Micky Beckett Competes in the 2025 Uganda Laser (ILCA) Open

British sailor and Olympian Micky Beckett recently embarked on an exciting journey to Uganda, where he took part in the prestigious Uganda Laser Open (ULO) where he coached for two days: 26 and 27 February, and he sailed 7 out of the 9 races of the Uganda ILCA Open over three days: 28 February – 2 March. This annual event held at the stunning Murchison Bay, drew sailors from as far as Netherlands and Great Britain, showing global reach as Africa continues to expand and promote their ILCA regattas. Below, Micky shares his firsthand account of the unforgettable experience.

“Victoria Nyanza Sailing Club in Uganda celebrated it’s 90th anniversary and did so with a special edition of its annual ILCA regatta. The club is situated at the North end of Lake Victoria – a short drive from Kampala, Uganda’s capital. They very kindly invited me to compete and do a few days coaching – which seemed to me like a great excuse to see a totally new part of the World. Sailors from Uganda and neighbouring East African countries Kenya and Tanzania convened for a 2-day coaching clinic and the 3-day open regatta. Other celebrations and social events were held throughout the week by the club to mark the 90th celebrations.

The sailing area was a short distance from the club which allowed for an easy return to shore and each day, a reliable equatorial south breeze would come in around 11am for each day’s racing. Afternoon winds picked up to a fresh 15kt over a building sea state. Over the 9-race series I was able to win enough races to take the top spot and make an early exit for my flight, sadly missing the prize giving – my apologies! Al Bush and Daniel Francis of NYC in Kenya finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. Reint Bakema was the first ILCA 6 and Mussa Ngahana of Tanzania was first ILCA 4. Laura Windecker from the USA was first female.

The effort made by the staff and volunteers at VNYC was commendable and made the week a very special occasion. The logistics of transporting boats across borders can be challenging but a hugely welcoming atmosphere and the immense help on offer overcame any difficulty! I couldn’t recommend a trip to East Africa for a sailing event highly enough, the event served as a fine example of ILCA sailing done right – great racing in a beautiful part of the world, with a hugely welcoming atmosphere and great competition.”

By Micky Beckett