetwood 149 40.665
19 Adam Kissick Preston Dock 580 2.4
20 Skip Reaser West Lancs YC 39 2.4
21 Alan Tickle West Lancs YC 71 2.4
22 Chris Jackson Woodspring 116 2.4
23 Adrian Tomlinson Royal Temple YC 30 40.955
24 Peter Spence Brentwood 215 2.4
25 Jim Lydon Fleetwood 15 40.915
26 Ken Cooper West Lancs 238 2.4
27 John Taylor Fleetwood 311 2.4
28 Derek Priestley Fleetwood 68 2.4
29 Nigel Seary Preston Dock 01 2.4
West Lancashire Yacht Club Website:- www.wlyc.org.uk
Further changes may occur, and the site is being constantly updated
E&OE
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