Annalise Marks Move to Big Rig with Race Wins at Irish Laser Nationals

25th August 2012

#laser – A highlight of the Laser class National championships at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire has to be Annalise Murphy's performance in her first event ever sailing the bigger standard rig as opposed to her usual Radial rig with two race wins yesterday in the tough conditions. The event has seen some great racing between five Olympians in the standard rig. The event sponsored by VonZipper sunglasses have reached their half way stage on Dublin Bay yesterday with 6 races completed by the standard rigs and 5 by the Radial and 4.7 classes.

Being run over 4 days this week by the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire, the large entry includes 4 of the Irish London Olympic Sailing Team - Laser men's representative James Espey, Laser Women's helm Annalise Murphy, 49er Helm Ryan Seaton and 470 crew Scott Flanagan - and Volvo round the world race officer Bill O Hara all in the Standard rig class. The opening day on Thursday saw light southerly and shifty winds and Friday gave excellent racing with a 15 knot steady easterly breeze. The 4 Olympians have dominated the first 2 days along with local sailor Mattie O'Dowd.

The event continues today and Sunday with five more races scheduled. Results available here. Laser National Championship photos are here.

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About the ILCA/Laser Dinghy

The ILCA, formerly known as the Laser, is the most produced boat in the world, with 220,000 units built since 1971.

It's easy to see why the single-handed dinghy has won the title of the most widely distributed boat of all time.

The Laser is a one-design dinghy, the hulls being identical but three rigs that can be used according to the size and weight of the sailor.

The class is international, with sailors from 120 countries. The boat has also been an Olympic class since 1996, being both the men's and women's singlehanded dinghy.

Three rigs are recognised by the International Laser Class Association (ILCA):