With the focus over the past year clearly on the America’s Cup and the big cats that will be tearing around the Bay in 2013, we can’t overlook some of the highly competitive sailing regattas already happening on the Bay. August was chock full of racing, starting with Laser Fest 2011, hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club.

Laser Fest featured sailors of all ages from around the world competing on these small but speedy boats. The Laser is a singlehanded, Olympic-class boat with a waterline length of only 12.5 feet. But the biggest attraction of the Laser racing dinghy is that it is protected by the One Design class rules, which means that the only changes allowed to the boat are those specifically permitted in the rules. So in theory, all Laser boats are the same whether they are new or 10 years old, making it the sailor who wins the race not the boat.

The Laser is a challenging boat that rewards athleticism, subtle steering and trimming techniques, as well as tactical excellence. With nearly 200,000 boats in 140 countries, it is undoubtedly the world’s most popular racing sailboat.

Here are a few pictures featuring the Laser 4.7 World Youth Championship on Aug. 1, the fifth day of six races for youth 16 and under. There were 50 of the top girls competing that day, followed by 56 of the top boys, from all over the world. There were also two days of slalom racing (think of a ski slalom course), followed by 12 Master’s races over seven days.

You can catch a complete recap of all the races at www.sflaserworlds.com and learn more about these popular boats at www.laserperformance.com

To watch for upcoming regattas on the Bay, you can check the schedules at the Yacht Racing Association of San Francisco Bay at www.yra.org, and of course our own neighborhood yacht clubs at www.stfyc.org or www.ggyc.org.

Jim Maxwell has been sailing for 20 years and thinks there is no finer place to be than on the Bay. E-mail: [email protected]